the bottom, leaving, indeed, not more than six inches at the top, on which either a tile, or flat stone, was laid across, as the first foundation, either for a stucco, or tessellated pavement.

"When the pillars were of brick,* those that were square were composed of flat bricks [about eight or nine inches square] laid one upon another, with mortar between ;-and those that were round were composed sometimes of flat round tiles, laid just in the same manner, and sometimes of semicircular tiles placed two in each row, with their flat edges put together, only so as to have the joining of the two tiles in one row, placed alternately at right angles with the joining of those immediately beneath them.+"

The Romans also warmed their houses by means of brasiers or chaffing-dishes, and camini. The latter word has by some writers been supposed to signify a fire-place, with a chimney, like those of modern dwellings. But no such erection has been hitherto discovered among the remains of a Roman building. ‡

Tessellated pavements have been discovered in many parts of this island. The Romans greatly delighted in this species of ornamented floor, which succeeded, as we are informed by Pliny, to the old painted pavements, which had their origin in Greece. So desirable was this mosaic work considered in the arrangement

of

• Brick was the material most frequently used; but in many instances the pillars are found to have been formed of hewn stone.

+ Munimenta Antiqua, Vol. II. p. 183.-The same writer observes, that many inconsiderate antiquaries have been accustomed to attribute every hypocaust, when the discovery of such a relic took place, to a Roman bath; whereas many unquestionably appertained to dwelling apartments.

✰ Vide Roman Antiquities at Woodchester, p. 8, and the authorities there quoted.

Discoveries of tessellated pavement are noticed in numerous volumes of the Beauties of England and Wales. The undermentioned pages contain descriptions of curious specimens: Dorsetshire, p. 511-514; Essex, p. 325 ; Gloucestershire, p. 572, et seq; ibid, 598; Leicestershire, p. 332; Lincolnshire, p. 679; London and Middlesex, Vol. I. p. 95-97; Monmouthshire, p. 171-172; Northamptonshire, p. 216; Oxfordshire, p. 425-6; Wiltshire, p. 516-17; ibid, p. 698.

of such buildings as were inhabited by the elevated and wealthy, that cousiderable quantities of tessera [the small dies of which the pavement is composed] formed a part of the baggage of a regular army, and were laid down in the principal apartments of the prætorium.

The tessera which compose the majority of such mosaic pavements as are discovered in Britain, are, in general, nearly cubes, of about half an inch square. But they are by no means invariably of that size. Some, which, are of mere brick, and were used for the coarse work of ordinary apartments, are considerably larger; while others are of very small dimensions, and were employed in filling up the minute parts of such pavements as were worked with laborious care and delicacy. They are of various colours; and, in many instances, appear to have been formed of stones dug from the neighbourhood of the building in which they were placed, with the addition only of small dies of brick, to produce a strong shade of red, and of a hard calcarious stone, of a bright white hue, bearing some resemblance to Palombino marble.

The tesseræ, or dies, were embedded in cement, and placed on prepared strata of different kinds, [as rubble-stones; or blended sand, clay, and loose pieces of brick;} with brick-work for the foundation of the whole.

The mosaic-work was disposed in a great variety of patterns, which sometimes consisted merely of ornamental involutions, as the vitruvian scroll, the labyrinth-fret, and the guilloche ; but were more frequently descriptive of heathen deities, or other allegorical figures allusive to war, love, and the pleasures of the chace. The execution of the figures is usually very coarse; and an elegance of taste is chiefly displayed in such mosaic pavements as consist of fanciful ornaments, unconnected with attempts to represent the human, or any other natural, figure.

Inseriptions have been frequently found on tessellated pavements in several other parts of Europe, but have been only rarely discovered in Britain. The first discovery of this nature was made by Mr. Lysons,

Lysons, at Woodchester; and the same gentleman has been so fortunate as to reveal, for the gratification of the antiquary, a second inscription in mosaic-work, at Frampton, in Dorsetshire. It will be observed by the readers of the Beauties of England, that neither of these inscriptious contains any reference to the dates at which the respective ville were erected, or to the persons by whom they were occupied.

ROMAN COINS.-The coins of the Romans rank among the most interesting vestiges of the ascendancy of that great nation, in Britain. These relics, indeed, constitute a distinguished memorial of the former sway and busy population of the Romans, in all places which were included within the bounds of their mighty empire; and are found in great abundance, by the operation of the plough, or spade, either scattered loosely through the soil, or reposited for security in urns and other receptacles. They are, also, frequently dug from a concealment amidst the foundations of buildings.

The exuberance with which they are discovered in Britain, is manifested by very numerous pages of the "Beauties;" but it is evident that the topographer, whilst confining his enquiries to England and Wales, is chiefly concerned with such as bear an immediate relation to our native island; and these will be found to be only few in number. It may, however, be desirable to remind the reader of some circumstances generally connected with the coinage of Rome; as the collecting of medals forms one of the most elegant branches of antiquarian employment.

In regard to the material of which they are fabricated, Roman coins are chiefly of three sorts; brass, or copper; silver; and gold. The first material was that of earliest use, and long re

mained

Many coins are found of lead, iron, or copper, finely plated with gold or silver, and are evidently the performance of Roman forgers. That coins legitimately composed of lead were very anciently in circulation at Rome, is, however, unquestionable; but only few are discovered with imperial impres sions, and those are supposed to have been mere trial-pieces.

mained the sole metal of which the money of the Romans was composed; but silver and gold were both adopted, more than two centuries before the Christian era.

In shape they are roundish, but seldom perfectly circular; and, in point of size, they vary from a diameter of three inches, to that of one-fourth of an inch. Those of the larger size are termed medallions. The brass imperial coins, which are by far the more numerous, are of three sizes, large, middle, and small;* the distinctions, as to size, being ascertained by the size of the head stamped on the obverse, rather than by the breadth and thickness of the coin itself. The large brass, as vestiges of antiquity, are considered the most valuable of all Roman coins, on account of the great size of the portraits and figures, and the beauty of the types and the execution.-The class of coins termed middle brass, is found in the greatest numbers, but is much inferior to the first size, in interest and in elegance of workmanship. The series of the small brass comprises many very curious and estimable coins.

Little discrimination is now made between the brass and copper coins of the Romans, although, when used as a circulating medium of traffic, the brass was considered to be double in value to the copper. This want of attention arises from that fine rust which is peculiar to these metals, when reposited in particular soils, and in which the best specimens of ancient brass and copper coins are beautifully encased. This rust is of various colours, and, when really produced by time, is as hard as the metal itself, and acts as a natural varnish, which preserves the most delicate touches of the impression, more effectually than could have been done by any artificial means.

'The silver imperial coins are so numerous and complete, that

they

Such are the classes into which they are arbitrarily divided; the large, being about the size of our crown, and the middle that of our half-crown ; while the small comprehends all brass coins not larger than our shilling. But it will be noticed that the brass coinage of Rome gradually declines in size from the time of Severus.

they are not held in extraordinary esteem by the fastidious medallist. Coins in this metal, are frequently dug up with large spots of green, blue, or red rust; all of which are injurious to the value of the specimen. They, likewise, from lying in a soil subject to particular vapours, acquire a yellow tarnish, which has deceptively inclined many persons to suppose that they had been gilt. The Roman silver was generally alloyed, for the purpose of hardening it.

The imperial coins of gold are deemed so truly precious, that the purity of the metal is one of the least considerations in estimating their value. We here see the arts of medallic invention and execution carried to an admirable height; and the metal is highly favourable to the perpetuation of such exquisite workmanship, as it is superior to all rust, except the iron-mould acquired from lying in a soil impregnated with iron.

The impress on all these classes of coins is interesting equally to the historian, the antiquary, and the general lover of science. Before I bestow on this subject a few brief notices, the reader may be reminded, in the lively and elegant words of Addison,

that, formerly, there was no difference between money and medals. An old Roman had his purse full of the same pieces that we now preserve in cabinets. As soon as an emperor had done any thing remarkable, it was immediately stamped on a coin, and became current through his whole dominions. It was a pretty contrivance to spread abroad the virtues of an Emperor, and make his actions circulate. A fresh coin was a kind of a gazette, that published the latest news of the empire."*

Until the time of Julius Cæsar, the portrait of a living persouage had never been stamped upon a Roman coin; but, from that period downwards, the medals of the empire present a gratifying succession of portraits, often of exquisite workmanship,

and

Dialogues on Medals, Bishop Hurd's edit. p. 489.-Medallions are ordinarily supposed to act as an exception to this remark, but Mr. Pinkerton doubts whether many medallions might not have been circulated as money Vide Essay on Medals.