apable of being opened. These are all written in
Greek characters. While I was busy in this work I
observed a large bundle, which, from the size, I
imagined must contain more than a single volume. I tried
with the utmost care to get it out, but could not, from
the damp and weight of it. However I perceived that it
consisted of about 18 volumes, each of which was in
length a palm and three Neapolitan inches, being the
largest hitherto discovered. They were wrapped about
with the bark of a tree and covered at each end with a
piece of wood. All these were written in Latin, as
appears by a few words which broke off from them. I was
in hopes to have got something out of them, but they are
in a worse condition than the Greek[55]....

_From Sir J. Gray, Bart._

_29 October, 1754._

... They have lately met with more rolls of Papyri of
different lengths and sizes, some with the _Umbilicus_
remaining in them: the greater part are Greek in small
capitals.... The Epicurean Philosophy is the subject of
another fragment.

A small bust of Epicurus, with his name in Greek
characters, was found in the same room, and was possibly
the ornament of that part of the library where the
writings in favour of his principles were kept; and it
may also be supposed that some other heads of
philosophers found in the same room were placed with the
same taste and propriety[56].

Between 1758 and 1763, the place was visited by Winckelmann, who wrote
long letters in Italian, describing what he saw, to Consigliere Bianconi,
Physician to the King of Saxony. One of these, dated 1762, gives the
following account of the library:

Ii luogo in cui per la prima volta caddero sott' occhio,
fu una piccola stanza nella villa d'Ercolano di cui
parlammo sopra, la cui lunghezza due uomini colle
braccia distese potevano misurare. Tutto all' intorno
del muro vi erano degli scaffali quali si vedono
ordinariamente negli archivi ad altezza d' uomo, e nel
mezzo della stanza v' era un altro scaffale simile o
tavola per tenervi scritture, e tale da potervi girare
intorno. Il legno di questa tavola era ridotto a
carboni, e cadde, come e facile ad imaginarselo, tutta
in pezzi quando si tocco. Alcuni di questi rotoli di
papiri si trovarono involti insieme con c