marble ; and long before their time, after 

 the sacking of Carthage, the Senate reserved 

 from the libraries of that great city only 

 twenty-eight volumes, (the writings of Mago 

 on Husbandry,) which they caused to be 

 translated into the Latin language, notwith- 

 standing Cato had so lately written on the 

 same subject. 



As soon as they had in some sort made 

 themselves masters of Britain, the Romans 

 began to clear the forests, and encourage 

 agriculture, which in this country was but 

 little attended to, except upon the coast; and 

 at that period the island possessed but few 

 fruits, which for want of proper culture must 

 have been very inferior in quality. 



As the Romans made a practice of con- 

 veying to their native country the natural 

 productions of the conquered nations, and 

 cultivating them with such care as to make 

 them flourish as though indigenous to the 

 climate, it is probable that, after the fall 

 of their empire, the Crusaders, who often 

 made that part of the world a rendezvous, 

 observed and acquired a relish for many of 

 those rarities, and brought back to their 

 homes, not only new fruits, but those of 

 their native soil in an improved state. After 

 this, the intercourse of the priests with Rome 



