fented in the Window, and in feveral Places of the Church, and is in great Reputation all over Italy. Ifhould not indeed think it impoffible for a Pigeon to fly in accidentally thro' the Roof, where they ftill keep the Hole open, and by its fluttering over fuch a particular Place, to give fo fuperftitious an Affembly an Occafion of favouring a Competitor, efpecially if he had many Friends among the Electors that would make a politic Ufe of fuch an Accident: But they pretend the Miracle has hap pen'd more than once. Among the Pictures of feveral famous Men of their Order, there is one with this Infcription. P. D. Thomas Gouldvellus Ep. Afis Tridno confilio contra Hæreticos, & in Anglia contra Elifabet. Fidei Confeffor confpicuus. The Sta. tue of Alexander the Seventh ftands in the large Square of the Town; it is caft in Brafs, and has the Pofture that is always given the Figure of a Pope; an Arm extended, and bleffing the People. In another Square on a high Pillar is fet the Statue of the bleffed Virgin, arrayed like a Queen, with a Scepter in her Hand, and a Crown upon her Head, for having deliver'd the Town from a raging Peftilence. The Cuftom of crowning the Holy Virgin is fo much in vogue among the Italians, that one often fees in their Churches a little Tinfel Crown, or perhaps a circle of Stars glued to the Canvas over the Head of the Figure, which fometimes fpoils a good Picture. In the Convent of Benedictines, I faw three huge Chefts of Marble, with no Infcription on them that I could find, tho' they are faid to contain the Ashes of Valentinian, Honorius, and his Sifter Placidia. From Ravenna I came to Rimini, having paffed the Rubicon by the way. This River is not fo very contemptible as it

is generally represented, and was much increafed by the melting of the Snows when Cafar paffed it, ac cording to Lucan.

Fonte cadit modico parvifque impellitur undis
Puniceus Rubicon, cùm fervida canduit aftas;
Perque imas ferpit valles, & Gallica certus
Limes ab Aufoniis difterminat arva colonis:
Tunc vires præbebat hyems, atque auxerat undas
Tertia jam gravido pluvialis Cynthia cornu,
Et madidis Euri refolutæ flatibus Alpes. Lib. i. v. 213.

While Summer lafts, the Streams of Rubicon
From their spent Source in a small Current run;
Hid in the winding Vales they gently glide,
And Italy from neighb'ring Gaul divide;

But now, with Winter Storms increas'd, they rofe,
By watry Moons produc'd, and Alpine Snows,
That melting on the hoary Mountains lay,"
And in warm Eastern Winds diffolv'd away.

This River is now called Pifatello.

Rimini has nothing modern to boaft of. Its Antiquities are as follow: A Marble Bridge of five Arches, built by Auguftus and Tiberius, for the Infcription is ftill legible, tho' not rightly transcrib'd by Gruter. A triumphal Arch raised by Auguftus, which makes a noble Gate to the Town, tho' part of it is ruined. The Ruins of an Amphitheatre, The Suggeftum, on which it is faid that Julius Cafar harangued his Army after having paffed the Rubicon. I must confefs I can by no means look on this last as Authentic: It is built of hewn Stone, like the Pedestal of a Pillar, but fomething higher than ordinary, and is but juft broad enough

for

for one Man to stand upon it. On the contrary, the ancient Suggeftum as I have often obferved on Medals, as well as on Conftantine's Arch, were made of Wood like a little kind of Stage; for the Heads of the Nails are fometimes represented, that are fupposed to have fastened the Boards together. We often fee on them the Emperor, and two or three General Officers, fometimes fitting, and fometimes ftanding, as they made Speeches, or diftributed a Congiary to the Soldiers or People. They were probably always in readiness, and carried among the Baggage of the Army, whereas this at Rimini muft have been built on the Place, and required fome time before it could be finished.

IMPERATORVIL
SC

If

If the Obfervation I have here made is juft, it may ferve as a Confirmation to the learned Fabretti's Conjecture on Trajan's Pillar; who fuppofes, I think, with a great deal of Reason, that the Camps, Intrenchments, and other Works of

the

the fame Nature, which are cut out as if they had been made of Brick or hewn Stone, were in reality only of Earth, Turf, or the like Materials; for there are on the Pillar fome of thefe Suggeftums, which are figured like thofe on Medals, with only this Difference, that they feem built with Brick or Free ftone. At twelve Miles diftance from Rimini ftands the little Republic of St. Marino, which I could not forbear vifiting, tho' it lies out of the common Tour of Travellers, and has exceffively bad Ways to it. I fhall here give a particular Account of it, because I know of no body elfe that has done it. One may, at least, have the Pleasure of feeing in it fomething more fingular than can be found in great Governments, and form from it an Idea of Venice in its firft Beginnings, when it had only a few Heaps of Earth for its Dominions, or of Rome itself, when it had yet cover'd but one of its feven Hills.

THE