90 A BOOK ABOUT ROSES. 



have shown, derives no advantage as to vigour or beauty ; 

 and even on the leaf the effect is transitory. 



Nor in the guano of animal implume — not in the soil 

 called night. The Romans reverenced Cloacina, the 

 goddess of the sewers, and the statue which they found of 

 her in the great drains of Tarquinius was beautiful as 

 Venus's self; but they honoured her, doubtless, only as a 

 wise sanatory commissioner who removed their impurities 

 and, so doing, brought health to their heroes and loveliness 

 to their maidens. They only knew half her merits ; but in 

 Olympus, we may readily believe, there was fuller justice 

 done. Although weaker goddesses may have been unkind 

 — may have averted their divine noses when Cloacina 

 passed, and made ostentatious use of scent-bottle and 

 pocket-handkerchief — Flora, and Pomona, and Ceres would 

 ever admire her virtues, and beseech her benign influence 

 upon the garden, the orchard, and the farm. But the ter- 

 restrials never thought that fcex in'bis might be lux orbis, 

 and they polluted their rivers, as we ours, with that which 

 should have fertilised their lands. And we blame the 

 Romans very much indeed ; and we blame everbody else 

 very much indeed ; and we do hope the time will soon be 

 here when such a sinful waste will no longer disgrace an 



