James’s statement is true?  What did the Romans most commonly build?  Can you find out something of their style of building?  Are there any reasons why the arches at the top should be smaller and lighter than those below?  What does this great aqueduct show of the Roman people and the Roman government?  Notice what Mr. James says of the way in which we measure greatness:  Is this a good way?  Why would the Romans like the way in which the Pont du Gard speaks of them?  Why is it not “discreet” to tell where the young man’s chateau is?  Why does the traveler feel so far from Paris?  Why does the young man treat the traveler with such unnecessary friendliness?  See how the author closes his chapter by bringing the description round to the Pont du Gard again and ending with the note struck in the first lines.  Is this a good method?

THEME SUBJECTS

A Bridge
Country Roads
An Accident on the Road
A Remote Dwelling
The Stranger
At a Country Hotel
Roman Roads
A Moonlight Scene
A Picturesque Ravine
What I should Like to See in Europe
Traveling in Europe
Reading a Guide Book
The Baedeker
A Ruin
The Character of the Romans
The Romans in France
Level Country
A Sunny Day
The Parlor

SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING

=At a Country Hotel=:—­Tell how you happened to go to the hotel (this part may be true or merely imagined).  Describe your approach, on foot or in some conveyance.  Give your first general impression of the building and its surroundings.  What persons were visible when you reached the entrance?  What did they say and do?  How did you feel?  Describe the room that you entered, noting any striking or amusing things.  Tell of any particularly interesting person, and what he (or she) said.  Did you have something to eat?  If so, describe the dining-room, and tell about the food.  Perhaps you will have something to say about the waiter.  How long did you stay at the hotel?  What incident was connected with your departure?  Were you glad or sorry to leave?

=The Bridge=:—­Choose a large bridge that you have seen.  Where is it, and what stream or ravine does it span?  When was it built?  Clearly indicate the point of view of your description.  If you change the point of view, let the reader know of your doing so.  Give a general idea of the size of the bridge:  You need not give measurements; try rather to make the reader feel the size from the comparisons that you use.  Describe the banks at each end of the bridge, and the effect of the water or the abyss between.  How is the bridge supported?  Try to make the reader feel its solidity and safety.  Is it clumsy or graceful?  Why?  Give any interesting details in its appearance.  What conveyances or persons are passing over it?  How does the bridge make you feel?

COLLATERAL READINGS