ANCIENT AGRICULTURAL LITERATURE. 149 



land, could be cultivated as economically as a larger 

 breadth. 



Before we describe the Roman course of culture, we must 

 say a few words on their system of occupation. In this we 

 find a progressive change, and a constant approximation to 

 modern practice. The first definite accounts represent pro- 

 prietors residing on their own lands, and joining personally 

 in all the labours of agriculture. Called off from time to 

 time to war, or council, when the demand for their public 

 services ceased, they returned to their homely occupation. 

 Before the time of Cato, however, the habitual residence of 

 the proprietor had become more rare. The claims or the 

 attractions of Rome and other cities prevailed, and the 

 farmhouse (villa) was delivered over to the custody of the 

 bailiff (villicus); pleasant and even luxurious apartments 

 being reserved for the occasional occupation of the owner. 

 Cato gives directions suited to this state of things, of which 

 Varro and Columella make whining complaints, intimating 

 that, in their day, Roman landowners were more inclined 

 to hold up their hands in the circus, and theatre, than to 

 apply them to the plough and pruning hook. Though one 

 passage from Cato is rather long, we hope that those of our 

 readers who are acquainted with it will not be sorry to have 

 it brought back to their recollection ; and that those who 

 are not will be interested by it as we have been ourselves. 

 We are again obliged to discard Dicksou's translation : 



" When the proprietor arrives at the villa, and has paid 

 his respects to the household gods,* he should, if he pos- 

 sibly can, go round his farm on that day ; if he cannot do 

 that, certainly on the next. When he has completed his 

 own inspection, on the morrow he should have up his bailiff, 

 and inquire of him what work has been done, arid what re- 

 mains to be done whether the work is sufficiently forward, 



* Cato is very precise in this matter. In his directions to the bailiff 

 he expressly forbids him to allow his wife to do " rem divinam," or to 

 employ any one to do it on her account. " Scito dominum pro tota 

 familik rem divinam facere." c. 143. 



