Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-05-27
ROMAN HOUSES N LONDON.

MYSTERIOUS Ruins Of Civilization In Brit
ain Nearly Two Thousand Years Old.
The houses of the better class can be
reconstructed from the Roman villas
whose foundations have been laid bare
in various parts of the country. a
very great number have been found
and partially examined by excavations.
Some of them are of a size and splen-
dor which denote great wealth as well
asa feeling of profound security. They
have been found for the most part in
the southern counties. Many are in
Kent-a county which, so long as the
count of the Saxon shore protected its
coasts. was the safest part of Britain.
But many Of these villas have been
found in Lincolnshire, and there are
probably hundreds awaiting discovery.
1t is not fair in considering the traders
| house of London TO take the magniti'
| cent ruins of such a villa as that which
has been laid bare at Woodchester in
Worcestershire. Here we find sitting
rooms fifty feet square ranged about
courts or gardens a hundred and hun
dred and fifty feet square; here are
splendid teSsellated pavements, fresco
paintings, fragments of statues and
groups, Samian ware. and every indica-
ton Of art and luxury. We need not
suppose that London merchants lived
10 palaces. Into the lofty. brilliant,
well heated apartments of the finer
houses there was thrown a confused
mass of furniture not unworthy of the
richest palaces of modern days. Cush-
ions and lounges of crimson silk and
Babylonian tapestry surrounded the
banqueting tables and walls; mirrors
of metal or glass shone on all sides.
Glass windows let in the inconstant
sunlight, and candles, lamps and can
delabra in the winter evenings scattered
over the rooms on tripods, tables,
inches, and perhaps hung alOft on the
ceiling. threw down sufficient light
The infinite number and varied forms
of their lamps show the care the RO-
mans gave TO lighting their rooms and
their taste for nocturnal amusement
Carpets. rugs and mating were thrown
upon the mosaic GoOr. Statues of real
merit stood around in artistic negli-
gence. Tables Of citron wood, or mar
BILE tripods, book shelves and stands,
glass vases II eli forms hni nodes, rich
with green, red or purple dyes, shone
on the Roman sideboard. Goblets
pitchers and vases of the delicate red
Samian were added 10 the glow Of
color; they were 80 fragile that only
fragments of the finer kind have been
preserved. In the midst Of his luxuri-
Gus home sat the London curial, or al
derman Of the Roman time. on his
curule chair. surrounded by wife and
children. clothed in the richest fabrics
of the day, and allglittering with rings,
Jewels. armlets, bracelets, some of
which have been left behind TO tell
their tale. On the bones Of a woman's
arm in Mr.. Roach Smiths collection
are seen three bracelets Of gold, with
gems and rare chasings.
To complete the picture Of the home
of the Roman period we must add a
great number of articles of convenience
OF comfort that would seem to us al
most exclusively modern. Chairs,
lounges, sofas, bedsteads, chests, clos.
cts. drawers, curtains, glass vessels,
mirrors and vases, punches of keys,
and a great variety of kitchen utensils,
gold and silver ornaments, baskets ano
urns for money, great amphore filed
with wine. and the well stored kitchens
Of the wealthy made up the require
ments of Roman life. These the bar
barous Saxons plundered or destroyed,
chiefly from a fear that magic lay in all
objects of art. A garden in the front
of the villa, filed with roses from Pas
tum and lilies and v~iolets, was new
forgotten by a peopleso fond of flowers
baths, hot and cold, were attached to
every large house. Fourteen centurie:
and the ravages of Saxon and Dane
have covered Roman London with a
cloud of mystery that no n has been
able 10 remove. Eugene Lawrence IN
Harper's.