The Portland daily press., 1886-07-21
OUR FOREIGN LETTER.


lCIuo, dllu do VIC ulONC dloAS eiAS
the bay, bits of arches, tombs, mosaic hoors
and reticulated masonry peeped out at every
step. A peasant can hardly put his SPADE
into the ground without meeting these CD
durate obstacles to his Lusbandry.
We passed in sight OF Monte Somna, one
of Vesuvius's elder sisters, whose flames AL
mighty fingers have snutfed one by one In
this extinct crater Virgil located Vulcan's
FORGE and personifed the volcanic powers,
which, long before his time, had spent their
fury, as Vulcan and the Cyclops forging the
thunderbolts which were Jupiter's favorite
instruments of wrath upon disobedient NOR
tails. As we rode on we passed the temples
dedicated to Diana, and soon there came in
to our view the placid waters of Avernus.
1t is picturesque little sheet of water, quite
like Echo Lake at North Conway, with vine
yards climbing the hills about its shores.
Between it and the sea lies Lucrinus, sepa-
rated in olden times by narrow strip of
land, but to-day connected by a channel
harbor for his war fleet. 1t was here when
the mountains were dark with primeval for
ests, a thousand years before his day, and
when the superstitious people believed that
deadly exhalations rose from its surface !;
Virgil has the Sybil take Hneas to the in
fernal regions through an underground pas
sage which is still accessible.
This lake was fayorite summer resort of
Rome's millionaires, and the engineers Of
more recent date were obliged often to devil
ate from their plans in walling in its banks,
~; of
cient houses. Ascending hill, our friend
took US to the home of peasant where we
could command fine view of the sea and
surrounding country. Across this bay, for a
distance of several miles, Caligula once
threw a bridge of boats, in a triumphal dis
play, after his conquest over the Parthians
AS most of his subjects drew their subsis-
tence from the sea, he not only used their
craft, but also cut off their supplies. thus
causing famine. We cannot imagine ru-
Ter SO blind to his own interests and the
safety of his kingdom as to cripple by such
folly his own resources, even If he had no
brotherly interest in nor felt the slightest re-
sponsibility for the welfare of his subjects.
The unpretentious dwelling of this husband
man was built in the ruined home of some
Roman dignitary, whose honored ashes once
rested in a sepulchre near by, but which to-
day is filled with casks of wine and all the
old clutch that pertains to a barn yard The
contrast was striking as we pictured the for
mer occupants of this home, amid their gor-
geous appointments, and its present dwell
ers. Barefooted and dirty-faced children
were romping in the tombs, while the hens
and geese were building their nests in the
old colombaria, in which stood for centuries
the funereal urns of the family. The good
wife could not understand why we should
decline her hospitality in Offering pure wine
from her own press, but, while the red wine
of the country looks rich and tempting, even
to temperance advocates, its taste is sour and
disappointing; doubtless it may be quite es-
sential to the health of the people of hot eli
mates.
A little farther on our drive, we were now
ON branch of the Appian Way, we climbed
the Arco Felice From it's top we could look
from Ischia and Procida, across the sea, to
the plain of Liternum, where Scipio Afri-
canus spent his last days, cherishing his bit
ter hatred of the Romans to his latest breath.
Away in the blaze of the sunny south tow
cred the bald cliffs Of Capri, where Tiberius
practieed his inhuman cruelties until ex-
IRENE old age. Finding his hold on life was
fast loosening, he had a childish notion that
change would lengthen his days, and with
this faint hope he made desperate struggle
for life by leaving his eyrie and crossing to
the main land. We could look down upon
the spot where he lived to battle short time
with the grim monster. At last, as his enc
my came closer and closer until he stared
him in the face and would not be shaken off,
he sent for his physicians to cheer him, who
dared not tell him the truth, but, STOPPING to
kiss his hand, he slyly slipped his finger on
his pulse. Tiberius, at once suspecting he
was near his end, reused all his energies, and
defantly ordered his dinner. He ate hearth
ly, and lay down to rest. Seeming some
what revived, his servants feared he would
rally, and, as they could not abide theitarry-
ing of the avenging gods, they took the mat
ter in their own hands and finished the work
of death by quietly smothering the feeble
sleeper with pillows We could overlook the
haunts of Horace, Cicero, and the shores OF
Castellamara, where Pliny relates his uncle
died in most singular manner on the day of
the last fatal eruption of Vesuvius. A SER
want called the attention of the elder Pliny,
early in the day, to an unusual appearance
of the heavens over Pompeii. His uncle at
once ordered his boat and his boatmen to
row him across the bay. The sky was lurid,
and soon the ashes and stones fell so thickly
about them that the boatman was afraid to
go on, when Pliny consented to pull up to a
villa ON the beach, where he, much overcome
with the heat, took a bath, INDUCED in a
sumptuous repast, and retired for a nap.
After waiting for a long time for his mas
ter's appearance, the servant entered the
room, and found him dead upon his couch.
Ancient writer's have ascribed his death to
the inhaling of sulphurous gases, but mod
ern physician in treating of the event takes
more common-sense view of the matter,
and gives it as his opinion that inasmuch as
no mention is made that the servants were
affected in similar way, without doubt, the
elder Pliny died from apoplexy, which any
man of plethoric habit might expect by over
indulgence in eating and sleeping on a very
hot day.
Nero made this bay the scene of terrible
1AoSCdJ, hOPlhS Ny thio llOdllo w LIN AiAiii5NAi
of his mother, of whose influence he was
growing suspicious. AS like begets like, it
was impossible for two such depraved spirits
to live in harmony, and Nero never hesitated
as to the means of accomplishing his iniqui-
tous designs. At one time he played the du-
tiful son, and sent a messenger with barge
to her villa, inviting her to visit him. Al
though the sail to his castle of the sea was
only pleasure trip along the shore. she dis
trusted his motives, and declined. Being
further urged however, she embarked, and
when fairly out, the ship suddenly seemed to
strike rock, and strangely fell to pieces.
Agrippina's maid, being anxious to save her
own life, called out, 81 am the empress. :"
This was only the signal to Nero'S accom-
plices to despatch her with club They
well knew the fatality that hung over them
if the plot failed to accomplish the emperor's
murderous intent This diverted their at
tention from the empress, who, by her skill
in swimming saved herself and fled to her
own villa. Word was sent to Nero that his
well-laid scheme had come to naught. In
stead of interpreting his mothers wonderful
escape as a warning from his gods to desist
from his wicked course, it only enraged him
to hasten his assassins to make sure work.