Star.
London, England, 1827-01-26 00:00:00

HERCULANEUM.

Herculaneum was destroyed, not like Pompeii, by
ashes, brit by lava and pumice stones. Little, however,
is to be seen there, as the modern lawn of Portici. is
built immediately above it ; and after any excavation
had been completed, it was found necessary to fill up
the cavities It lies about fifty feet below ground. By
torch light we examined the theatre, which is almost
the only part of the town left open. Great numbers of
pillars were lying on the ground, others were half over-
turned, and some broken through the middle—all ims
bedded in lava. The most valuable and best preserved
retrains of antiquity were found here, and are now to
be seen in the Museum at Naples. They consist of
statues, paintings, instruments of art, MSS. kitchen
utensils. &c. Great numbers of MSS. are piled up in
one of the rooms of the Museum ; they resemble pieces
of clisrcoal, about a foot long, and four or five inches
in diameter. I saw part of one of them unrolled—a
work of Philodemus. The Greek (the greater part are
in Greek) was well written and pretty legible, but they
are so fragile, and so like cobwebs, that it is probable
no complete work can ever be obtained from them—
Different rooms in the Museum are quite filled with
objects of art and household utensils found at Hercula-
neum Sind Pompeii. A great number of musical in-
struments, balances, weights and Measures, pans, glass
phials, mirrors of polished steel, lamps innumerable, door
hinges, locks. ropes,bread, wheat, beans, and many osbar
articles, too numerous to mention, are exhibited to view.
Most of the household utensils are very elegant, made
of brass, and plated in the inside. One room is set
apart Lor paintings, statues, and articles of curious
workmanship, not fit for the light. They shew that the
men, and particularly the women, had very different
notions of modesty and delicacy to those of the present
day. In all the collection I saw only two small knives
and not one fork. Are we to infer from this, that these
masters of the world, with their greasy togas, and un-
acquainted with the use of linen, were equally barbarous-
in their mode of eating, and fed themselves without the
aid of knives and forks ? It is not at all unlikely.—
Cesar and Cicero would not have been thought men of
refined manners in mndeln times. Perhaps it may be
asserted without contradiction, that the English of the
present day are the most cleanly and civilized of all
the nations of the world who have left any traces be-
hiod them. There is a curious wine cup in the shape
of a boy, kept at Portici, which the keeper shews only
to men. It is not probable, however, that the an.
cients were so scrupulous. It has surprised some, that
so marry works should have been found atHerculaneum,
ss as destroyed by fire, and but few at Pompeii.
It may, however, be easily accounted for. Tire covering
of the latter place, probably, wai not sufficient to keep
opt the external air. That of the former was chiefly
composed of lava, and so thick and hard that nettipg
quid penetrate ir. In no part of Italy does nature it
pear to have been so active in destroying the watts of
mum and changing the surface of the ground; as in this
del.ghtful spot. There can be no doubt that wit‘ht
these two thousand years, hills and lakes have been flre-
stroyed, and others formed. We know of one hill
which had been created in modern times (NloreeNuorrtit
and the Lucririe Lake, which formed such an melba*
harbour in the time of Cesar, is now reduced to*,
*Ohm pool. The large lake of A gnano h not mentioned
by any aoeent writer ; and Astroni, a mountain close
to it, has evidently been half destroyed by a volcano.
The top of the mountain has sunk, and the interior is
new filled with water and wood. There is a continual-
commotion below the surface of the earth, which, on
qccasion of a thunder storm or hurricane, excites in the
minds of the inhabitants the most serious apprehensions.
Advent Vesuvius itself has evidently been torn asunder

bi some tremendous convulsion of nature, and may one
clag be converted, like A,troni, into a retreat foe fowls
arid wild boars. The Lake of Avernus, so often men-
tioned by the ancients, has evidently been formed in
the bosom of a volcanic mountain. Hence the sulphu•
reous and putrid reprint.. which ascend from it, pre-
vented wild fowl (tom freventing it, and obtained it
the name of Avernus. This is now no longer the case.
Water fowl frequent it. as well as the other lake. in the
neighbourhood. Monte Nuovo, or the New Mountain,
about four, hundred feet high, Suddenly appeared in the
middle Of the Luc:int Lake dutingthe eruptions which
(*coifed in 1.538. The Grotto del Cane, so celebrated
for its'effect on dogs, probably emits the tame dem*
vapour a hicb formerly i.sued from Avernus. Alt these
places are to the west of Naples, and, skate: tba Oki of
Arise, about eight miles from she city.—
Nullus in orbe sinus Anis przlueet anlanis."

This famous watering place, so celebrated and
quented by the ancient Romans, is now a dreaty %yd.
derness. With the exception of Pozzuoli on one side 1
of the bay, and a small village on the other. there is
scarcely a home to be seen. Baiz itself consists o( only
a few houses: but the remains of temples, theatres,
and palaces, prove how populous it must have been
dosing the reigns 4 the Emperors? The Shore is
covered with their ruins. Close to the prompototy, of
Misenom, so total. to the trumpeter of Eames, ma mail
late aliich communicates with the tea, midi pointed
out as the Styx of the anciam. The boy who accom-
panied us as guide, said with great gracit.p, that, it RPM
of the name of Charon had formerly feeriedausg, thou.
sad over it to the Elysian fields. On seeing a bout
drawn up on the Anne, I inquired if that was Charon's
boat?'. He repred--" Non, Signor, luggo temps fa
the a morto"—(No, Sir, he died long ago). Where
'Cafes stn id, nothing now is to be seen but vines and
trees growing on the ruins of the flosses. A beautiful
. walnut tree adorns the arena of the Amphitheatre, and
shrubs and plants cover the space so often occupied by
'wondering spectators. The beton' of destruction has
passed over the place. A few solitary houses, inhabited
by ignorant, superstitious, and half-naked peasants, are
scattered along the shots, but like the slim:swings of
light which render darkness visible, tb.y only call to
mind the varied and animated scene whiclithis.delight-
ful retreat,-must have exhibited when peopled
,by the
masters of the world.

" An almost total deeolatlon site,
A dreary stillness, saddening o'er the coat
Where, when soft sons and tepid winters row,
Rejoicing crowds inhaled the balm of peace
Whore citied hill to bill reflected blaze."

• Au Inquest was held at the workhouse of Bt. George's, Stiods.
waist, oa the body of Joseph Phelps, an infant, six months' old.
The mother of the child bad been turned out by her husband, a
dealer in cats' meat in Bird street, on account of a quarrel, into the
street, with the child in her arms, when As waederad for two
nights without shelter, and suffered a week to slaps* before she
applied to the Parish, when the child died in the workhouse. The
child kid been ill previously, and its death was attributed es mock
tuber neglect as the brutality of her husband.—Vallitt," Natural
Desch."