We ought not, however, to judge of the progress which the ancients had made in the art of painting, by the degree of perfection which appears in those pictures.[170] It is not probable that the best paintings of ancient Greece or Italy were at Herculaneum; and, if it could be ascertained13 that some of the productions of the best matters were there, it would not follow that those which have been discovered are of that class. If a stranger were to enter at random14 a few houses in London, and see some tolerably good pictures there, he could not with propriety15 conclude that the best of them were the very best in London. The paintings brought from Herculaneum are perfect proofs that the ancients had made that progress in the art, which those pictures indicate; but do not form even a presumption16, that they had not made a much greater. It is almost demonstrable that these paintings are not of their best. The same school which formed the sculptor to correctness, would form the painter to equal correctness in his drawings, however deficient17 he might be in all the other parts of his art. Their best statues are correct in their proportions, and elegant[171] in their forms: These paintings are not correct in their proportions, and are comparatively inelegant in their forms.
Among the statues, the drunken Faun and the Mercury are the best. There are some fine bronze busts18; the intaglios and cameos, which hitherto have been found either in Herculaneum or Pompeia, are reckoned but indifferent.
The elegance19 of form, with the admirable workmanship, of the ornamental20 furniture and domestic utensils21, in silver and other metals; the variety and beauty of the lamps, tripods, and vases; sufficiently22 testify, if there were no other proofs, the fertile imagination and exquisite23 execution of the ancient artists. And, had their own poets and historians been quite silent concerning the Roman refinements24 in the art of cookery, and the luxury of their tables; the prodigious25 variety of culinary instruments, the moulds for jellies, for confections, and pastry26, which are collected[172] in this museum, would afford a strong presumption that the great men of our own days have a nearer resemblance to those ancient conquerors27 of the world, than is generally imagined.
Many of the ancient manuscripts found at Herculaneum have been carried to Madrid; but a great number still remain at Portici. Great pains have been bestowed28, and much ingenuity29 displayed, in separating and unrolling the sheets, without destroying the writing. This has succeeded in a certain degree; though, in spite of all the skill and attention of those who are employed in this very delicate work, the copiers are obliged to leave many blanks where the letters are obliterated30. The manuscripts hitherto unrolled and copied, are in the Greek language, and not of a very important nature. As the unrolling those papers must take up a great deal of time, and requires infinite address, it is to be wished that his Neapolitan Majesty31[173] would send one at least to every university in Europe, that the abilities of the most ingenious men of every country might be exercised on a subject so universally interesting. The method which should be found to succeed best, might be immediately made known, and applied32 to the unfolding of the remaining manuscripts. The probability of recovering those works, whose loss the learned have so long lamented33, would by this means be greatly increased.
Herculaneum and Pompeia were destroyed by the same eruption34 of Mount Vesuvius, about seventeen hundred years ago. The former was a town of much more magnificence than the other; but it is infinitely35 more difficult to be cleared of the matter which covers it. Sir William Hamilton, in his accurate and judicious36 observations on Mount Vesuvius, asserts, that there are evident marks that the matter of six eruptions37 has taken its course[174] over this devoted38 town, since the great explosion which involved it in the same fate with Pompeia. These different eruptions have all happened at considerable distances of time from each other. This appears by the layers of good soil which are found between them. But the matter which immediately covers the town, and with which the theatre, and all the houses hitherto examined, were found filled, is not lava39, but a sort of soft stone, composed of pumice and ashes, intermixed with earth. This has saved the pictures, manuscripts, busts, utensils, and other antiquities, which have been recovered out of Herculaneum, from utter destruction. For if any of the six succeeding eruptions had happened previous to this, and the red-hot liquid lava, of which they consisted, had flowed into the open city, it would have filled every street, scorched40 up every combustible41 substance with intense heat, involving the houses, and all they contained, in one solid rock of lava,[175] undistinguishable, and for ever inseparable, from it. The eruption, which buried the city in cinders42, earth, and ashes, has in some measure preserved it from the more destructive effects of the fiery43 torrents44 which have overwhelmed it since.
When we consider that the intervals45 between those eruptions were sufficiently long to allow a soil to be formed upon the hardened lava of each; that a new city has been actually built on the lava of the last eruption; and that the ancient city is from seventy to one hundred feet below the present surface of the earth; we must acknowledge it more surprising that any, than that so few, of its ornaments46 have been recovered. At the beginning of the present century, any body would have imagined that the busts, statues and pictures of Herculaneum had not a much better chance, than the persons they represent, of appearing again, within a few years, upon the surface of this globe.
[176]
The case is different with regard to Pompeia. Though it was not discovered till about twenty-five years ago, which is forty years almost after the discovery of Herculaneum, yet the probability was greatly in favour of its being discovered sooner, for Pompeia has felt the effects of a single eruption only; it is not buried above twelve feet below the surface of the ground, and the earth, ashes, cinders, and pumice-stones, with which it is covered, are so light, and so little tenacious47, that they might be removed with no great difficulty. If the attention of his Neapolitan Majesty were not engrossed48 with more important concerns, he might have the whole town uncovered in a very short space of time; half the lazzaroni of Naples could complete the business in one year. Hitherto only one street and a few detached buildings are cleared; the street is well paved with the same kind of stone of which the ancient roads[177] are made, narrow causeways are raised a foot and an half on each side for the conveniency of foot passengers. The street itself, to my recollection, is not so broad as the narrowest part of the Strand49, and is supposed to have been inhabited by tradespeople. The traces of wheels of carriages are to be seen on the pavement; the distance between the traces is less than that between the wheels of a modern post-chaise. I remarked this the more as, on my first viewing the street, I doubted whether there was room for two modern coaches to pass each other. I plainly saw there was sufficient room for two of the ancient chariots, whose wheels were of no greater distance than between the traces on the pavement. The houses are small, and in a very different style from the modern Italian houses; for the former give an idea of neatness and conveniency. The stucco on the walls is hard as marble, smooth and beautiful. Some of the rooms are ornamented with paintings, mostly[178] single figures, representing some animal; they are tolerably well executed, and on a little water being thrown on them, the colours appear surprisingly fresh.
Most of the houses are built on the same plan, and have one small room from the passage, which is conjectured50 to have been the shop, with a window to the street, and a place which seems to have been contrived51 for shewing the goods to the greatest advantage. The nature of the traffic carried on at one particular house, is indicated by a figure in alto relievo of a very expressive52 kind, immediately above the door.
It is to be wished they would cover one of the best houses with a roof, as nearly resembling that which originally belonged to it as they could imagine, with a complete assortment53 of the antique furniture of the kitchen and each particular room. Such a house fitted up with accuracy and judgment, with all its utensils and ornaments[179] properly arranged, would be an object of universal curiosity, and would swell54 the heart of the antiquarian with veneration55 and delight. Only imagine, my dear Sir, what those gentlemen must feel, when they see the venerable habitations of the ancients in their present mournful condition, neglected, despised, abandoned to the peltings of rain, and all the injuries of the weather! those precious walls, which, were it possible to transport them to the various countries of the world, would be bought with avidity, and placed in the gardens of Princes! How must the bosoms56 of all true virtuosos57 glow with indignation, when they behold58 the mansions59 of the ancient Romans stripped of their ornaments, dishonoured60, and exposed, like a parcel of ragged61 galley62 slaves, in the most indecent manner, with hardly any covering to their nakedness; while a little paltry63 brick house, coming the Lord knows how, from a country which men of taste have always despised, has[180] been received with hospitality, dressed in a fine coat of the richest marble, adorned64 with jewels and precious stones, and treated with every mark of honourable65 distinction!
In another part of the town of Pompeia, there is a rectangular building, with a colonade, towards the court, something in the style of the Royal Exchange at London, but smaller. This has every appearance of a barrack and guard room; the pillars are of brick, covered with shining stucco, elegantly fluted66; the scrawlings and drawings still visible on the walls, are such as we might naturally expect on the walls of a guard room, where soldiers are the designers, and swords the engraving3 tools. They consist of gladiators fighting, some with each other, some with wild beasts; the games of the circus, as chariot races, wrestling, and the like; a few figures in caricatura, designed probably by some of the soldiers, in ridicule67 of their companions,[181] or perhaps of their officers; and there are abundance of names inscribed68 on various parts of the wall, according to the universal custom of the humblest candidates for fame in all ages and countries. It may be safely asserted, that none of those who have endeavoured to transmit their names to posterity70 in this manner, have succeeded so well as the soldiers of the garrison71 of Pompeia.
At a considerable distance from the barrack, is a building, known by the inscription72 upon it, for a temple of the goddess Isis; there is nothing very magnificent in its appearance; the pillars are of brick stuccoed like those of the guard room. The best paintings, hitherto found at Pompeia, are those of this temple; they have been cut out of the walls and removed to Portici. It was absolutely necessary to do this with the pictures at Herculaneum, because there they could not be seen without the help of torches; but here, where they[182] could be seen by the light of the Sun, they would, in my humble69 opinion, have appeared to more advantage, and have had a better effect in the identical situation in which they were placed by the ancient artist. A few still remain, particularly one, which is considered by travellers as a great curiosity; it is a small view of a villa73, with the gardens belonging to it.
There is one house or villa without the walls, on a much larger scale than any of the others. In a large cellar, or vaulted74 gallery, belonging to this house, there are a number of amphor?, or earthen vessels75, arranged along the walls; most of them filled with a kind of red substance, supposed to have been wine. This cellar is sunk about two-thirds below the surface of the ground, and is lighted by small narrow windows. I have called it gallery, because it is about twelve feet in width, and is the whole length of two adjoining sides of the square which the[183] villa forms. It was used not only as a repository for wine, but also as a cool retreat for the family during excessive hot weather. Some of this unfortunate family sought shelter in this place from the destructive shower which overwhelmed the town. Eight skeletons, four being those of children, were found here; where they must have met a more cruel and lingering death, than that which they shunned76. In one room, the body of a man was found; with an ax in the hand; it is probable he had been endeavouring to cut a passage into the open air; he had broken and pierced the wall, but had expired before he could clear away the surrounding rubbish. Few skeletons were found in the streets, but a considerable number in the houses. Before the decisive shower fell, which smothered77 the inhabitants of this ill fated city, perhaps such quantities of ashes and cinders were occasionally falling, as frightened, and obliged them to keep within doors.
It is impossible to view those skeletons, and reflect on this dreadful catastrophe78, without horror and compassion79. We cannot think of the inhabitants of a whole town being destroyed at once, without imagining that their fate has been uncommonly80 severe. But are not the inhabitants of all the towns then existing, of whom we think without any emotion of pity, as completely dead as those of Pompeia? And could we take them one by one, and consider the nature of their deaths, and the circumstances attending that of each individual; some destroyed by painful bodily diseases, some by the torture of the executioner, some bowed to the grave by the weight of accumulated sorrow, and the slow anguish81 of a broken heart, after having suffered the pangs82 of dissolution, over and over again, in the death of those they loved, after having beheld83 the dying agonies of their children; could all this, I say, be appraised84, calculated, and compared, the balance of[185] suffering might not be found with the inhabitants of Pompeia, but rather with those of the contemporary cities, who, perhaps at that time, as we do now, lamented its severe fate.
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1
antiquities
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| n.古老( antiquity的名词复数 )；古迹；古人们；古代的风俗习惯 | |
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ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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engraving
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| n.版画；雕刻（作品）；雕刻艺术；镌版术v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的现在分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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sculptor
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| n.雕刻家，雕刻家 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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mythology
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| n.神话，神话学，神话集 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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frieze
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| n.(墙上的)横饰带，雕带 | |
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ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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presumption
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| n.推测，可能性，冒昧，放肆，[法律]推定 | |
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deficient
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| adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的 | |
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busts
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| 半身雕塑像( bust的名词复数 )； 妇女的胸部； 胸围； 突击搜捕 | |
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elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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ornamental
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| adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物 | |
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utensils
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| 器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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refinements
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| n.（生活）风雅；精炼( refinement的名词复数 )；改良品；细微的改良；优雅或高贵的动作 | |
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prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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pastry
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| n.油酥面团，酥皮糕点 | |
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conquerors
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| 征服者，占领者( conqueror的名词复数 ) | |
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bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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obliterated
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| v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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lamented
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| adj.被哀悼的，令人遗憾的v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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eruption
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| n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作 | |
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infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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eruptions
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| n.喷发，爆发( eruption的名词复数 ) | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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lava
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| n.熔岩，火山岩 | |
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scorched
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| 烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦 | |
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combustible
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| a. 易燃的,可燃的; n. 易燃物,可燃物 | |
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cinders
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| n.煤渣( cinder的名词复数 )；炭渣；煤渣路；煤渣跑道 | |
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fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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47
tenacious
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| adj.顽强的，固执的，记忆力强的，粘的 | |
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engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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conjectured
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| 推测，猜测，猜想( conjecture的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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assortment
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| n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集 | |
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swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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veneration
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| n.尊敬，崇拜 | |
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bosoms
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| 胸部( bosom的名词复数 )； 胸怀； 女衣胸部（或胸襟）； 和爱护自己的人在一起的情形 | |
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virtuosos
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| n.艺术大师( virtuoso的名词复数 )；名家；艺术爱好者；古董收藏家 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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mansions
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| n.宅第，公馆，大厦( mansion的名词复数 ) | |
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dishonoured
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| a.不光彩的，不名誉的 | |
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ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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galley
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| n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇； | |
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paltry
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| adj.无价值的，微不足道的 | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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fluted
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| a.有凹槽的 | |
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ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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inscribed
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| v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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posterity
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| n.后裔，子孙，后代 | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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inscription
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| n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文 | |
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villa
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| n.别墅，城郊小屋 | |
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vaulted
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| adj.拱状的 | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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76
shunned
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| v.避开，回避，避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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77
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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78
catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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79
compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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80
uncommonly
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| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
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81
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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82
pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
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83
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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84
appraised
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| v.估价( appraise的过去式和过去分词 )；估计；估量；评价 | |
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