Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-04-12
Magniflcence Of Ancient Rome.

The following vivid pen-picture is
from "The Old Roman World, Z" by John
Ford: If anything more were wanted
to give us an idea of Roman magnifi-
cence, we would turn our eyes from pub
lie monuments, demoralizing games and
grand professions; we would forget the
statues in brass and marble which out
numbered the living inhabitants, SO
numerous that one hundred thousand
have been recovered and still embellish
Italy, and would descend into the lower
sphere of material life-to those things
which attest luxury and taste-to orna-
ments, dresses, sumptuous living and
rich furniture. The art of working
metals and cutting precious stones sur
passed anything known at the present
day. In the decoration of houses, in
social entertainments, in crockery, the
Romans we're remarkable. The mosaics,
signet rings, canoes, bracelets, bronzes,
chains, vases, conches, banqueting Ia
bles, chariots, colored glass, gliding,
mirrors, mattresses, cosmetics, perfumes,
hair dyes, silk robes, potteries, all at
test great elegance and beauty. The
tables of thuga root and Delian bronze
we're as expensive as the sideboards of
Spanish walnut, so much admired in re-
cent great exhibitions. Wood and ivory
were carved as exquisitely as in japan
and China. Mirrors were made of pol
ished silver. Glass cutters could imi-
tate the colors of precious stones SO well
that the Portland vase from the tomb of
Alexander Severus was long considered
geuine sardonyx. 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 and his
tables of gold. Tiberius gave million
of sesterces for picture for his bed
weighted five hundred pounds of silver.
The cups of Drusus were of gold. Tun-
les were embroidered with the figures of
various animals. Sandals were gar
nished with precious stones. Paulina
wore Jewels, when she paid visits, val
ued at 100000. Drinking cups were
engraved with scenes from the poets.
Libraries were adorned with busts and
presses of rare woods. Sofas were in
laid with tortoise shell and covered with
gorgeous purple. The Roman grandees
rode in gilded chariots, bathed in mar
BILE baths, dined from crystal cups, slept
on beds of down, reclined on luxurious
couches, wore embroidered robes and
were adorned with precious stones.
They ransacked the earth and the seas
for rare dishes for their banquets, and Or
namented their houses with carpets
from Babylon, onyx cups from Bythinia,
marble from Numidia, bronzes from
Corinth, statues from Athens-whatever
in short, was precious or rare or curious
in the most distant countries. The lux
uries of the bath almost exceed belief,
and on the walls were magnificent fres-
Gees and painting, exhibiting an mex
haustible productiveness in landscape
and NEUROLOGICAL scenes, executed in
lively colors.
But these were not all. The most
amazing wealth and the loftiest taste
went hand in hand. There were "citi-
zen mobiles who ownel whole provinces;
even Paula could call whole city her
own. Rich senators, in some cases, were
proprietors of 200, 900 slaves. Their in-
comes were known to be $4,000 per day
when gold and silver were worth four
times as much as they are now.