Page:The Voyage of Italy (1686).djvu/261

 On the other side of the great Piazza stands the Church of St Steven. It's rounded with chanelled Pillars also. It was anciently the Temple of Juno Matutina Morning Juno, or Alba Dea, the break-of-Day Goddess: A Goddess, which our adies that never rise till noon, would never have been devout to.

Close by this Church (which stands by the River side) the great sink of Rome, called Cloaca Maxima, emptied itself into Tiber. And though this were but a sink, yet it deserves to be mentioned among the rare Magnificencies of ancient Rome. For it was nobly built by Tarquinus Priscus, of Free-stone, Arched over head, with a world of springs running into it: And it was so great, that a Cart might have gone in it. This sink was one of the evident tokens of the greatness and magnificence of Rome anciently; and indeed a far greater evidence than that of Heliogabalus; who caused all the Spiders Webs of Rome anciently. to be gathered together and weighed, that by so many pound weight of Spiders Webs, the greatness of Rome might the better be conjectured.

Going on from hence by the riverside, I came to the foot of the Mount Aventin, and left on my left hand, a Chapel belonging to the Knights of Malta. Our Antiquaries tell us, that near to this plplace stood the Temple of the Bona Dea, into which no man was to enter : And that Cacus hU Cacus his Den was also in the side of this Hill, into which he drag’d Hercules his Oxen by the tails, that no man should find out his theft by the Footfteps. Upon the side of this hill stood also the Scalae Gemoniae, down which criminal Persons were tumbled into Tiber.