CYPEINID^ OR CARPS. 293 



that can be produced of ' excessive riot and prodigality 

 in pearls.' 



Two only pearles there were togetlier, the fairest and richest 

 that ever have been known in the world ; and those possessed at 

 one time by Cleopatra, the last queene of Egypt, which came into 

 her hands by the means of the great kings of the East, and were 

 left unto her by descent. This princesse, when M. Anthony had 

 strained himself to doo her all the pleasure he possibly could, and 

 had feasted her day by day most sumptuously, and spared for no 

 cost, in the height of her pride and wanton travesie (as being a 

 noble curtezan and queene withal) began to debase the expence 

 and provision of Anthony, and make no reckoning of his costly 

 fare. "When he demanded agaia how it was possible to go be- 

 yond this magnificence of his, she answered again, that she should 

 spend upon him in one supper 100 hundred thousand sestertii (10 

 millions). Anthony, who would needs know how that might be (for 

 he thought it was impossible), laid a great wager with her about 

 it, and she bound it again, and made it good. The morrow after, 

 when this was to be tried, and the wager either to be won or lost, 

 Cleopatra made Anthony a supper (because she could not make 

 default, and let the day appointed to passe), which was sump- 

 tuous and royal enough ; howbeit there was no extraordinarie 

 service seene upon the board : whereat Anthony laughed her to 

 scorn, and by way of mockerie, required to see a bill, with the 

 account of the particulars. She agauie said, that whatsoever had 

 been served up already, was but the overplus above the rate and 

 proportion in question, affirming stiU, that shee would yet in that 

 supper make up the full summe that she was seezed at ; yea, her- 

 selfe alone would eat above that reckoning, and her own supper 

 should cost 600 htmdred thousand sestertii (60 millions), and 

 with that commanded the second service to be -brought in. The 

 servitours that waited at her trencher (as they had in charge 

 before) set before her one onely cruet of sharpe vinegar, the 

 strength whereof is able to dissolve pearles. Now she had at 

 her eares hanging those two most precious pearles, the singular 

 and onely jewels of the world, and even nature's wonder. As 

 Anthony looked wistfully upon and expected what shee would 

 doo, she took one of them from her ear, steeped it in vinegar, 

 and so soon as it was hquefied, drank it off. And as she was 

 about to do the like by the other, L. Plancus, the judge of that 

 wager, laid fast hold upon it with his hand, and pronounced 

 withal, that Anthony had lost the wager. Whereat the man fell 



