1 56 History of Nature. [BooK IX . 



Wagers were, therefore, laid ; and on the following Day, 

 when the Decision was to be made (for that a Day might 

 not be lost, Antony appointed the next succeeding one), she 

 provided a Supper, which was, on the whole, sumptuous ; 

 but Antony laughed at it, and required to see an Account of 

 the Particulars. But she said, that what had been served up 

 already was but the Over-measure, and affirmed still, that 

 she would in that Supper make up the full Sum ; and her- 

 self alone consume in this Supper 600 huudred thousand 

 Sestertii. 1 She then commanded the second Table to be 

 brought in. As soon as the Order was given, the Attendants 

 placed before her one only Vessel of Vinegar, 2 the Strength 

 and Sharpness of which wasted and dissolved the Pearls. 

 Now she wore at her Ears that most remarkable and truly 

 singular Work of Nature. Therefore, as Antony waited to 

 see what she was going to do, she took one of them from 

 her Ear, steeped it in the Vinegar, and when it was liquefied, 

 drank it. As she was about to do the like by the other, 

 L. Plancius, the Judge of that Wager, laid hold upon it 

 with his Hand, and pronounced that Antony had lost the 

 Wager : whereat the Man became very angry. The Fame 

 of this Pearl may go with its Fellow ; for after this Queen, 

 the Winner of so great a Wager, was taken Prisoner, the 

 other Pearl was cut in two, that the half of their Supper 

 might hang at the Ears of Venus, in the Pantheon, at 

 Rome. Still, however, these shall not bear away the Palm in 



1 Sixty millions. 



2 Cleopatra must have employed a stronger vinegar than that which 

 we now use for our tables, as the pearls, on account of their hardness and 

 their natural enamel, cannot be easily dissolved by a weak acid. Nature has 

 secured the teeth of animals against the effect of acids, by an enamel 

 covering of the like kind ; but if this enamel happen to be injured only 

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

 broke and pounded the pearls ; and it is probable that she afterwards 

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

 though it is the nature of the basis or calx to neutralise the acid, and so 

 render it imperceptible to the tongue. See BECKMAN'S Hist, of Inventions, 

 vol. ii. p. 1. 



The pearl which Cleopatra swallowed is said to have been worth 

 80,729*. 3s. 4d. Wern. Club. 



