History of the Fungi of the Kingdom of Naples

...the power of the sand in that calamity—worthy of the memory of posterity—was carried high by the fierce force of its onset into the vortices of a black cloud and brought to us by urgent winds. When it had miserably and mournfully overwhelmed everything, it robbed us for several days of the beautiful sight of plants and other natural things. Smoke and haze very often disturbed the serenity of the air, and the smell of harmful muriatic (hydrochloric) acid, which was sometimes perceived, and not to mention frequent earth tremors, completely drew me away from those botanical observations (1). Nevertheless, with the help of the Supreme Divinity, it will be my duty to restore them in their own time of year, lest I fail to pursue with labor those things which the opportunity of time and my own meager ability will allow, once these other attempts of mine have been approved by You as fair judges.

And these things indeed pertain to our mycological labor and those studies with which, having averted the tedium of ῥᾳθυμίας listlessness/apathy during the past autumn, I occupied my mind. Although they are engaged in the contemplation of the lowest order of plants, they are by no means lacking in sweetness and utility. Finally, it remains for me to confess that these delights of the native Flora, however much illustrated by me, and this lamp which, albeit late, I am about to hand over to others, nevertheless display such abundance that it should not undeservedly be recognized as only a small part selected from our opulent botanical collection. Therefore, the botanists of a future age will surely have...

(1) Cf. the work of the knight T. Monticelli and N. Covelli, titled: History of the phenomena of Vesuvius that occurred in the years 1821, 1822 and part of 1823, with observations and experiments. Naples, 1823; in which this matter is discussed at greater length and with erudition.