DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.847#0467
438
CLUSIUM.
so, for who cannot but admire in a sovereign, the
spirit of a protector of science and a patriot, and
wish that all monarchs were the same.
This tomb is said to have been discovered by a
peasant, who dreamed that he was wandering at
night beneath the hill, and could not find his way;
suddenly he turned into the porch where we stood,
and, after repeated endeavours, succeeded in opening
the door, when, to his horror, he found himself in a
tomb. Whether he conversed with its inmates and
discovered their secret history, or whether from
fear he remained as mute as they, I do not know,
but he awoke and behold it was a dream! He slept
and dreamed the same thing a second time, with the
addition of finding treasure of some description with
which he enriched himself. He awoke, fell asleep
again, and a third time dreamed the same thing.
The following afternoon he came down to this spot,
cleared away some earth and brushwood, and found
one-half of his dream exactly as it had appeared to
him in sleep; but I forget whether he obtained a
reward from the convent, or made away with some
few articles which he sold at a distance, and for
which he was outlawed. Dreams, it would seem,
are a common way of discovering tombs at Chiusi
amongst the peasants, and we heard many stories of
the sort with different endings.
We had mismanaged so ill as not to engage any of
the canons to accompany us in this day's tour, and
therefore it was vain to endeavour to ascertain in any
satisfactory manner the age of this tomb, or of any
CLUSIUM.
so, for who cannot but admire in a sovereign, the
spirit of a protector of science and a patriot, and
wish that all monarchs were the same.
This tomb is said to have been discovered by a
peasant, who dreamed that he was wandering at
night beneath the hill, and could not find his way;
suddenly he turned into the porch where we stood,
and, after repeated endeavours, succeeded in opening
the door, when, to his horror, he found himself in a
tomb. Whether he conversed with its inmates and
discovered their secret history, or whether from
fear he remained as mute as they, I do not know,
but he awoke and behold it was a dream! He slept
and dreamed the same thing a second time, with the
addition of finding treasure of some description with
which he enriched himself. He awoke, fell asleep
again, and a third time dreamed the same thing.
The following afternoon he came down to this spot,
cleared away some earth and brushwood, and found
one-half of his dream exactly as it had appeared to
him in sleep; but I forget whether he obtained a
reward from the convent, or made away with some
few articles which he sold at a distance, and for
which he was outlawed. Dreams, it would seem,
are a common way of discovering tombs at Chiusi
amongst the peasants, and we heard many stories of
the sort with different endings.
We had mismanaged so ill as not to engage any of
the canons to accompany us in this day's tour, and
therefore it was vain to endeavour to ascertain in any
satisfactory manner the age of this tomb, or of any