a city of Afa, in Syria, anciently called Heliopolis, and by the Arabians The wonder of Syria. It is situated at the foot of Anti-Lebanon, precisely on the last rising ground where the mountain terminates in the plain. As we arrive from the south we discover the city only at the distance of a league and a half, behind a hedge of trees, over the verdant tops of which appears a white edging of domes and minarets. After an hour's journey we reach these trees, which are very fine walnuts; and soon after, crossing some ill-cultivated gardens, by winding paths, arrive at the entrance of the city. We there perceive a ruined wall, flanked with square towers, which ascends the declivity to the right, and traces the precincts of the ancient city. This wall, which is only ten or twelve feet high, permits us to have a view of those void spaces and heaps of ruins which are the invariable appendage of every Turkish city; but what principally attracts our attention is a large edifice on the left, which, by its lofty walls and rich columns, manifestly appears to be one of those temples which antiquity has left for our admiration. These ruins, which are some of the most beautiful and best preserved of any in Afa, merit a particular description.

To give a just idea of them, we must suppose ourselves descending from the interior of the town. After having crossed the rubbish and huts with which it is filled, we arrive at a vacant place which appears to have been a square; there in front, towards the west, we perceive a grand ruin, which consists of two pavilions ornamented with pilasters, joined at their bottom angle by a wall 160 feet in length. This front commands the open country from a sort of terrace, on the edge of which we distinguish with difficulty the bases of twelve columns, which formerly extended from one pavilion to the other, and formed a portico. The principal gate is obstructed by heaps of stones; but, that obstacle furmounted, we enter an empty space, which is a hexagonal court of 180 feet diameter. This court is freewed with broken columns, mutilated capitals, and the remains of pilasters, entablatures, and cornices; around it is a row of ruined edifices, which display all the ornaments of the richest architecture. At the end of this court, opposite the west, is an outlet, which formerly was a gate, through which we perceive a still more extensive range of ruins, whose magnificence strongly excites curiosity. To have a full prospect of these, we must ascend a slope, up which were the steps to this gate; and then we arrive at the entrance of a square court, much more spacious than the former, being 350 feet wide and 336 in length. The eye is first attracted by the end of this court, where fix enormous and majestic columns render the scene astonishingly grand and picturesque. Another object not less interesting is a second range of columns to the left, which appear to have been part of the peristyle of a temple; but before we pass thither, we cannot refuse particular attention to the edifices which enclose this court on each side. They form a fort of gallery which contains various chambers, seven of which may be reckoned in each of the principal wings, viz. two in a semicircle, and five in an oblong square. The bottom of these apartments still retains pediments of niches and tabernacles, the supporters of which are destroyed. On the side of the court they are open, and present only four and fix columns totally destroyed. It is not easy to conceive the use of these apartments; but this does not diminish our admiration at the beauty of their pilasters and the richness of the frize of the entablature. Neither is it possible to avoid remarking the singular effect which results from the mixture of the garlands, the large foliage of the capitals, and the sculpture of wild plants with which they are everywhere ornamented. In traversing the length of the court, we find in the middle a little square esplanade, where was a pavilion, of which nothing remains but the foundation. At length we arrive at the foot of the fix columns; and then first conceive all the boldness of their elevation and the richness of their workmanship. Their shafts are 21 feet eight inches in circumference, and 58 high; so that the total height, including the entablature, is from 71 to 72 feet. The sight of this superb ruin, thus solitary and unaccompanied, at first strikes us with astonishment; but, on a more attentive examination, we discover a series of foundations, which mark an oblong square of 268 feet in length and 146 wide, and which, it seems probable, was the peristyle of a grand temple, the primary purpose of this whole structure. It presented to the great court, that is to the east, a front of ten columns, with 19 on each side, which, with the other fix, make in all 54. The ground on which it stood was an oblong square, on a level with this court, but narrower than it, so that there was only a terrace of 27 feet wide round the colonnade; the esplanade this produces fronts the open country towards the west, by a sloping wall of about 30 feet. This descent, as you approach the city, becomes less steep, so that the foundation of the pavilion is on a level with the termination of the hill; whence it is evident that the whole ground of the courts has been artificially raised. Such was the former state of this edifice; but the southern side of the grand temple was afterwards blocked up to build a smaller one, the peristyle and walls of which are still remaining. This temple, situated somewhat lower than the other, presents a side of 13 columns by eight in front (in all 34), which are likewise of the Corinthian order; their shafts are 15 feet eight inches in circumference, and 44 in height. The building they surround is an oblong square, the front of which, turned towards the east, is out of the line of the left wing of the great court. To reach it you must cross trunks of columns, heaps of stone, and a ruinous wall by which it is now hid. After surmounting these obstacles you arrive at the gate, where you may survey the enclosure which was once the habitation of a god; but instead of the awful scene of a prostrate people and sacrifices offered by a multitude of priests, the sky is seen through the open roof, which lets in light to show a chaos of ruins covered with dust and weeds. The walls, formerly enriched with all the ornaments of the Corinthian order, now present nothing but pediments of niches and tabernacles, of which almost all the supporters are fallen to the ground. Between these niches is a range of fluted pilasters, whose capitals support a rich frize of foliage resting on the heads of satyrs, horses, bulls, &c. Over this entablature was the ancient roof, which was 57 feet wide and 110 in length. The walls which supported it are 31 feet high, and without a window. It is impossible to form any idea of the ornaments of this roof, except from the fragments lying on the ground; but it could not have been richer than the gallery of the peristyle: the principal remaining parts contain tablets in the form of lozenges, on which are represented Jupiter seated on his eagle; Leda caressed by the swan; Diana with her bow and crescent; and several busts which seem to be figures of emperors and empresses. It would lead us too far to enter more minutely into the description of this astonishing edifice. The lovers of the arts will find it described with the greatest truth and accuracy in a work published at London in 1757, under the title of Ruins of Balbec. This work, compiled by Mr Robert Wood, the world owes to the attention and liberality of Mr Dawkins, who in 1751 visited Balbec and Palmyra. But several changes, however, have taken place since their journey; for example, they found nine large columns standing, and in 1784 Mr Volney found but six. They reckoned 29 at the lesser temple, but there now remain but 20; the others having been overthrown by the earthquake of 1759. It has likewise to shakken the walls of the lesser temple, that the stone of the sofit, or cros stone at the top of the gate, has slid between the two adjoining ones, and descended eight inches; by which means the body of the bird sculptured on that stone is suspended, detached from its wings and the two garlands which hung from its beak, and terminated in two genii. Nature alone has not effected this devastation; the Turks have had their share in the destruction of the columns. Their motive is to procure the iron cramps, which serve to join the several blocks of which each columns is composed. These cramps answer so well the end intended, that several of the columns are not even disjointed by their fall; one, among others, as Mr Wood observes, has penetrated a stone of the temple wall without giving way. Nothing can surpass the workmanship of these columns; they are joined without any cement, yet there is not room for the blade of a knife between their interstices. After so many ages, they in general still retain their original whiteness. But what is still more astonishing, is the enormous stones which compose the sloping wall. To the west the second layer is formed of stones which are from 28 to 35 feet long, by about nine in height. Over this layer, at the north-west angle, there are three stones which alone occupy a space of 17 3/4 feet; viz. the first 58 feet seven inches, the second 58 feet 11, and the third exactly 58 feet; and each of these is 12 feet thick. These stones are of a white granite, with large shining flakes like gypsum; there is a quarry of this kind of stone under the whole city and in the adjacent mountain, which is open in several places, and among others on the right, as we approach the city. There is still lying there a stone, hewn on three sides, which is 69 feet two inches long, 12 feet 10 inches broad, and 13 feet three in thickness. By what means could the ancients move these enormous masses? This is doubt- lefs a problem in mechanics curious to resolve. The inhabitants of Balbec have a very commodious manner of explaining it, by supposing these edifices to have been constructed by Djemon, or genii, who obeyed the orders of King Solomon; adding, that the motive of such immense works was to conceal in subterraneous caverns vast treasures, which still remain there. To discover these, many have descended into the vaults which range under the whole edifice: but the inutility of their researches, added to the opprobrium and extortions of the governors, who have made their supposed discoveries a pretext, have at length disheartened them; but they imagine the Europeans would be more successful, nor would it be possible to persuade them but that we are possessed of the magic art of destroying talismans. It is in vain to oppose reason to ignorance and prejudice: and it would be no less ridiculous to attempt to prove to them that Solomon never was acquainted with the Corinthian order, which was only in use under the Roman emperors. But their tradition on the subject of this prince may suggest three important observations. First, That all tradition relative to high antiquity is as false among the Orientals as the Europeans. With them, as with us, facts which happened 100 years before, when not preserved in writing, are altered, mutilated, or forgotten. To expect information from them with respect to events in the time of David or Alexander, would be as absurd as to make inquiries of the Flemish peasants concerning Clovis or Charlemagne. Secondly, That throughout Syria, the Mahometans, as well as the Jews and Christians, attribute every great work to Solomon: not that the memory of him still remains by tradition in those countries, but from certain passages in the Old Testament; which, with the gospel, is the source of almost all their tradition, as these are the only historical books read or known; but as their expounders are very ignorant, their applications of what they are told are generally very remote from truth. By an error of this kind they pretend Balbec is the house of the forest of Lebanon built by Solomon: nor do they approach nearer probability, when they attribute to that king the well of Tyre and the buildings of Palmyra. Thirdly, That the belief in hidden treasures has been confirmed by discoveries which have been really made from time to time. It is not many years since a small coffer was found at Hebron full of gold and silver medals, with an ancient Arabic book on medicine. In the country of the Druzes an individual discovered likewise, some time since, a jar with gold coin in the form of a crescent; but as the chiefs and governors claim a right to these discoveries, and ruin those who have made them, under pretext of obliging them to make reparation, those who find anything endeavour carefully to conceal it; they secretly melt the antique coins, nay frequently bury them again in the same place where they found them, from the same fears which caused their first concealment, and which prove the same tyranny formerly exerted in these countries.

When we consider the extraordinary magnificence of the temple of Balbec, we cannot but be astonished at the silence of the Greek and Roman authors. Mr Wood, who has carefully examined all the ancient writers, has found no mention of it except in a fragment of John of Antioch, who attributes the construction of this edifice to Antoninus Pius. The inscriptions which remain corroborate this opinion, which perfectly accounts for the constant use of the Corinthian order, since that order was not in general use before the third age of Rome; but we ought by no means to allege as an additional proof the bird sculptured over the gate; for if his crooked beak, large claws, and the caduceus he bears, give him the appearance of an eagle, the tuft of feathers on his head, like that of certain pigeons, proves that he is not the Roman eagle: besides that the same bird is found in the temple of Palmyra; and is therefore evidently an Oriental eagle, consecrated to the sun, who was the divinity adored in both these temples. His worship existed at Balbec in the most remote antiquity. His statue, which resembled that of Osiris, had been transported thither from the Heliopolis of Egypt, and the ceremonies with which he was worshipped there have been described by Macrobius, in his curious work entitled Saturnalia. Mr Wood supposes with reason, that the name of Balbec, which in Syriac signifies City of Bal, or of the fun, originated in this worship. The Greeks, by naming it Hellobolip, have in this instance only given a literal translation of the oriental word: a practice to which they have not always adhered. We are ignorant of the state of this city in remote antiquity; but it is to be presumed, that its situation on the road from Tyre to Palmyra, gave it some part of the commerce of these opulent capitals. Under the Romans, in the time of Augustus, it is mentioned as a garrison town: and there is still remaining, on the wall of the southern gate, on the right, as we enter, an inscription which proves the truth of this, the words KENTURIA PRIMA, in Greek characters, being very legible. One hundred and forty years after, Antoninus built there the present temple, instead of the ancient one, which was doubtless falling into ruins: but Christianity having gained the ascendency under Constantine, the modern temple was neglected, and afterwards converted into a church; a wall of which is now remaining, that hid the sanctuary of the idols. It continued thus until the invasion of the Arabs, when it is probable they envied the Christians so beautiful a building. The church being less frequented fell to decay; wars succeeded; and it was converted into a place of defence; battlements were built on the wall which surrounded it, on the pavilions and at the angles which still subsist; and from that time, the temple, exposed to the fate of war, fell rapidly to ruin. The state of the city is not less deplorable. The wretched government of the emirs of the house of Harfouche had already greatly impaired it, and the earthquake of 1759 completed its destruction. The wars of the Emir Youlef and Djezzar have rendered it still more deserted and ruinous. Of 5000 inhabitants, at which number they were estimated in 1751, not 1200 are now remaining; and all these poor, without industry or commerce, and cultivating nothing but a little cotton, some maize, and water-melons.