I will not stir, nor wince, nor speak a word,
Nor look upon the iron angrily;

Thrust but these men away, and I'll forgive you,
Whatever torment you do put me to.

Hub. (To attendants.) Go, stand within; let me alone with

him.

1st At. I am best pleased to be from such a deed.

Arth.

Hub.

Arth.

Hub.

Arth.

Hub.

Arth.

Hub.
Arth.

[Exeunt attendants.
Alas! I then have chid away my friend:
He hath a stern look, but a gentle heart;-
Let him come back, that his compassion may
Give life to yours.

Come, boy, prepare yourself.

Is there no remedy?

None, but to lose your eyes.
O heaven!-that there were but a mote in yours,
A grain, a dust, a gnat, a wandering hair,
Any annoyance in that precious sense!

Then, feeling what small things are boist'rous
there,

Your vile intent must needs seem horrible.
Is this your promise? go to, hold your tongue.
Hubert, the utterance of a brace of tongues
Must needs want pleading for a pair of eyes:
Let me not hold my tongue; let me not, Hubert!
Or, Hubert, if you will, cut out my tongue,
So I may keep mine eyes. O, spare mine eyes;
Though to no use, but still to look on you!
Lo, by my troth, the instrument is cold,
And would not harm me.

I can heat it, boy.
No, in good sooth; the fire is dead with grief,
Being create for comfort, to be us'd

In undeserv'd extremes; see else yourself;
There is no malice in this burning coal;
The breath of heaven hath blown his spirit out,
And strew'd repentant ashes on his head.
But with my breath I can revive it, boy.
Arth. And if you do, you will but make it blush

Hub.

Hub.

And glow with shame of your proceedings,
Hubert;

Nay, it, perchance, will sparkle in your eyes,
And, like a dog that is compell'd to fight,
Snatch at his master that doth tarre him on.
All things that you should use to do me wrong,
Deny their office: only you do lack

That mercy which fierce fire and iron extend,
Creatures of note for mercy-lacking uses.
Well, see to live. I will not touch thine eyes
For all the treasure that thine uncle owes;
Yet am I sworn, and I did purpose, boy,
With this same very iron to burn them out.
Arth. O, now you look like Hubert! all this while
You were disguised.

Hub.

Arth.
Hub.

Peace, no more: adieu.
Your uncle must not know but you are dead:
I'll fill these dogged spies with false reports;
And, pretty child, sleep doubtless, and secure,
That Hubert, for the wealth of all the world,
Will not offend thee.

O heaven! I thank you, Hubert.
Silence! no more. Go closely in with me;
Much danger do I undergo for thee. [Exeunt.
-Shakespeare.

AN ERUPTION OF MOUNT VESUVIUS, A.D. 79.

1. My uncle having left us, I continued my employment till it was time to bathe; after which I went to supper, and then fell into a short and unquiet sleep. There had been during many days before, some shocks of an earthquake, which the less alarmed us as they are 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.

2. 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 behaviour in this perilous conjuncture courage or rashness; but I took up Livy, and amused myself with turning over that author, and even making extracts from him as if I had been perfectly at my ease. While we were in this situation a friend of my uncle's, who was just come from Spain to pay him a visit, joined us, and observing me sitting by my mother with a book in my hand, reproved her patience, and my security: nevertheless, I still went on with my author.

3. It was now morning, but 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 without imminent danger: we therefore resolved to leave 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 advanced at a convenient distance from the houses, we stood still in the midst of a most hazardous and tremendous scene.

4. The chariots which we had ordered to be drawn out, were so agitated backwards and forwards, though upon the most level ground, that we could not keep them steady, even by supporting them with large stones. The sea seemed to roll back upon itself, and to be driven from its banks by the convulsive motion of the earth; it is certain, at least, the shore was considerably enlarged, and several sea-animals were left upon it.

5. On the other side a black and dreadful cloud, bursting with an igneous serpentine vapour, darted out a long train of fire, resembling flashes of lightning, but much larger. Upon this our Spanish friend, whom I mentioned above, addressing himself to my mother and me with great warmth and earnestness: "If your brother and your uncle," said he, "is safe, he certainly wishes you may be so too; but if he perished it was his desire, no doubt, that

you might survive him: why, therefore, do you delay your escape a moment ?" We could never think of our own safety, we replied, while we were uncertain of his: upon which our friend left us, and withdrew from the danger with the utmost precipitation. Soon afterwards the cloud seemed to descend and cover the whole ocean; as, indeed, it entirely hid the island of Caprea and the promontory of Misenum.

6. My mother conjured me to make my escape at any rate, which, as I was young, I might easily effect; as for herself, she said, her age and corpulency rendered all attempts of that sort impossible: however, she would willingly meet death, if she could have the satisfaction of seeing that she was not the occasion of mine. But I absolutely refused to leave her, and taking her by the hand I led her on: she complied with great reluctance, and not without many reproaches to herself for being the occasion of retarding my flight.

7. The ashes now began to fall upon us, though in no great quantity. I turned my head, and observed behind us a thick smoke, which came rolling after us like a torrent. I proposed, while we had yet any light, to turn out of the high road, lest she should be pressed to death in the dark by the crowd that followed us. We had scarcely stepped out of the path when darkness overspread us, not like that of a cloudy night, or when there is no moon, but of a room when it is shut up, and all the lights extinct.

8. Nothing, then, was to be heard but the shrieks of women, the screams of children, and the cries of men; some calling for their children, others for their parents, others for their husbands, and only distinguishing each other by their voices; one lamenting his own fate, another that of his family; some wishing to die, from the very fear of dying; some lifting their hands to the gods; but the greater part imagining that the last and eternal night was come, which was to destroy both the gods and the world together.

9. Among these, there were some who augmented the