DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.53553#0089
71
days removed the threatened danger, and the very first re-
sumption of my pen shall be devoted to the continuation of
my antiquarian narrative, firmly relying on your indulgence,
if from the reason above mentioned, it shall turn out more
brief and defective than any former communications.
Having, in my preceding letter, consigned these unfor-
tunate volcanic cities to a decent interment, and added a
few words by way of funeral sermon, I forthwith proceed to
the more pleasing task of their resuscitation.
Chance brought them all to light, for the moderns were
even ignorant of their exact situation. Of this you may
convince yourself by consulting Cluver, Cellarius, or any
early geographer of the last century. Their present disco-
very, however, was obviously not the first attempt of that
kind, since several subterraneous galleries of careful and
laborious construction have been met with, which were pro-
bably dug by the ancients themselves at no very remote
period from the destruction, with the eyident intent to re-
cover the most valuable part of the overwhelmed property:
and an inscription found at Naples, alluding to statues reco-
vered from under-ground, undoubtedly refers to early re-
searches of that nature*.
DISCOVERY OF HERCULANEUM.
Not far from the royal palace of Portici, and close to the
sea-side, Prince Elbeuf inhabited an elegant villa in the be-
ginning of the last century. To obtain a supply of water, a
well was dug through the deep crust of lava on which the
mansion itself had been reared. The labourers, after hav-
ing
* This curious circumstance may also enable us to account for the small quantity
of jewels, money, or precious metals hitherto found.
days removed the threatened danger, and the very first re-
sumption of my pen shall be devoted to the continuation of
my antiquarian narrative, firmly relying on your indulgence,
if from the reason above mentioned, it shall turn out more
brief and defective than any former communications.
Having, in my preceding letter, consigned these unfor-
tunate volcanic cities to a decent interment, and added a
few words by way of funeral sermon, I forthwith proceed to
the more pleasing task of their resuscitation.
Chance brought them all to light, for the moderns were
even ignorant of their exact situation. Of this you may
convince yourself by consulting Cluver, Cellarius, or any
early geographer of the last century. Their present disco-
very, however, was obviously not the first attempt of that
kind, since several subterraneous galleries of careful and
laborious construction have been met with, which were pro-
bably dug by the ancients themselves at no very remote
period from the destruction, with the eyident intent to re-
cover the most valuable part of the overwhelmed property:
and an inscription found at Naples, alluding to statues reco-
vered from under-ground, undoubtedly refers to early re-
searches of that nature*.
DISCOVERY OF HERCULANEUM.
Not far from the royal palace of Portici, and close to the
sea-side, Prince Elbeuf inhabited an elegant villa in the be-
ginning of the last century. To obtain a supply of water, a
well was dug through the deep crust of lava on which the
mansion itself had been reared. The labourers, after hav-
ing
* This curious circumstance may also enable us to account for the small quantity
of jewels, money, or precious metals hitherto found.