INTRODUCTION 



away the crops of others by the practise of 

 sorcery. Upon this, a day was named by 

 Spurius Calvinus, the curule aedile, for his 

 appearance. Apprehensive of being condemned, 

 when the question came to be put to the 

 vote among the tribes, he had all his implements 

 of husbandry brought into the Forum, together 

 with his farm servants, robust, well-conditioned, 

 and well-clad people, Piso says. The iron tools 

 were of first-rate quality, the mattocks were stout 

 and strong, the plow-shares ponderous and sub- 

 stantial, and the oxen sleek and in prime condi- 

 tion. When all this had been done, 'Here, 

 Roman citizens/ said he, 'are my implements 

 of magic; but it is impossible for me to exhibit 

 to your view, or to bring into this Forum, those 

 midnight toils of mine, those early watchings, 

 those sweats, and those fatigues/ Upon this, by 

 the unanimous voice of the people, he was imme- 

 diately acquitted." 1 



The element of uncertainty should not be 

 underrated, for this is one of the characteristics 

 of the agricultural industry, and yet it should be 

 remembered that as a rule the chance element is 

 more or less equally great in a given community, 

 and at a given time, for all who are equally intel- 

 ligent and energetic. The more rational farmers 

 are usually willing to admit that the unusual de- 



l The Natural History of Pliny, Book XVIII, Chapter 8. 

 Taken from the translation of Bostock and Riley, Bohn's 

 Classical Library, Vol. IV, p. 17. 



7 



