248 A DISCOURSE 



BOOK nr. occasions, besides those we have produced, should be excogitated and 

 inquired after, for the dispatch of this difficult work. 



From all these instances we may gather the necessity of a more than 

 ordinary study and diligence in those whose profession obliges them to deal 

 in timber ; nor is it a small stock of philosophy that will enable them to 

 skill in the nature and properties of this material, which not only concerns 

 the architects themselves, but their subsidiaries, viz. carpenters, joiners, 

 • and especially wood-brokers. I cannot, therefore, but take notice, that 

 among the ancient Sportulae'', bequeathed by several founders and found- 



^ Pliny, in lib. xix. cap. ii. describes a plant called Spartum, of which, when macerated, 

 ropes were made, and which, in its natural state, was applied to various domestic pui*poses. 

 Livy informs us, that Asdrubal laid up a considerable quantity of it for the service of his 

 fleet, lib. xxii. cap. xx. It is probably from this plant that the terms Sporla, Sporiula, S^c. 

 are derived ; for it appears to have been very proper for the purpose of making baskets. 

 Sportula is literally a little basket, and, in the Roman classics, signifies a distribution, some- 

 times of victuals, because they were given in such baskets, and sometimes of money. The 

 distinction of patroni and clienles formed an essential part of the Roiaaan political constitu- 

 tion ; and whenever the latter had been employed in doing honour to their patrons, it had 

 been customary from early times, to entertain them at supper, which, among the Romans, 

 was the principal meal. This custom, it seems, continued to the reign of Nero ; for 

 Suetonius, lib. vi. cap. xvi. tells us, that Nero changed the public suppers into Sportulae, 

 which from Juvenal, sat. i. v. 95, appear to have been a distribution of victuals in the 

 porch or front of the patron's house. Afterwards, instead of victuals, a small sum of money, 

 forty quadrantes, which were a coin of brass or lead, in value something less than a half- 

 penny each, was given, still under the name of Sportula, as appears from Martial, lib. iii, 

 epig. vii. — Domitian at first seems to have pursued the practice of Nero : for it appears 

 from Suetonius, lib. viii. cap. iv. that on a certain solemn occasion, he gave victuals to the 

 senate and the knights in Panaria, and to the common people in Sportellas. The Panaria, 

 probably, were vessels of a larger size, or of more elegant materials than the Sportellae. Af- 

 terwards, however, Domitian restored the ancient custom of treating the clients with a full 

 meal, as we are informed by Suetonius, lib. viii. cap. vii. as well as by Martial, lib. viii. 

 epig. 1. V. 10. In this passage. Martial opposes the Sportula to what he calls recta ccena, 

 which it seems is what he meant, in the preceding quotation, where he makes a little dis- 

 tinction, by the term salarium, that is, victuals for a day. It appears that among the Ro- 

 mans, largesses of victuals or of money were very common upon solemn occasions, such as 

 marriages, entering on public offices, or the like. — Claudius, we are told, jocularly gave 

 the name of Sportula to a small exhibition of gladiators, without preparation, and that con- 

 tinued but for a short time, because, says Suetonius, primum daluriis edixerat velut ad mbitam 

 condiclamq ; coenulam invilare se populum : he said he would give them such an entertainment 

 as if the people had invited themselves to a short and hasty supper, lib. v. chap. xxi. — The 



