462 THE HUNTING GROUNDS 



The tomb consists of two stories, the lower about 

 ten feet below the surface of the ground, and is in 

 the form of a square, which is covered with some 

 very fine tesselated pavement, in very good preser- 

 vation, with arched vaults all round, containing 

 bones. On a huge stone slab, which had covered a 

 coffin, with much difficulty I copied the following 

 inscription, which was not an easy task, there bemg 

 no division between the words : — * 



aiCEGOQ\TTACEOVEESIBVSMEA-|-)-TADEMONSTIlOLVCEMCLARArRVI 



TVSITTEMP0RASVTiaIAPRiECrLIVSCIKTENSILAEEABGE2JTARI 



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KIBVSCOMMVNISEGOECVliraoaiSERTVSVBIOVHUTVSrVXVillASEMPERrRVrrTSCTM 



CAKISAMICISTAl-iaiPOSTOEBITVMDOMINAEVALEIlIAENONINVENIPVTIICiEVrrAMCVNPOTVI 



GEATAMHABVICVSCOSlVGESANCTAMNATALESHONESTEMEOSCElfTVMCELEERAVlFELICES 



ADVianTPOSTF.EMADlESVTSPFjmXSlTV^rNAlJIA5IEMPP.ARELIQrAlTlTV10SQVOSLEGESVIVVSMEK 



M0RTIPARAVTV■01fyI-H'T+F0RTrNAMK0^-AMaEDESEKVr^IP3ASE0TI^^ITAIJSE^C^'0SE-(-0RE•CT0VE^•rrAB— 



After a sojourn of a week at Constantine, a letter 

 was received from M. Jules Gerard stating that he 



* The Rev. Mr Blakesley, who visited the tomb some months 

 after us, being a first-rate classical scholar, was able to make 

 out the epitaph, notwithstanding the numerous mistakes of the 

 stone-cutter. It should have been :— " Hie ego qui taceo ver- 

 sibus mea fata demonstro, lucem claram fruitus et tempora 

 sumana. Pr^cilius, Cirtensi Lare, argentariam exhibui artem. 

 Fides in me mira fuit semper et Veritas omnis omnibus com- 

 munis. Ego cui non misertus ubique ? Risus luxuriam semper 

 fruitus cum caris amicis, talem post obitum Dominse Valeriae 

 non inveni. Pudice vitam cum potui gi-atam habui cum conjuge 

 sancta. Natales honestse meos centum celebravi felices. At 

 venit postrema dies ut spiritus inania membra relinquat. 

 Titulos quos legis, vivus mese morti paravi ut voluit Fortuna. 

 Nunquam me deseruit ipsa. Sequimini tales : hinc vos exspecto. 

 Venite." 



