The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-04-29

HERcULANEUM AND POMPEII. Tht
French Academy of Fine Arts have receiv
ed some interesting intelligence relative t.
the late excavations at Herculaneum anC
Pompeii. 1t is stated that they are making
brilliant discoveries at those places every
day. A magnificent mansion at the former
place is gradually presenting itself to the
light the garden of which is surrounded by
colonnades, and which abounds with admi
rable paintings. Among other mythology.
cal subjects there is a picture of Perseus
who, assisted by Minerva, is killing Medu-
sa; Mercury laying Argus to sleep, that he
may bear away the beautiful 10; Jason, the
Dragon, and the Hesperides. The mos,
remarkable objects in the building are some
bas-reliefs in silver, fixed on elliptical tab
lets of bronze, and representing Apollo and
Diana. There are numberless other arti-
cles of curiosity in furniture and household
utensils.
Among the pictures discovered at Pom
peii, the finest of which they are now disin-
terring, are the following compositions -
l. Medea meditating the murder of her
children, who are innocently playing at dice,
whilst their tutor at short distance, con-
scious of Medea's intention, is lamenting
/
! 9. The Sons and Daughters of Niobe
assailed with the arrows of Apollo and
Diana.
3. Meleager departing for the Chace of
the Wild Boar of Calydyn.
4. Perseus delivering Andromeda.
/ S. A Bacchante.
6. The Muses..
There are also some grotesque designs ;
such as a pigmy teaching an ape to dance,
as we'll as paintings of fruit and animals
beautifully executed. These porticoes were
devoted to promenading. They enclose a
little garden, in which there is bason for
| fish, and at the bottom was found large
triclinium, or dining table, and seats for re-
clining. The gyn9ceum, or apartment ap-
propriated to females, consists of peristy
leum, surrounded with porticoes leading
into the apartments, where there is luxu-
rious display of pictures, executed in first
rate style. Castor and Pollux, the house
hold gods, are on each side of the entrance
the other principal subjects are-Echo and
Narcissus Endymion The Infant Achil-
les plunged into the Styx by his mother
Thetis; Mars and Venus Saturn Orphe-
US; Ceres Mars Pacific; Jupiter Hospit-
ais; and classical group of Satyr and
an Hermaphrodite.
The exedrum, or study, is decorated with
some admirable pictures representing Bac-
chantes of incompatible beauty. also pic
ture of Achilles drawing his sword against
Agamemnon, and restrained by Minerva
The style of these paintings is said to be
superior to any thing that has yet been dis
covered of ancient art.
EXERCISE. Persons whose habits are
sedentary, deceive themselves into belief
that mere physical exercise will preserve
health; and accordingly take daily walks
for that purpose, while the current of their
thoughts remains unchanged. This we
conceive to be a radical error. The on
ly exercise that can produce a really ben
efcial result, is that which breaks up the
train of ideas, and diverts them into new
and various channels. An eminent writ
er has said that it ought to be the endeavor
of every man to derive his reflections from
the objects about him; for it is to no purpose
that he alters his position, if his attention
continues fixed to the same point. This
is no doubt true; and in order to the attain
ment of any advantage by exercise, espe-
cially walking, the mind should be kept open
to the access of every new idea, and so far
dsengaged from the performance of any
particular thoughts, as easily to accommo-
date itself to the entertainment which may
be drawn from surrounding objects.
.MiddietoWn Gazette.
CHIEF-JUsTICE MANSFIELD. This great
lawyer, probably with view to prolong his
own days; was always anxious, when old
witnesses were in court, to know their Gus
tomary habits of life. 1t SO happened that
two very old men by the name OF Elm were
one day the objects of his enquiry. "Yot
are very old man, said his Lordship tc
the elder brother, 81 suppose you have lv
ed Il very temperate life" "Never dranl
any thing but water, my lord" said Elm
Nor you neither, | suppose" said the
Judge, addressing himself to the .youngel
brother. "When l could get nothing else
my lord," was the reply. " | always tool
my glass with my friend" swell then,
replied his lordship, all that we can say is
an Elm will flourish acet or dry.
, COMET OF 1911. A recent letter from
Dorpat mentions that Professor Lambern
of that University, has calculated, that tn,
comet winch renamed SO long visible In TN
year 1911, was 57l times less than the sun
but seventeen times larger than Jupiter
twenty fve thousand one hundred and fou
times larger than the earth, and one mil
lion two hundred and ftty-fve Thousand
two hundred times larger than the moon
whilst its volume exceeded the conjoint di
t mansions of all the planets of our sola
. system.
+, A MusQUIro, A young lady from the High
lands of Scotland, having had her imagnatlo
t worked upon, during voyage to India, by tn
terrible description given of it by the officers
= the ship, who felt a pleasure in hoaxing tn
new corners, and having heard by some mean
that it had proboscis or trunk, on seeing a
IL -