332 COEXA TRIMALCHIONIS. 



more Cardamom perfume than two funeral processions. 

 Petronius, in liis "Coena Trimalchionis", gives us a very 

 realistic description of Nero's times, dealing also with the 

 passion for perfumes and the excessive use of unguents. 

 Thougli tlie colouring may be vivid this j^icture is only 

 in accordance ^\ith the customs then prevalent among the 

 showi, upstarts of those times. During the most luxurious 

 and protracted banquets, at which the rarest dishes were 

 served up dressed in the UKJSt skilful manner, the most 

 varied surprises fdUowed one another. Suddenh' from 

 the ceiling a huge hoop is let down, round which hang 

 golden wreaths and llasks ol perfumed essences. These 

 are gilts for the guests. Towards the end of the feast 

 the ci)m]5an\' becomes boisterous and the drunken Tri- 

 malchio concei\'es the idea of having the garments, in 

 which he ^\ished to be buried, brought in. TJe orders 

 scented water to be fetched and a sample of that wine 

 with which his linilis are to l)e washed. Tie ojjeiis a ilask 

 of v^pikenard essence ancl sprinkles his guests with it, 

 expressing the hope that this perfume mnv be as pleasant 

 to him alter death as it is in life. Petronius was one of the 

 favourite authors of the eighteenth century ; and about tlie 

 middle of this centur\' — as I understand from the intro- 

 duction to T^iidwig Friedlander's "Petronius" — the '-t'oena 

 Trimalchionis"' had already been translated six times into 

 French. y\t the court of Hanover, in 179-^, it was even perfor- 

 med at the C'arni\'al by royal actors. Uy the wish of (^ueen 

 .So])hia Charlotte of Prussia Leibnitz liad to describe tliis 

 ]Tertormance to the Princess von I lohenzollern-Idechingen. 

 and he did so in a t rencir letter on Fe]iruar\ 2.5, I7*'2. 



