Page 319 - Third Book of Reading Lessons

318 THIRD BOOK OF
PoN1DERous, a., weighty, massive. L. pon rosus, om pondus, a weight, and this om pendo, I weigh.
OP'ULENCE, n., a uence, riches. F. ulence; om es, L., wealth. SuR1GICAL, a., belonging to surgery. F. chiru ical. See p. 55. Tar1POD, n., a three- oted table or stool. G. tripoiis,-treis, three,
and pous, a ot.
MAN'usCRIPT, n., anything written with the hand. L. manuscriptum,
from anus, the hand, and scribo, I write.
SAN1GUINE (-gwin), a., possessmg blood ;- guratively-as in this
place-con dent, ardent. F. sangnin, om sangnis, L., blood. DECI1PHERING, n., the act of discovering or making out the meaning. F. dch rement, a deciphering. The verb is said to be om the
Heb.
MosA'rn, n., a kind of painting in pebbles, small squares of thick glass, and shells of various colours. F. mosaiq·ue; l. mosaico. ousa, and mousikon (G.) wern usually applied to express elegance, neat­ ness,-and, elegantly and neatly per rmed.
For "Volcano," see p. 278 ; "Mineral," p. 67 ; " Vitri ed," p. 142 ; "Skeleton," p. 283 ; and "Catastrophe," p. 97.
1. AN inexhaustible mine of curiosities exists in the ruins of Herculaneum, a city lying between Na­ ples and f_ ount Vesuvius, hich, in the rst years of the reign of Titus, was overwhelmed by a stream of lava om the neighbouring volcano. This lava is now of a consistency which renders it extremely dif­ cult to be removed; being composed of bituminous particles, mixed with cinders, minerals, and vitri ed substances, which altogether rm a close and pon­ derous mass.
2. In the revolution of many ages, the spot it stood upon was entirely rgotten; but in the year 1713 it was accidentally discovered by some labourers, who, in digging a well, struck upon a statue on the benches of a theatre. Several curiosities were dug out and sent to France, but the search was soon discontinued, and Herculaneum remained in obscurity till the year 1736, when the king of Naples employed men to dig perpendicularly eighty et deep; whereupon, not only the city made its appearance, but also the bed of the river that ran through it. In the temple of