Roman Firemen.

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Chap. 7.]

the boasted superiority of the age and the benign spirit and precepts ofreligion—the profession of war—the most prolific source of human miseryand crime, is still deemed honorable; and men under whose tyranny na-tions and provinces groan, and by whom human life is extinguished notonly without remorse but with indifference, are permitted to take prece-dence in moral society. Crates was certainly correct when he intimatedthat wars would never cease tili men became convinced of the folly andwickedness of allowing themselves to be driven as soldiers like sheep tothe slaughter, or like wolves to devour each other—but as he expressedit, not tili men become sensible that generals are only ass drivers.

As Grreek fire preceded gunpowder in Europe , so pumps or the ‘ spout-ing engines’ for projecting it may be considered the f'orerunners of guns:it is even possible that the first idea of the latter (supposing they were notintroduced from the east) might have been derived from accidental explo-sions of the liquid in the pump eylinders, when the pistons would of coursebe driven out of them like balls out of cannon. But be this as it may,enough has been adduced to show that the forcing pump and its modifica-tions have exerted no small degree of influence in ancient wars and con-sequently in the affairs of the old world.

Although the police and other arrangements for the actual Suppressionof fires in ancient Rome are not well ascertained, some interesting particu-lars are known. A body of firemen, named matricularii, was establishedwhose duty it was to extinguish the Harnes. Similar Companies were alsoorganized in provincial cities. This appears from Trajan’s reply to Pliny respecting the formation of one in Nicomedia, and from which we learnthat these ancient firemen frequently created disturbances by their dissen-tions and tumults. Pliny (the younger) was governor of Bithynia ; aftergiving the emperor an account of a fire in Nicomedia, a town in his pro-vince, he continues, “ You will consider, sir, whether it may not be ad-visable to form a Company of firemen, consisting only of one hundred andfifty members. I will take care none but those of that business shall beadmitted into it; and that the privileges granted them shall not be ex-tended to any other purpose. As this corporate body will be restrictedto so small a number of members, it will be easy to keep them underproper regulations.” In answer the emperor sent the following letter :“ Trajan to Pliny. —You are of opinion it would be proper to establisha Company of firemen in Nicomedia, agreeably to what has been prac-ticed in several other cities. But it is to be remembered that societies of thissort have greatly disturbed the peace of the province in general, and ofthose cities in particular. Whatever name we give them, and for what-ever purpose they may be instituted, they will not fail to form themselvesinto factious assemblies, however short their meetings may be. It willtherefore be safer to provide such maehines as are of Service in extin-guishing fires, enjoining the owners of houses to assist in preventing themischief from spreading, and, if it should be necessary, to call in the aidof the populace.” Pliny ’s Letters, B. x. Ep. 42 and 43. Melmoth’sTranslation.

The direction to procure “ maehines as are of Service in extinguishingfires” was in consequence of Nicomedia being destitute of them—an un-fortunate circumstance for the inhabitants, but one that is hardly now re-gretted by those who are in search of information respecting fire-enginesamong the ancients; since it led Pliny to mention them, and thereby af-ford us a proof of their employment by the Romans. “ While I was mak-mg a progress [he writes to Trajan ] in a different part of the province, amost destructive fire broke out in Nicomedia, which not only consumed