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LXIX. An Enquiry into the Meafure of the 
Roman Foot ; by Matthew Raper, Efq\ 
F. R. S. 
Read May 15, 22, f « ^HE methods that have hitherto 
j[ been taken to difcover the mea- 
fure of the Roman foot, will, upon examination, 
be found fo unfatisfadtory, that it is no wonder the 
learned are not yet agreed in that point. 
The antient foot-rules now remaining ; the repre- 
fentations of the foot in fculpture ; and the meafure 
of it, derived from the congius, differ fo much among 
themfelves, and from each other, as to be infufH- 
cient evidences feparately : and the great difagree- 
ment of the foot from the congius, with the reft, 
has not hitherto been fatisfadtorily accounted for. 
The foot-rules found in old ruins at Rome, are 
of various lengths; and the age of none of them 
being certainly known, no precife meafure can be 
determined from them, otherwife than by taking a 
mean from fuch as appear to be mod; perfedf. But 
though this may have been the foot in ufe at fome 
time or other, yet as thefe rules are probably of dif- 
ferent ages, both the greated and the lead of them 
may have anfwered to the dandards of their times. 
For though we have no account of any alteration 
ever made in the dandard of the Roman foot, yet 
the wear of a dandard meafure by ufe, and the 
making new to replace the old ones, mud, in all 
probability, create a difference ; efpeciallv, as the 
Romans had not thofe inducements to fo precife an 
accuracy 
