stones, with openings at the sides to admit the passage of hot air, or of flues and funnels, formed of ridge tiles, for conveying the heated air. Baths were a very usual accompaniment of the Roman dwelling, and remains are of frequent occurrence.

The temple, basilica, or court-house, and public baths, appear in towns to have been usually placed close together. The temples were dedicated to various deities-Minerva, Neptune, Serapis, etc., etc. At Bath the remains of the temple dedicated to Minerva were sufficiently extensive to enable its façade to be restored; and other somewhat extensive remains have been discovered at Ribchester, Keston, Caerleon, and other places. Usually, however, the only records of the existence of such temples are inscribed stones-as DEO SANCTO SERAPI TEMPLVM A SOLO FECIT, which occurs at York;

MATRIBVS OMNIVM GENTIVM TEMPLVM OLIM VETVS

TATE CONLABSVM, at Castlehead; TEMPLVM VETVSTATE CONLAPSVM RESTITVERVNT, at Chesters; and so on. The same remark applies to the basilica and public baths, regarding which such inscriptions as BALNEVM CVM BASILICA A SOLO INSTRVXIT, at Lanchester; BALINEVM VI IGNIS EXVSTVM RESTITVIT CVRANTE VAL. FRONTONE PREF. EQ. ALAE

VETTO[NVM], at Bowes; and so on, occur.

Roman altars are of very frequent occurrence. Their general form was an elongated square block of stone-like a portion of a square pillar-with an inscription on its front side. The front, as I have

said, contained the inscription, and the back was usually plain and rough, for attaching to, or placing against, a wall. On the other sides ornaments of various kinds were carved in relief. These usually consisted of the instruments of sacrifice-the præfericulum, or pitcher, which contained the wine for the offering; the patera, a dish with a handle, used for throwing a portion of the wine upon the altar; the securis, or axe, with which the animal was slain; and the culter, or knife, used in cutting it up -with a figure of the whole or a part of the victim, usually the head of an ox. Sometimes other figures were introduced, emblematical of the deity to whom the altar was dedicated, or relating, perhaps, in some cases, to the dedicator. The upper part was the most elaborately ornamented, and in the middle of the upper surface a basin-shaped cavity was sunk in the stone, called the focus (or hearth), which received the portion of the victim that was offered up in sacrifice and burnt in the fire kindled in the focus. The inscription set forth, first, the deity to whom the altar was dedicated; next, the name and condition of the dedicator; and often concluded with stating the cause of dedication. This was usually a vow.

Fig. 107 represents an altar found at Bath. Fig. 106 is from Housesteads, on the Roman Wall, and bears an inscription which may be translated"To Jupiter, the greatest and best, and the deities of Augustus, the First Cohort of Tungrians (a

military one), commanded by Quintus Verius Superstis, Prefect [erected this]." The next was found near Bakewell, and is preserved at Haddon Hall. It bears the inscription

DEO

MARTI

BRACIACE

OS[IT]IVS

CAECILIANVS

PRAEF COH

I AQVITANO
V S

which may be translated-"To the God Mars, Braciaca, Osittius Cæcilianus, Prefect of the First Cohort of the Aquitani, in performance of a vow;" the term Braciacæ, as applied to Mars, being singular.

One or two other inscriptions, for the purposes of comparison, may be profitably given. For instance, at York-I. O . M. DIS DEABVSQVE HOSPITALIBVS PENATIBVSQ OBCON SERVATAM SALVTEM SVAM SVORVMQ P AEL MARCIANVS PRAEF COH ARAM SAC F NC D. "To Jupiter, best and greatest, and to the gods and goddesses who preside over the household, and to the penates, for the preservation of the health of himself and his family, Publius Ælius Marcianus, prefect of a cohort, dedicated and consecrated this altar." From Ribchester-DEO SANCTO APOLLONI APONO OB SALVTEM DN AL EQ SARM BREMETNN SVB DIANIO ANTONINO O LEG VI V IC DOMV ELIBER. "To the holy god Apollo Aponus, for the health of our

lord (the emperor), the wing of Sarmatian horse of Bremetenracum under Dianius Antoninus, centurion of the Sixth Legion, called the Conquering. His native town was Eliber." From Rochester-DEAE MINERVE IVL CARANTVS S C. "To the goddess Minerva, Julius Carantus dedicated this;" and so on. Fig. 109 represents one of those interesting groups, the Dea Matres-or beneficent local pre

siding deities, who were supposed to bring good fortune to those who invoked and honoured them. It was found in Ancaster churchyard, and was placed at one end of a slab of stone, while at the other end, and immediately facing the group, was a small altar supported on a pillar.

Another class of inscribed stones is that of