INTRODUCTION. XVU 



have not to seek the means of your destruc- 

 tion,, could I live without you;'' on which 

 she ordered a prisoner to be brought before 

 them,, who, on drinking the wine from the 

 General's goblet, instantly expired in their 

 presence. 



The fondness which the ancients evinced 

 for flowers was carried to such an excess as 

 to become almost a vice. When Antony 

 supped with the far-famed Queen of Egypt, 

 the floors of the apartments were generally 

 covered with fragrant flowers ; and when 

 Nero sat at banquet in his golden house, a 

 shower of flowers and odorous essences fell 

 upon him : but Heliogabalus turned these 

 vegetable beauties into curses, for it was one 

 of the pleasures of this monster to smother 

 his courtiers with flowers. 



The Italians, who still retain some of the 



customs of the Romans, have artificers called 

 Festaroli, whose office it is to make gar- 

 lands or festoons of flowers, and other deco- 

 rations for feasts. The Catholic church still 

 continues the use of flowers in its religious 



ceremonies, as was particularly observed in 



