XX PREFACE. 



manner far superior to our roads, since, after fifteen centuries, 

 they still exist. 



It will be seen that I particularly mention Roman roads, 

 because they were the first important roads that were ever 

 constructed on a solid and substantial basis, and because 

 their great antiquity evokes in my mind an interest which I 

 am powerless to subdue. All history is interesting ; but that 

 which records events and describes matters relating to times 

 of the remotest antiquity must be possessed of the greatest 

 interest, and to study the history and literature of those far 

 distant days is, in my opinion, as absorbing an occupation as 

 reading any sensational novel ; but I believe that history and 

 fiction can both fail to impress, if the person who peruses 

 such narrations is of an unimaginative mind. This is observable 

 when visiting places of historic interest in company with 

 others; some people undoubtedly have the gift of imagina- 

 tion so strongly developed that they can conjure up before 

 their mental vision people and things that have long since 

 passed away, whilst others utterly fail to do so, in fact, are 

 singularly deficient in the power of realisation or conception. 

 It is the possession of this imaginative faculty that makes a 

 visit to places of historical interest appear so fascinating ; 

 without this gift of imagination such visits can afford but 

 little pleasure, satisfaction, or instruction, and yet the 

 antiquity of all great national works executed by the 

 Romans and other ancient people cannot fail to interest and 

 impress most educated persons. In fact, any one who is 

 capable of realising the immensity of the time which has 

 elapsed since these works were constructed, must feel in- 

 terested in what relates to them. 



In every country subjected to Roman rule, one frequently 

 sees the remains of forts, roads, bridges, and aqueducts or 

 buildings of some kind that are attributed to the Romans ; 

 but there is no doubt that the first great military Roman 

 road was due to the Censor, Appius Claudius Ccecus, and it 

 remains a striking memorial to this man to the present day, 

 noble in conception, and audacious in execution. The spade 



