Architecture And Archæology.

of such a practice . A coloured statue or bust now and then can do no harm , perhaps rather good , as they may serve to show they will not do . But there is a great deal of fashion in art . Fashion is often very unreasonable , and if a fashion were to set in for idols instead of statues , I believe it would do for the time a deal of mischief . Moreover , as a matter of sense and probability , is it possible to

consider that the uncoloured statues of the Venus of Onidus , and of the Moses , and Night and Morning , of Michel Angelo , and the noble works of Thorwaldsen and Flaxman are ' but incomplete steps , half-way as it were ( and as having left the true track of the arts ) between the first struggling idolatrous attempts when images were all painted—and a more advanced and perfect period , forsooth , when the same barbaric principles are to be reproduced and practiced ? ( To lie continued . )

The Remains Of Ancient Roman Baths In England.

THE REMAINS OF ANCIENT ROMAN BATHS IN ENGLAND .

A paper read hy EDWARD HAUOHTOX , M . D ., before the Architectural ancl Arehceological Society of Liverpool , 17 th April , 1861 . Much curiosity exists as to the nature ofthe Ancient Eoman Bath , the accounts which have been of it being often full of discrepancies . This arises to some extent from actual differences in the Eoman system of bathing at different periods , hut generally speaking it arises from blindly copying what others have

writtenwith-, out any investigation whatever of the sources of their information . Fortunately we are not altogether dependent upon the " tender mercies " of compilers of classical dictionaries , but have means of informing cm-selves on the subject , by the investigation of ancient ruins at our own doors , pregnant with relics of the past , ancl conveying to tiie educated eye much which is invaluable for helping us in the decision of present difficulties . It mayperhapsbe supposed that there are no ruins now

exist-, , ing which are capable of affording accurate information on tho subject , and , to a certain extent , this cannot be denied ; but when the ruins recently excavated are compared with those of which detailed descriptions have been laid before scientific societies , many difficulties are got rid of which otherwise would be insuperable ; ancl the entire system of bathing practised by the Eomans becomes sufficiently manifest . The localities in which the most perfect ruins have been foundare so distant from one anotherand so

, , ivell distributed over the country , as to prove that the custom of using thermal baths had become national , as will appear from the mere mention of the places , viz .: —Lincoln , Chester , Houghton parish , Kent ; Carisbrooke , Isle of AVight ; and more recently , Uriconium , near Shrewsbury . Those enumerated have heen found in a tolerable state of

preservation , but traces of similar buildings occur in almost every district of the country , Thc bath at Chester has been a good deal talked of lately , and was described by me in detail , at a meeting of the lloyal JDublin Society , Lord Talbot do Malahicle in the chair . I visited it personally on the 30 th of November , 1857 , while bringing an invalid from JDublin to Florence , ancl it was owing to my not being able to find anywhere a correct account of itthat I undertook to bring the

, subject before the Eoyal Dublin Society , which I did on the Sth of January , 1 S 5 D . The ruins of Uriconium arc worthy of far more attention than has yet been given to them , and the most interesting portion of them is fast disappearing under the band of time . With a view of satisfying my own mind as to the nature of the buildings found there , I made a special trip to Shrewsbury about three weeks ago , ancl walked along the beautiful valley of the Severn until I

came to the site of the ancient city . AVhen pretty near the spot , I asked a man who ivas digging if he know whereabouts the old Eoman city was ? lie replied , that there ivas no such thing there now ; but he could direst me to " what they called the excavations . " AVhen I arrived , I was a little disappointed at the small extent of ground which had been excavated in the space of two years , but I was rejoiced to see five distinct systems of tile pillars , belonging to

as many hypocausts , which , according to Jlr . Thomas AVright , and the most competent authorities , belonged to tho baths , or thermic , occupying , with their appurtenances , nearly half the space which hacl been uncovered . That Uriconium was a city of considerable magnitude , admits of no doubt , as the fact may be proved in several ways ; whether we consult ancient records , or the accounts of buildings formerly discovered in tbe same locality , or visit in person the excavations lately made on the property of the Duke of Cleveland . These excavations were commenced on the 3 rd of February , 1859 , and a

person is continually in charge , in order to prevent the speedy demolition of the buildings , & c , by " cockneys " of an inquiring mind , who not merely stumble against the ricketty pillars , hut generally pocket something or other , as a trophy of having " clone " the city of Uriconium . I cannot say whether the disintegration which the tiles are undergoing is owing to the effect of exposure to the weather , or the original quality ; but it is certain they are rapidly falling

topieces , and many parts now supposed to be in situ have evidently fallen down , and been built up again . That the Eomans knew how to manufacture goocl tiles is well known , for those in the bath at Chester ancl elsewhere are very hard , ancl of remarkably good quality ; but they are perforated with small holes at regular intervals , which those of Uriconium are not . In the latter city there are no bricks visible , such as we manufacture , but stoneis freely used ,, and tiles are employed in all laces where nice workmanshiis

p p required . They are not , however , by any means accurate in either size or shape ; but are rough , uneven , ancl irregular in appearance .. The general size of these forming the pillars of the alveus ( or body of the hypocaust ) is about 7 inches square , hy li--inch thick , standing upon others about a foot square , and each pillar surmounted bj- another tile of the same size . In the most perfect of the hypocausts I counted sixteen tiles in one of the pillars ,,

cemented together , and making a total height of 3 feet 6 inches . _ VTosfc of the pillars showed no trace of cement between the tiles ,. and were either originally laid without cement or hacl fallen downancl been rebuilt . In each hypocaust there were a goocl manypillars , and the largest measures 43 feet in length hy 35 feet in width . In height they were about 5 feet , counting a layer of concrete which was laid on the upper tiles to a depth of from Id- to IS inches , and appeared to have been put down in two distinct operations .

In order to make somewhat more distinct the manner of heating employed by the ancient Eomaiis , 1 have had two diagrams prepared , in which the principal features are well brought out . One represents a hypocaust accidentally discovered at Lincoln , by Mr . T . Sympson , in 1709 . Many persons finding charcoal or ashes in the alvei of different hypocausts have come to the erroneous conclusion that the whole of the interior was intended to contain fuel , but the evidence at our disposal goes decidedlagainst this

y sup position . For , in every bath hitherto discovered , the fornax itself ancl the pillars next it have suffered much from the flames , but neither fuel nor its effects are found in the body of the alveus . Of course it would be impossible to prevent small pieces of charcoal and ashes from being sucked in by the draught ; but this fact proves the nature of the alveus even more plainly , as it is only such debris that is ever found in it . In the diagram before you , two

shafts aro represented going down a depth of 13 feet before they , reach the hypocaust , and through one of them a little boy was le ' fc into the alveus , who , after groping about among the pillars , presently returned as black as a chimney-sweep . Mr . Sympson further describes the room , thus , " The walls of this room were plastered , and the plaster painted red , blue , ancl other colours , and its floor tesselated white . This pavement is about 13 feet below the present surface of the ground , being on a level with the testudo of the hypocaust , so deep was old Liiidum buried in its ruins . The workmen in digging up this pavement struck into the flue , 3 feet from the north-east corner of the hypocaust , and opened it into

the corner , and so the whole was discovered . " The same gentleman in allusion to another hypocaust ( of wliich I have here a lithograph ) , says "thc hypocaust above mentioned must have been a much hotter room than this , for instead of the flues being carried under another room , the walls of the sweating-room itself were hollow or double , and a great number of flues carried up between them all round the room . A curious model of this is still to be seen in the Museum of the Eoyal Societ" The same author

meny . tions that pieces of wood-coal ( i . e charcoal ) were found in the fornax . At Uriconium the guide showed me a piece of charcoal which was found in ono of the furnaces there , and which differed but little from the charcoal commonly sold in France as fuel . Some ordinary stone coal was also found in the western preftiriiium . AAlien at Uriconium , I also endeavoured to ascertain the dimensions of the furnaces there , but found it extremely difficult to decide the

points from which to measure , as there was so much loss of substance in the most important parts . As near as I could guess , the largest furnace was 11 inches wide and 3 feet 2 inches high , ancl the next in size , 2 feet C inches high by the same width . Tne onl y flue remaining was in the eastern hypocaust , ancl measured 1 foot iu width by 2 feet in height . You will observe in the foregoing description that a considerable thickness of concrete is spoken of

as forming the chief part of the roof of the hypocaust , or floor of the sudatorium . Tho object of this was to ensure equality of temperature , as when thoroughly heated it took a long time to cool , and therefore the temperature of the bath was little affected by ' any temporary neglect . The modern Turks adopt a somewhat similar