Younger, who likewise observed the cloud, 
informs us, that it resembled a pine tree, 
shooting up to a great height in the form 
ef a trunk,’ which extended itself at the 
top into. a sort of branches. It shme- 
times appeared bright and . Sometimes 
dark and spatted, according «as it was 
more or less impregnated with earth and 
cinders. This extraordinary phenome. 
nan excited Pliny’s philosophical curios 
sity, which prompted him to take a nearer 
view of it. He theretore ordered a light 
vessel ta be got ready, and sailed towards 
it m-arder to observe with greater accu. 
racy the different appearances which it 
-would assume, He was induced to par- 
sue, this course from another conside- 
ration, viz. to rescue those whose habi- 
tations were situated conuguous to the 
wountain.from the imminent danger with 
which. they, were threatened. Lle there- 
fore hastened, to: this sceue. of ,terror, 
and. steered. his course .with so much 
ealmness and presence of, mind, as to 
be able toanake and to dictate his obser- 
rations on the figure and motion of this 
portentous cloud. Ue soon, however, 
found himself in acritical situation... He 
was now se nigh the mountain, that the 
cinders, which grew thicker and hotter 
in proportion as he advanced, fell into 
athe ships; together with pumice-stones, 
aod black pieces of burning rock ;* they” , 
were likewise n-danger, not only of being 
subject in which he gives us a view of Ve- 
“~suvius, as) it appeared before this terrible 
conflagration broke out. ; 
$¢ Hic est pampineis, viridis modo Vesujus 
pmbris, 
” ‘Presserat hic madidos nobilis uva lacus. 
‘Hc jugs geam Nise celles, plus Bacchus 
amavit 5 
Hoc nuper Satyri monte dedere choros. — 
Bee Veneris sedes Lacedzmone gtatior ili, 
Hic Jocus Herculeo nomine clarus erat. 
= Cuncta jacent lammis, et tristi mersa favillay 
Nec superi vellent hoc licuisse sibi.”” 
* Pere verdant vines o’erspread Vesuvius’ sides, 
‘The gen’rous grape here pour’d her purple 
tides. Hh 
"This Bacchus lov’d beyond his native seene, 
* Here dancing satyrs joy’d to trip the green; 
Far more than Sparta this in Venus grace, — 
‘ “And great Alcides once renowned the place: ' 
Now flaining embers spread dire waste around 
And gods regret that gods can thus confound. 
M. Val. Mart. Epigrammat. lib. iv. epig.xliv, 
% &¢ Jam navibus cinis inciderat; quo prO- 
prius accederent, calidior et densior; yam 
pumices nigrique et ambust!, et fracti igne 
lapides; jam vadum subitum ruinague mone 
tis litora obstantia,” &ee 
530 Memoirs of Caius Plinius Secundus the Eiders [Jans ty 
grounded -by the sudden retreat of the 
sea, but also;from the vast fragments 
which rolled: down from the mountaing 
and obstructed. all the shore. Pliny, 
thus. surrounded with dangers, delibe- 
rated for.a moment whether he should 
tiot comply with the earnest exhortations 
af Iris pilot, who;besought him to ture 
back, and thas withdraw himself from the 
imminent danger to which he was exposed; 
but his insatiable thirst after knowledge 
and instruction triamphed over his ap- 
prehensions of danger, and he unfortus 
nately disregarded his pilot’s advice. 
*¢ fortune,” said he, “ befriends the brave; 
carry mié to Pomponianus.”* , Pliny, 
having reached the shore, found Pompo- 
nianus, who was ote of his particular 
friends, in the greatest consternation, 
He embraced him with tenderness, en- 
couraging and exhorting him to keep up 
his spirits. In order to dissipate his 
friend's fears more effectually, he ordered s 
with an air of unconcern, the baths to be 
prepared; when, after having bathed, 
he sat down to supper with great cheer- 
fulness, apparently without any appre- 
hension of danger, or concealing those 
apprehensions if he really felt them, 
After supper he retired to rest, and fell 
into a deep and undisturbed sleep, 
- In the mean time. flames issued from 
various parts of the mountain, and spread- 
ing wide and towering to a great height, . 
exhibited a tremendous conflagration ; 
the glare and horror of which were still 
farther increased by the gloom and darke 
nessofthe night... 
In the midst of this dreadful scene our 
philosopher enjoyed his profound repose; 
but the court, which led to his apartinent 
was by this ime so filled with stones and 
ashes, that his passage through it would 
* Mat have 
* © Fortes fortuna favet, Pomponianum 
pete.” ‘This allusion to a linesin Virgil 
‘‘ Audentes fortuna juvat”? (Sneid. x. v. 284) 
indicates great intrepidity and presence of 
mind, and certainly is not inferior to C cesar’s 
celebrated observation, who, finding his pilet 
intimidated by the swelling of the waves and 
resistance of the tides, animated his despond- 
ing couragesby saying ‘¢ Fear not, friend, go 
on, you carry Czsar and his fortune ;” al- 
luding to the constant good fortune which at- 
“tended him. Cesar pursued his career of 
~conquest and devastation, urged on -by his 
insatiadle ambition: Pliny persevered in his 
course, prompted. by his humanity, and by 
his ardent thirst of knowledge. Each of 
these great men had his ruling passion, which 
‘in the former was destructive, but in’ the 
latter beneficial to mankind, > 
