brick--a bright red, a dull
or Indian red, and a shade between the two; slate from a neighboring
quarry gives a dark bluish gray; an oolite supplies the warmer buff; and
a fine white composition resembling limestone is used for the center
points and borders. In addition, the outside border is formed with
tesserae of rather larger size of a sage green limestone. Speaking
generally, the design is formed by nine octagon figures, three by three,
surrounded and divided by a guilloche cable band; the interspaces of the
octagons are filled by four smaller square patterns, and the outer
octagon spaces by 12 triangles. Outside these is a border formed by a
cable band, by a second band of alternate heart-shaped, pear-shaped, and
bell-shaped flowers, and by alternate white and gray bands; and outside
all is the limestone border already described. This border is
constructed with tesserae about five-eighths of an inch square. The
remaining tesserae vary from one half to one-quarter inch of irregular
rhomboidal form. The construction of the pavement is remarkable. There
is a foundation of strong concrete below; over it is a bed of pounded
brick and lime three to four inches thick, and upon this a layer of fine
white cement, in which the tesserae are laid with their roughest side
downward. Liquid cement appears to have been poured over the floor,
filling up the interstices, after which the surface would be rubbed down
and polished.

As to the probable date and occupation of the floor, it may be observed
that the site of this pavement was near the center of the western Roman
town. It is near the Jewry Wall, that is, near the military station and
fortress. It was obviously the principal house in the place, and as
clearly, therefore, the residence of the Praefectus, the local
representative of the imperial power of Rome. The Roman occupation of
the district began with the propraetorship of Ostorius Scapula, A.D. 50.
He was succeeded in 59 by Suetonius Paulinus, who passed through
Leicester from the Isle of Anglesea when the insurrection under Boadicea
broke out. In the service of Suetonius was Julius Agricola, who was
elected consul and governor of Britain about the year 70. He is commonly
described as a wise and good governor, who introduced the arts of
civilized life, taught the natives to build, and encouraged education.
He left Britain about the year 85, and from that time to the decline of
the Roman power is but about 300 years. We