Chap. 58.] PEAELS. 439 



Nor, indeed, are these the most supreme evidences of luxury. 

 There were formerly two pearls, the largest that had been ever 

 seen in the whole world : Cleopatra, the last of the queens of 

 Egypt, was in possession of them both, they having come to 

 her by descent from the kings of the East. When Antony 

 had been sated by her, day after day, with the most exquisite 

 banquets, this queenly courtesan, inflated with vanity and dis- 

 dainful arrogance, affected to treat all this sumptuousness and 

 all these vast preparations with the greatest contempt ; upon 

 which Antony enquired what there was that could possibly be 

 added to such extraordinary magnificence. To this she made 

 answer, that on a single entertainment she would expend ten 

 millions 60 of sesterces. Antony was extremely desirous to 

 learn how that could be done, but looked upon it as a thing 

 quite impossible ; and a wager was the result. On the follow- 

 ing day, upon which the matter was to be decided, in order 

 that she might not lose the wager, she had an entertainment 

 set before Antony, magnificent in every respect, though no 

 better than his usual repast. Upon this, Antony joked 

 her, and enquired what was the amount expended upon it ; to 

 which she made answer that the banquet which he then be- 

 held was only a trifling appendage 61 to the real banquet, and 

 that she done 62 would consume at the meal to the ascertained 

 value of that amount, she herself would swallow the ten 

 millions of sesterces ; and so ordered the second course to be 

 served. In obedience to her instructions, the servants placed 

 before he: a single vessel, which was filled with vinegar, a 

 liquid, ths sharpness and strength of which is able M to dis- 



60 A fouith of the sum mentioned in Note 55. 



61 " Cordlarium." 



62 " Et cmsumpturam earn ccenam taxationem confirmans." 



63 " It wts because pearls are calcareous, that Cleopatra was able to dis- 

 solve hers ii vinegar, and by these means to gain a bet from her lover, as 

 we are told by Pliny, B. ix. c. 58, and Macrobius, Sat. B. ii. c. 13. She 

 must, however, have employed stronger vinegar than that which we use 

 for our table ; as pearls, on account of their hardness and their natural 

 enamel, caniot be easily dissolved by a weak acid. Nature has secured 

 the teeth o: animals against the effect of acids, by an enamel covering, 

 which answers the same purpose ; but if this enamel happens to be injured 

 only in one small place, the teeth soon spoil and rot. Cleopatra, perhaps, 

 broke and pounded the pearls [pearl] ; and it is probable that she after- 

 wards dilutee the vinegar with water, that she might be able to drink it ; 

 though dissolved calcareous matter neutralizes acids, and renders them imper- 



