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  The most 'famous of all the statues of Minerva, executed by Phidias, was
that in the Parthenon. It is minutely described by Pausanias, who says, "it
was standing erect, her garment reaching to her feet; she had a helmet on
her head, and a Medusa's head on her breast; in one hand she held a spear,
and on the other stood a Victory, about four cubits high."
  Pliny tells us the statue was twenty-six cubits high, in which perhaps
he
included the pedestal, on which, as both Pliny and Pausanias agree, was repre-
sented the birth of Pandora. Panenus the painter, nephew of Phidias, assisted
him, as before stated, by beautifying the statue with paint.
   There can be no doubt that in a free countr~y like Greece, possessing
not
only great resources in wealth, but in which every citizen had a voice in
the
government, and in the distribution of the public money, and in which their
very religion seemed to inspire them with an uncommon reverence for their
deities, their utmost efforts would be made to render their temples (frequently
enshrining the resemblance of the god to which they were consecrated), and
their public buildings for trade and learning, as splendid as possible. 
  For
this purpose, we see immense quarries of the finest marble opened       
  and
wrought, to form the chief material; and it is remarkable, that in all the
remains of Attica, scarcely any are to be found that are not of marble.
There can be no doubt that bricks were in use long before this period; for
it is asserted that the Tower of Babel, well known in sacred history, was
entirely formed, or built of bricks.     In a country like Greece, having
at
command immense quantities of stone or marble, great facilities were given
in the formation of their temples, facilities possessed by few other countries,
although Rome also, in after days, had its marbles, porphyries, verds antique,
and rosso. Notwithstanding these advantages, so highly estimated in our own
times, it is incontrovertibly shown in the former part of this essay, that
the
exterior surfaces of their buildings, whether of marble or stone, were all
enriched by colour and gilding.
                                      C