252 Gleanings from the 



when the aflurance was made, and great perfons 

 they were not that made the faid feaft," (mediocrium 

 etiam fponfalium coena), " I have feen her, I fay, 

 fo befet and bedeckt all over with hemeraulds and 

 pearles, difpofed in rewes, ranks, and courfes, one 

 by another, round about the attire of her head, 

 her cawle, her borders, her peruk of hair, her 

 bondgrace " (high hood over the forehead), " and 

 chaplet ; at her ears pendant, about her neck in a 

 carcanet, upon her wreft in bracelets, and on her 

 fingers in rings, that me glittered and mon again 

 like the fun as me went. The value of these 

 ornaments me efteemed and rated at 400 hundred 

 thoufand Seftertii." When Pliny mentally com- 

 pares this luxury with the fimple array of fuch 

 old Romans as Curius or Fabricius even while 

 triumphing, he cannot forbear bitter reflections. 

 Who would not have wiihed that they had been 

 pulled out of their chariots and never triumphed, 

 than that their victories fhould have let into Rome 

 fuch a flood of coftly ornaments ! As for Lollia 

 herfelf, me may fitly point a moral. All thefe 

 jewels came to her from her uncle, M. Lollius, 

 and were the fruit of his extortions and outrageous 

 exactions from different provinces. Yet the end 

 was that, lofing the friendmip of Caligula, and 

 being accufed of bribery and corruption, he " dranke 

 a cup of poifon, and preuented his judiciall trial ; 

 that forfooth his neece Lollia, all to be hanged 

 with jewels of 400 hundred thoufand Seftertii, 

 fhould be feene glittering and looked at of euery 

 man by candle-light all a fupper time." 



