Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-03-14
mo. q.
what IA Merchant Saw i'm Europe.
NAPLES, ITALY,

church of the Jesuits place replete
with gaudy gildings, Indifferent paint
ings with gold and silver tinsels about
its high altar. The numerous confession
al boxes, were occupied by priests who
listened to the whispered confessions of
sin-sick souls kneeling beside them and
OF which not few were weeping. Next
we went to San Marie Sangris, which
stands a monument to the layished
wealth of a nObleman who courted the
drunken bliss of the strumpet kiss OF
the Jesubel of Rome" The church is
model of good taste, and the Yelled Viz
gin, for Antonio ConradinoSof Venice,
is one among the wonders of Olden time
sculpture. The rich and graceful folds
of the veil droOp in marble and gossa-
mer, form more representative OF We
nus than the Madonna. pondered with
childlike sensibilities over a forbidding
tomb in the basement of the church,
where lay the life sized marble statue of
the dead Savior, most naturally yelled
in marble. There was pure anguish of
expression on the face, only mixed with
pity for the rabble who nailed him to
the cross.
Taking q carriage we ratified over the
stony streets of Naples, and along the
shore of the Bay for thirteen miles.
When en- route, we passed funeral pro-
cession with hired pauper mourners.
Our guide tells us that it is quite the Gus
tom to make provision in ones will for
hired mOurners to escort ones bier.
We observe singular custom decid
edly in Contrast to the MoOrs of Africa,
when the infantile legs dangle at the
mothers back as she trudges along.
These Italian children are tightly wrap
ped from the arm pits to the feet and
pOwerless to move the lower eXtremities.
But where are we going, and what
has been the magnet to attract us these
thirteen miles from Naples We are
on the Appian way and in the suburbs
of a city which was, but is not. l don't
know that it should be called city, for
it was a provincial town and noted for
the luxurious and lustful nature of its
long persisted inhabitants. We have
passed its once sinful twin sisters, Her
culaneum, and are now at the gates of
POmpeii, the SodOm, as was Hercula-
neum the GomOrrah of the Roman en-
pire. | think one who has never seen
Pompeii. must have crude ideas and
many mistaken notions of it, We had,
and without tediOusness, Hope you may
follow us as we take a CursOry glance at
the only Roman city, much as it was
1000 wears ago. Sixteen years before
the volcano buried it by a shower of
Cinders mixed with hot liquid mud, (fOr
it was not stream of lava which Yes
uvius vomited upon it, an earthquake
had rendered it almost desolate. Twas
the year 70 when the volcano sent down
a shower of the liquid mud, ashes and
boiling water, mixed with pumice stones
and Cinders, which unitedly covered the
Sodom of the Roman empire to the
depth of 90 feet. AS the years sped on
this covering consolidated and a fertile
soil overspread the surface. Upon this
green mantled shroud the light hearted
Italians for 1900 years chartered and
sung over the bones or their predecessors,
| unmindful of the Charnel house which
lay buried beneath, and of their fore
fathers, who met so heart-rending a fate,
"unknelled unCof1ined and unknown.
The situation of the ancient city was
/ one of exceeding beauty as it lay on a
| gently swelling elevation, by one of the
/ lOveliest sheets of water in all the world.
/ Vesuvius had been restful for many
centuries, and its sides were green with
y
frivolous. a debauChed and lasiviOus
people The mountain was then a thing
of beauty upon which to feast the eye,
for it spoke peace and plenty with ae
winning a fascination. as now it thuu-
ders death and destruction. People then
looked to admire, now they ponder t.
shudder
Pompeii is not so large a place as
l,,J Iz oval .hanpI and
covers about one hundred and sixty
acres, only the third part of which has
vet been disentombed Drawing up al
a turnstile, two francs entrance fee must
be paid and a guide in uniform, 4 ser
want of the Italian government, takes
charge Of YOU at once. | should cal
him more guardian d guide-more tc
. prevent our taking the relics than fol
exhibiting them. lis no place Of beau
tv We visit, rest assured of that at the
outset. There is nothing grand nor yet
beautiful about Pompeii. Much that is
revolving and more that ie dis
tasteful. Do not understand me that
it is not enticing Some one has
saidsof it, Tear the covers from a book,
lift the crust from a pic, or bereaye a
bureau of its drawers, and YOU have a
.
sions your visit haslcft upon your mind
as you drive back to Naples. And vet
you have been in actual contact with
Pompeians, and known what they were
doing eighteen hundred years ago, when
the fatal hour struck First we visit
DiOmCd the bankers suburban villa.
which Bulwcr has made famous in his
novel, The last days of POmpeii.
/ IJnrf ,,-oi in, noIIor., Dio,,,,,1'.
house, where eighteen persons retreated,
terror stricken and escaping the burn
ing, were left to perish from starvation
and foul air. Their skeletons have been
found in peculiar attitudes. This house
of Diomeds is one of the most extensive
private residences of Pompeii We sec
in its cellars great earthern jars fol
wine. These jars have only been kept
from the museum at Naples, because OF
petritiCatiOn to the cemented wall which
prevents their removal. We observe
numberlcss closets Of convenience,
which must have been to the delectation
of the housewife. There are no woman
killing stairs, such as are the bane of
n. \. City living. Here are fish ponds,
baths, and all of the landmarks Of ease
and luxury. There are rude pictures
cmblazoned on the walls. which retain
in vivid Colors, rude birds and rudeI
gladiators prepared for the strife. while
green Lizards (the only tenants of to.
day run here and there, contributing
not whit to please us in the scene of
ruin and -,ecay. Near this garden gate,
the skeleton of Doomed and his servant
were found. the one holding in his hand
the villa keys, the other carrying a
purse OF 100 gold and silver coins stamped
With Nero Nitellius, Vespasian and
Titus. Across the narrow street. from
where stands his house, is Diomeds pri-
waite graveyard with its Roman tombs
and slab on the wall SCARED and black
ened, yet bears his name. Here we see a
furnace for burning the bodies of the
dead, and there the urns receptacles for
ashes Of the consumed And now we
approach the city gate over the original
paved stone road worn in r,1to b,. obo,.