The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-12

that II was not usual In their day, ana 'ha' 'no
means Of doing II were far less convenient 'nnn
they are now. Apart from postal commun'ca'
tons, printing, photography ana easy mc'"oo'
Of transport, writer's Of the present day nave u.
their disposal large collections Of archives anu
numerous admirable MUSEUMS ON the o'no'
hand. VIC are burdcncd with number OF scrup'es
which were quito unknown In classical or nedis'a'
times Froissat appropriated bodily me enron,
Gle Of his predecessor Jean 10 BEL and incorporated
IL in hts own work This was tho system wh'ch
had been followed by all the ancien, historians
They generally took the book OF some previous
writer which had been successful In hs
day as a groundwork, and brought II up TO date,
undermining the language, and unnscribing nov
only ih narrative, bu, also Iva judgments on men
and things and even IL phrasea They scarcely
ever did more than graft upon this main source
Of Information data collected from few other
authors which were used TO check the statements
Of the writer who furnished the gfoundwork.
No doubt, In some cases. a historian prohted
by tho experience gained In the course Of his
task, and either changed his method or even
abandoned his original authority And adopted
another without any intimauon to his readers.
~.
In ono OF his most interesting chapters Prof.
Thomas undertakes 70 prove that the dsnizens Of
the ancient Mediterranean world. including even
thoss whose lot lay far from the capital and out
aide the ranks Of the rich and cultured classes.
came nearer than We do 70 living what wc cell an
artistic life. Tho hrst thing that strikes the stu.
dert Is that works OF art were much moro gen
orally distributsd among ,heSRomans than they
are now. From the impartial epoch our author
cites the case OF Tullus, q friend Of Pliny the
Younger, who had such vast quantity OF valu-
able objects stored away In his iumber-roons that
he was able TO adorn some largo gardens, which
he had purchased. on tho very day In which he
acquired them with countless statues, both Of
recent and ancient date II may b objected that
this was an exceptional case. There is, however.
other evidence al hand. From what 10 left Of tho
public and private monuments OF Antiquity and
from the testimony Of historians and other
wrhors, II IL manifest that, In spite OF
certain defects Of taste and relative want
Of critical discernment, the Romans Of tho
nrst century Of our ere lived In more cult
waited surroundings and amid Refinement
which was higher than more luxury: In . word,
In an artistic atmosphere 70 which there IL no
counterpart In modern unes- Let us. for instance.
examine the public monuments. II Is doubtful
whothor any civili1sd people Of the present day
can hope 70 uAnsmis 70 posterity nearly a. many
memorials Of themselves ss the Romans have
done The Romans were race Of builders Yet
they also knew how 70 smbsllish and decorate
their edinces and useful and imperishAblo
as are their roads. thore are countless monu-
monts scattered over the four quarters Of
Europe and over northern Africa and east
orn Asia, such a. arches baths. theatres
and amphitheAues, which arc not merely useful
and well built, but beautiful and marvellous. II
seems that they could not do without these things
No matter where they went they would have felt
like barbarians, or like shipwrecked mariners, had
they failed 10 construct some such surroundings
about them There arc still eItant monuments.
like HAdrisn's villa at Tivoli-no palace. but
mere suburban resdenoe-which are almost mex
haus,bie mines OF wealth TO tho archeologist
The palaces and museums Of Rome and NaploS
arc deckod with It's spells. No modern mind can
conceive with tho utmost effort Of the alton.
all that has been taken from this single villa In the
way OF bas-reliefs. statues mosaics, silver orna-
ments and other objects OF value. Even the
thor Of tho most recent catalogue admits that II is
very incomplete, II this was . fair specimen OF
the Roman suburban villas. wha, mus, have been
the great palaces Of the capital. and especially
those on the Palatine'
II. now. We 60 70 the opposite social pole Of the
ancient world, . similar impression awaits US.
Let US look Of Pompsi and the tiny houses Of that
It's Inhabitants evinced certain nArrowness OF
taste There 10 something artificial, something
obviously immature and conventional In tho
decoration Of their houses and in the subjects and
handling Of their paintipgs Yet in this pa,ry
provincial town. Of which . Roman magnAto
would hardly have deigned 10 pronounce tho
name far less dream Of paying Il tho briefest
visit there have been found bronles which We al
least regard as masterpieces, not 70 mention paint
ings and mosaics which furnish all the informA-
ton We possess In regard 70 these departments OF
ancient art We need but 60 TO Pompeii itself
and wander through It's famous houses with
their wonderful frosooes. preferably one Of those
recently unearthed in which all the decorations
have been left in their places conform ably TO q
recent fclicitous law; We need but walk through
the galleries Of the museum at Naples, whittier.
until quite recently. were transported all the Jewels
utensils and various Implements discovered in
the course Of the excavations at PompcL II will
not bo necessary 70 examine In detail each chain,
brooch or necklace. each gem. bronze or ivory
carving: We have but TO regard them as whole
and consider thsir enormous number 10 admit q I
once that In no country Of the present day can wo
find a community capable Of displaying under
similar conditions such highly developed appre-
citation Of things artistic Every department
OF art, from the veriest knick-knacks. which are
is reflected In the existence Of this little pro vncial
city, and yet there II nothing 70 indicate that Il
was either richer or more favored by artists than
any Of the other towns In the vicinity OF Naples
Recent excavations undertaken far away from
Italian soil. such a. those lately carried on In
northern Africa, tend TO convey tho Same i'm
preston AZ that suggested BY the Pompeiian
monuments Tho passion for works OF art was felt
even al q great distance from tho Italian capital,
and among tho lower ranks Of tho military hier-
archs Art was not an exclusive privilege Of tho
wealthy classes. Of the sristocracy. or Of any
limited body Of cultured people; II was general
necessary OIL life. In the Augustan era. tho IN Az
tcrpieces Of Crock paintings wero to be found in
every temple, forum and portoo. Private houses
WED with public buildings In this respect Al
that period, tho whole Roman community pos
sessed the feeling for ART in some degree or other
The vices OF the time arc only too we'll known; In
common fairness, we ought to give equal promin.
ence TO the admiration for the beautiful which was
universally felt and TO a refinement Of taste which
is all the more surprising because original creation