Chap. 7.] AEEANGEMENTS FOR A FABM-HOTJSE. 15 



the Emperor Nero had them put to death. With that great- 

 ness of mind which was so peculiarly his own y and of which 

 he ought not to lose the credit, Cneius Pompeius would never 

 purchase the lands that belonged to a neighbour. Mago has 

 stated it as his opinion, that a person, on buying a farm, ought 

 at once to sell his town house ; 70 an opinion, however, which 

 savours of too great rigidity, and is by no means conformable to 

 the public good. It is with these words, indeed, that he begins 

 his precepts; a good proof, at all events, that he looks upon the 

 personal inspection of the owner as of primary importance. 



The next point which requires our care is to employ a farm- 

 steward 71 of experience, and upon this, too, Cato' 2 has given 

 many useful precepts. Still, however, it must suffice for 

 me to say that the steward ought to be a man nearly as clever 

 as his master, though without appearing to know it. It is the 

 very worst plan of all, to have land tilled by slaves let loose 

 from the houses of correction, as, indeed, is the case with all 

 work entrusted to men who live without hope. I may possibly 

 appear guilty of some degree of rashness in making mention of 

 a maxim of the ancients, which will very probably be looked 

 upon as quite incredible " That nothing is so disadvantageous 

 as to cultivate land in the highest style of perfection." L. 

 Tarius Rufus, a man who, born in the very lowest ranks of 

 life, by his military talents finally attained the consulship, 78 

 and who in other respects adhered to the old-fashioned notions 

 of thriftiness, made away with about one hundred millions of 

 sesterces, which, by the liberality of the late Emperor Augus- 

 tus, he had contrived to amass, in buying up lands in Picenum, 

 and cultivating them in the highest style, his object being to 

 gain a name thereby ; the consequence of which was, that his 

 heir renounced 74 the inheritance. Are we of opinion, then, 

 that ruin and starvation must be the necessary consequence of 

 such a course as this ? Yes, by Hercules ! and the very best 

 plan of all is to let moderation guide our judgment in all things. 

 To cultivate land well is absolutely necessary, but to cultivate 



70 And reside on the farm. 



71 Villicus. 



72 De Re Rust. c. 5. 



73 A.U.C. 737. 



74 Probably because it entailed too great an expense. It may have 

 been deeply mortgaged : otherwise it is not clear why the heir refused to 

 take it, as he might have sold a part. 



