134 LIVING CREATURES, 



alty, then and there, by being thrown into the fish- 

 pond. This was the order: 



Whoever breaks the glass or dishes, 

 That man becomes the food of fishes. 



Well, on one occasion the Emperor Augustus came 

 to sup with Pollio, when he was, of course, richly en- 

 tertained. The best dishes, the finest vases, the best 

 wine appeared on the table. As might be expected 

 in the presence of an emperor, the servants behaved 

 with propriety, and no accident at first happened. 



The fish went off swimmingly, and so did the rest 

 of the dinner; but not so the dessert. An unlucky 

 servant made a slip and broke a crystal goblet ; where- 

 upon his master ordered the offender to be at once de- 

 livered over to the pet murries, in the very presence 

 of the emperor. 



The man knew his doom; so he fell at Augustus' 

 feet and begged him to intercede in his behalf with 

 his master. He did not fear to die it was not al- 

 together that ; but he thought it hard that a man, 

 though a slave, should be gobbled up or nibbled to 

 pieces by fish. 



But Pollio would not listen even to the emperor; 

 whereupon Augustus very properly took the matter 

 into his own hands. He pardoned the slave and set 

 him at liberty ; ordered all Pollio's glass and china to 

 be smashed, and his fish ponds to be filled up. I 

 suppose the emperor made it up with Pollio soon 

 after this affair. At any rate, it is stated that when 

 Pollio died, he left a large part of his property to 

 Augustus, . 



