, private residences,
convents, and churches, while the destructive mountain is always close
at hand. The place in its present aspect is simply that of the remains
of an entire city, destroyed and buried by volcanic action nearly two
thousand years ago. The movable objects found here from time to time, as
the slow work of excavation has progressed, have been removed to the
museum at Naples. Quite enough, however, is left upon the spot to form
tangible history, and to help the antiquarian to read the story of
Pompeii, which was a populous city four or five centuries before the
coming of Christ, and which lay entirely buried for some seventeen
hundred years. It is about a century since the first effort was made
towards uncovering the dwelling-houses, streets, and public edifices,
but the progress which has been made clearly proves that the inhabitants
were suffocated by a shower of hot ashes, and not destroyed by a sudden
avalanche of lava and stones. The dwelling of Diomedes, who was the
Croesus of Pompeii, was the first house disentombed. Its owner was
found with a key in one hand and a bag of gold in the other. Behind him
was a slave with his arms full of silver vessels, evidently trying to
escape from the coming devastation when they were suddenly overwhelmed,
and must have been instantly suffocated.

In the house of Diomedes, glass windows, six or eight inches square, are
found; showing that this article is not of such modern invention as had
previously been supposed. The luxurious public baths are yet perfect;
while the house where Cicero lived and wrote his speeches, besides a
hundred other well-preserved historic objects, are pointed out by the
guides. We are shown the Temple of Hercules, the theatres, the open
courts, etc. The excavated portion represents about one-third of the
whole city; but enough is clearly discovered to show that between
thirty-five and forty thousand people here made their homes, and that
the place contained all the fine public monuments and resorts that
indicate a refined and luxurious community.

An excursion of ten miles along the coast to the eastward will take us
to Baiae, where the luxurious Romans were wont to resort for their summer
seasons. Here are still to be seen the remains of the villas where once
dwelt Julius Caesar, Pompey, Marius, and such other notables as they
would naturally draw about them. The eyes can be turned in no direction
without our being charmed by a view of e