Page 320 - Third Book of Reading Lessons

READING LESSONS. 319
Jupiter were und a statue of gold, and the inscrip­ tion that decorated the great 'doors of the entrance. any curious appendages of opulence and luxury have since been discovered in various parts of the city, and were arrang d in a wing of the palace of Naples, among which are statues, busts, and altars ; domestic, musical, and surgical instruments; tripods, mirrors of polished metal, silver kettles, and a lady's toilet, rnished with combs, thimbles, rings, ear­ rings, &c. A large quantity of manuscripts was also und among the ruins; and very sanguine hopes were entertained by the learned, that many works of the ancients wouia be restored to light, and that a new mine of science was on the point of being opened : but the di culty of unrolling the burnt parchments, and of deciphering the obscure letters, bas proved such an obstacle, that very little progress has been made in the work. The streets of Hercu­ laneum seem to have been per ctly straight and regular ; the houses well built, and generally uni­ rm; and the rooms paved either with large Roman bricks, mosaic work, or ne marble. It appears that the town was not lled up so unexpectedly with the melted lava, as to prevent the greatest part of the inhabitants om escaping with their richest e ects; r there were not more than a dozen of skeletons und, and but little gold or precious stones.
3. The town of Pompeii was involved in the same dread l catastrophe, but was not discovered till near rty years after the discovery of Herculaneum. Few skeletons were und in the streets of Pompeii; but in the houses there were many, in situations which plainly proved that they were endeavouring to escape, when the tremendous showers of ashes intercepted their retreat. KoTZEEUE.