Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-06-12
the preference Of any other for floor
| or pavement.

the preference OF any other for floor
or pavement.
Various implements of cookery, agri-
culture, and building, surgical instru-
ments, and utensils for all domestic
purposes, were everywhere discovered,
principally made of bronze. In one
house, supposed to have be longed to
some wealthy individual, many articles
of luxury were found, such as vases
containing perfumery, jewelry, and ell
egant paintings; and in an apartment
which seemed to have been banquet
ing room, several wine bottles and
drinking cups We're discovered upon
the mosaic pavement; also bakers
oven, in which were loaves Of bread
burnt to cinders; and in several build
ings were found rolls of parchment
glued into one mass by the ambient
heat, probably the private libraries of
individuals. An establishment under
the direction ofthe English government
was in operation, a number ofyears ago,
for the purpose of unrolling these man
uscrlpts without destroying the wri-
ting, but the reward of their patient la
Dor was so small that it was abandoned.
Inscriptions upon the walls and other
public places, acquaint us with the
names of some of the residents, some
of whom figure as great men upon the
page of history; and painting and rude
drawings in apartments point out the
occupation of the owner. In the court
Of one Of the baths was found an in
scrption ofthe following import
con occasion of the dedication OF
the baths, at the expense of Cnas AL
lenes Nigidus Maius, there will be the
chase of wild beasts, athletic contests,
sprlnkling Of perfumes, and an awning.
Prosperity to Maius, chief of the colo
n.y."
1t has been generally supposed that
glass is an invention of moderns, and
entirely unknown to the ancients; but
Pliny, in giving a description of these
baths as they were in his day, says,
that in the centre Of the dome were
windows of glass, "grounde on the ou-
ter side, SO as to prevent the people
from without from looking wi:hin.''
The Imagination Of the beholder here
finds ample food, for, when he stands
amid these venerable ruins, he is car
red TO the days of the Caesars when
Rome was at the achme of her glory.
He sees the streets of Pompeii fufrow-
ed with the wheels of vehicles and it
is easy to imagine that the triumphal
car OF mighty conqueror had passed
through them. In imagination he can
sit upon the margin of the amphithea-
ire, amid the gay and the noble, the
werlthy and the INDECENT, who rejoiced
in the bloodshed Of the gladiators.-
Upon the very pavement where he
stands, perhaps, the sandalled foot OF
Paul had trod, and in that very forum
the voice of the accused Christian
preached redemption to the blinded
edile What a lesson of humiliation
to proud morals may here be read
The naughty functionary of Roman law.
the proud partrlclan, sparkling with the
wealth of other provinces-men who
believed that their names and theil
deeds, their splendid works of art anc
superior wisdom, would be sung b,
bards of all ages, ard that every min.
strel would be pround to be their poe
laureate; how suddenly were the,
plunged into the most profound oblivi.
on! In a day, IN an hour, the blackes
night spread its veil overthem and THEN
works, and for seventeen centuries ever
the location of once splendid Pompei
was unknown! Upon what fragile
Thread hangs the destiny Of mortals
and how soon may we be summoned
Ito give TO all earthly greatness the par
ting word Of PompeiRn friends Va'e.
A Late Hou.-It appears by the
Mobile Herald that the town clock Of
that city got on something of a frolit
the other day, and when it should have
struck eleven, the ponderous hammer
pronounced the hour of sixty-eight
and at twelve o'clock it informed the
ear-sticken citizens that it was one
hundfed apd thirty mine o'clock.
Sentence b (scnsblers.--In New Or
leans 81 d!e 10Th inst, Allen Jones
M lined 100, and ). J.. Bryant
his Second ofence) fol
WV NE laws against gambling
M az s. i rison gin the fines