great round towers, one on each side, and each of them containing three
colossal pipes. These magnificent towers come boldly forward into the
hall, being the most prominent, as they are the highest and stateliest,
part of the _facade_. At the base of each a gigantic half-caryatid, in
the style of the ancient _hermae_, but finished to the waist, bends
beneath the superincumbent weight, like Atlas under the globe. These
figures are of wonderful force, the muscular development almost
excessive, but in keeping with their superhuman task. At each side of
the base two lion-_hermae_ share in the task of the giant. Over the base
rise the round pillars which support the dome and inclose the three
great pipes already mentioned. Graceful as these look in their position,
half a dozen men might creep into one of them and lie hidden. A man of
six feet high went up a ladder, and standing at the base of one of them
could just reach to put his hand into the mouth at its lower part, above
the conical foot. The three great pipes are crowned by a heavily
sculptured, ribbed, rounded dome; and this is surmounted, on each side,
by two cherubs, whose heads almost touch the lofty ceiling. This whole
portion of the sculpture is of eminent beauty. The two exquisite cherubs
of one side are playing on the lyre and the lute; those of the other
side on the flute and the horn. All the reliefs that run round the lower
portion of the dome are of singular richness. We have had an opportunity
of seeing one of the artist's photographs, which showed in detail the
full-length figures and the large central mask of this portion of the
work, and found them as beautiful on close inspection as the originals
at a distance.

Two other lateral compartments, filled with pipes, and still more
suggestive of the harp in their form, lead to the square lateral towers.
Over these compartments, close to the round tower, sits on each side a
harper, a man on the right, a woman on the left, with their harps, all
apparently of natural size. The square towers, holding pipes in their
open interior, are lower than the round towers, and fall somewhat back
from the front. Below, three colossal _hermae_ of Sibyl-like women
perform for them the office which the giants and the lion-shapes perform
for the round towers. The four pillars which rise from the base are
square, and the dome which surmounts them is square also. Above the dome
is a vase-like support, upon which are disposed fi