Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1836-08-04

ing his way out Of the kitchen door. An
other seems to have loaded himself with
the treasures Of the temple, and fled, but
was overtaken BY death 10 the vicinity Of
the tragic theatre, where his skeleton was
discovered, with three hundred and sixty
coins Of silver, AZ of bronze, aud eight oil
gold, wrapped in cloth so strong as to have
sustained no injury by the lapse OF seven.
teen centuries. Others of the priests are
supposed to have caught up the sacred bat
chefs, and attempted TO cut themselves a
passage through the walls Of their temple,
while some are supposed to have been
sufocated when sleeping, and others had
not time to escape, or felt 1t dierictlon
from duty to abandon their goddess. The
Comic Theatre AID the colossal Amphi-
theatre, with its thirty rows Of seats, are
also among the things that must be seen.
Only three hundred skeletons have as yet
been disinterred at Pompeii, from which
it appears that the inhabitants, generally
speaking, made their escape What may
be called the moyables Of Pompeii. have
been chiefly removed to the Museum in
Naples for the purpose Of preserving them
but nevertheless, Pompeii, as it is, 10
one Of the great curious sights Of this great
world.
We spent about eigh. hours in this city.
10 which there dwells not now soul, and
we could with pleasure, il time had per.
mitted, have siaid there for days. part.
ed from its walls through gate opposite
that which we entered, and as my eye
saw 10 the distance other cities that had
grown up around the base Of this fearful
Vesuvus, that had thus buried such city
here, | could not but feel that there was
temerity in The conduct Of the inhabitants
There stood the awful mountain even now
and II not mutteIing and laundering in all
It's ancient terror, yet strong in its capaci
~ TO act again, as the clouds Of smoke
that rolled from its crater, taught u.s.
Pompeli, whose streets teemed with inha.
bltanis, whose ports were crowded with
vessels, whose people were the gayest and
The liveiiest Of this sunny clime,-buried
m ashes, and lava. lost under ground for
centuries even from the knowledge Of man
there 1t stands now almost in its ancien,
glory, as an awful history Of what land
this 10, and yet the people build. and live
and sing. and dance here, even when We
suvins IS rolling his stream Of fire down hi.
aides. Herculaneum is sunk under ground
he sun never enters il, but over it ano
Their city has grown up, and the carriag
rolls now almost where were the cloud
before. left Pompei with an impressio,
that had been paying visit to the dea,
seventeen centuries old. and felt for III,
day That had been living with the an
clients IN their own homes. But as mo
we'd toward Naples, and on Sunday, as i
was, saw the crowded tbrong that iiIlct
the streets Of every town, the vision wa,
dissipa,ed at once. From death, | has
stepped TO the busiest life. as it were. An
tIquity was IN moment forgotten wher
IN the crowd of Naples. for with such ,
people all one can think of is. of them.
Ihe pItchy smoke, and the lurid flames o
Fesuvius have no teTrors for them. Tn,
present is all they think of, and the past j.
with them but song.