Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1834-12-04
WHOLE NO. 244.

by the wheels Of carriages, showing the
great antiquity of Pompeii. In these
streets in the my stical abode Of the ora
Gle, in the amphi-the atre, in the Forum,
in the Patrician mansions and PlebiaD
dwellings, all was silence. The sleep
of seventeen centuries, is broken, but
the light Of life dawns no, again on Pom
pen.
] seated my self upon broken column
] locke d down into her vast amphi-ihea-
tire, with seats prepared for spectators; l
called inv oluniarily Tor the Pompeians
who had once crowded the seats before
me. Silence alone answered the echo
OF my voice, they are not here--l went
I" the archcd stone prisons, the prisoners
had fed went to the Forum, the voice
Of "ralory was no longer there. ! went
10 the tombs, and there stoed srns con-
taIning the ashes OF the dead. These
ashes are all that remain of the rich and
numerous population OF Pompeii Lean
ing against the tombs, sighed as look
I'd on these remains Of the past, sad evi-
dences Of the vanity Of human life. The
wind sighed in sympathy, as it breathed
through the abodes Of the ancient dead.
Without going into a minute detail Of
Pompeii, suffice it to say, that the POM
Peians had attained great perfection in
the elegant arts, and they had most Of
the useful arts Of life, though not in all
things rivaIling those OF the present day.
In one of the houses I saw painting Of
a vessel, such as were used probably by
the Greek colonists who founded POM
peii. 1t was a small keel boat, with q
square sail, ii a ships boat Of the pre-
sent day, except that its Prov was high
er. This city having been conquered
by the Romans, posse ssed the monuments
Of Greek and Roman art. The proud
edifcss and fine statues Of Greece, and
the monuments of Roman magnifcence,
are mingled here. The bust Of Socrates
was found in Pompeii, amid the monu-
ments Of Greek and Roman licentious-
ness. Well might the reforming sage Of
Athens visit this city Of the plain, where
Priapus was worshiPped as the god Of
abundance and sensuaIity, and where IL
centious pictures decorate the inner walls
of the houses of the rich Pompeians
showing a depravity that called loudly
ior the purifying fires Of Mount Somms.
Peace to the ashes Of the dead. Let
the faults Of the Pompeians be forgotten
in their terrible fate. Seventeen centu-
ries have rolled over the buried city Civ
ing long oblivion to the past. As we
unroIl her Greek papyrus manuscripts,
as we walk her deserted streets, it be-
comes us to remember in charity, that
the beautiful and intellig ent morality Of
Christianity was unknown at POmpeii,
as appears from her Pagan Temples,
erected in honor Of human passion and
depravity. We ought also to remember
that the arts and sciences, with their re-
timing and civilizing power, have had
twenty centuries Of progressive improve
ment since the days of Pompeian pros
perty and power. This period Of Pagan
darkness, must be judged by the faint
light of natural religion, and not by the
, revealed illumination of the present day
Peace then TO Pompeii, the city Of ths
resurrection.
From Pompeii we proceeded to Saler-
no, Oh the sea about ~ miles from Ma
: pies. | passed on the way the towns Of
8 Noccra, Cava, and Vietri. Nocera, the
, ancient Nuceria, was sacked and burn
. ed by Hannibal, that Carthaginia,s
, scourge Of Rome. The bloody track Of
s Hannibal has been obliterated by time,
and the plains and the siGes Of the Apen-
: mines were smiling in verdure and love-
: lness. The plain watered by the Sar-
: no, is fine, and the scenery at the pas
: sage of the Apcnnines, is stri ingly pic
2, turesque. From the plains otthe Sarno.
] l saw Vesuvius lifting bis cloud-cap,
3 summit behind US, while the mountains
rose IN wild confusion around the ricl,
{ vallies and lovely plains. The olive, the
= orange, and the lemon trees, intermin-
3 gled their green foliage, and the golden
r fruit with the Towering almond and the
}, beautiful vine. The pass Of the Apen-
!, mines to Salerno, by the sea, is peculiar.
i The road leads through a narrow and
l. winding ravine, opening passage
d through the mountains, which are cult
J.. waited in many places, with vines and
olives, almost to their tops. The villa
il ges and white houses scattered along the
J, declivities, with here and there splen-
e did convent Of monastery, placed on
!. high, the sudden view of the Mediter-
. ranean upon winding out Of the deep de-
i file, all together present most Prcts-
# rescue and agreeable scene.
e We slept at Salerno, aud at o'clock,
d A. NJ, started for Postum, which " 53 OF
d Cd miles from Naples. We arrived al
+ Postum, and saw its venerable remains
y he columns Of her Temples rose 70 oul
~ view in the distance, presenting fine
's .,.c,m,ns ul (,rec,aD Architecture. thu