Nevertheless, far more was left than we
now find, and probably many of the remains had still their marble
incrustation, their pillared entrances, and their other ornaments,
where we now see nothing but the skeleton of brickwork. In this state
of things, the first beginnings of a topographical study of the old
city were made.
In Poggio's walks through Rome the study of the remains themselves is
for the first time more intimately combined with that of the ancient
authors and inscriptions--the latter he sought out from among all the
vegetation in which they were imbedded--the writer's imagination is
severely restrained, and the memories of Christian Rome carefully
excluded. The only pity is that Poggio's work was not fuller and was
not illustrated with sketches. Far more was left in his time than was
found by Raphael eighty years later. He saw the tomb of Caecilia
Metella and the columns in front of one of the temples on the slope of
the Capitol, first in full preservation, and then afterwards half
destroyed, owing to that unfortunate quality which marble possesses of
being easily burnt into lime. A vast colonnade near the Minerva fell
piecemeal a victim to the same fate. A witness in the year 1443 tells
us that this manufacture of lime still went on: 'which is a shame, for
the new buildings are pitiful, and the beauty of Rome is in its ruins.
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