Etruscanprophecywhichsaith，\"Whenthemountainopens，thecityshallfall——whenthesmokecrownstheHilloftheParchedFields，thereshallbewoeandweepinginthehearthsoftheChildrenoftheSea。\"Dreadmaster，ereIleavethesewallsforsomemoredistantdwelling，Icometothee。Asthoulivest，knowIinmyheartthattheearthquakethatsixteenyearsagoshookthiscitytoitssolidbase，wasbuttheforerunnerofmoredeadlydoom。ThewallsofPompeiiarebuiltabovethefieldsoftheDead，andtheriversofthesleeplessHell。Bewarnedandfly！’
’Athens。
GLAUCUStohisbelovedSallust——greetingandhealth！——YourequestmetovisityouatRome——no，Sallust，comerathertomeatAthens！IhaveforsworntheImperialCity，itsmightytumultandhollowjoys。InmyownlandhenceforthIdwellforever。Theghostofourdepartedgreatnessisdearertomethanthegaudylifeofyourloudprosperity。Thereisacharmtomewhichnootherspotcansupply，intheporticoeshallowedstillbyholyandvenerableshades。Intheolive—grovesofIlyssusIstillhearthevoiceofpoetry——ontheheightsofPhyle，thecloudsoftwilightseemyettheshroudsofdepartedfreedom——theheralds——theheralds——ofthemorrowthatshallcome！Yousmileatmyenthusiasm，Sallust！——betterbehopefulinchainsthanresignedtotheirglitter。YoutellmeyouaresurethatI
cannotenjoylifeinthesemelancholyhauntsofafallenmajesty。YoudwellwithraptureontheRomansplendors，andtheluxuriesoftheimperialcourt。
MySallust——\"nonsumqualiseram\"——IamnotwhatIwas！Theeventsofmylifehavesoberedtheboundingbloodofmyyouth。Myhealthhasneverquiterecovereditswontedelasticityereitfeltthepangsofdisease，andlanguishedinthedampsofacriminal’sdungeon。MymindhasnevershakenoffthedarkshadowoftheLastDayofPompeii——thehorrorandthedesolationofthatawfulruin！——Ourbeloved，ourrememberedNydia！Ihaverearedatombtohershade，andIseeiteverydayfromthewindowofmystudy。Itkeepsaliveinmeatenderrecollection——anotunpleasingsadness——whicharebutafittinghomagetoherfidelity，andthemysteriousnessofherearlydeath。Ionegatherstheflowers，butmyownhandwreathesthemdailyaroundthetomb。ShewasworthyofatombinAthens！
’YouspeakofthegrowingsectoftheChristiansinRome。Sallust，toyouI
mayconfidemysecret；Ihaveponderedmuchoverthatfaith——Ihaveadoptedit。AfterthedestructionofPompeii，ImetoncemorewithOlinthus——saved，alas！onlyforaday，andfallingafterwardsamartyrtotheindomitableenergyofhiszeal。InmypreservationfromthelionandtheearthquakehetaughtmetobeholdthehandoftheunknownGod！I
listened——believed——adored！Myown，mymorethaneverbelovedIone，hasalsoembracedthecreed！——acreed，Sallust，which，sheddinglightoverthisworld，gathersitsconcentratedglory，likeasunset，overthenext！Weknowthatweareunitedinthesoul，asintheflesh，foreverandforever！
Agesmayrollon，ourverydustbedissolved，theearthshrivelledlikeascroll；butroundandroundthecircleofeternityrollsthewheeloflife——imperishable——unceasing！Andastheearthfromthesun，soimmortalitydrinkshappinessfromvirtue，whichisthesmileuponthefaceofGod！Visitme，then，Sallust；bringwithyouthelearnedscrollsofEpicurus，Pythagoras，Diogenes；armyourselffordefeat；andletus，amidstthegrovesofAcademus，dispute，underasurerguidethananygrantedtoourfathers，onthemightyproblemofthetrueendsoflifeandthenatureofthesoul。
’Ione——atthatnamemyheartyetbeats！——IoneisbymysideasIwrite：I
liftmyeyes，andmeethersmile。ThesunlightquiversoverHymettus：andalongmygardenIhearthehumofthesummerbees。AmIhappy，askyou？
Oh，whatcanRomegivemeequaltowhatIpossessatAthens？Here，everythingawakensthesoulandinspirestheaffections——thetrees，thewaters，thehills，theskies，arethoseofAthens！——fair，thoughmourning—motherofthePoetryandtheWisdomoftheWorld。InmyhallIseethemarblefacesofmyancestors。IntheCeramicus，Isurveytheirtombs！
Inthestreets，IbeholdthehandofPhidiasandthesoulofPericles。
Harmodius，Aristogiton——theyareeverywhere——butinourhearts！——inmine，atleast，theyshallnotperish！IfanythingcanmakemeforgetthatIamanAthenianandnotfree，itispartlythesoothing——thelove——watchful，vivid，sleepless——ofIone——alovethathastakenanewsentimentinournewcreed——alovewhichnoneofourpoets，beautifulthoughtheybe，hadshadowedforthindescription；formingledwithreligion，itpartakesofreligion；itisblendedwithpureandunworldlythoughts；itisthatwhichwemayhopetocarrythrougheternity，andkeep，therefore，whiteandunsullied，thatwemaynotblushtoconfessittoourGod！ThisisthetruetypeofthedarkfableofourGrecianErosandPsyche——itis，intruth，thesoulasleepinthearmsoflove。Andifthis，ourlove，supportmepartlyagainstthefeverofthedesireforfreedom，myreligionsupportsmemore；
forwheneverIwouldgrasptheswordandsoundtheshell，andrushtoanewMarathon（butMarathonwithoutvictory），Ifeelmydespairatthechillingthoughtofmycountry’simpotence——thecrushingweightoftheRomanyoke，comforted，atleast，bythethoughtthatearthisbutthebeginningoflife——thatthegloryofafewyearsmatterslittleinthevastspaceofeternity——thatthereisnoperfectfreedomtillthechainsofclayfallfromthesoul，andallspace，alltime，becomeitsheritageanddomain。Yet，Sallust，somemixtureofthesoftGreekbloodstillmingleswithmyfaith。
Icansharenotthezealofthosewhoseecrimeandeternalwrathinmenwhocannotbelieveasthey。Ishuddernotatthecreedofothers。Idarenotcursethem——IpraytheGreatFathertoconvert。ThislukewarmnessexposesmetosomesuspicionamongsttheChristians：butIforgiveit；and，notoffendingopenlytheprejudicesofthecrowd，Iamthusenabledtoprotectmybrethrenfromthedangerofthelaw，andtheconsequencesoftheirownzeal。Ifmoderationseemtomethenaturalcreatureofbenevolence，itgives，also，thegreatestscopetobeneficence。
’Such，then，OSallust！ismylife——suchmyopinions。InthismannerI
greetexistenceandawaitdeath。Andthou，glad—heartedandkindlypupilofEpicurus，thou……Butcomehither，andseewhatenjoyments，whathopesareours——andnotthesplendorofimperialbanquets，northeshoutsofthecrowdedcircus，northenoisyforum，northeglitteringtheatre，northeluxuriantgardens，northevoluptuousbathsofRome——shallseemtotheetoconstitutealifeofmorevividanduninterruptedhappinessthanthatwhichthousounreasonablypitiestasthecareerofGlaucustheAthenian！——Farewell！’
NearlySeventeenCenturieshadrolledawaywhentheCityofPompeiiwasdisinterredfromitssilenttomb，allvividwithundimmedhues；itswallsfreshasifpaintedyesterday——notahuefadedontherichmosaicofitsfloors——initsforumthehalf—finishedcolumnsasleftbytheworkman’shand——initsgardensthesacrificialtripod——initshallsthechestoftreasure——initsbathsthestrigil——initstheatresthecounterofadmission——initssaloonsthefurnitureandthelamp——initstricliniathefragmentsofthelastfeast——initscubiculatheperfumesandtherougeoffadedbeauty——andeverywherethebonesandskeletonsofthosewhooncemovedthespringsofthatminuteyetgorgeousmachineofluxuryandoflife！InthehouseofDiomed，inthesubterraneanvaults，twentyskeletons（oneofababe）werediscoveredinonespotbythedoor，coveredbyafineashendust，thathadevidentlybeenwaftedslowlythroughtheapertures，untilithadfilledthewholespace。Therewerejewelsandcoins，candelabraforunavailinglight，andwinehardenedintheamphoraeforaprolongationofagonizedlife。Thesand，consolidatedbydamps，hadtakentheformsoftheskeletonsasinacast；andthetravelermayyetseetheimpressionofafemaleneckandbosomofyoungandroundproportions——thetraceofthefatedJulia！Itseemstotheinquirerasiftheairhadbeengraduallychangedintoasulphurousvapor；theinmatesofthevaultshadrushedtothedoor，tofinditclosedandblockedupbythescoriawithout，andintheirattemptstoforceit，hadbeensuffocatedwiththeatmosphere。
Inthegardenwasfoundaskeletonwithakeybyitsbonyhand，andnearitabagofcoins。Thisisbelievedtohavebeenthemasterofthehouse——theunfortunateDiomed，whohadprobablysoughttoescapebythegarden，andbeendestroyedeitherbythevaporsorsomefragmentofstone。Besidesomesilvervaseslayanotherskeleton，probablyofaslave。
ThehousesofSallustandofPansa，theTempleofIsis，withthejugglingconcealmentsbehindthestatues——thelurking—placeofitsholyoracles——arenowbaredtothegazeofthecurious。Inoneofthechambersofthattemplewasfoundahugeskeletonwithanaxebesideit：twowallshadbeenpiercedbytheaxe——thevictimcouldpenetratenofarther。Inthemidstofthecitywasfoundanotherskeleton，bythesideofwhichwasaheapofcoins，andmanyofthemysticornamentsofthefaneofIsis。Deathhadfallenuponhiminhisavarice，andCalenusperishedsimultaneouslywithBurbo！Astheexcavatorsclearedonthroughthemassofruin，theyfoundtheskeletonofamanliterallyseveredintwobyaprostratecolumn；theskullwasofsostrikingaconformation，soboldlymarkedinitsintellectualaswellasitsworsephysicaldevelopments，thatithasexcitedtheconstantspeculationofeveryitinerantbelieverinthetheoriesofSpurzheimwhohasgazeduponthatruinedpalaceofthemind。Still，afterthelapseofages，thetravelermaysurveythatairyhallwithinwhosecunninggalleriesandelaboratechambersoncethought，reasoned，dreamed，andsinned，thesoulofArbacestheEgyptian。
Viewingthevariouswitnessesofasocialsystemwhichhaspassedfromtheworldforever———astranger，fromthatremoteandbarbarianIslewhichtheImperialRomanshiveredwhenhenamed，pausedamidstthedelightsofthesoftCampaniaandcomposedthishistory！
End