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！’