Circus. A building devoted to chariot and horse races at Rome. This was a favourite amusement of the Roman people. The horses in the chariots were placed three or four abreast,—not at length, as in the modern fashion. Rome and the chief cities of the provinces had many of these Circuses.

Volumen. A volume or roll, a book. Our books of flat and folded sheets of paper are called volumes, after this ancient name, but not with strict propriety, because they are in a different form from the volumen. This was composed of leaves pasted together at the ends: when rolled up, the volumen was covered with a case of skin or silk, fastened with strings or clasps. A little ball was fixed in the roll upon which the title was written.

Epistle. A letter. The Romans commenced their letters by a declaration of the writer's name, Julius Cæsar to his friend Mark Antony, health! They ended with a simple-farewell.

Ablution. Washing or bathing. The Greeks, Romans, and Asiatics of ancient times, were not acquainted with linen. The men did not cover the arms and legs; and though the feet were guarded by a sole laced on, they were not protected from dust. In these warm countries, water was often served to the guests as soon as they entered a house. You see the propriety of the washing of feet mentioned in the gospel.

Aqueducts. Pipes below the surface of the earth, for the conveyance of water from its source to other places. For four centuries, the Romans had no aqueducts. B. C. 312, aqueducts were constructed which brought water, thirty, forty, and even sixty miles to Rome. Three out of nine

ancient aqueducts remain, and modern Rome possesses a profuse supply of clear and salubrious water. The 130 reservoirs and 500 fountains which received this water, were all embellished with columns and statuary, and thus served for ornament as well as convenience to the city.

Therma. Warm and cold baths, of great beauty and extent. These buildings were erected after Rome had become rich; They were constructed of marble with an infinity of ornament, and to some of them libraries and gardens were attached.-Infinity in familiar books, or common conversation, signifies a quantity greater than can be readily ascertained or described.

Parasite. The rich Greeks and Romans both kept a person in their houses to accommodate and entertain their guests with some more refined courtesies than the mere attendance of servants. The office of managers at balls and parties, at this time resembles that of the parasite. It was necessary that this person should have polished manners, be possessed of some wit, and know how to make himself agreeable. For such services he was supported by the master of the house. His office was frivolous, and meanly dependent. The parasites were so often mere flatterers, that the word parasite, now seldom used, expresses a man too lazy to work, and willing to subsist on the bounties of the rich, procured by flatteries and low compliances.

A diverting anecdote is related of a practical joke played off on a whole company of parasites, the invited guests of the emperor Heliogabalus. "He received them in the splendi. banquetting room, and there placed before then, to all appear.

ance, a supper consisting of every delicacy in season. But alas! the meat was painted wood, the fruit was wax, and instead of wine the vases contained only coloured water. Still the courses were served in regular succession, the emperor pressed them to do honour to the entertainment; and after going through all the forms of a sump tuous feast, they were dismissed supperless!"

You must perceive that this was excellent satire a proper reproof to those whose customary words, appearing to be respectful and benevolent, proceeded only from habit and selfishness, without any of the sentiment of esteem and sincere kindness.

Satire-a species of ridicule which pretends to make contemptible things important, and by giving them an air of affected dignity, to make their real worthlessness apparent.

Libation. When wine or milk was poured out in honour of the gods, and the act was accompa nied by a prayer, the ceremony was a libation.

Drama, a story not related but enacted by several persons. A drama consists of dialogues or conversations, in which each individual's discourse relates in some way or other to the chief persons concerned in the story. The Drama is sometimes written in poetry, and sometimes in prose. A drama which excites fear and pity is a Tragedy. Shakspeare's King Lear is a tragedy. A drama which induces laughter is a Comedy. As You Like It, is a comedy. The persons who perform or enact plays, are called in English, Comedians; the Romans called them Mimes. Comedians wore a low heeled shoe, called a sock: which merely covered the foot: tragedians, a high

buskin that reached the middle of the leg: when people speak of the sock and buskin, it is a figurative manner of saying comedy and tragedy.

The building where plays are represented is commonly a Theatre. The place where the actors perform their several parts is the Stage. The sides of the stage are large sliding pictures. called scenes, which may be pushed forward and shown, or drawn back and hidden. The scenes describe the places which the persons of the drama are supposed to be in: they sometimes represent the country, sometimes the streets of a city, and sometimes the inside of buildings. The company who attend the theatre is the Audience or hearers.

The mode of dressing used by actors is called the theatrical costume. Costume is a French word, but in our large towns in the United States, we have adopted it into our language: it signifies a fashion of dress :-the Grecian costume, the Roman costume, mean the dresses of the Greeks and the Romans.

Pantomime is one kind of play, it is all performed by action without words, as the mule converse together.

Opera is a modern sort of play, in which all the action is accompanied with music.

Farce, a short comic piece, designed to display wit, and excite mirth.

ROMAN DRESS.

Toga, A long and loose robe, worn by both sexes at Rome. The toga was a very full drapery of woollen cloth, without sleeves, gathered up on the shoulders. That of the more humble citizens was coarse and unadorned; that of the magistrates was of a purple stuff ornamented with embroidery, and sometimes embossed with gold.

2. It is supposed that this purple was not our modern compound colour of blue and red, but a rich deep rose colour-the most beautiful in the world, because it is, in some of its shades, that colour of the animated human countenance, which is produced by lively feeling, and a suffusion of blood. Milton's "celestial rosy red," and Gray's "purple light of love," are the same fine huethat which belongs to "the queen of all the flowers." The finest purple of the ancients was the Tyrian, a dye originally given to the manufactures of Tyre in Asia. "To assume the purple," is a figurative phrase, signifying to put on the dignity of an emperor, because the Roman emperors wore a purple mantle or robe.

3. Roman children were clothed in a vest with sleeves this was called the pretextan-robe. The females wore it till they were married; the boys till they were clothed in the toga, sometimes called the manly-gown.

4. At seventeen years of age the toga was put on, for the first time, and the day of investing the young citizen was celebrated by religious ceremonies and a festival. His parents assembled their relatives, with the dependants and servants of the