, 1874-04-04

sho 1UAA-puAA AAlA LN1 HukkIHl u tu1 LllHU0l
laving boon lowered 90 or 30 foot, two Or three
contuftos ago, tho tomb IL goon. porched high
up on bonch of tho rock and look from tho
carriago.way like m old, nalf-ruiuod 1lnlo-kiln.
The eoHt place TOR sooing tI,o tomb Ct Virgil ia
mouth Of tho tunnel I made 4 pilgrimage to 1t
by ascending a long flight Of stope and following
clrcuitous path up and down through q tor
racotl vineyard and flower garden, Which finally
brought mo to tho placo whore alopt tho nshcs Of
tomb ia circular In form, perhaps 80 foot in
diameter mud 20 in height, CONSTRUCTED Of vol
canio stono, md ndw ovorgrown with Ivy, grass,
and moss. It contains a chamber about 15 foot
square by 10 high. with vAutod roof. and lighted
by two snall openings In tho sides Thoro ia
nlso narrow doorway by which 1t WAS entered
from tho roadway at tho mouth Of tho "grotto."
In tho walls aro ton nichos, or rcceasos, for Gin
md in that one i ii supposed tho urn stood
which contained the ashoB Of Virgil. ALI tho
urnB were carried of fivo conturlcs ago, and
hayo boon lost. AS late as 1926 tho tomb was
entire. ana waB described AZ that timo by po-
stated that Tho ashes Of tho poet wore contained
IN marble urn, and nino ainall columns deco
rntod tho tomb. IIe pIantod laurel at
the aide OF tho tomb, which afterwards
Disappeared under the knivca Of visitors Of all
nations. It sooma from authentic rocordd that
Robert OF Anjov carried OF tho urn and tho
columns, about tho year 1913, and prosecuted
thom to tho oartlinal Of hlantua for removal to
Virgil'e birthplace ut AndeB nonr Mantun, whore
Cardinal, returning by son, died at 9onoa, and
nil traco OF tho precious roca poriBed with him.
This Is about oil thatHcomB to DO known on tho
aubjocs, except that the tomb WIS certainly In
but that, hefore the end thereof, tho urn CON
taining The asl,es Of Virgil had d'sapporcd, to
tho grcat grief all subsequent pilgrims.
TIE FAvon1rE WINTER RESIDENCE
q q Virgil was at Naples; He owned q Wills on
whore stands his tomb. It waB thoro ho wrote
tho EologueB and the Georgtcs. The Encid Was
also composed there. Aftor finishing the twelfth
book, ho made . visst to AthoIn to u1eot
Augustus. On bis return, he took sick, and
on the Adriatfc, and about 100 miles cast Of Ma
p1os. Horn he grew worso, and died Sept. "a,
d. G. 10. His romains wore carried to Naples
reduced to ashes, md deposited In tho tomb
thirteen aud a half conturies, and woro then lost
In the why stated. Shakespeare probably had tho
fntc Of Virgil'a asheB In his mind whom lo wrote
Il the warning curse on " him who should disturb
Naples was favorito winter-restdcnce for tho
city's groatnoss. Thousands Of Roman families
had villas here and around tho southern base Of
Mount Yesuvils. whero Pompeli and other
towns stood, and scattered along tho sunny
slop,c,s7 Of tho sorrano promontory, and around
among tho islands TINT dot It. These situ-
ationH arc sheltered from the cold winds
Of tho AponniucH, which arc 10 bitter In
Homo IN winter, aud thoro >Was so
much genial sunshine during those months,
AZ vol as go much more coolness in summer
that no ploasanter Or hoalthior part Of Italy
could bo found. And thon tho natives wero Of
the lively, art-loGing, fcBtyo, pootca1 Greek OK.
traction. Southern Italy Was
on1o1NA117 ooLos1zEp FROM GREECE
It was covered with fIourish1nr Grcok settle.
montB and cities before Rome was founded
aud, as late rs tlo time of Cicero, q maiority of
tho Inhabitants smoke the Greek lapeuaso. And,
In tho plonitudc Of tho Imperial powor and great.
ness of Rome tho Creek tonruo and litcr1ture