YOUR

YOUR Requeft that I would fend you an Account of Uncle's Death, in order to tranfmit a more exact Relation of it to Pofterity, deferves my Acknowledgments; for if this Accident fhall be celebrated by your Pen, the Glory of it, I am well affured, will be rendered for ever illuftrious. And notwithstanding he perished by a Misfortune, which, as it involved at the fame time a moft beautiful Country in Ruins, and deftroyed fo many populous Cities, feems to promife him an everlafting Remembrance; notwithstanding he has himself compofed many and lafting Works; yet, I am perfuaded, the mentioning of him in your immortal Writings, will greatly contribute to eternize his Name. Happy I efteem thofe to be, whom Providence has diftinguished with the Abilities either of doing fuch Actions as are worthy of being related, or of relating them in a Manner worthy of being read; but doubly happy are those who are blessed with both these uncommon Talents: In the Number of which my Uncle, as his own Writings, and your History will evidently prove, may justly be ranked. It is with extreme Willingness, therefore, I execute your Commands; and fhould indeed have claimed the Tafk if you have not enjoined it. He was at that Time with the Fleet under his Command at Mifenum. On the 23d of Auguft, about One in the Afternoon, my Mother defired him to obferve a Cloud, which appeared of a very unufual Size and Shape. He had juft returned ftom taking the Benefit of the Sun, and after bathing himself in cold Water, and taking a flight Repaft, was retired to his Study: He immediately arofe, and went out upon an Eminence, from whence he might more diftinctly view this very uncommon Appearance. It was not at that Diftance difcernable from what Mountain this Cloud iffued; but it was found afterwards to afcend from Mount Vefuvius. I cannot give you a more exact Description of its Figure, than by refembling it to that of a Pine-Tree, for it fhot up a great Height in the Form of a Trunk, which extended itself at the Top into a fort of Branches; occafioned, I imagine, either by a fudden Guft of Air that impelled it, the Force of which decreafed as it advanced upwards, or the Cloud itfelf being prefied back again by its

own Weight, expanded in this Manner: It appeared fometimes bright, and fometimes dark and spotted, as it was more or lefs impregnated with Earth and Cinders. This extraordinary Phænomenon excited my Uncle's philofophical Curiofity to take a nearer View of it. He ordered a light Veffel to be got ready, and gave me the Liberty, if I thought proper, to attend him. I rather chofe to continue my Studies; for, as it happened, he had given me an Employment of that Kind. As he was coming out of the Houfe he received a Note from Retina, the Wife of Baffus, who was in the utmost Alarm at the imminent Danger which threatened her ; for her Villa being fituated at the Foot of Mount Vesuvius, there was no Way to efcape but by Sea, fhe earnestly entreated him therefore to come to her Affiftance. He accordingly changed his firft Defign, and what he began with a philofophical, he purfued with an heroical Turn of Mind. He ordered the Gallies to put to Sea, and went himself on board with an Intention of affifting, not only Reɛtina, but feveral others; for the Villas ftand extremely thick upon that beautiful Coaft. When haftening to the Place from whence others fied with the utmoft Terror, he fteered his direct Course to the Point of Danger, and with fo much Calmness and Prefence of Mind, as to be able to make and dictate his Obfervations upon the Motion and Figure of that dreadful Scene. He was now fo near the Mountain, that the Cinders, which grew thicker and hotter the nearer he approached, fell into the Ships, together with Pumice Stones, and black Pieces of burning Rock: They were likewife in Danger, not only of being aground by the fudden Retreat of the Sea, but alfo from the vaft Fragments which rolled down from the Mountain, and obftructed all the Shore. Here he stopped to confider whether he fhould return back again; to which the Pilot advising him, Fortune, faith he, befriends the Brave; carry me to Pomponianus. Pomponianus was then at Stabia, feparated by a Gulph, which the Sea, after feveral infenfible Windings, forms upon that Shore. He had already fent his Baggage on board; for though he was not at that Time in actual Danger, yet being within the View of it, and indeed extremely near, if it fhould in the leaft incrcafe, he was determined to put to Sea as foon as the Wind fhould change." It was favourable however, for carrying my Uncle to Pomponianus, whom he found in the greatest Confternation. He embraced him with Tendernefs, encouraging and exhorting him to keep up his Spirits; and the more to diffipate his Fears, he ordered, with an Air of Unconcern, the Baths

to

to be got ready; when, after having bathed, he fate down to Supper with great Chearfulnefs, or at leaft (what is equally heroic) with all the Appearance of it. In the mean while the Eruption from Mount Vefuvius flamed out from several Places with much Violence, which the Darkness of the Night contributed to render ftill more visible and dreadful. But my Uncle, in order to footh the Apprehenfions of his Friend, affured him it was only the burning of the Villages, which the Country People had abandoned to the Flames: After this he retired to Reft; and, it is moft certain, he was fo little dif compofed as to fall into a deep Sleep; for being pretty fat, and breathing hard, thofe who attended without, actually heard him fnore. The Court which led to his Apartment, being now almoft filled with Stones and Ashes, if he had continued there any time longer, it would have been impoffible for him to have made his Way out; it was thought proper therefore to awaken him. He got up, and went to Pomponianus, and the rest of his Company, who were not unconcerned enough to think of going to Bed. They confulted together whether it would be moft prudent to trust to the Houses, which now fhook from fide to fide with frequent and violent Concuffions, or fly to the open Fields, where the calcined Stones and Cinders, tho' light indeed, yet fell in large Showers, and threatened Destruction. In this Diftrefs they refolved for the Fields, as the lefs dangerous Situation of the two: A Refolution, which while the reft of the Company were hurried into by their Fears, my Uncle embraced upon cool and deliberate Confideration. They went out then, having Pillows tied upon their Heads with Napkins; and this was their whole Defence against the Storm of Stones that fell round them. Tho' it was now Day every where else, with them it was darker than the moft obfcure Night, excepting only what Light proceeded from the Fire and Flames. They thought proper to go down farther upon the Shore, to obferve if they might fafely put out to Sea, but they found the Waves ftill run extremely high and boisterous. There my Uncle having drunk a Draught or two of cold Water threw himself down upon a Cloth which was spread for him, when immediately the Flames, and a ftrong Smell of Sulphur, which was the Forerunner of them, difperfed the rest of the Company, and obliged him to arife. He raifed himfelf up with the Affiftance of two of his Servants, and inftantly fell down dead; fuffocated, as I conjecture, by fome grofs and noxious Vapour, having always had weak Lungs, and frequently fubject to a Difficulty of Breathing. As foon as it was light again,

VOL. I.

I

which

which was not till the third Day after this melancholy Accident, his Body was found entire, and without any Marks of Violence upon it, exactly in the fame Pofture that he fell, and looking more like a Man asleep than dead. During all this time my Mother and I were at Mifenum. But as this has no Connection with your Hiftory, fo your Enquiry went no farther than concerning my Uncle's Death; with that therefore I will put an End to my Letter: Suffer me only to add, that I have faithfully related to you what I was either an Eye-witness of myself, or received immediately after the Accident happen'd, and before there was time to vary the Truth. You will chufe out of this Narrative fuch Circumftances as fhall be most suitable to your Purpose; for there is a great Difference between what is proper for a Letter, and an Hiftory; between writing to a Friend, and writing to the Public. Farewel.

LETTER VIII.

PLINY to ROMANUS FIRMUS.

S you are my Countryman, my Schoolfellow, and the earrlieft Companion of my Youth: as there was the ftrictest Friendship between my Mother and Uncle, and your Father; a Happiness which I also enjoy'd as far as the great Inequality of our Ages would admit: can I fail (biaffed as I am towards your Intereft by fo many ftrong and weighty Reasons) to contribute all in my Power to the Advancement of your Dignity? The Rank you bear in our Province as a Decurio, is a Proof that you are poffeffed at least of a hundred thousand Sefterces; but that we may also have the Pleafure of seeing you a Roman Knight, give me leave to present you with three hundred thoufand, in order to make up the Sum requifite to entitle you to that Dignity. The long Acquaintance we have had, leaves me no room to doubt you will ever be forgetful of this Inftance of my Friendship. And I need not advise you (what if I did not know your Difpofition I fhould) to enjoy this Honour with the Modefty that becomes one who received it from me; for the Dignity we poffefs by the good Offices of a Friend, is a kind of facred Truft, wherein we have his Judgment, as well as our own Character to maintain, and therefore to be guarded with peculiar Attention. Farewel.

LET

LETTERS IX.

PLINY to MAXIMUS.

THINK I may claim a Right to afk the fame Services of you for my Friends, as I would offer to yours if I were in your Station. Arrianus Maturius is a Perfon of great Eminence among the Altinates. When I call him fo, it is not with refpect to his Fortunes (which however are very confiderable;) it is in view to the Purity, the Integrity, the Prudence, and the Gravity of his Manners. His Counsel fteers me in my Affairs, and his Judgment directs me in my Studies; for Truth, Honour, and Knowledge, are the fhining Qualities which mark his Character. He loves me (and I cannot express his Affection in ftronger Terms) with a Tenderness equal to yours. As he is a Stranger to Ambition, he is contented with remaining in the Equeftrian Order, when he might easily have advanced himself into a higher Rank. It behoves me however to take care his Merit be rewarded with the Honours it deferves: and I would fain without his Knowledge or Expectation, and probably too contrary to his Inclination, add to his Dignity. The Poft I would obtain for him fhould be fomething very honourable, and yet attended with no Trouble. I beg when any thing of that Nature offers you would think of him; it will be an Obligation, which both he and I fhall ever remember with the greatest Gratitude. For tho' he has no aspiring Wishes to fatisfy, he will be as fenfible of the Favour as if he had received it in confequence of his own Defires. Farewel.

LETTER X.

PLINY to CATILIUS.

Accept of your Invitation to Supper, but I muff make this Agreement before-hand, that you difmifs me foon, and treat me frugally. Let our Entertainment abound only in philofophical Converfation, and even that too with Moderation. There are certain Midnight Parties, which Cato himfelf could not fafely fall in with:, tho' I must confefs at the fame

1 2

time,