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in most, if not in all, the Roman Villas uncovered in this 

 country, and leads to the supposition that the stonework 

 remains much at its original height, and that upon it was 

 erected a wooden framework ; and the remainder of the wall 

 was constructed of clay and straw -bands, as barns and cot- 

 tages are still constructed in counties where stone is scarce. 

 An antiquary (the Rev. W. C. Lukis) who has given some 

 attention to the construction of Roman Villas, having exca- 

 vated two in different counties, writes me word to the follow- 

 ing effect : — '■ I have been fortunate in discovering the 

 remains of Roman Villas in two parts of England where 

 they were not known to exist previously : one was at Great 

 Bedwyn, Wilts, and the other was in Yorkshire. In both 

 these cases I am sure that the only masonry of the houses 

 consisted of foundations, which originally were raised to the 

 height of one or two feet above the level of the soil." In the 

 account given of the excavation of a Roman Villa at Keston, 

 near Bromley, in Kent, by George R. Comer, Esq., F.S.A. 

 (" Archacol," vol. xxxvi., p. 120), a drawing is given of the 

 general plan of that Villa as it appeared when uncovered ; 

 here also, it is observable that the walls appear perfectly level 

 on the upper surface, and though the fact is not noticed,, yet 

 had the walls been jagged or broken, the artist would no 

 doubt have so represented them in his effective drawings. 

 The superstructure was of wood, and the interstices were 

 filled with straw and rubble. 



" I observed in Yorkshire (says Mr. Lukis) what I did 

 not so distinctly trace in Wilts, that the wooden walls had 

 been internally covered with straw reeds, bound together at 

 intervals with straw-bands, in long lengths, nailed to the 

 wood frame, and the plaster was thickly laid on ; some 

 fragments which I have collected are from three to four 

 inches thick, and show the fresco colouring on' the face, 

 and the reed impressions on the back.' 



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