XI 



[HE ornamental part of the place 

 once under way, we had leisure 

 to give a little attention to 

 the practical, and accordingly 

 we began to wish to utilize some of the 

 waste land lying on the east side of the 

 farm, where the salt water made free in- 

 roads during high tides into a half acre 

 of otherwise good mowing, and here we 

 learned the meaning of an interesting par- 

 able in Roman history. 



The fable of Metius Curtius plunging 

 on horseback into the morass which had 

 opened in the Roman Forum, because the 

 oracle had declared that only the best 

 thing in Rome would be of avail to close 

 it up, must have been invented simply 

 to show that the Romans, great engi- 

 neers as they were, fully recognized that 

 filling up a marsh was a well-nigh endless 

 job, which would require the sacrifice of 

 I2 5 



