from the city. Some excuse might perhaps be found for the
hysterical terror of the poor inhabitants of the Mergellina or the
Mercato, who spent their time in wailing within the churches or in
screaming for the public exhibition of the venerated relics of their
patron Saint, which again on this occasion the Archbishop, _nolens
volens_, was compelled by the mob to produce. But for the great mass of
educated foreigners then filling the hotels and pensions of the place, it
cannot be said that their conduct was edifying, particularly in face of
the example set by the King and Queen of Italy. To add to the general
panic prevailing in the city, the Neapolitans themselves were not
unnaturally greatly exasperated by the serious accident which took place
at the Central Market Hall near Monte Oliveto in the heart of the old
town. Here, early one morning during the course of the eruption, the great
roof of corrugated iron collapsed, killing many and frightening the whole
of the populace, already sufficiently unnerved by recent events. That this
catastrophe was due to the casual methods, amounting in this case to
criminal neglect of plain duty, of the municipal authorities, who had
neglected to sweep the accumulation of heavy volcanic ash from off the
thin metal roof, none can deny; and this glaring example of public
stupidity had of course a bad effect on the demoralized multitude, which
threatened to grow unruly, as well as terrified. No, the graceless
stampede of educated foreigners to the railway-station, the incompetence
of the Municipality, and the behaviour of the Neapolitan crowd do not
appear very creditable to the supposed enlightenment of the twentieth
century. It had been confidently predicted that nearly fifty years of
State education and liberal government would work wonders in dispelling
the crass ignorance and the deep-seated superstition of the dwellers on
the Bay of Naples. Yet, so far as can be judged from recent events,
matters seem to have changed but little on these shores, for the mass of
the population evidently preferred to pin its hope of safety to the
miracle-working relics of San Gennaro, rather than to the reassuring
messages of Professor Matteucci, sent from his post of undoubted peril on
the mountain-side.

If the inhabitants of a great city, which was never seriously threatened
with danger, should have acted thus, there is undoubtedly much excuse to
be found for the Vesuviani themselves, whose houses