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NAPLES LIBRARY-THEATRE OF SAN CARLOS. 63

undergoing a minute inspection by competent persons appointed for that purpose. It is now sent to the press, and afterwards translated into Latin; the defective parts being carefully filled up and distinguished by red ink."

About four hundred and eight of these Papyri have been unfolded, and of these eightyeight are legible throughout, the rest are fragments. In the year 1793 two volumes were published, the one containing a work on music, by Philodemus, (probably a writer of licentious verses in the time of Cicero,) and the other a fragment of a Latin Poem of uncertain date. A third volume is either published or about to issue from the press. The unsuccessful result of Sir Humphrey Davy's efforts in unrolling the Papyri is well known.

The library is said to contain 180,000 printed volumes, (but I doubt the accuracy of this information) and nearly five thousand manuscripts, amongst which is one of Tasso, and another of no less a personage than Saint Thomas Aquinas.

In the evening of this day we went to the theatre of San Carlos. It is certainly decorated with great splendour, and not without

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some taste.

NAPLES-EXCURSION TO VESUVIUS.

as the music

The scenery is excellent, as well respecting the rest I am silent. The king was present, a long, thin, and venerable personage, with powdered hair, and four or five stars glittering upon his sober suit of black. The Duke of Calabria sat in an adjoining box.

Wednesday, 24th Nov.-About ten o'clock I set out with a companion for Vesuvius, though the day was extremely unpromising but we thought it better to avail ourselves of the first opportunity, rather than lose altogether the sight of one of the most magnificent spectacles in nature. Arriving at Portici, a town built upon the ruins of Herculaneum, we obtained asses and a guide. The ascent is by a watercourse, and greatly obstructed by the large pieces of broken lava which the torrent has left. We arrived at the hermitage about one o'clock, and were met by a "jolly friar," who invited us into his mansion. This we declined, for our coachman mistaking his orders carried us at least three miles beyond the place of ascent; we had therefore no time to lose, and accordingly hastened up the mountain with all celerity. A little beyond the hermitage is a

i

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wooden cross, to which, at Pentecost, all Naples marches in procession: here a feast is held, and perhaps it is to this "work of mens' hands" that the prayer of the Catholic arises, accompanied, it may be, by that curious specimen of idolatrous bigotry of which Bishop Hall has preserved a copy. It is well worth transcription.

"HYMNUS AD CRUCEM.

"Ara crucis,

Lampas lucis,

Sola salus hominum :

Nobis pronum,

Fac patronum,

Quem tulisti dominum."

At this time the summit of Mount Vesuvius was enveloped in clouds, and though our guide assured us that they would disperse before we had climbed so high, yet it was all along exceedingly doubtful. In fact they did not; and all our labour, all the pain of the ascent was not remunerated even by a transient glimpse of the bay and country of Naples. The crater of the volcano was filled with mist, and the whole cone was shrouded with a very thick cloud. Thus situated, it was thought best to

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VESUVIUS-NEAPOLITAN GUIDE.

make our way down as fast as possible, for the dew began to penetrate our clothes, while a strong wind loosed the tufo from the apex of the mountain, and blew it with considerable violence into our eyes. I had no idea of the difficulty of the ascent, and was glad, even with all these disadvantages, to seat myself on the edge of the crater. As we descended the rain began, and before we returned to the house of Salvatori (our guide) we were completely drenched. He desired us to insert our names in a book kept for that purpose, and various were the comments, and as various the languages, that we met with. The best of our wetting was, that it introduced us to the wife and children of our guide, who were as fine a specimen of Neapolitan beauty as I have seen. A lovely child of four or five years lay in the cradle ill of the typhus fever, and another of thirteen or fourteen, full of sprightliness and simplicity, busied herself in aiding our attempts to dry our clothes; while the mother, who must have been a fine woman in her day, vigorously wafted a chafing-dish with the bottom of her petticoat! The room was hung round with tolerable paintings in oil of several

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members of the royal family, which Salvatori informed us he had purchased at Naples. After swallowing a cordial glass of annisette, we got into our carriage and drove rapidly back. In the evening we were present at the representation of Acis and Galatea, in the Opera del Fondo, and retired to our quarters with no other effect of the journey than fatigue.

Thursday, 25th Nov.-The rain fell violently all the morning, and the water "rushed like a torrent" down the slopes of the streets. I contrived, however, to get up to the citadel of St. Elmo, a strong fortress upon a high rock which commands the town. It is garrisoned by Austrian troops, and is curious from being principally cut through the solid rock, as from the winding and precipitous paths which lead to it. The view from the summit is fine, extending over the city and country of Naples, the bay, Appennines, &c. &c.

Friday, 26th Nov.-It being determined that we should return on board the Cambrian this afternoon, a short excursion to Puzzuoli, the ancient Puteoli, was proposed and acceded to; in consequence of which we set forth about ten o'clock in the morning, and passed through

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