542 PEOSE HALIBrTICS. 



like hungry dogs on the watch at their feet, and each 

 hoping for his mouthful of oflPal. The same intolerable 

 arrogance and insolence on one side, and the same base 

 servility on the other, characterized those Roman feasts, 

 where some great entertainer invited his poorer fiiends 

 and hangers-on to meet wealthy guests — these to bait, 

 and those to be baited. Juvenal gives us an account of 

 one of these banquets, with which, if the reader com- 

 pares the French Juvenal's close imitation, adapted to a 

 feast given in the reign of Louis XIV., he will find at 

 least as many points of favourable contrast as of unfa- 

 vourable resemblance; the censor of Mount Parnassus, 

 who is careful to note every delinquency of his host, can- 

 not pretend that he admits Ajaxes or Benjamins to run 

 away with more than their share of the dinner, or that 

 the servants do not pay equal attention to the wants of 

 every one present; and whilst the worst offences com- 

 mitted by the Gallic entertainer are all uniatentional, 

 general, and culinary, those of the Roman are pre- 

 meditated, pointed against individuals, and extended far 

 beyond the dishes : — 



The day, tlie hour arrives, the time to dine ; 

 But, gods ! at such a feast ! and for the wine ! 

 So thick and turbid you might try in vain 

 Through coarsest wool the feculence to strain.* 

 So crude and fiery, t that one soon shall view 

 No longer guests hut Corybants in you. 



* Of ancient-wine strainers (Gr. rjBjxoi., Lat. cola vinaria) seve- 

 ral specimens may be seen in the cabinet of the King of Naples ; 

 burnt bread was sometimes used ' to get rid of the naughty flavour 

 of the lees ;' that was the more refined plan, but Viento's poor 

 guest was doomed, it seems, to swallow his ' black draught' in all 

 its umnitigated nastiness. 



t The client's haustus was, no doubt, some common, vile Sa- 

 bine stuff, corresponding to the modern red liquid retailed at an 

 exceedingly low price at Eome, which, little better than thickened 



