Experience having proved, that frequently, when essential and speedy repairs were needed on portions of the aqueducts passing through private property, difficulties and delays arose from the opposition of the owners of the neighboring soil, to any passing through their lands, or deriving materials therefrom, for the work in hand, the Senate passed a law, declaring that as often as the aqueducts required repairs, it should be lawful to take from the adjoining lands of individuals, upon the estimate of good men, any earth, soil, stones, shells, sand, or wood that might be needed, taking care to do the least possible injury to the proprietor. As a thing curious in itself, we give in a note the original of this decree as we find it in Frontinus.*

Another prolific source of injury to the aqueducts, was from the plantations and

buildings, with which the proprietors of adjoining lands constantly encroached upon the lines. Often, indeed, country roads were laid out over the subterranean course of the aqueducts themselves. Trees were planted in like manner over, and near them, and these were found most injurious, for their roots penetrating deep, affected the masonry, and loosened the covering soil. A Senate decree, of which the text is given in the note,t was finally passed to * dvoD. Q,. ^ELIVS. TVBERO. PAVLLVS. FABIVS. MAXIMVS. Coss. V. F. DK. RIVIS. SPECVBVS. JVLIJE. MARCIJE. APPIJE. TEPVLJE. ANIONIS. REFICIENDIS. Q.. D. E. R. F. P. D. E. R. 1. C. VTI. CVM. n. RIVI. FORNICES. Q.VOS. AvGUSTVS. C.KSAR. SE. REFECTVRVM. IMPENSA. SVA. SfiNATVI. POLLICITVS. EST. REFICERENTYR. EX. AGRIS. PRIVATORVM. TERRAM. LIMVM. LAPIDEM. TESTAM. ARENAM. LIGNA. C^TERAdVE. QVIBVS. AD. EAM. REM. OPVS. ESSET. VNDE. Q.V.ECIVE. EORVM. PROXIME. SINE. INJVRIA. PRIVATORVM. TOLLI. SVMI. PORTARI. POSSINT. VIRI. BONI. ARBITRATIO. ESTIMATA. DARENTVR. TOLLERENTVR. SVMERENTVR. EXPORTARENTVR. ET. AD. EAS. RES. OMNES.