18 



There is no doubt, supporteil as the opinioH is by Martial, Pliny 

 and Columella, that the Romans of their ag-e forced Fruit in a 

 kind of Hot Housp, protecto<l from the exterior cold, and heated 

 artificially.* The Epigrams of Martial quoted in support of the 

 above opinion arc the following. 



Pallida no Cilicum timeant pomaria brumam, 

 Mordeat et tenerum fortior aura nemus 



Hibernis objecta notis specularia puros 



Admittunt soles, et sine faece diem. Ep. xiv.. 



Qui Coreyraei vidit pomaria regis, 



Rus, Eatelle, tuoe proeferat ille domus. 

 Invida purpnreos urat no bruma racemos, 



Et gelidum Bacchi munera frigus e<lat ; 

 Condita perspicua vivit vindemia gemma 



Et tegitur felix nee tamen uvalatet 

 Faemineum linet sic bombycina corpus : 



Calculus in nitido sic numeratur aqua. 



Quid non ingenia voluit natura licere ? 

 Autumnum sterilis ferre jubetur hiems. 



Ep. Ixviii. 



The first, as was conjectured by Sir Joseph Banks, probably 

 related to a Peach House, and the latter to a Vinery. Of the 

 form or arrangement of these structures we have no information, 

 but we have seen they were in possession of a transparent sub- 

 stance that would act in the place of glass , and they were well 

 acquainted with the mode of heating apartments with flues ; 

 they positively practised the forcing of less bulky vegetables ; 

 they were better acquainted with the habits and training of 

 Fruit Trees, especially Vines, than they were of any other 

 department of Gardening ; and we know they had ingenuity 

 enough to compass such a desideratum of luxury as the ripening 



• Martial's Epi^. viii. Ep. 14 and 68. Pliny xix. 23. Columella si. 3. 



