The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1878-05-16
aAesrr,oEsor oF .se,ssr HoAr.

The following vivid pen-plcinre IA from
The old Roman World, BY John Ford'
II anything more were wanted to give vs.
an idea Of Roman msgniaeencc, We
would tuTn our eyes from public doou.
ments, demoralising games and grand
professions; we would forget The statues
In brass and marble which outnumborcd
the living inhabitants, so uamcrons that
one hundred thousand have been reooy.
cred aud sliIi smbellshed Italy, woald de-
seend iulo the loSer sphere Of material
liie,--to those things which atlest luxury
aud iAste--to ornaments, dresses, sumplu
ous living and rich furniture. The a;l Of
working metals and cutting precious
stones sarpasses anything known at the
present day. In the decoration Of houses,
10 social entertainments the Romans
were remarkable, The mosaics, signet
rings, canoes, bracelets, bronzcs, chains,
vases, coaches, banqueling tables, char
lots, colored glass, gilded glass, gliding,
mirrors, mattresses, cosmetics, hair dyes,
silk robes, poiterles, ali attest elegance
and beauty The tables OF thuga root
and Delian bronhe were As expensive ss
the sideboards OF spanish walnut 50 much
admired In recent great exhibitions
Wood aud ivory we're carved rs exquisite
ly as In Japan and China, Mirrors were
made Of polished silver. Glass cutters
could initiate the colors OF precious stones
so well that the Portland vase from the
tomb Of Alexander Seyerus was long con-
sidered genuine ssrdonyx. Brass could
be hardened so as to cut stone, The pal
ace OF Nero glittered with gold and Jew
els. His beds were Of silver aud his tables
of gold. Tiberius gave million OF ses-
terces for picture Tor bis bedroom. A
banquet dish Of Drusillus weighed five
hundred pounds of silver. The cups 0
Druses were Of gold. Tunics were en-
broidered with the figures OF various ami
mails. Ssndels were gsrnished with pre-
cious stones. Pauina wore jewels when
she paid visits, valued at $500, 900, Drink
ing cups were engraved with scenes from
the poets. Libraries were adorned with
busts and presses of rare woods, Sofas
were inlaid with tortoise she'll and COW
cred with gorgeous purple. The Roman
grandees rode In gilded chariots, bathed
In marble baths, dined from crystal cups,
slept on beds of down, reclined on luxu-
rious couches, wore embroidered robes
and were adorned with precious stones.
They ransacked the earth and the seas for
rare dishes for their banquets, and orna.
mented their houses with carpets from
Babylon, onyx cups from Bythinia, mar.
bic from Numida, bronzes from Corinth,
statues from Athens whatever, In short,
was precious or rare or curious In the
most distant countries. The luxuries Of
the bath almost exceed belief, and on the
walls were magnificent frescoes and
paintings, exhibited an inexhaustible
productiveness In landscape and mytho-
logical scenes, executed IN llVely color.
But these were not all. The most
amazing wealth and the loitiest tastes
went hand in hand. There were citizen
mobiles who owned whole provinces; even
Paula could call whoic city her own.
Rich senators, In some cases, were pro-
prietors of 20O, 900 slaves. Their incomes
were known to be $1,000 per day when
gold and silver were worth four times as
much as they are now.