ROMAN VILLAS DISCOVERED IN DORSET. 229 



Roman occupation, the yields given by the neighbourhoods 

 of Roman cities, the statues, vases, toys, the amphitheatres 

 for cock-fighting, wrestling, and gladiatorial combat, then 

 surely there were gardens of great wonder near to these 

 cities, where men like Pliny went to sit in their garden-houses, 

 and enjoyed the cool of the evening after a day's work. 



Yes ! We have little doubt that the Roman colonist 

 would have a garden attached to his villa, and moreover he 

 would most likely endeavour to grow some of his old friends 

 to remind him of home, as the English colonist does to-day 

 in Africa or Australia. To this we probably owe the introduc- 

 tion of some of our rarer plants ; and in this connection it is 

 interesting to read in the " Flora of Dorset " (p. 37), 

 " Leucojum Vernum may possibly not be accepted as truly 

 indigenous, for although it grows luxuriantly in its English 

 habitat, it has no nearer authentic home than the Cote d'Or 

 and Saone et Loire. Devon and Cornwall share with Dorset 

 the enviable distinction of possessing the delicate, southern 

 type plants Polycarpon Tetraphyllum, Lotus Hispidus, and 

 Cynodon Dae ty Ion." These and other plants may with 

 great probability have been brought to our shores by the 

 Roman settlers in Dorset. To Rome we certainly owe the 

 Lettuce (Lactuca), both plant and name. Also in another 

 department, the gastronomic, Rome used to be credited with 

 the introduction of the Edible Snail (Helix Pomatia), but now 

 I believe it is considered to be indigenous. 



Roads The Romans were notorious as road-makers. 

 These were made with such care that they have out-lived the 

 ages, and their traces are to be found in this XXth Century. 

 But the Britons, too, were road-makers to some extent ; 

 their fame as Charioteers would suggest this ; traces of these 

 British roads are undoubtedly to be found in our county ; 

 though as with British earthwork fortifications so also with 

 the roads, we doubt not that Rome utilised and improved 

 them. 



Bridges From roads the transition is natural to bridges. 

 A great engineering nation like Rome must, sooner or later 



