第29章

Etruscanprophecywhichsaith，"Whenthemountainopens，thecityshallfall——whenthesmokecrownstheHilloftheParchedFields，thereshallbewoeandweepinginthehearthsoftheChildrenoftheSea。"Dreadmaster，ereIleavethesewallsforsomemoredistantdwelling，Icometothee。Asthoulivest，knowIinmyheartthattheearthquakethatsixteenyearsagoshookthiscitytoitssolidbase，wasbuttheforerunnerofmoredeadlydoom。ThewallsofPompeiiarebuiltabovethefieldsoftheDead，andtheriversofthesleeplessHell。Bewarnedandfly！’

’Witch，Ithanktheeforthycareofonenotungrateful。Onyontablestandsacupofgold；takeit，itisthine。Idreamtnotthattherelivedone，outofthepriesthoodofIsis，whowouldhavesavedArbacesfromdestruction。Thesignsthouhastseeninthebedoftheextinctvolcano，’

continuedtheEgyptian，musingly，’surelytellofsomecomingdangertothecity；perhapsanotherearthquake——fiercerthanthelast。Bethatasitmay，thereisanewreasonformyhasteningfromthesewalls。AfterthisdayI

willpreparemydeparture。DaughterofEtruria，whitherwendestthou？’

’IshallcrossovertoHerculaneumthisday，and，wanderingthencealongthecoast，shallseekoutanewhome。Iamfriendless：mytwocompanions，thefoxandthesnake，aredead。GreatHermes，thouhastpromisedmetwentyadditionalyearsoflife！’

’Aye，’saidtheEgyptian，’Ihavepromisedthee。But，woman，’headded，liftinghimselfuponhisarm，andgazingcuriouslyonherface，’tellme，I

praythee，whereforethouwishesttolive？Whatsweetsdostthoudiscoverinexistence？’

’Itisnotlifethatissweet，butdeaththatisawful，’repliedthehag，inasharp，impressivetone，thatstruckforciblyupontheheartofthevainstar—seer。Hewincedatthetruthofthereply；andnolongeranxioustoretainsouninvitingacompanion，hesaid，’Timewanes；Imustprepareforthesolemnspectacleofthisday。Sister，farewell！enjoythyselfasthoucanstovertheashesoflife。’

Thehag，whohadplacedthecostlygiftofArbacesintheloosefoldsofhervest，nowrosetodepart。Whenshehadgainedthedoorshepaused，turnedback，andsaid，’Thismaybethelasttimewemeetonearth；butwhitherflieththeflamewhenitleavestheashes？——Wanderingtoandfro，upanddown，asanexhalationonthemorass，theflamemaybeseeninthemarshesofthelakebelow；andthewitchandtheMagian，thepupilandthemaster，thegreatoneandtheaccursedone，maymeetagain。Farewell！’

’Out，croaker！’mutteredArbaces，asthedoorclosedonthehag’statteredrobes；and，impatientofhisownthoughts，notyetrecoveredfromthepastdream，hehastilysummonedhisslaves。

Itwasthecustomtoattendtheceremonialsoftheamphitheatreinfestiverobes，andArbacesarrayedhimselfthatdaywithmorethanusualcare。Histunicwasofthemostdazzlingwhite：hismanyfibulaewereformedfromthemostpreciousstones：overhistunicflowedalooseeasternrobe，half—gown，half—mantle，glowingintherichesthuesoftheTyriandye；andthesandals，thatreachedhalfwayuptheknee，werestuddedwithgems，andinlaidwithgold。Inthequackeriesthatbelongedtohispriestlygenius，Arbacesneverneglected，ongreatoccasions，theartswhichdazzleandimposeuponthevulgar；andonthisday，thatwasforevertoreleasehim，bythesacrificeofGlaucus，fromthefearofarivalandthechanceofdetection，hefeltthathewasarrayinghimselfasforatriumphoranuptialfeast。

Itwascustomaryformenofranktobeaccompaniedtotheshowsoftheamphitheatrebyaprocessionoftheirslavesandfreedmen；andthelong’family’ofArbaceswerealreadyarrangedinorder，toattendthelitteroftheirlord。

Only，totheirgreatchagrin，theslavesinattendanceonIone，andtheworthySosia，asgaolertoNydia，werecondemnedtoremainathome。

’Callias，’saidArbaces，aparttohisfreedman，whowasbucklingonhisgirdle，’IamwearyofPompeii；Iproposetoquititinthreedays，shouldthewindfavor。ThouknowestthevesselthatliesintheharborwhichbelongedtoNarses，ofAlexandria；Ihavepurchaseditofhim。Thedayaftertomorrowweshallbegintoremovemystores。’

’Sosoon！’Tiswell。Arbacesshallbeobeyed——andhisward，Ione？’

’Accompaniesme。Enough！——Isthemorningfair？’

’Dimandoppressive；itwillprobablybeintenselyhotintheforenoon。’

’Thepoorgladiators，andmorewretchedcriminals！Descend，andseethattheslavesaremarshalled。’

Leftalone，Arbacessteppedintohischamberofstudy，andthenceupontheporticowithout。Hesawthedensemassesofmenpouringfastintotheamphitheatre，andheardthecryoftheassistants，andthecrackingofthecordage，astheywerestrainingaloftthehugeawningunderwhichthecitizens，molestedbynodiscomfortingray，weretobehold，atluxuriousease，theagoniesoftheirfellowcreatures。Suddenlyawildstrangesoundwentforth，andassuddenlydiedaway——itwastheroarofthelion。Therewasasilenceinthedistantcrowd；butthesilencewasfollowedbyjoyouslaughter——theyweremakingmerryatthehungryimpatienceoftheroyalbeast。

’Brutes！’mutteredthedisdainfulArbacesareyelesshomicidesthanIam？

Islaybutinself—defence——yemakemurderpastime。’

Heturnedwitharestlessandcuriouseye，towardsVesuvius。Beautifullyglowedthegreenvineyardsrounditsbreast，andtranquilaseternitylayinthebreathlessskiestheformofthemightyhill。

’Wehavetimeyet，iftheearthquakebenursing，’thoughtArbaces；andheturnedfromthespot。HepassedbythetablewhichborehismysticscrollsandChaldeancalculations。

’Augustart！’hethought，’IhavenotconsultedthydecreessinceIpassedthedangerandthecrisistheyforetold。Whatmatter？——Iknowthathenceforthallinmypathisbrightandsmooth。Havenoteventsalreadyprovedit？Away，doubt——away，pity！ReflectOmyheart——reflect，forthefuture，buttwoimages——EmpireandIone！’

ChapterII

THEAMPHITHEATRE。

NYDIA，assuredbytheaccountofSosia，onhisreturnhome，andsatisfiedthatherletterwasinthehandsofSallust，gaveherselfuponcemoretohope。Sallustwouldsurelylosenotimeinseekingthepraetor——incomingtothehouseoftheEgyptian——inreleasingher——inbreakingtheprisonofCalenus。ThatverynightGlaucuswouldbefree。Alas！thenightpassed——thedawnbroke；sheheardnothingbutthehurriedfootstepsoftheslavesalongthehallandperistyle，andtheirvoicesinpreparationfortheshow。By—and—by，thecommandingvoiceofArbacesbrokeonherear——aflourishofmusicrungoutcheerily：thelongprocessionweresweepingtotheamphitheatretogluttheireyesonthedeath—pangsoftheAthenian！

TheprocessionofArbacesmovedalongslowly，andwithmuchsolemnitytillnow，arrivingattheplacewhereitwasnecessaryforsuchascameinlittersorchariotstoalight，Arbacesdescendedfromhisvehicle，andproceededtotheentrancebywhichthemoredistinguishedspectatorswereadmitted。Hisslaves，minglingwiththehumblercrowd，werestationedbyofficerswhoreceivedtheirtickets（notmuchunlikeourmodernOperaones），inplacesinthepopularia（theseatsapportionedtothevulgar）。Andnow，fromthespotwhereArbacessat，hiseyesscannedthemightyandimpatientcrowdthatfilledthestupendoustheatre。

Ontheuppertier（butapartfromthemalespectators）satwomen，theirgaydressesresemblingsomegaudyflower—bed；itisneedlesstoaddthattheywerethemosttalkativepartoftheassembly；andmanywerethelooksdirecteduptothem，especiallyfromthebenchesappropriatedtotheyoungandtheunmarriedmen。Onthelowerseatsroundthearenasatthemorehigh—bornandwealthyvisitors——themagistratesandthoseofsenatorialorequestriandignity；thepassageswhich，bycorridorsattherightandleft，gaveaccesstotheseseats，ateitherendoftheovalarena，werealsotheentrancesforthecombatants。Strongpalingsatthesepassagespreventedanyunwelcomeeccentricityinthemovementsofthebeasts，andconfinedthemtotheirappointedprey。Aroundtheparapetwhichwasraisedabovethearena，andfromwhichtheseatsgraduallyrose，weregladiatorialinscriptions，andpaintingswroughtinfresco，typicaloftheentertainmentsforwhichtheplacewasdesigned。Throughoutthewholebuildingwoundinvisiblepipes，fromwhich，asthedayadvanced，coolingandfragrantshowersweretobesprinkledoverthespectators。Theofficersoftheamphitheatrewerestillemployedinthetaskoffixingthevastawning（orvelaria）whichcoveredthewhole，andwhichluxuriousinventiontheCampaniansarrogatedtothemselves：itwaswovenofthewhitestApulianwool，andvariegatedwithbroadstripesofcrimson。Owingeithertosom