BOOK IX.] History of Nature. 155 



some great Solemnity, but only to go to a betrothing Supper 

 of People of ordinary Rank ; at which Time she was covered 

 all over with Emeralds and Pearls, shining as they were 

 arranged in alternate Rows; over all her Head, the Wreaths 

 of her Hair, her Ears, Neck, Hands, and Fingers. The 

 Value of these Ornaments she rated at 400 hundred thousand 

 Sestertii ; l and offered to prove it immediately by her Books 

 of Accounts. Yet these Jewels were not the Gifts of the 

 prodigal Prince, but the Riches of her own Ancestors, that 

 is, the Product of the Spoiling of the Provinces. This is 

 the Issue of those Depredations ; this it was for which 

 M. Lollius was reproached through all the East for receiving 

 Presents from the Kings ; and being forbidden the Friend- 

 ship of C. Ccesar, Son of Augustus, he drank Poison, that 

 his Niece should be gazed at by Lamp-light as she was 

 covered with the Value of Jewels of 400 hundred thousand 

 Sestertii. 



On the other Hand, let any Man reckon how much 

 Curius or Fabricius bore in their Triumphs ; let him imagine 

 what their Shows were: and on the other Side, make an 

 Estimate of Lollia, one only Woman, allied to the Emperor, 

 reclining ; would not he wish rather that they had been 

 pulled out of their Chariots than to have conquered only for 

 this ? And yet this is not the greatest Example of excessive 

 Prodigality. 



There were two Pearls, the very largest that ever were 

 known in any Age, and they were possessed by Cleopatra, 

 the last Queen of Egypt ; having descended to her by means 

 of the Kings of the East. When Antony had feasted her 

 Day by Day very sumptuously, and under the Influence, 

 at one Time, of Pride and petulant Disdain, as a Royal 

 Harlot, after undervaluing his Expense and Provision, he 

 demanded how it was possible to go beyond this Magni- 

 ficence : she replied, that she would consume, in one Supper, 

 100 hundred thousand Sestertii. 2 Antony desired to learn 

 how that could be possible, but he thought it was not. 



1 Forty, millions. 3 Ten millions. 



