50 BROWN : 



been laid in the usual way, but the builder had coolly cut the 

 earth between them to the proper shape and laid the arches of 

 the stone, ground floor on that as centring. When the arches 

 were all hard and solid, the earth beneath was thrown out to 

 make the cellar. 



The vineyards and podcri, or farms outside the city, are 

 all separated by high, massive, stone walls. A wooden fence 

 of any kind is a thing never dreamed of. First place, it is no 

 protection ; second place, the ground on the steepish hillside 

 must often be terraced; and, thirdly, firewood is sold by 

 weight. Now to prevent any risk whatever of these walls 

 being " hore " by frost, and at the same time to save material, 

 they are built on arches. At suitable distances apart piers are 

 laid below possible frost (no great matter) ; rough but wholly 

 sufficient arches spring from one to the other of these, very 

 little if at all above the level of the ground, and if there be 

 daylight the space is filled in, in the ordinary way. 



A large part, perhaps the larger part of the houses in Flo- 

 rence, are bo7ia fide fire proof. For lath and plaster are 

 unknown ; the stairways are of stone, the ceilings brick 

 arches and the roofs always of tile. These same brick arches 

 are miracles of the builders' skill. I should have said tile 

 arches. First, some of you shall remember, and the others 

 shall be informed, that the Roman brick which is used in Flo- 

 rence has about the same cubical content as ours, Init the 

 three dimensions are differently disposed. The Roman brick 

 is thinner and wider than ours. And the tile used in the 

 arches in cjuestion is thinner and much lighter than the 

 Roman brick. No centering is used. The tiles are laid edge 

 to edge, not flat side to flat side ; and the binding material is 

 plaster of Paris, not mortar. This sets so quickly that the 

 work sustains itself as it grows, and it used to horrify me to 

 see a man walk over an abyss, sustained only by an unkcycd 

 vault. These vaults when finished are loaded with pretty fine 

 building rubbish or any other suitable material in order to 

 level them and distribute the pressure that is to come upon 



