The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-09-11

ion; slender marble pillars, which once sup
ported the roofs, now vanished, or remain
ing only in the shape ofcrumbled fragments,
fallen in upon the marble floors below.
The remains of fountain are generally
found in the central basin of the impluvium,
that cool retreat from the fierce Italian sun,
once green with leafy plants and musical
with murmuring waters, where the gay
Pompeians took their siesta in the shade,
or lounged through the hot MONDAY hours
The sleeping-rooms surround the three
large divisions of the house, all being built
on the ground floor, with no upper story.
On every threshold is "Ave" or "Caye
canem" Beware the dog), in black mosaic
on the white marble. The inner walls are
painted with wreaths of flowers and fruit,
or dancing girls in transparent draperies
strewing roses. All the frescos show the
soft and pleasure-loving Pompeian temper
ament. Artistic grace and beauty are eve
rywhere present; but neither force nor
fervor can be seen; life seems to have been
regarded as long game of play, or one
continuous fower-wreathed festival.
We search for the houses of Sallust and
Cloacus, and that of the Tragic Poet, SO
called from the frescos on the wall repre-
senting scenes from the Green tragedies,
and giving clue to the life of the owner;
but the number of houses makes detailed
examination of the one an impossibility.
At the corner of street leading into the
forum stands the exchange. On the walls,
the names of certain magistrates and re-
quest to vote for them, implies that the city
at the time of its destruction was on the
eve of general election. On another wall
beyond, some more red letters tell US that
on the kalends of May some lions will fight
in the amphitheatre with certain gladiator
of great renown. These little touches here
and there from the distant past enable us
more than anything else to realize the ac-
tual life of Pompeii.
We ascend flight of marble steps to
the Tragic Theatre; stage, orchestra, audi
forum, and even ticket offices are in per-
feet preservation-all open to the sky, after
the ancient fashion. We think of the ira
gedies represented on this very stage, of
the hushed and eager faces rising tier above
tier to the blue sky, of the jewelled danes
and rose-crowned maidens whose tears did
homage to the tragedian's art; the strains of
music from the long-silent orchestra; and
then, all in moment, we see the ashen
cloud descending upon the crowd, who rush
wildly from the scene, some few to escape
in safety, others to rush into the blue sea
in their madness, and upon the rest, the
pail of darkness falling, not to be lifted for
two thousand years. Close at hand is the
smaller Comic Theatre, where jest and cpl
gram played their part in holding up the
follies of the day to ridicule; where wit
sparkled merrily, and satire scathed all that
it touched; where the mirth and laughter
of the gay spectators were suddenly checked
into eternal silence by that advancing cloud
of doom, The place seems thronged with
ghosts and memories; no where else does
the melancholy silence of Pompeii strike
us so forcibly us in this theatre, once built
to foster fun and merriment.
Hence we go to the Street of Tombs, on
rising ground, which commands exquisite
views of the blue waters and the verdant
shore. The inscriptions ON the monuments
are clear enough to be easily read. On
one stately white marble tomb, the words
Gin Latin), ''To Mania, priestess, by or
der of the Triumvirs," look almost new, SO
clearly are they chiselled on the tablet, A
marble seat stands here, once placed for
the accommodation of those who used to
visit the tomb. We rest for moment,
Al tlok
white yestal robes and dark flowing hair,
and, perchance, the rapt face which Raph-
ael has given to his Cumean sibyl, and
wonder what manner of woman she was,
to win such homer from the chief magis-
trates of Pompeii, Did she "prophesy
smooth things" aud so gain the approval,
of the votaries of pleasure? Or did her
personal austerities try to atone for those
other lives, so soft and luxurious, and thus
win from them in death some tribute of
pity and remorse, of which this stately
tomb was the outward expression?
Just opposite in large building, sup.
posed to have been the principal inn OF
Pompeii, the stables, with remains of the
stalls, are pointed out, though, strange to
say, the skeletons of only two horses have
yet been found. 1t is thought that the
atmospheric disturbances were felt by ami
NAL instinct sooner than by human senses;
and that this instinct led the horses to es-
cape from the city before the full force Of
the catastrophe made itself felt, The villa
of Diomed stands near, His skeleton, the
golden brooch still fastening the charred
toga, was found on the threshold, a leath-
ern purse of gold coins tightly clutched in
one hand.
The ineffaceable records Of Pompeii are
enough to provide an inexhausihle fund Of
story and song; every tomb is rich in sug.
gestiops, every house is compendium Of
the history of that past age, and the
interest of the place increases with each
fresh excavation. A third part of the
city still remains to be discovered, includ-
ing the Street of the Goldsmiths, where
rich treasures of ancient art are supposed
to be hidden. The perfect preservation in
which most of the articles are found is due
not only to the immense weight of ashes
rendering the city air-tight, but also to the
chemical properties Of the sulphurous anC
mineral.charged cloud which rained down
in tons upon the houses and streets.
Near the entrance gate is small Museum
containing the skeletons found in the city
mother and daughter clasped in eacf
others arms, sentinel found at his post
man evidently knocked down by the
cloud of ashes; and several others. Some
of them have been injured in the process
of excavation, in spite of the unparalleled
care with which the digging and sitting are
always DONE When a skeleton is found
hot plaster of paris is Immediately poured
on to it, SO that, while preserving the skele
ton intact, it gives us also, by filing up the
impression or mould of the body that haC
lain there, the forna and features of the
living man, thus adding to the interest and
reality of what we see. All lie in the same
position in which they were found, the
rings still on the fingers.
The only regret we feel about this exca.
walton of Pompeii is that it was impossible
to leave there the countless articles of fur