o Tacitus (Epist. 20) was required to
satisfy the curiosity of that historian; especially as regards the
events which happened under the eyes of his friend. Here it is according
to Melmoth:

"The letter which, in compliance with your request, I wrote to you
concerning the death of my uncle, has raised, it seems, your curiosity
to know what terrors and danger attended me while I continued at
Misenum: for there, I think, the account in my former letter broke off.

'Though my shocked soul recoils, my tongue shall tell.'

"My uncle having left us, I pursued the studies which prevented my going
with him till it was time to bathe. After which I went to supper, and
from thence to bed, where my sleep was greatly broken and disturbed.
There had been, for many days before, some shocks of an earthquake,
which the less surprised us as they are extremely frequent in Campania;
but they were so particularly violent that night, that they not only
shook everything about us, but seemed, indeed, to threaten total
destruction. My mother flew to my chamber, where she found me rising
in order to awaken her. We went out into a small court belonging to the
house, which separated the sea from the buildings. As I was at that time
but eighteen years of age, I know not whether I should call my behavior,
in this dangerous juncture, courage or rashness; but I took up Livy, and
amused myself with turning over that author, and even making extracts
from him, as if all about me had been in full security. While we were
in this posture, a friend of my uncle's, who was just come from Spain to
pay him a visit, joined us; and observing me sitting with my mother with
a book in my hand, greatly condemned her calmness at the same time that
he reproved me for my careless security. Nevertheless, I still went on
with my author.

"Though it was now morning, the light was exceedingly faint and languid;
the buildings all around us tottered; and, though we stood upon open
ground, yet as the place was narrow and confined, there was no remaining
there without certain and great danger: we therefore resolved to quit
the town. The people followed us in the utmost consternation, and, as to
a mind distracted with terror every suggestion seems more prudent than
its own, pressed in great crowds about us in our way out.

"Being got to a convenient distance from the houses, we stood still, in
the midst of a most dangerous and dreadful scene. The chariots which
we had ordere