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The Idler in France by Countess of Marguerite Blessington
page 20 of 352 (05%)
large doors; that on the north side has a very imposing effect. The
corridor leading to the arena exhibits all the grandeur peculiar to the
public buildings of the Romans, and is well worthy of attention; but
the portion of the edifice that most interested me was the
subterranean, which a number of workmen were busily employed in
excavating, under the superintendence of the Prefect of Arles, a
gentleman with whose knowledge of the antiquities of his native town,
and urbanity towards the strangers who visit them, we have every reason
to be satisfied.

Under his guidance, we explored a considerable extent of the recently
excavated subterranean, a task which requires no slight devotion to
antiquities to induce the visitor to persevere, the inequalities of the
ground exposing one continually to the danger of a fall, or to the
still more perilous chance--as occurred to one of our party--of the
head coming in contact with the roof.

We saw also fragments of a theatre in the garden of the convent of La
Miséricorde, consisting of two large marble columns and two arches.

In the ancient church of St. Anne, now converted into a museum, are
collected all the fragments of antiquity discovered at Arles, and in
its vicinity; some of them highly interesting, and bearing evidences of
the former splendour of the place.

An altar dedicated to the Goddess of Good; the celebrated Mithras with
a serpent coiled round him, between the folds of which are sculptured
the signs of the zodiac; Medea and her children; a mile-stone, bearing
the names of the Emperors Theodosius and Valentinian; a basso-relievo
of the Muses; several sarcophagi, votive altars, cornices, pillars,
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