The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and
Instruction, by Various

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction
Volume 14, No. 406, Saturday, December 26, 1829.

Author: Various

Release Date: March 5, 2004 [EBook #11460]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MIRROR OF LITERATURE, NO. 406 ***

Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Andy Jewell, David Garcia and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team.

THE MIRROR OF LITERATURE, AMUSEMENT, AND INSTRUCTION.

VOL. XIV, NO. 406.] SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1829. [PRICE 2d.

VIRGIL'S TOMB.

[Illustration: Virgil's Tomb.]

This consecrated relic of genius stands on the hill of Posilipo, in the
environs of Naples. Its recent state is so beautifully described by
Eustace, that we shall not, like gipsys do stolen children, disfigure it
to prevent recognition.

Proceeding westward along the Chiaia and keeping towards the beach, says
Eustace, we came to the quarter called Mergyllina. To ascend the hill of
Posilipo we turned to the right, and followed a street winding as a
staircase up the steep, and terminating at a garden gate. Having
entered, we pursued a path through a vineyard and descending a little,
came to a small square building, flat-roofed, placed on a sort of
platform on the brow of a precipice on one side, and on the other
sheltered by a super-incumbent rock. An aged ilex, spreading from the
sides of the rock, and bending over the edifice, covers the roof with
its ever verdant foliage. Numberless shrubs spring around, and
interwoven with ivy clothe the walls and hang in festoons over the
precipice. The edifice before us was an ancient tomb--the tomb of
VIRGIL! We entered; a vaulted cell and two modern windows alone
presented themselves to view: the poet's name is the only ornament of
the place. No sarcophagus, no urn, and even no inscription to feed the
devotion of the classical pilgrim. The epitaph which though not genuine
is yet ancient, was inscribed by the order of the Duke of Pescolangiano,
then proprietor of the place, on a marble slab placed in the side of the
rock opposite the entr