20 



greatly aid our conceptions as to Roman art and domestic 

 manners. 



Even if the objects that have been found in the Villas 

 around Bath had been brought together in the Literary and 

 Scientific Institution, it would have possessed a Museum of 

 Roman domestic art and refinement not inferior to any on 

 the Continent, if we except the cities of Italy. 



It will not be out of place here to say a word about the 

 mode of agriculture, as well as of horticulture, in Roman 

 times. Both were carefully attended to, and when we find a 

 Roman Villa, we infer very naturally both these accompani- 

 ments. In fact, traces of Roman agriculture are still ex- 

 isting, and probably the terraces on the sides of many 

 of our hills are the result of Roman handiwork. Plants 

 still flourish which were introduced by the Romans, and 

 the vine is found growing wild in the neighbourhood of 

 their Villas. How far the Saxons, as well as the ancient 

 Britons, were indebted to Roman example for their agri- 

 cultural improvements, and for some knowledge of the 

 principles of rural economy, is a question on which I 

 cannot now enter ; but the works on agriculture left behind 

 by the Romans, " not to mention those beautiful poems of 

 Virgil, the " Georgics," evince the value set upon it by that 

 people. I think there is little doubt that the Ecclesiastics of 

 the middle ages greatly profited by the traces left of Roman 

 agriculture, as well as by their books upon it. As the re- 

 mains of Roman buildings gave hints to mediaeval architects, 

 so no doubt they profited by the remains of agriculture as 

 well. The elegant " Lectures on Roman Agriculture," by Prof 

 Daubeney, published in 18-57, have made this subject ac- 

 cessible to all, while the matter is so handled as to impart to 

 it the highest interest, combined with practical utility. 



Cato and Varro both wrote upon Roman agriculture, but 

 from Columella we derive the fullest information on Roman 



