Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-10-03


Correspondence n. Y Timesl
POmpcii in 1871.
During the last seven years, more of this city
of the dead has been unearthcd than in the
thirty preceding. King Bomba could never nm
derstand that the place was not ''uncanny." "If
something should turn up against the Bible
what would become of me?" was the question
perpetually on bis lips. Under Victor Emman-
uel, two essential provisions have been made
an appropriation of sufficient funds, and the
best antiquarian in Italy, Foreli, as director of
the excavations.
This year the cXcayators have been at work
down the street OF the goldsmiths. The work
is begun at the top of the SOIL sixty feet or more
from the level of the streets. Trees aud vegeta-
ton are cleared from the surface, men with picks
and spades loosen and throw out the earth and
troops OF black-eycd, sunny-checked girls, with
baskets and pauiers bear it away to the wagons.
Arrived down to the roofs, the woTkmen pro-
coed more carefully. Adopts crumble the scOrid
in their hands TO find antiques. From the hol-
lows of every chamber they clean out the ashes
with great precaution. The objects are thus
found exactly as they were left in the hurry and
confusion with which the occupants escaped.
Most houses can be recognized for what they
were. Inscriptions on their walls, signs on their
porcheS, carved emblemS (prOh pttdOr) at their
doorways, tell their story. Thus there are pri-
waite mansions and taYerns, workshops and
laundries, dancing halls and bagnios, indiScrimi-
of great excellence, are found. The diggers un.
covered one this summer-"B acchus and AFRAID
ne''-fresh in color as new picture of Bierstadt.
The young wne-god, hrown-iaced, lusty, and
cinctured with vine leaves, is regarding sleep
ing girl on bank with rapt admiration Her
fair hair, beautiful figure and diaphonouS dra-
perry made the lresco master piece for drawing
and colOring. Covering one side of the dining
room opposite the leeti, it was always in full
view Of the diners. In the garden of this
house the workmen showed us holes where
trees had grown, and a marble fountain
that played in the midst of flower bed An
adjacent house had evidently been in a state of
repair when the volcanic storm buried it.
Painters, decorators and cleaners were masters
Of the situation. Dinner, however, had been
forgotten. A solitary pot stood on the stove.
And a bronze dish, upon which was sucking
pig ready for baking, stood waiting at the ovens
mouth for removal Of batch of bread. II
never entered, nor did the loaves come out till
after delay of seventeen hundred years. NJ
Fiorelli has them now, twenty-one in number
hard and black, but perfectly preserved
We took a random walk through the streets
recently unearthed. The southern sun was
shining in at open doors and through broken
roofs. In the dwellings everything was piteSs-
ly bright. The secrets of every chamber were re-
yeaed. The carriage road between the two
tootpaths is of smooth flags, irregular in shape
deity fitted, like stones in a church tower
Modern Florence is SO paved. We turn COR
ner and are startled by the figure of dead man
lying inside doorway. He lies as he fell His
attitude is preserved exactly by process re-
Gently adopted In the hurry of the storm he
hal sought refuge in a porch. But he never
crossed its threshold again, and you can see
how death grappled with him there and threw
him struggling and fighting for life. In the
bakers shop is the arched oven, with fireplace
and 1ues, all perfect for baking bread to-day
Mills for grinding-cones of grit stone, convex
and c0ncave. turned capstan-faShon by cross
bar-stand in the shop. In his neighbours, the
fullers sshop, are the charges for work done
chalked upon the walls. "Ihere they are" said
our guide. Your eXcellencies can doubtless
read Latin But the poor man was never paid"
A more pretentious tradesman was the leather
cutter, not far off. Within was the table
gashed with knife marks, upon which the man
cut his last strands. He had once been sol.
der of the Ninth Cohort, and so announced
under his name.
There was in Pompeii glut of public houses.
sometimes four and five in a street. But, like
the Neapolitan tipplerS of to-day, who make
great hubbub, but seldom get downright drunk
the registering PompeianS probably kept them
selves well in bounds. The wines of Vesuyius
are mild aud in virtue of he climate, which
makes existence delight, the temptation to in
| ebriety is small We stopped at an inn, on the
| wall OF which is painted an elephant, and be-
| meath it the Latin words which, translated
| were: "Slttns has established the Elephant
| Osteua lrcilnium, with Three beds. Every
| comfort inside are the Trilinium, or dining
room, the dinner table, and the three dvans for
| conYlves 1t must have been a common place
| in its best days, and as for its comfort Pom moi
ans, in common with modern Neapolitans, were
| apparently not eXacting. The house OF Siricus
| lower down the street, is curious. His name is
| written up in two places-in chamber and
| over the front door, On his threshold Is cut
"Salve Lucrum.' The interior is well appointed
| with nice garden in the rear and trehses
| rockeries and decorations, suggestive of wo.
| mans handiwork. Skeletons of a little dog
| tortoises and two goats, indicate that pet ami
mails were about. The windows and doors
! are bordered with graceful designs. the
walls of the sleeping apartments are covered
| with traceries of flowers, iestoOns, birds dol
| phins and bacchanteS, and the choice domicile
| is decorated with zones of rich colOrs, now
| called Raphaclesque. Raphael startled the ar
| lists Of this day by his paintings in this style on
| the arcades OF the Vatican. Pompeil was then
| undiscovered. But it is now known that
he caught the idea from the ceilings of the
| ruins OF Nero's golden house. Who Sircus
| was not even NJ. Fiosseli can make apparent.
Turning into another street. the visitor comes
| upon the bagnios. They are of three distinct
classes, two of which are happily I'M
known TO the modern world. Each class is
designated by an emblem carved in stone placed
beside the door. In refinement of Immortality,
Pompeii was miniature COrinth St Paul in
his holy Indignation Of this dishonor of nature
tells all that should be told in the twenty-sixtL
and twenty seventh verses of the first chapter of
his Epistle TO the Romans. From the common
| halls where cOurtezans danced with gladiators
to the sumptuous boudoirs that invited aristo-
| cratic matrons, or the luxurious cabinets fire.
| quented only by the patrician order, prohigate
| life is pictured in cOlOrs and shadings upon
| every door and wall. lndelcate verses are scrib.
| bed on the DOORS Vile epigramS stared the I'M
| bushin9 hdbitueS from every corner. Aud
| double enteRdFeS, the wit of which is smothered
| in nastness hide ashamed behind cornices and
fretwork. Evidently ofthe jewellers in the doom
ell city, it was equally true as in Rome, that
God gave them up unto vile Affections A
dyerS shop, in the same infamous street, is re
markable only for its wndow-sbultcrs. They
were closed Being of wood, which has mould
cred away, their exact impress remains in the
nardened ashes. They were nine in number
me edge OF each overlapped its fellow and slid
lhto groove. In the central shutter a small
dooi was made, closed by lock and key. This
was lot lhe dyer to let himself in and out after
ue nad closed the doors. lie had done the form
eI on the iaial day, too late, alas to escape and
so ended his life among his dive woods and black.
ing powders
Co1hnlnS our visit still to the discoveries of
the present year, reach the bouse or pro
culus. Ii is superior to all we have seen Its
owner was a public man. At the rnonent br
was candidate for Ede Upon pillars arross
the street are still to be seen pacarled 0Procn
lus for H1dlel Fishermen favor ProculusI Ia
bOrers lean to Proculusp scrbbIed to the hot
tom. Gladiators could not vote, nor laborers
! nor inn-keepers, nor soldiers, Women did no