Epistle XVI. To Tacitus.
by
the Same. [Mr. Henley.]
[_]
On the Death of Pliny the Elder.
YOU desire an Account of the Death of my Uncle; that you may transmit it down more truly to Posterity.
I am oblig'd to you for the Favour: For I am sensible, that immortal Glory will be the Crown of his Death,
if it be describ'd by your Pen. For tho' he dy'd a Fate a-kin to that of many a beautiful Country;
by a memorable Fall, as whole Nations and Cities have been destroy'd,
(a Presage of Eternity to his Memory) tho' he compos'd a Variety of Works,
that will long survive him; yet the Perpetuity of your Writings will be a great Addition to his own.
Indeed,
I look upon those to be happy, that, by the Blessing of Heaven, either perform such Actions,
as deserve to be recorded, or write such as merit a Reading; but those I esteem to be compleatly bless'd,
that are favour'd with this double Advantage. My Uncle will stand in this List,
both in your books and his own: This engages me the more readily to obey you,
and demand of you in Return, what you enjoin me.
He was a Misenum, where he commanded a Squadron of the Fleet in Person on the Ninth of the Calends of
September, (i. e. August the twenty 2d.) about one of the Clock in the Afternoon,
my Mother inform'd him, that a Cloud appear'd of an unusual Size and Shape.
After he had repos'd sometime, according to his Practice, in the Sun,
and taken a Draught of cool Water, he lay on a Couch and read; then he puts on his Shoes,
and mounts an Eminence, to take the best Observation of this Prodigy:
A Cloud arose (it was uncertain, at a Distance, from what Mountain, tho' it appear'd after to be a
Vesuvius) in Likeness and Form resembling a Pine-Tree; for it was elevated to a good Height,
with a long Trunk, and distributed in several Branches. The Reason, I suppose,
was, that it was rais'd aloft by a sudden Wind, and then relinquish'd by it,
as it decay'd, or else overpower'd by its own Weight, it spread it self into a large Breadth;
appearing sometimes
white, sometimes Shadowy, and variously colour'd, as it was loaded with Ashes or with Earth.
It struck him with Surprize, and seem'd to merit a nearer Examination.
He orders a light Frigate to be fitted out, and gives me leave, if I thought proper,
to go along with him. I answer'd him, that I was rather inclin'd to Study,
and by a great Hazard, he had deliver'd something to me, in order to be transcrib'd.
He parted from his House, and took his Table-Book with him. The Sea-Officers at
Retina, alarm'd at the impending Danger (for that Village was exactly below
Misenum, nor was there any way to escape but by Sea,) importun'd him to prevent so terrible a Disaster.
He would not alter his Resolution, but pursu'd with the utmost Courage,
what he had enter'd upon with an eager Curiosity. He draws out the Gallies,
and goes on Board himself, with a Design to give Succour not only to
Retina, but to many other Places; for the Coast was delightful, and throng'd
with Villages. He proceeds with
Expedition thither, from whence all the World were retiring, and makes a direct Course to the Point of Danger:
So fearless, that he view'd, remark'd, and noted down all the Motions and Figures of the Prodigy.
Now the Ashes fell among the Gallics warmer and thicker, the nearer they approach'd;
then Pumice-Stones and others, burnt to a Coal, and broken with the Fire.
Soon the Passage appear'd to be too
rapid, and the Shore inaccessible, by the Ruins of the Mountain; and after he had consider'd a-while,
whether he should retreat, he immediately said to the Pilot, that advis'd him to it,
“Fortune assists the Daring; tack about towards
Pomponianus.” He was at
Stabiæ, separated by a little Bay from him; (for the Sea insensibly steals upon the Shores,
that are winding there and crooked.) In this Quarter, tho' as yet the danger was at a distance,
yet, as it was full in view, and when it rose to a height, very near him;
he had put all his Baggage into the Vessels, and resolv'd to go off, if the Wind had once turn'd contrary.
My Uncle, carry'd hither by a favourable Gale, embrac'd him, trembling as he was,
buoy'd him up, and encourag'd him: And to ease his Fears by his own Confidence,
he gives Orders to be convey'd to the
Bath; after Bathing, he sits down to Supper chearfully,
or, what is equal, with all the Appearance of his ordinary Gaiety. In the meantime, large and high Eruptions of
Fire glar'd from Mount
Vesuvius in several Places, the Brightness of which was heightened by the Gloom of the Night.
My Uncle, to remedy their Fears, often told them, that what they saw in the Flames,
was only the Villages abandon'd by the Peasants, and destroy'd for want of Hands to assist them,
then he compos'd himself to Rest, and slept very soundly. For as he was large-siz'd,
his Snoring was pretty audible, and heard as
far as the Anti-Chamber. But the Court that led to his Apartment, was,
now so choak'd up with Ashes and Pumice-Stones, that, had he stay'd longer in his Room,
the Passage out of it would have been entirely obstructed. As soon as he was awaken'd,
he goes out and joins
Pomponianus, and the rest that sat up all Night:
They debated all together, whether they should stay in the House, or walk in the open Field:
For the Buildings were shock'd by violent and repeated Earthquakes, and seem'd to rock on one Side and the other,
as if they had been mov'd from their Foundations. Abroad, the Fall of the Pumice Stones,
tho' light and eaten thro', alarm'd them. A Comparison of the two Dangers,
fix'd their Choice on the Field; as to the rest, one Fear surmounted the other;
but with him, the stronger Reason took Place of the weaker: And to Guard against the fall of the Stones,
they ty'd each of them a Pillow about their Heads with Handkerchiefs or Napkins.
It was now Day in other Places, but there it was still
Night, more black and dismal than ever was known; but it was something dissipated by a multitude of Lights and Flambeaux.
They thought it proper to advance to the Shore, and examine more nearly,
as far as the Sea allow'd them, which still ran high, and was ruffled with a contrary Wind.
There my Uncle lying down upon a Sheet that was spread under him , ask'd once or twice for Water,
and
took a Draught of it; soon after, the Flames, and a stench of Sulphur,
a fore runner of the Flames, dispers'd all the Company; and rous'd him.
He got up supported by two Servants, and at that Moment, fell and expir'd.
The Cause of it, as I guess, was, that his Breath was obstructed by the gross smoaky Air,
and the Passages of his Stomach, naturally weak and narrow, and often Feaverish,
were shut up by Suffocation. On the Return of Light, which was three Days after,
the Body was found entire, unhurt, and cover'd with the Dress in which he dy'd.
The State of his Body had the Appearance of Sleep more than of Mortality.
In the mean Time, I and my Mother were at
Misenum. But this is nothing to the History,
and you desir'd no Information, but upon his Death. Therefore I will conclude on that Head,
only will add one Thing, that I have given a just detail of every Particular I saw or heard at that Time,
when the Truth of a Relation is the most unexceptionable. Do you
single out the most important: For it is one Thing to write a Letter to a Friend, and another to describe a History for all the World.
Farewell.
