THE VINE AND CIVILISATION. 25 
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Romans was softened and became accessible to the fine arts 
and to poetry. Athenian elegance penetrated into their lan- 
guage, their manners, and their furniture. Colonades of the 
Tonic and Corinthian orders are displayed on the Roman 
forum, breaking in upon the severe monotony of the ancient 
constructions ; the public places and the palaces are covered 
with statues to such an extent that a stranger said that Rome 
had two populations, one living and the other of marble. 
‘+ If the vine was one of the active causes of Roman grandeur, 
it became later, by a change of fortune, the cause of its deca- 
dence; she became for the people of the North an invincible 
attraction, and the Gauls, the Lombards, the Goths, the Cem- 
bri and others marched to conquer the vineyards of Italy. 
Notwithstanding these invasions, and the disorders that fol- 
lowed them, the vine has always energetically adhered to the 
soil of Italy. So behold what an astonishing record was that 
of Italy; she has worn all the crowns on her forehead. To 
the royalty of power, and of genius, she has successfully pre- 
dominated with religion ; and when Christain faith was clouded 
with modern pharisaism, Italy took refuge in the royalty of 
art; she has lived in the past, in the regions of the ideal. 
Given up to the emperors by the popes, and to the popes by 
the emperors; soiled, degraded by the stranger, she created 
for herself a country in the heaven of the imagination; she 
has found consolation in a world of colors, of melodies, and in 
harmonious verses. : 
‘*'The grand fact that predominates in the history of Italy, 
is, that its vineyards are always kept up, and that its genius, 
excited by virtue of, and moderate use of its generous wines, 
civilisation has never completely died out. From the days of 
Romulus and Remus to Pius IX., each century has produced 
its great men. Were it possible to study comparatively the 
