Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-08-24

wear of tie emperor titus. ne
whole story is told in the younger
piiny's letters; or, if the illustration
Of one who thought himself bora for
A describer, bio Cassius. be sought.
it will be found that this eruption
was worthy of the work it had to DO.
and was a handsome recompense tor
the long slumber of the volcano. The
continent, throughout its whole south
ern range, probably felt this vigorous
awakening. Rome was covered with
the ashes, of which Northern Africa,
Egypt. and Asia Minor, had their
share; the sun was turned into blood
and darkness. and the people thodghs
that the destruction OF the world was
come.
AT the close Of the eruption, Vesu'
vius stood forth the naked giant that
he is at this holr-the palaces anu
the gardens were all dust and air
the sky was stained with that clond
which still sits like a crown of wrath
upon his brow--the plain at his loo!
where Herculaneum and Po"peli
snread their cirCuses and temples
like Chiidren's toys, was covered o
ver with sand, charcoal. and smoke;
and the whole was left for mighty
mo, al against the danger of trusting
to the sleep of a volcano.
All was then at al end with the CT
ties below; the population were burnt
and had no more need Of houses.-
The Roman nables had no passion
for combustion, and kept aloof; the
winds and rain, robbers and the ma
Iar,a, were the sole tenants OF the
land: and in this way rolled 1900
years over the bones If the winters,
sailors, and snug citizens Of the We.
suyian cities. But their time was to
come; and their beds we're to be per-
forated by French and Neapolitan
pick.axes, and to be visited by En-
glish feet, and sketched and written
about, and Autographed, till all the
world wished that they never had
been disturbed. The first discove-
ries were accidental. for no Neapoii.
tan ever struck a spade Into the
ground that he could help, nor har
bored voluntary idea but of maca-
roni, intrigue, monkery, or the gam.
ing table. The spade struck upon a
key, which of course belonged to a
door; the door had an inscription,
and the name of the names of the bu.
ried cities were brought to light, to
the boundIcsS perpIexity ofthe learn
ed, the merciless curiosity ofthe blue
stockings of the 18th century, and
all others to come. and the thankless,
reckless. and ridiculous profit of that
whole race of rascality, the guides.
cicerones, abbes, and antiquarians.
But italian vigor is of all things
the most easily exhausted. where it
has not the lash or the bride to feed
it's waste, and the cities sIumbere0
for 90 years more, till, in 17ll. a
duke, who was digging for marble to
turn into mortar, found Hercules,
and whole heap of fractured beau.
ties, a row Of Greek columns, and
little temple. Again the cities slam-
bered, till, in 1888, king # Naples.
on whom light may the earth rest.
commenced digging, and streets.
temples. theatres opened out to the
sun, TO be at rest no more.
So few details Of the original ca
tastrophe are to be found in histori-
ans. that we can scarcely estimate the
actual human suffering, which is. af-
ter all. almost the only thing to be
considered as a misfortune. 1t is
probable that the population, of at
least Pompeii, had time to make their
escape. A pedlar's pack would con-
tain all the valuables left in Pompeii;
and the people who had time thus to
clear their premises. must have been
singuIarly fond of hazard, if they
staid lingering within the reach of
the eruption. But some melancholy
evidences remain that all were not so
successful. In one of the last exca-
vations made by the French, four fe-
male skeletons were found lying to-
gether, with their ornaments. rings,
aud bracelets, and with their little
hoard OF coins in gold and silver
They had probably been suffocated
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