30 
MEMOIR OF PEINY. 
pressed to the nephew a wish to be acquainted with 
the par^culars of that catastrophe, that he might 
mention them in hia writings. The narrative is not 
only intimately connected with the subject of this 
Memoir, but so curious in itself, as containing the 
relation, by an eye-witness, of the first great eruption 
of Mount Vesuvius on record, by which the cities of 
Herculaneum and Pompeii were destroyed, that we 
shall lay the entire epistle before the reader, 
“ Pliny to Tacitus. — Your request that I would 
send yon an account of my uncle’s death, in order 
to transmit a more exact relation of it to posterity, 
deserves my acknowledgments ; for if the circum- 
stances which occasioned this accident shall be ce- 
lebrated by your pen, the manner of his exit will be 
rendered for ever illustrious. Notwithstanding be 
perished by a misfortune, which as it involved at tlie 
same time a most beautiful country in ruins, and 
destroyed so many populous cities, seems to promise 
him an everlasting remembrance ; notwithstanding 
he has himself composed many works which will de- 
scend to latest times ; yet I am persuaded the men- 
tioning of him in your immortal UTitings, will great- 
ly contribute to eternalize his name. Happy I es- 
teem those to be whom the gods have distinguished 
with the abilities either of performing such actions 
as are worthy of being related, or of relating them 
in a manner worthy of being read. But doubly 
happy are they who are blest with both these un- 
common endowments ; in the number of whom my 
