PETROMYZON. 79 



certain, at Christmas, used to present a lamprey- 

 eel pie to the king. Much is said by the old wri- 

 ters, of the Roman eel, which nearly resembled 

 the species under consideration. Reservoirs were 

 constructed, on a magnificent scale, by the opulent, 

 where the lampreys were made so docile, by reg- 

 ular feeding, as to rise to the surface w^hen called. 

 Pliny relates, as a fact, that one Vedious Pollio, a 

 particular friend of Augustus, took delight in throw- 

 ing his slaves into the eel vats, for the pleasure of 

 seeing them torn to pieces and devoured. On a 

 particular occasion, the emperor honored Pollio 

 with his company, at a brilliant entertainment, at 

 which a slave unfortunately happened to break a 

 costly crystal vase. The unfeehng master, in a 

 paroxysm of fury, exclaimed to the other attend- 

 ants, — " away with him to the muraenae." The 

 poor wretch, all but dead with horror, fell at the 

 feet of the emperor, beseeching that he might be 

 permitted to die some death lest terrible ! Aston- 

 ished at the sudden and strange circumstance, Au- 

 gustus made speedy inquiry into this extraordinary 

 mode of punishment, and when he fully understood 

 the savage cruelty, disposition and practice, of Pol- 

 lio, ordered, at once, all the remaining vessels bro- 

 ken before his face : — directed the reservoirs to be 

 filled up, — gave freedom to the pleading slave, 

 und only consented to spare the life of the murder- 

 er, his master, in consideration of his former regard. 



