und their graves, while the bulk of
their fellow citizens escaped. In one vault, the remains of sixteen
human beings were discovered, and from the circumstance of some valuable
rings and a quantity of money being found with the bones, it is
concluded that the master of the house was among the sufferers. In this
vault or cellar I saw a number of earthen jars, called Amphorae, placed
against the wall. These, which once held the purple juice, perhaps the
produce of favorite vintages, were now filled to the brim with ashes.
Many of the public edifices are large, and have been magnificent. The
amphitheatre, which is oval, upon the plan of that at Verona, would
contain above ten thousand spectators. This majestic edifice was
disentombed by the French, to whose taste and activity, during their
rule in Italy, particularly in the district of Naples, every lover of
the arts stands indebted. I had the good fortune to be present at the
clearing of a part of the arena of this colossal erection, and witnessed
the disclosure of paintings which had not seen the light for above
seventeen hundred years. They were executed in what is termed _fresco_,
a process of coloring on wet plaster, but which, after it becomes hard,
almost defies the effects of time. The subjects of those I allude to
were nymphs, and the coloring of the draperies, in some instances, was
as fresh as if just applied.

"Not far distant from the amphitheatre are two semicircular theatres,
one of which is supposed to have been appropriated to tragedy and the
other to comedy. The first mentioned is large, and built of stone, or a
substance called _tufo_, covered with marble. It had no roof. The
Proscenium and Orchestra remain. The stage, or rather the place where it
was, is of considerable width, but so very shallow that stage effect, as
regards scenery, could not have been much studied, nor indeed did the
dramas of the ancients require it. The comic theatre is small, and
nearly perfect. It appears to have had a roof or covering. These two
theatres are close together. Of the public edifices discovered, the
Temple of Isis is one of the most interesting. It is of brick, but
coated with a hard and polished stucco. The altars for sacrifice remain
unmolested. A hollow pedestal or altar yet exists, from which oracles
were once delivered to the credulous multitude, and we behold the
secret stairs by which the priests descended to perform the office. In
the chamber of this Temple,