Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-04-18

| nlgn cut, through Wnlcn pOurS an uil-
ceasing stream of carriages, donkey
carts, mules, goats and beggars-eS-
pecially beggars. who infest the grot-
t..
Looking up the sides of the tunnel,
40 feet above ones head, there can
be plainly seen the marks of the hubs
of the Roman carts, which wore deep
scores into the sides of the walls Is
or 20 centuries ago. But the distin-
gushing thing about this artificial
grotto, and that which gives it spe-
cial interst in the eyes of tourists, is
the tomb of the Prince of Latin PO-
cts,
VIRGIL.
A tomb was erected for his ashes
at the mouth of this grOtto. There
is a little ravine that comes down the
mountain quite. near where the tun-
mel enters it. Taking advantage of
this depression in the face of the
rock, his family there erected their
mausoleum, at the side of the old
roadway and only a few feet above
it. Both the rOad-bed and the bot
tom of the tunnel having been low
cred 40 or so feet, two or three cen
turies ago, the tomb is seen perched
high up on a bench OF the rock, and
looks from the carriage-way like ali
old, half-ruined ime-klln. The best
place for seeing the tomb of Virgil is
ON the brow of the precipice over
looking the mouth of the tunnel. l
made a pilgrimage to it by ascend
ing a long flight of steps, and follow
ing circuitOus path up and down
through a terraced vineyard and
flower garden, which finally brought
me to the place where slept the ash
es of the immortal poet for many
centuries. This tomb is circular in
form, perhaps 80 feet in diameter
and 20 in height, constructed of vol
canic stone, and now OYergrown with
ivy. grass and moss. 1t contains a
chamber about Is feet square by 10
high, with vaulted roof, and lighted
by two small openings in the sides.
There is also a narrow doorway by
which it was entered from the road
way at the mouth of the "grOtto." :"
In the walls are ten inches or recess
es for cinerary urns-one being larg-
er than the others, and in that one it
is supposed the urn stood which con-
tanned the ashes of Virgil. All the
urns were carried off five centuries
ago, and have been lost. As late as
1926 the tomb was entire, and was
described at that time by Petrarch as
in good state Of preservation. He
stated that the ashes of the poet
were contained in a marble urn, and
nine small columns decorated the
tomb. He planted a laurel at the
side of the tomb, which afterwards
disappeared under the knives of Wis
itors of all nations. 1t seems from
authentic records that Robert of An
Joy carried off the urn and the COL
umns about the year l348, and pre-
sented them to the Cardinal of Man
tua for removal to Virgil's birth
place at Andes, near Mantua, where
a new tomb was intended to be erect
ed. The Cardinal, returning by sea,
died at Genoa, and all trace OF the
precious relics perished with him; this
is about ali that seems to be known
on the subject, except that the tomb
was certainly intact in the early part
of the fourteenth century; but that,
before the end thereof, the urn con
tanning the ashes of Virgil had disap-
peared, to the great grief of all sub
sequent pilgrims.
THE FAvoRITE WINTER RESIDENCE
of Virgil was at Naples. He owned
a villa on the side of the mountain
overlooking the spot where stands
his tomb. 1t was there he wrote the
Eclogues and the Georg eS. Kneid
was also composed there. After fill
ishing the twelfth book, he made
visit to Athens to meet Augustus.
On his return he took sick, and land
ed at Brundusium--the modern Brln-
disi-on the Adriatic, and about 100
miles east of Naples. Here he grew
worse, and died Sept. %, B. c. 10.
His remains were carried to Naples,
reduced TO ashes, and deposited in
the tomb above described, where they
Law undisturbed for thirteen and
half centuries, and were then lost in
the way stated. Shakespeare proba-
bly, had the fate of Virgil's ashes in
his mind when he wrote the warning
curse on shin who should disturb
his bones"
Naples was a favorite winter resi-
lence for the wealthy classes OF
Rome in the days of that city's great
ness. Thousands of Roman families
had villas here and around the south
ern base of Mount Vesuvius, where
Pompeii and other towns stood, and
scattered along the sunny slopes Of
the Serrano Promontory, and around
the western or PoZznoli shore OF the
bay, and among the islands that dot
it. These situations are sheltered
from the cold winds of the Appen-
mines, which are so bitter in Rome IN
the winter, and there was so much
genial sunshine during these months,
as well as so much more GOODNESS in
summer, that no pleasanter or health
iev part Vi Italy could befuuRa Aad