18 HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE. Part I. 



each of the extremes* " I remember," says he, " that many have erred in this point, 

 as these most excellent men did, L. LucuUus and Q,. Scaevola, one of whom built a 

 villa much larger, and the other much less than the farm required." (^Col. lib. i. 

 cap. 4.) 



78. Pliny, noticing this remark of Cato's, observes that Lucullus had thereby rendered himself liable 

 to the chastisement of the censors, having less occasion to plough his lands than to clean his house. 

 " In this case," says he, " to plough less than to sweep, was a foundation for the chastisement of the 

 censors." {Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. xviii. cap. 6.) 



79. Proportion the expence of the building to the rent, or the profits arising from 

 the farm. " An edifice should be built according to the value of the farm and fortune 

 of the master, which, immoderately undertaken, it is commonly more difficult to sup- 

 port than to build. The largeness of it should be so estimated, that, if any thing shall 

 happen to destroy it, it may be rebuilt by one, or at most by two years' rent or profits 

 of the farm in which it is placed." (Pal. lib. i. tit. 8.) 



80. The position of the villa, and the situation of its different parts, are also noticed by 

 some of these authors. " Some art," says Pliny, " is required in this. C. Marius, of a 

 very mean family, seven times consul, placed a villa in the lands of Misenum, with such 

 skill in the contrivance, that Sylla Felix said, that all others in this respect were blind, when 

 compared to him." (Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. xviii. cap. 7.) All of them advise that it shall 

 not be placed near a marsh, nor fronting a river. Pliny cites the authority of Uomer 

 for this. Varro says, that such a situation is cold in winter and unhealthful in summer ; 

 that, in such a place, there are many small insects that, though invisible, enter the body 

 at the mouth and nostrils, and occasion diseases. ( Far. de R. U. lib. i. tit. 12. ) Palladius 

 gives reasons of the same kind. (Pal. lib. i. tit. 7.) Besides this, Varro directs, that, if 

 possible, it shall be placed at the foot of a mountain covered with woods, in such a 

 manner as to be exposed to the most healthful winds, and to enjoy the sun in winter and 

 the shade in summer. An east exposure, he thinks, is the best for this purpose. ( Var. 

 de R.R. lib. i. cap. 12.) Palladius proposes, that for the same purpose, the villa shall 

 front the south-east ; that the prcetorium, or master's house, shall be a little higher than 

 the rest of the villa, both to secure the foundations, and to have a more agreeable pros- 

 pect. (Pal. lib. i. tit. 8.) It is probable that both these authors have Italy particularly 

 in view. But Pliny extends his views further ; for he says, that the villa in warm 

 climates ought to front the north, in cold climates the south, and in temperate climates 

 the east. (Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. xviii. cap. 7.) Columella is more particular than any of 

 the other authors, both in giving directions as to the situation of the villa, and giving 

 reasons for the situation he recommends. (Col. lib. i. cap. 5.) 



81. The villa is divided into three parts, the urbana, the rustica, and the fructuaria ; 

 all the particulars of these. Columella says, ought to be properly placed with respect 

 to each other. The urbana contained the apartments of the landlord ; the rustica con- 

 tained the kitchen, the houses of the labouring servants, the stables, piggeries, and poultry 

 houses, ponds for water, dunghills, on which, says Varro, some persons place necessary 

 con veniencies for the family. ( xii.) Adjoining the villa rustica, in the residence of 

 opulent Romans, was placed the aviary, apiary, a place for dormice, a warren for 

 hares and rabbits, a place for snails, and a Wge enclosure or park of fifty acres or more 

 for retaining live deer and wild beasts taken in the chace. The fructuaria contained 

 the oil and wine cellars, the places for the oil and wine presses, the corn-yards, barns, 

 granaries, store-houses, repositories for roots and fruits, &c. 



82. Both Columella and Palladius give directions how all these parts should be situated 

 and constructed ; but though minute, they are not so explicit as to enable any one to 

 delineate their ground plan. The same may be said as to the directions given by these 

 authors, and by Pliny (Nat. Hist. lib. xviii. ), respecting the laying out of the villa urbana ; 

 and the apartments for summer and winter. The subject of designing villas for the 

 opulent belongs no doubt more to architecture than to agriculture ; and therefore we 

 shall refer for details to the plans given by Castel (fig. \0.), and other modern authors, 

 who have attempted to embody the descriptions of the ancient writers. 



83. CasteC s general Arrangement of a Grand Roman Villa and its Environs, is as follows : 



(11 Praetorium. ( 1 1 ) Omithon of Varro. (20) Mill driven by water. 



12? J^''"?"^"'*^'*"'^^*^?.^- . (15!) Vivarium, or park for wild beasts. (21) Temple of Ceres. 



(3) Canal, partmg the iarm from the (13) Small woody islands for peacocks. (22) Corn-fields, 

 pretonum. (14) Place for turkeys (!!), rather swans, (23) Vineyards. 



(4) Stone-banks to the canal. and their keepers : turkeys being (24) Olive grounds. 



(5) Bridges. natives ofAmerica, and consequently (25) Meadows. 



(6) Museum. unknown to the Romans. (26) Orchard, 

 ill 5'"^' ^'"i"^-. , . . :, ^ (15) For geese and their keeper. (27 Garden. 



(8) Part of the island surrounded by (16) Cochlearium. (28) Osier ground, 



that river. (17) Dormice. (29) Woods, &c. 



(9) The other river. (18) Apiary. (30( ConmLv^. 



10) Walk on the bank of that river. (19) Threshing floor and barn. 



84. It is remarkable that no directions are given as to the materials of which the villa 

 should be built. These would, in all probability, depend on local circumstances; rammed 

 earth, timber, brick burned, or only dried in the sun, or stone, would be taken according 



