The Ceylon magazine

SLAVES AND SLAVE SYSTEM IN ROME 'In Rome and throughout Italy there were outrages in abundant which the Imperial police durst not out look. As examples, we may select crimes which seem to have together formed a profession practised by numerous bands of miscreants; kiinapping, highway rob bery, and housebreaking. The first of these offences is mentioued in the last ages of the Republic as committed on travellers; it again occurs repeatedly under the Emperor; Hadrian attempted to stop it by an ordinance for shutting up the private slave prisons, in some of which the robbers contrived to conceal their captives; but the private duu reous and the crime lasted as long as the Empire. The victims appear to have been sometimes detained for years at hard labour; but the frequency of the outrage can scarcely be accounted. for, unless we believe that the bau litti held their prisoners to ransom, like the modern Italian robbers. One of the most noted haunts of the ancient high waymen was the Poutine Marshes, which lay conveniently near the high-road from Nuples to Rome; and another, not less infested, was the Gallinarian Wood, which stretched northward from Cumæ, and by its situation enabled the baudits to sally out on those persons of rank who spent the summer months on the coast of Compania. When the military police scoured those forests and guarded their outlets, they produced by their vigilance another and worse evil; for the villains then fed to Rome, hid themselves amidst the labyrinth of the overgrown city, (as modera thieves find themselves safest in Paris or London,) and committed daring robberies by night où the persons and dwelling houses of the citizens. *

From the seventh century of the city, the market places in Rome were, on the days of sale, not at all unlike what an Eastern slave-bazar is at pre-sent. The slave-merchants, a class notorious for dishonesty, and strictly watched by the police, kept their vic. tims in large warehouses, whence they were brought out in crowds, and exhibited in barred cages, with descrip. tive labels hung round their necks. If a slave had been recently made captive, a circumstance which greatly increased his price, he had his feet chalked; if he was not warranted sound, a cap was put upon his head; and if a customer desired it, he was made to come out of his den and show his paces

on the pavement of the porticoes. There were three regular sources from which Italy was supplied with these anfortànate beings. The first was opened by the frequent wars of the Republic and Empire, from all of which were do. rived large numbers of prisoners. There was, secondly, an established slave-tradė, which had its piiücipal marts in the Islands of Greece, on the coast of Syria, and in Egypt, receiving its sup. plies partly from the incessant wars of the Asiatics, and, partly from kidnap. ping and piracy. There were, thirdly, the slaves already imported, whose descendants were retained in the families of their proprietors

If the bonden were brought from à distance, their birthplace had great influence in fixing their reputation, their price, and the nature of their work. The natives of Asia Minor were the nsual attendants on feasts, and the wretched ministers of their masters' debauchery; the Alexandrian Greeks were thought to make the best buffoons; the Greeks of the continent were most frequently employed as teachers, artists, or artisans; the errand-porter, letter. carriers, and other labourers, were so. lected from all nations, but oftenest from the Northern regions both of Asia and Europe; the Dabians, Geæ, and Germanic tribes, were the favourite. gladiators; and the barbarians of Britain, whom the Italians were pleased to think a tall and handsome race, commonly figured as assistants and supernumeraries in the theatres. The mountaineers from the half-conquered islands of Corsica and Sardinia were considered the fiercest and most useless of all menials: indeed, they very fre quently destroyed themselves; and the natives of the latter were contemptuously characterized in a current proverb.

Every one, however slightly ac quainted with antiquity, has heard of the

Diuran Acla; but few have the distinct notion of Roman newspapers conveyed by the following extract, though we think the fact of their existence has not been so much overlooked' as Mr. Spalding infers. News, indeed, seems a necessary of life. There were a class of new writers in India; in Europe, wandering piletims and such like answered the purpose of pennya-liners, till the post-office arose, when we had writers, too, who circulated manuscript reports; and persons of a similar kind, though under different naines, may be found in very barbarous states of society.

Extracts from Periodicals

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EFFECT OF COLOURED LIGHT ON PLANTS.-I planted in a box some curled cress seed, and so arranged bottles of carmine aid, chromate of potassa, acetute of copper, and the sulphate, of ammonia that all but a small space of the earth was exposed to light which had permeated three fourths of an inch of those media. For some days the only apparent difference was that the earth continued damp under the green and blue duids, whereas it rapidly dried under the red and yellow. The plumula burst the ticle in the blue and green lights before any change was evident in the other parts. After ten days, under the blue fluid there was a crop of cress, of as bright a green as any which grew in full light, and far more abundant. The crop was scanty under the green fluid, and of a pale' unhealthy colour. Under the yellow solution but two or three plants appeared, yet they were less pale than those which grew In green light. Beneath the red bottle the number of plants which grew was also small, although rather more than in the spot the yellow covered. They too were of an unhealthy colour. I now reversed the order of the bottles, fixing the red in the place of the blue, and the yellow in that of the green; after a few days' exposure, the healthy ress appeared blighted, while a few more unhealthy plants began to show themselves from the influence of the blue rays in the spot originally subjected to the red. It is evident from this that the red and yellow rags not merely retard germi. nation, but positively destroy the vital principle in the seed. Prolonged exposure uncovered, with genial warmth, free air, and indeed all that can in. duce growth, fails to revive the blighted vegetation. I have repeated the experiments many times, varving the fluids, but the results have been the same. At this time I have the above facts strikingly exemplified where the space covered by the bichromate of potassa is without à plant. These results

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AN IRISHMAN'S TALE OF HIS FATHER. -"Well, it's a good many years ago my father listed in the North Cork, just to oblige Mr. Barry, the landlord there; for,' says he, Phil,' says he, 'it's hot a soldier ye'll be at all, but my own man, to brush my clothes and go errands, and the like o' that, and the king, long life to him, will help to pay ve for your trouble-re understand me.' Well my father agreed and Mr. Barry was as good as word. Never a guard did my father mount, nor as much as a drill had he, nor a roll-call, nor anything at all, save and axcept wait on the captain, his master, just as pleasant as need be, and no inconvenience in life. Well, for three years, this went on as I'm telling, and the regiment was ordered down to Banthry, because of à report that the boys was rising down there; and the second evening there was a night party patrolling, with Captain Barry, for six hours in the rain, and the captain, God he merciful to him, tuk could and died: more betoken, they said it was drink, but my father says it wasn't; for,' says he, 'after he fuk cight tumblers comfortable' my father mixed the ninth, and the cap tain waved his hand this way, as much as to say, he'd have no more 'Is it that ye mean,' says my father and the captain nodded. 'Musha, but it's sorry I am,' says my father, 'ba see you this way, for ve mast bie go entirely to leave off in the begin, of the evening.' And thrue for him the captain was dead in the morning. A'sorrowful day it was for my father, when he died; it was the finest place in the world; little to do; plenty of divarsion; and a kind man he was.➡ Well, then, when the captain was buried, and all was over; my ather hoped they'd be for letting him away But, upon my conscience, they had other thoughts in their heads; for they ordered him into the ranks to be drilled just like the recruits-they took the day before. Musha, isn't this hard,' said my father: here I am an ould vitrin that ought to be discharg engaged in the study of vegetable ed on a pension with two and sixeconomy.-Atheneum.

merit the attention of those who are

pence a day, obliged to go capering

round,' says the general, more puzzled than afore. Pass on, grand round, and God save you kindly,' says my father, putting his pipe in his mouth again, for he thought all was over. 'D-n your soul, where are you? says the general; for sorrow a bit of my father could be see yet. I'ts here I am,' says he, and a cowld place I have had of it; and av it was ut for the pipe I'd be lost entirely. The words was'nt well out of hig mouth, when the general began laugh, ing till ye'd think he'd fall off his horse; and the dragoon behind him more by token, they say it was'nt right for him-laughed as loud as himself, Yer a droll sentry,' says the general, as soon as he could speak. Be gorra, it's little fun there's left in me,' says my father, with this drilling, and pa rading, and blaguarding about the roads all night.' And is this the way you salute your officer?' says the general. Just so,' says my father;

about the barrack yard practising the goose step or some other nonsense not becoming my age nor my habits; but so it was. Well, this went on for some time, and, sure, if they were hard on my father, hadn't he his re venge, for he nigh broke their hearts with his stupidity; oh! nothing in life' could equal him; devil a thing, no matter how easy, he could learn at all, so far from caring for being in confinement, it was that he liked best. Every sergeant in the regiment had trial of him, but all to no good, and he seemed striving so hard to learn all the while, that they were loath to punish him, the ould rogue! This was going on for some time, when, one day, news came in that a body of the rebels, as they called them, was coming down from the Gap of Mulnavick, to storm the town, and dura all before them. The whole regiment was of coorse under arms, and great preparations was made for a bat ile; meanwhile patrols were ordered to scour the roads, and sentries posted at every turn of the way and every rising ground, to give warning when the boys came in sight, and my fa. ther was placed at the bridge of Drumsnag, in the wildest and bleakest part of the whole country, with nothing but furze mountains on every side, and a straight road going over the top of them. This is pleasant,' says my father, as soon as they left him there alone by himself, with no hu. man crayture to speak to, nor a whiskey shop within ten miles of him; 'cowld comfort,' says he, on a winter's day, and faiz but I've a mind to give you the slip. Well, he put his gun down on the bridge, and he lit his pipe, and he sat down under an ould tree and began to ruminate upon his affairs. Ob, then, it's wishing it well am,' says he, for sodgering; and, bad luck to the hammer that struck the shilling that listed me that's all,' for he was mighty low in his heart. Just then a noise came rattling down Dear him; he listened; and before he could get on his legs, down comes the general, ould Cohoon, with an orderly after him. Who goes there?' says my father. The round,' says the general, looking about all the time to see where was the sentry, for my father was snug under the tree. What round? says my father. The grand

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devil a mere politeness ever they taught me.' What regiment do you belong to?" says the general. North Cork, bad luck to them,' says my father with a sigh. They ought to be proud of ye, says the general,

I'm sorry for it,' says my father, sorrowfully, for may be they'll keep me the longer.' Well, my good fel low,' says the general, I hav'nt more time to waste here; but let me teach you something before I go. Whenever your officer passes, it's your duty to present arms to him. Arrah, it's jokin ye are,' says my father. 'No, I'm in earnest,' says he, as ye might learn to your cost, if I brought you to a court-martial.' 'Well, there's no knowing,' says my father, what they'd be up to; but sure if that's all I'll do it with all the veins whenever yer coming this way again.' The Ge. neral began to laugh again but he said: I'm coming back in the evening,' says he, and mind you don't forget your respect to your officer.' 'Never fear, sir, says my father; and many thanks to you for your kindness for telling me.' Away went the Ge. neral, and the orderly after him, and, in ten minutes, they were out of sight, The General was walking his horse down the steep part of the mountain, followed by the orderly. My father immediately took up his musket off the wall, settled his belts,

shook the ashes out of his pipe, and put it into his pocket, making himself as smart and neat Loking as he could be, determining, when ould Chion Came to ask him for Jeave to co home, at least for the night. Well, by this time, the Ge, neral was turning a sharp part of the cliff that looks down upon the bridge, from where you might look five miles round on every side. He sees me,' says my father; but I'll be just as quick, as himself.' No sooner said than done; for,. coming forward the parapet of the bridge, be up with his musket to his shoulder, and presented it straight at the Geueral. It was'nt well there when the officer pulled up his horse quite short, and shouted out, Sentry-sentry!' 'Anap!' savs my father, still covering him, Down with your musket, you rascal: don't you see it's the graud round,' To be sure I do,' says my father, never changing for a minute. The ruffian will shoot me,' says the General. Devil a fear,' says ma father, av it does'nt go off of itself. What do you mean by that, you villain? says the General; scarce able to speak with fright, for every turu he gavo on his horse my father followed with the gun-What do you mean?' 'Sure, ain't I presenting,' says my father:

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blood an ages, do you want me to fire next?' With that the General drew a pistol from his holster, and took deliberate aim at my father; and there ther both stood for five-mimutes, looking at each other, the pr. derly, all the while, breaking bis heart laughing bebind a rock; for, ye see, the General knew av he came on that he might fire by chance; and sorra bit he knew what was best to be done. Are ye going to pass the evening up there, Grand Round?* says my father, for it's tired l'am getting bouldin' this so long?" Port arms, shouted the General, as if on parade. Sure I can't, till yer pass. ed,' says my father, and my hand's trembling already. By heavers! [ shall be shot,' says the General. Be gorra, it's what I'm afraid of,' says my father; and the words wasn'nt out of his mouth before off went the musket hang, and dayn fell the Ge. neral smack on the ground senseless, Well, the orderly ran out at this, and took him up and examined his woend; but it was'nt a wound at all, only the wadding of the gun, for my fatherGod he kind to him-ye see, could do nothing right, and so he bit of the wrong end of the catridge when he put it in the gun, and by reason. there was no bullet in it,"