They are frugal, good-humoured, and, compared to the native Romans, honest and hard-working.

A very small proportion too of the working-men in Rome itself are Romans.

Certain trades, as that of the cooks for instance, are almost confined to the inhabitants of particular outlying districts.
The masons, carpenters, carvers, and other mechanical trades, are filled by men who do not belong to the city, and who are called and considered foreigners.

Of course the rule is not without exceptions, and you will find genuine Romans amongst the common workmen, but amongst the skilled workmen hardly ever.

There is a very large, poor, I might almost say, pauper population in Rome, and in some form or other these poor must work for their living, but their principle is to do as little work as possible.