Italy. 39 



that every one will give such the place. Nay, our 

 gentlewomen are come now to weare them upon 

 their feet, and not at their shoe latchets onely, 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 

 with them, but they must tread upon Pearles, goe 

 among Pearles, and walke, as it were, on a pave- 

 ment of Pearles." 



Pearls also decorated the altars in the Roman 

 temples, and the furniture of the houses, while 

 the arms and the trappings of the horses, and of 

 war-chariots shone with them. 



Nero offered to Jupiter Capitolinus the first 

 cuttings of his beard in a golden vase decorated 

 with beautiful Pearls. 



Caligula wore them in profusion, and had his 

 slippers embroidered with them. 



An eye-witness, Philo Judseus, tells us that the 

 couches upon which the Romans reclined at meal- 

 times were ornamented with tortoise-shell and ivory, 

 and shone with gold and Pearls. He adds further, 

 that upon the couches lay purple coverings em- 

 broidered in gold or Pearls. Nero distributed them 

 lavishly among his favourites, and to such an 



