The Cirencester Excursion. 



143 



to the trouble and risk of the work that project had been abandoned. 

 The pavement was discovered in 1826, when it was found that a large 

 walnut tree was growing in the middle of it, the extending roots of 

 which had no doubt been the cause of the uneven and broken state 

 of the pavement. Another cause of the damage to the pavement 

 was, probably, its close proximity to the surface of the ground ; for 

 it would be noticed that it was no more than one foot below the level 

 of the surrounding garden, so that possibly it might have been dis- 

 turbed by the garden operations. But they hoped that now, when 

 it got the least out of repair, it would immediately be rectified. He 

 had himself made an attempt to take up a portion of the pavement, 

 and had successfully moved a small number of the tesserae. He would 

 shortly describe to them the method he adopted. The portion of 

 tesserae to be removed was first treated with a thick coat of glue ; a 

 piece of canvass was then placed on it and allowed to dry ; the 

 tesserae not being imbedded in concrete, but merely in lime, lifted 

 quite easily. Cement was then placed on a large stone or slate, 

 and the tesserae placed thereon and allowed to dry. Hot water was 

 applied to the canvass, which relaxed the glue, allowing the canvass 

 to be taken off, and leaving the tesserse firmly fixed on a solid ground. 

 (Professor Church exhibited a portion of the pavement which he had 

 removed in that way.) Thus it would be seen that it was quite 

 possible to remove the pavement without disturbing its designs in 

 any way whatever. But, probably, it was much more interesting to 

 preserve, as far as they could, the pavement in the position in which 

 it was originally found. He thought, however, that an air shaft 

 would have to be sunk under the pavement to keep it dry, for he 

 was sadly afraid that this beautiful specimen of mosaic was decaying, 

 it may be slowly, but still, somewhat surely. As they would see, 

 the pavement represented Orpheus playing a five-stringed lyre, 

 charming the birds and beasts. The centre medallion of Orpheus 

 was surrounded by a circle of birds, and outside that circle was 

 another, in which were pourtrayed various animals, including ;i lion, 

 a tiger, and a leopard. He desired to call attention to the stately 

 tread which characterised these animals, and the absence of that 

 somewhat tripping movemcut, which was to be traced in other 



