50 PEARLS THEIR ANCIENT ESTIMATION. 



be clad and araied also therewith. O, the folly of us men ! 

 see how there is nothing that goeth to the pampering and 

 trimming of this our carcasse, of so great price and account, 

 that is not bought with the utmost hazard, and costeth not 

 the venture of a man's life." The eloquence of the original 

 philippic is somewhat sobered dowii in the translation of the 

 worthy Philemon Holland, and perhaps the almost incredible 

 extravagance of Roman vanity in the use of these ornaments 

 might justify the naturalist's warmth. " Our dames," he 

 continues in a subsequent passage, " take a great pride in a 

 braverie, to have these not only dangling at their fingers, but 

 also two or three of them together pendant at their eares.* 

 And names they have forsooth newly devised for them, when 

 they serve their turne in this their wanton excesse and super- 

 fluitie of riot : for when they knocke one against another as 

 they hang at their eares or fingers, they call them Crotalia, i. 

 Cymbals : as if they tooke delight to heare the sound of their 

 pearles ratling together. Now adayes also it is growne to 

 this passe, that meane women and poore men's wives affect to 

 wear them, because they would be thought rich : and a by- 

 word it is amongst them, That a faire pearle at a woman's 

 eare is as good in the street where she goeth as an huisher to 

 make way, for that every one will give such the place. Nay, 

 our gentlewomen are come now to weare them upon their 

 feet, and not at their shoo latchets only, but also upon their 

 startops and fine buskins, which they garnish all over with 

 pearle. For it will not suffice nor serve their turne to carie 

 pearles about them, but they must tread upon pearles, goe 

 among pearles, and walke as it were on a pavement of pearles." 

 After this general statement, Pliny draws in detail a portrait 

 of one of these dames, which is curious enough to deserve 

 quotation : " I my self e have seen Lollia Paulina (late wife, 

 and after widdbw, to Caius Caligula the emperor) when she 

 was dressed and set out, not in stately wise, nor of purpose 

 for some great solemnity, but only when she was to go to a 

 wedding supper, or rather unto a feast when the assurance 

 was made, and great persons they were not that made the 

 said feast : I have seen her, I say, so beset and bedeckt all 

 over with hemeraulds and pearles, disposed in rows, ranks, 

 and courses one by another : round about the attire of her 

 head, her cawle, her borders, her peruk of hair, her bond 

 grace and chaplet ; at her eares pendant, about her neck in a 

 carcanet, upon her wrest in bracelets, and on her fingers in 



* " Her (Rome) women wear 



The spoils of nations in an ear, 



Changed for the treasure of a shell." Chorus in " Catiline." 



