shore, to observe if they might safely put out to sca; but they found the waves still run extremely high and boisterous. There my uncle, having drank a draught or two of cold water, threw himself down upon a cloth which was laid for him, when immediately the flames, and a strong smell of sulphur, which was the forerunner of them, dispersed the rest of the company, and obliged him to rise. He raised himself up, with the assistance of two of his servants, and instantly fell down deadsuffocated, as I conjecture, by some gross and noxious vapor, having always had weak lungs, and being fre quently subject to a difficulty of breathing. As soon as it was light again, which was not till the third day after this melancholy accident, his body was found entire, and without any marks of violence upon it, exactly in the same posture that he fell, and looking more like a man asleep than dead. During all this time, my mother and I, who were at MisenumBut as this has no connection with your history, so your inquiry went no farther than concerning my uncle's death: with that, therefore, I will put an end to my letter. Suffer me only to add, that I have faithfully related to you what I was either an eye-witness of myself, or received immediately after the accident happened, and before there was time to vary the truth. You will choose out of this narrative such circumstances as shall be most suitable to your purpose; for there is a great difference between what is proper for a letter and a history, between writing to a friend and writing to the public."

In answer to another letter from Tacitus, requesting still further details of the terrible catastrophe which destroyed so many human lives, and buried so many cities in the ruins, Pliny writes again, as follows:

"The letter I wrote you concerning the death of my uncle has roused, it seems, your curiosity to know what terrors and dangers surrounded me during that dreadful scene.

Though my shocked soul recoils, my tongue shall tell.'

My uncle having left us, I pursued the studies which prevented my going with him until it was time to bathe; after which I went to supper, and from thence to bed. There had been, for many days before, some shocks of an earthquake, which the less surprised us as they are extremely frequent in Campania; but they were so particularly violent that night, that they not only shook every thing about us, but seemed, indeed, to threaten total destruction. My mother flew to my chamber, where she found me rising in order to awaken her. We went out into a small court, belonging to the house, which separated the sea from the buildings. As I was, at that time, but eighteen years of age, I knew not whether I should call my behavior, in this dangerous juncture, rashness or courage; but I took up Livy, and amused myself with turning over that author. Though it was now morning, the light was exceedingly faint and languid; the buildings all around us tottered; and though we stood upon open ground, yet, as the place was narrow and confined, there was no remaining there without great and certain danger. We therefore resolved to move out of town. The people followed us in the utmost consternation, and as, to a mind distracted with terror, every suggestion seems more prudent than its own, pressed in great crowds around us on our way out. Being got at a convenient distance from the houses, we stood still, in the midst of a most dangerous and dreadful scene. The chariots

which we had ordered to be drawn out were so agitated backward and forward, though upon the most level ground, that we could not keep them steady, even by supporting them with large stones. The sea seemed to roll back upon itself, and to be driven from its banks by the convulsive motion of the earth. It is certain, at least, that the shore was considerably enlarged, and several sea animals were left upon it. On the other side, a black and dreadful cloud, bursting with an igneous, serpentine vapor, darted out a long train of fire, resembling flashes of lightning, but much larger.

"My mother strongly conjured me to make my escape at any rate, which, as I was young, I might easily do. As for herself, she said, her age and corpulency rendered all attempts of that sort impossible. However, she would willingly meet death if she could have the satisfaction of seeing that she was not the occasion of mine. But I absolutely refused to leave her; and, taking her by the hand, I led her on. She complied with great reluctance, and not without many reproaches to herself for retarding my flight. The ashes now began to fall upon us, though in no great quantities. I turned my head, and observed behind us a thick smoke, which came rolling after us like a torrent. I proposed, while we yet had any light, to turn out of the high road, lest we should be pressed to death in the dark by the crowd that followed us. We had scarce stepped out of the path, when darkness overspread us not like that of a cloudy night, or when there is no moon, but of a room when it is shut up, and all the lights extinct. Nothing there was to be heard but the shrieks of women, the screams of children, and the cries of men; some calling for their children, some for their parents, others for their hus

bands, and only distinguishing each other by their voices; one lamenting his own fate, another that of his family; some wishing to die from the very fear of dying; some lifting their hands to the gods; but the greater part imagining that the last and eternal night was come, which was to destroy the gods and the world together. At length, a glimmering light appeared, which we imagined to be the forerunner of an unusual burst of flame, as in truth it was then the return of day. However, the fire fell at a distance from us. Then again we were enveloped in darkness, and a heavy shower of ashes rained upon us, which we were obliged, every now and then, to shake off; otherwise we should have been crushed and buried in the heap. At last, this dreadful darkness was dissipated by degrees, like a cloud of smoke; the real day returned, and even the sun appeared, though very faintly, and as when an eclipse is coming on. Every object which presented itself to our eyes seemed changed, being covered over with snow. We returned to Misenum, where we refreshed ourselves as well as we could, and passed an anxious night, between hope and fear, though, indeed, with a much larger share of the latter; for the earthquake still continued; while several enthusiastic people ran up and down, hightening the calamity by terrible predictions. However, my mother and I, notwithstanding the danger we had passed, and which still threatened us, had not thought of leaving the place till we should receive some intelligence from my uncle."

The first traces of the buried cities were discovered in 1738, by Charles, King of Spain, who conquered Naples, and made Portici, a town which is built upon the ruins of Herculaneum, his residence. In sinking a well, three statues were found, which led to explorations,

and resulted in the discovery of the long-buried city. In 1750, Pompeii was discovered, after having remained concealed from view nearly seventeen centuries. Herculaneum was buried by the lava storm, which poured along the streets, deluging the houses, consuming the verdure, and overwhelming every sign of life and beauty. Owing to the fact that this city was destroyed by lava, but few excavations have been made. work is so slow and tedious, and requires so much labor and expense, that but little has yet been done. A goodly town is also built upon the spot, and the habitations of the living rise upon the tombs of the dead.

The

With lighted torches, we went down the rocky pathway into an old theater, which has been partially exhumed, and which still shows us the magnificent proportions and splendid decorations of this temple of pleasure. Beautiful houses have also been discovered, in which works of art in a state of wonderful preservation have been found, and brought forth from their rocky sepulchers to become the study of the antiquarian, and the object of curiosity and amusement to the traveler. The most important discovery made in Herculaneum was sixteen hundred and ninety-six papyrus rolls, which were brought to light about a century ago. They are covered with inscriptions almost unintelligible as yet, but which may in future furnish important historical information to the scholar. The rolls are so charred, that thus far all attempts to unroll them have been nearly or quite in vain, only a small number of them being legible after the process is completed.1 Some of the most noted scholars of modern times have been employed to interpret these literary remains, but with

1 The authors of these works are Phanas, Colotes, Polystratus, and Epicurius, Philodemos, Demetrius, others.