ies were connected with one another and with the
capital by the public highways, which, issuing from the Forum of
Rome, traversed Italy, pervaded the provinces, and were terminated
only by the frontiers of the empire. If we carefully trace the
distance from the wall of Antoninus to Rome, and from thence to
Jerusalem, it will be found that the great chain of communication,
from the north-west to the south-east point of the empire, was drawn
out to the length of four thousand and eighty Roman miles. The
public roads were accurately divided by milestones, and ran in a
direct line from one city to another, with very little respect for
the obstacles either of nature or of private property. Mountains
were perforated, and bold arches thrown over the broadest and most
rapid streams. The middle part of the road was raised into a
terrace, which commanded the adjacent country, consisted of several
strata of sand, gravel, and cement, and was paved with large stones,
or, in some places near the capital, with granite. Such was the
solid construction of the Roman highways, whose firmness has not
entirely yielded to the effect of fifteen centuries. They united the
subjects of the most distant provinces by an easy and familiar
intercourse; but their primary object had been to facilitate the
marches of the legions; nor was any country considered as completely
subdued till it had been rendered in all its parts pervious to the
arms and authority of the conqueror. The advantage of receiving the
earliest intelligence, and of conveying their orders with celerity,
induced the emperors to establish throughout their extensive
dominions the regular institution of posts. Houses were everywhere
erected at the distance only of five or six miles; each of these was
constantly provided with forty horses, and by the help of these
relays it was easy to travel a hundred miles on a day along the Roman
roads."

Wherever the Romans conquered they inhabited, and introduced into all
their provinces, from Syene, "where the shadow both way falls," to the
_ultima Thule_ of the Scottish border, the germs of Latin civilization.
To this imperial people England and France owe their first roads; for the
drift-ways along the dykes of the Celts scarcely deserve the name. The
most careless observer must have remarked the strong resemblance between