Mr Wilson on the State of the Arts in Italy. 109 



see immense and heavy ladders carried about which these Ro- 

 man ones would better supply the place of ; they can be used 

 in one, two, or half a dozen lengths, as may be required, are 

 very easily carried, put together in a minute or two, and would 

 be very useful in cases of fire. With regard to fire-escapes, 

 a Roman apparatus has been brought to my recollection by 

 several London fires lately described. On these lamentable 

 occasions six or seven lives were saved by the simple expedi- 

 ent of individuals beneath holding a blanket, into which the 

 sufferers jumped and thus reached terra firma in safety, even 

 from top stories ; on one occasion lately, I observed a man, 

 his wife and child, saved by the use of a watchman's great 

 coat to break their fall. At Rome the fire-brigade is fur- 

 nished with a large sheet of sail-cloth bound with rope, in 

 which loops are left at convenient distances. At every review 

 of the men, by way of setting an example to the Roman citi- 

 zens, and shewing them what to do if burned out, every fire- 

 man jumps from the second story of some chosen house into 

 this sheet ; shouts of applause greet the skilful jumpers, and 

 roars of laughter those who precipitate themselves down in a 

 less graceful manner. I think that we might take the hint, 

 especially as late fires in London have proved the use of this 

 cheap apparatus. 



I now close this paper with many apologies for having de- 

 tained you so long. The engineering works I have briefly de- 

 scribed may seem trifling as compared with those extrordinary 

 and gigantic operations you are accustomed to in this coun- 

 try ; but I would ask you to consider the relative extent, power, 

 and resources of the states, and you must then allow that they 

 are very creditable to the Italian Governments. 



The Italians, we have seen, are still remarkable for their 

 taste and skill in many beautiful arts, and for nearly 3000 

 years they have been thus distinguished. Various arts were 

 successfully practised by the Etruscans, and when they were 

 subdued by the ruder Romans, they did not lose their skill, but 

 enlightened their masters. 



The conquest of Greece filled Italy with artists and works 

 of art ; and when northern hordes overwhelmed the empire, 

 these ruthless barbarians were gradually softened by the fine 



