1847.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



347 



the commonest institutions araonj ourselves are hindered in their progress 

 among people less favoured. The wisdom of those missionaries who teach 

 their people the arts of life first, and religion afterwards, is approved by 

 the evidence of experience. When a great change has been made in the 

 social condition, habits and thoughts of a people by matcriil improvements, 

 they are prepared to receive a great religious change. The old French 

 lady who saw a balloon rise in the air for the Orst time, sorrowed that she 

 should die before the art of living for ever would be found out. It is the 

 nature of the human mind when struck by one wonder, to look out for 

 others, and to give trust to the powers of him who has created the wonder. 

 It has, however, been well observed that the Christian missionary in the 

 Pacific, beginning in the wrong way, shakes the faith of the islanders in 

 their old worship, without giving them faith in anew worship. A Da?dalus, 

 a Cecrops, or a Cadmus, who taught the Greeks a new art, might give 

 ihem a new belief, or even teach them to worship himself. Among a rough 

 people, little better than wild men in a wilderness, the clever workman be- 

 came a lawgiver and a god; the use of a saw, the forging of a breast-plate, 

 the weaving of a sail, were means of wealth and power where all others 

 were without skill. 



When robbers overran the land and sea, a well hammered helmet, breast- 

 plate, and spear, were among the best goods of every man ; the king and 

 the warrior were stronger in their armour than their courage ; they trusted 

 more to the dread they raised in their ill-armed foeman, more to the boast 

 of power than the thrust of the sword. When one of Homer's kings fights 

 among the crowd he slays his many, but when king meets king the war 

 becomes a war of words ; Hector and Achilles strive which can outboast 

 and frighten the other, and they only meet hand to hand when they cannot 

 help it. The deeds in the Iliad do not come up to the words, and fall far 

 short of our measure of heroism, but they are quite in keeping, and Homer 

 is none the less a true painter of men and manners. 



In Case 4ri are several helmets, some of which are Greek, made to cover 

 the face, with a nose-piece and slits for the eyes. These are made in one 

 piece without joint, and some of them seem to be cast. The metal is 

 bronze, and the workmanship is good, A phalanx so well armed and 

 thoroughly trained must have formed a powerful force, well able to achieve 

 the baltles of Alexander. The work is among the best there is, and it 

 hardly seems as if the light bronze swords could break through the thick- 

 ness. This gives a reason why the soldiery trusted to the heavy spear 

 and javelin. One of the helmets has a sheath to hold a nodding crest, and 

 others are slightly ornamented. When polished these helmets must have 

 shone brightly in the battle-field, as the poet tells us. There would be no 

 harm in polishing one to show the effect. 



In No. 46 are two helmets and a shield, very richly embossed. They 

 might stand in the Tower Museum without being outdone by the finest 

 Milanese workmanship. 



In Nos. 42 and 43 are spear-heads, maces, swords, daggers, knives, and 

 arrowheads. From the confusion, it is impossible to separate Greek work 

 from Roman, — though this is not of so much moment, as whatever the 

 Greeks could do the Romans had the advantage of. Rome had all the 

 resources of Egyptian and Greek skill ; yet how far was it behind the 

 Rome of these days. 



In No. 46 are Roman weights, mostly of a solid bell-shape, with a ring 

 or handle at the top. Some of them are large. There is nothing notice- 

 able in them. Tliere are likewise scales of two kinds, the sca'ebeam and 

 the pair of scales. The workmanship is good. The remains of Fompeii 

 show that the Roman tradesmen were as well supplied with scales and 

 weights as ours. The Roman weights have enabled antiquaries to ascer- 

 tain the Roman pound, which is the original of the modern system of 

 weights. Here are some lar^e adze-heads of fair work. 



A tripod stand of bronze, in No. 49, is a large and good piece of brass 

 work. It is 2j feet high. Another is about 2 feet high, and of smaller 

 proportions. 



The high tripod stand in No. 50, is a light and pretty design. A frame 

 rests on three sphynxes, each upheld by a caryatid, ending in the curved 

 leg. 



The chandelier in No. 51, is a large piece of work. It is for twelve 

 lights, made to hang up in a hall or large room. The trimming of such 

 lights must have been very troublesome. A hook, jointed on to a staple 

 made to fix in a wall, is a good piece of smith's work. The joint is well 

 made. Lamps were huug up against walls by such books. 



In Nos. 52 and 53 are candelabra and stands. Some of these stands 

 end in hooks, and are made to hold lamps, sauce ladles, &c. They may 

 be called Roman Spergties. 



In Nos. 54 and 55 are candelabra with flat tops, some 4 or 5 feet high, 

 made to stand on the ground ; and others a foot high or so, to stand on the 

 table. The small earthenware and bronze lamps were put on the top of 

 these candelabra. The lamp of the well-known shape, turned in our 

 potteries into a milk jug, could be carried about in the hand, or be used 

 on a candelabrum upon a table, for reading. For carrying about, they 

 are much more convenient than our candlesticks or oil-lamps, which are 

 cumbersome. Unless, however, there were some catch on the top of the 

 candelabrum, to hold the lamp, there must have been fear of its being 

 upset. The short candelabrum and lamp are elegant, and might be imi- 

 tated. 



The bronze lamps are in Nos. 56 and 5T, the earthenware lamps in the 

 middle of the room. The bronze lamps are many of them well finished 

 Some of them have lamps by which they can be hung up, either in the 

 middle of a room or on a hook against a wall. The latter seems to have 

 been preferred, as Roman walls were better than roofs. Many of the 

 lamps are table lamps, made to stand flat or on a candelabrum. In these 

 cases are two chandeliers or lamps with eight lights, and one with seven 

 lights. With these chandeliers of seven, eight, and twelve lights, the 

 Romans had full means of lighting large rooms. 



The most noticeable article in No. 58 is a bronze cullender or strainer, 

 of seven inches diameter, very well finished, and with the holes cleanly 

 drilled. 



No. 59 contains some large copper kettles and basins, some of which 

 are two feet across. Here are many bronze handles, some of handsome 

 design : two of them have a man's head and a woman's head, beautifully 

 chased. A swinging handle is cleverly wrought. There are some small 

 tripod stands, well finished. 



In No. 60 are several saucepans of a modern shape, some finished by 

 turning, and some by the hammer. The smith's work is generally not well 

 ( finished unless turned. This seems to be for want of good files. Where 

 the surface is ornamental the fault is not seen ; but a plain surface com- 

 monly looks clumsy, like Chinese work. 



There are likewise bronze stewpans and fryingpans with handles in 

 No. 61 : also pots. 



In Nos. 62, 63, and 64, are bronze jugs of various sizes ; some of these 

 are engraved, and some ornamented in relief. There are many 18 inches 

 high ; some neatly finished, but mostly rough. They are not equal to the 

 pottery. Although the saucepans in No. 60 are finished inside by turning, 

 the lathe does not seem to have been used to the outsides of the jugs ; yet 

 it seems quite as easy lo have made a chuck for one as the other, and the 

 Roman lathes couhl take a large and heavy article. 



There is some ornamental chainwork in No. 80, much of which is ela- 

 borate, but seldom well finished. A large piece of double-linked cable 

 chain, of a watchguard size, is the best. There is likewise a square 

 chain, seemingly plaited with wire. Some of the lamp chain, in Nos. 56 

 and 57, is also very good. There is not much fancy in the patterns of 

 chainwork, A favourite pattern is a piece laid wavy, with a round coil at 

 each end, the waves being linked to the corresponding parts of other pieces. 

 This makes a flat cham, used for belts and other purposes. In this case 

 is the rowel of a spur, rather large, but a very good piece of workman- 

 ship. 



The case No. 98 contains mixed Greek and Roman articles: some of 

 the former from the tomb of a warrior at Athens. There are knucklebones 

 or astragals of various sizes, in glass, metal, and iron, for playing the 

 favourite game of the ancients. There are counters and medals of ivory 

 and bone, but the engraving and finish are not good, except in some of the 

 plain turned ones. The assortment of dice is numerous ; Ihey are of 

 glass, metal, wood, and stone ; a variety with the corners cut ofl, and one 

 set with pentagonal faces. Some of these are very large. In this case 

 are likewise counters and ornaments of cut glass. The glass is clear, 

 well and sharply cut. 



In Nos. 99 and 100, the articles are likewise Greek and Roman mixed. 

 Here are bone spoons, like common salt-spoons. Bodkins, needles, pins, 

 and hair-pins of ivory and bone, and likewise of metal, are numerous. 

 The eyes of the bodkms and needles are long and well cut, but otherwise 

 they are not neatly finished. The smallest needle is two inches long, and 

 thicker than a darning needle. In metal needles, the eye seems to be 

 made by splitting the head and then welding the ends together, so as to 

 leave a slit for the eye. It seems likely that finer needles were made, but 



