They were attended outside of the city by two lictors, two slaves, a secretary, Frontinus, on his appointment, very sensibly concluded, and other followers. " as he tells us at the outset of his treatise, that, considering in this as in other affairs of life, that the first thing was to know and understand what he had undertaken," he set himself about collecting and noting down in order, all that related to the history, structure, size, and defects of the aqueducts committed to his charge, the abuses to which they were liable, and the laws for their protection.

From the treatise which was the result of this commendable resolution, we now proceed to borrow a description of the nine Roman aqueducts.

The Aqua Appia was the first structure of this sort erected at Rome. It was begun

about the 442d year of Rome, or 312 years before Christ, and in the 31st year after the Samnite war, under the direction of Appius Claudius Crassus, the Censor, to whom the surname of Coecus was given. With him was associated C. Plautius, to whom the name of Venocis had been awarded, for his zeal in searching out veins or supplies of water.

Owing to some intrigue, however, of Appius, Plautius resigned his station before the expiration of two years, and Appius alone, therefore, enjoyed the honor of giving his name to the aqueduct, and to another noble work, which, by prolonging his censorship unlawfully, and through various artifices, he was enabled to complete, the Via Appia, from Rome to Capua. The Aqua Appia had its source in the Lucullan territory, at about 700 paces to the left of the Via Prcenestina, between the seventh arid eighth mile stone, and it ended, after