Bonaparte and wife of Murat, took a fancy to these excavations and
pushed them vigorously, often going all the way from Naples through six
leagues of dust to visit them. In 1813 there were exactly four hundred
and seventy-six laborers employed at Pompeii. The Bourbons returned and
commenced by re-selling the ground that had been purchased under Murat;
then, little by little, the work continued, at first with some activity,
then fell off and slackened more and more until, from being neglected,
they were altogether abandoned, and were resumed only once in a while in
the presence of crowned heads. On these occasions they were got up like
New Year's surprise games: everything that happened to be at hand was
scattered about on layers of ashes and of pumice-stone and carefully
covered over. Then, upon the arrival of such-and-such a majesty, or this
or that highness, the magic wand of the superintendent or inspector of
the works, caused all these treasures to spring out of the ground. I
could name, one after the other, the august personages who were deceived
in this manner, beginning with the Kings of the Two Sicilies and of
Jerusalem.

But that is not all. Not only was nothing more discovered at Pompeii,
but even the monuments that had been found were not preserved. King
Ferdinand soon discovered that the 25,000 francs applied to the
excavations were badly employed; he reduced the sum to 10,000, and that
amount was worn down on the way by passing through so many hands.
Pompeii fell back, gradually presenting nothing but ruins upon ruins.

Happily, the Italian Government established by the revolution of 1860,
came into power to set all these acts of negligence and roguery to
rights. Signor Fiorelli, who is all intelligence and activity, not to
mention his erudition, which numerous writings prove, was appointed
inspector of the excavations. Under his administration, the works which