C 498 j 
great.. But probably the Romans of that unphllo- 
fophical age when this ftandard was firft eftablifhed 
were ignorant of this difference > and it might not 
be generally known, or not attended to, even in 
Vefpafian’s time; for Remnius Fannius, who lived 
long after, treating of the weights of various liquids, 
fuppofes the weight of wine to be equal to that of 
water, 
Nam librae, ut memorant, beflim fextarius addet, 
Seu puros pendas latices, feu dona Lyaei, 
And though he afterward tells us that fome wines and 
fome waters are heavier than others, he does not fay 
that water is in general heavier than wine. And even 
at this day, when the fpecific gravities of different 
liquors are fo generally known, our books of Phar- 
macy call a wine pint of any liquor a pound. There- 
fore it is not improbable that this ftandard was ad- 
jufted by fpring water in the reign of Vefpafian. 
But if it was really adjufted by wine, the difference- 
may be conftderable ; for, according to Eifenfchmid's 
table of the fpecific gravities of various liquids (i),. 
that of pump- water is to Burgundy wine in the pro- 
portion'of 371 to 3.55 ; and Auzout’s mean weight 
of 5159 Troy grains diminifhed in this proportion, 
gives but 49361 fuch. grains for the antient Roman* 
Pound. 
All the above circumftances confidered,.it fcems 
more probable that this ftandard fhould give too great 
a Roman Pound, than too fmall a one. But as no- 
(1.) Eifenfchmid, p, 174., 175. 
' • , ‘ thing 
