The first picture which attracted the little girls’ attention, on their entrance into the gallery this morning, was the representation of an eruption of Mount Vesuvius. They instantly applied for information to Mr. Wilmot, which he as willingly gave them, in the following words:
“This celebrated volcano is situated a few miles east of Naples, in Italy. The first eruption on record, happened on the twenty-seventh of August, A.D. 79. It was accompanied by an earthquake, which overturned several cities. Pliny, the naturalist, being too curious in observing the effects of this violent convulsion of nature, was suffocated by the sulphureous smoke.”
“Who was Pliny?” asked Susan.
“Pliny the Elder,” replied Mr. Wilmot, “was one of the most learned of the Roman writers; and was born at Verona in Italy, A.D. 23. But a letter from his nephew to a friend, describing his character and the event, will give you a more perfect idea of both, than any other means I can adopt. This amiable and learned man first enters into an account of his uncle’s surprising application, as well as great mental powers; and after relating the nature of his employments, he proceeds to say:
“‘You will wonder how a man, so engaged as he was, could find time to compose such a number of books as he did; and some of them, too, upon abstruse subjects. But your surprise will rise still higher, when you hear that, for some time, he engaged in the profession of an advocate; that he died in the fifty-sixth year of his age; that, from the time of his quitting the bar, to his death, he was employed, partly in the execution of the highest posts, and partly in personal attendance on those emperors who honoured him with their friendship.”
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“‘But he had a quick apprehension, joined to unwearied application. In summer, he always began his studies as soon as it was night; in winter, generally at one in the morning, but never later than two, and sometimes at midnight. No man ever spent less time in bed; insomuch, that, without retiring from his book, he would sometimes take a short nap, and then pursue his studies. Before day-break he used to wait upon Vespasian, who, likewise, chose these seasons to transact business. When he had finished the affairs which that emperor transmitted to his charge, he returned home again to his studies.
“‘After a short and light repast, at noon, according to the good old custom of the ancients, he would frequently, in the summer, if disengaged from business, repose himself in the sun; during which time, some author was read to him, from which he made extracts and observations; as, indeed, this was his constant method, whatever book he read; for it was a maxim of his, ‘that no book was so bad but that something might be learned from it.’
“‘When this was over, he generally went into the cold bath; and, as soon as he came out of it, generally took a slight refreshment, and then reposed himself for a little while. Thus, as if it had been a new day, he renewed his studies till supper-time; when a book was again read to him, upon which he would make some slight remarks. I remember once, his reader having pronounced a word wrong, somebody at table made him repeat it again; upon which my uncle asked his friend, if he understood it? who, acknowledging that he did: ‘Why, then,’ said he, ‘would you make him go back again? We have lost, by this interruption, above ten lines;’ covetous was this great man of time!