[Footnote 230: The water supply of Silchester seems to have been wholly derived from these wells, which are from 25 to 30 feet in depth, and were usually lined with wood. In one of them there were found (in 1900) stones of various fruit trees (cherry, plum, etc.), the introduction of which into Britain has long been attributed to the Romans, (See Earle, 'English Plant Names.') But this find is not beyond suspicion of being merely a mouse's hoard of recent date.] [Footnote 231: Roman refineries for extracting silver existed in the lead-mining districts both of the Mendips and of Derbyshire, which were worked continuously throughout the occupation. But the Silchester plant was adapted for dealing with far more refractory ores; for what purpose we cannot tell.] [Footnote 232: See paper by W. Gowland in Silchester Report (Society of Antiquaries) for 1899.] [Footnote 233: A glance at the maps issued by the Society of Antiquaries will show this. The massive rampart, forming an irregular hexagon, cuts off the corners of various blocks in the ground plan.] [Footnote 234: The well-known Cambridge jug of Messrs. Hattersley is a typical example.] [Footnote 235: "Samian" factories existed in Gaul.] [Footnote 236: See p. 43.] [Footnote 237: TI. CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG. P.M. TRIB. P. VIIII. IMP, XVI. DE BRITAN. This was found at Wokey Hole, near Wells.] [Footnote 238: Haverfield, 'Ant.' p. 147.] [Footnote 239: See 'Corpus Inscript. Lat.' Vol. VII.] [Footnote 240: A specially interesting touch of this old country house life is to be seen in the Corinium Museum at Cirencester--a mural painting whereon has been scratched a squared word (the only known classical example of this amusement): ROTAS OPERA TENET AREPO SATOR] [Footnote 241: The word _mansio_, however, at this period signified merely a posting-station on one or other of the great roads.] [Footnote 242: Selwood, Sherwood, Needwood, Charnwood, and Epping Forest are all shrunken relics of these wide-stretching woodlands, with which most of the hill ranges seem to have been clothed. See Pearson's 'Historical Maps of England.'] [Footnote 243: Classical authorities only speak of bears in Scotland. See P. 236.] [Footnote 244: Cyneget., I. 468.] [Footnote 245: _Ibid_. 69.] [Footnote 246: In II. Cons. Stilicho, III. 299: _Magnaque taurorum fracturae colla Britannae_.] [Footnote 247: 'Origins of English History,' p. 294.] [Footnote 248: A brooch found at Silchester also represents this dog.] [Footnote 249: Symmachus (A.D. 390) represents them as so fierce as to require iron kennels (Ep. II. 77).] [Footnote 250: Prudentius (contra Sab. 39): _Semifer, et Scoto sentit cane milite pejor_.] [Footnote 251: Proleg. to Jeremiah, lib. III.] [Footnote 252: Flavius Vopiscus (A.D. 300) tells us that vine-growing was also attempted, by special permission of the Emperor Probus.] [Footnote 253: The Lex Julia forbade the carrying of arms by civilians.] [Footnote 254: See Elton's 'Origins,' p. 347.]