142 THE ROMAN BADEN-BADEN. 



their wealth. Prodigious prices were paid for a good 

 Greek cook. Every patrician villa was a castle of 

 gastronomical delight : it was provided with its salt 

 water tank for fish and oysters, and an aviary which 

 was filled with field-fares, ortolans, nightingales, and 

 thrushes ; a white dove-cot, like a tower, stood beside 

 the house, and beneath it was a dark dungeon for 

 fattening the birds ; there was also a poultry ground, 

 with pea-fowl, guinea-fowl, and pink feathered flamin- 

 goes imported from the East, while an orchard of 

 fig-trees, honey-apples, and other fruits, and a garden 

 in which the trees of cypress and yew were clipped 

 into fantastic shapes, conferred an aspect of rural 

 beauty on the scene. The hills round the Bay of 

 Naples were covered with these villas ; and to that 

 charming region it became the fashion to resort at a 

 certain season of the year. In such places gambling, 

 drinking, and love-making shook off all restraints. 

 Black-eyed Soubrettes tripped perpetually about with 

 billets-doux in Greek : the rattle of the ivory dice- 

 box could be heard in the streets, like the click of 

 billiard balls in the Parisian boulevards ; and many a 

 boat with purple sails, and with garlands of roses 

 twined round its mast, floated softly along the water, 

 laughter and sweet music sounding from the prow. 



Happily for Cato's peace of mind, he died before 

 the casino with its cachucha, or cancan, or whatever it 

 might have been, was introduced, and before the 

 fashions of Asia had been added to those of Greece. 

 But he lived long enough to see the Grasco-maniacs 

 triumphant. In earlier and happier days he had been 

 able to expel two philosophers from Rome ; but now 

 he saw them swarming in the streets with their ragged 

 cloaks and greasy beards, and everywhere obtaining 



