MEMOIR OF PLINY. 
37 
ocean ; as indeed it entirely hid the island of Caprsea, 
and the promontory of Miscnuui. My mother con- 
jured me to make my escnpe at any rate, which as I 
was young I might easily effect. As for herself, she 
said her age and corpulence rendered all attempts of 
that sort impossible; however, she would willingly 
meet death if she could have the satisfaction of see- 
ing that she tvas not the occasion of mine. But I 
absolutely refused to leave lier, and taking her by the 
hand I led her on ; while she complied with great 
reluctance, and not without many reproaches to her- 
self for retarding my flight. The ashes now began 
to fall upon us, though in no great quantity. I turn- 
ed my head and observed behind us a thick smoke, 
which came rolling after us like a torrent. 
We had scarcely stepped out of the path when 
darkness overspread ns, not like that of a cloudy night, 
or when there is no moon, but as of a room when 
all the lights are extinct. Nothing was then to 
be heard but the shrieks of women, the screams of 
infants, and the cries of men ; some calling for their 
children, others for their parents, others for their 
husbands, and only distinguishing each other by their 
voices ; one lamenting his own fate, another that of 
his family; some wishing to die. from the very fear 
of dying ; some lifting their hands to the gods ; but 
the greater part imagining that the last and eternal 
night was come, which was to destroy both the gods 
and the world together. At length a glimmering 
light appeared, which we supposed to be rather the 
