A 
\ 
of Plinies Naturall Hiftori¢é. 463 
queft of che Carthaginians fhewed in that folenine pompe; and brought into the chamber of al 
Romeas much treafure as amounted to * foure thoufand foure hundred and feventie pounds * Qi 
weight of filver,athoufandtimestold. This wasall the treafurein filverthat the whole ftate of ‘aden 
Carthage was able to make in thofe daies ; Carthage (I fay) that great and prond cittie which a ee 
pretended atitle to the Empire of the world, and maintained the fame againft Rome sand yet 5.4 o¢ millice 
fee Lin this age there isas much laid out in out cupbourds of plate, andfurniture of our tables; foure hundred 
The fame Africanus afterwards, upon the winning and finallruine of Numantia, gave among 79 ees 
his fouldiors in a triumph, 17000! pound weight of filver: O brave fouldiors, and worthie fo no- iin ingredibld 
blea captaine, who ftood contented with fuchateward. A brothet of this Scipiojfurnamed Allo- fom, confide 
brogins,wasthe firftknowne to havein plate; one thoufand poundweight:bur / seas Dyufisy wth ween 
whiles he was but Tribune or Provoft of thé comminalti¢, had in filver veflellas much as weighs ly followesh: 
edcleven thoufand pounds. Nowif I fhouldtell you that the Romane Cenforsupon 2 time dif- epee aed 
graced, yea and degraded an ancient captain and one who in his time had rodein tiumphyonly place in Plinié 
for that he had in plate five pound weight, it would bee taken in thefe daics for amecre tale.and 1s comupred, 
vainefable:asalfothat Cetus Aalivsin his Confulfhip, wasfound fitting at dinner fervedwith 
earthen veflell of potters worke, when the Embafladors of the Etolianscame unto him sthat he 
refufed alfo filver plate prefented unto him for the furniture of ius bourd, and to his dying day 
had never in Silver more than two drinking cups, which Zucis Paelus his wives father beftowed 
upon him after the defeiture of K. Per/éws, in regard of his valiantfervice; we hold itnowforne 
leffe than’an untruth &incredible.Andherel call romind amerry conceited fpeech that} have | 
read in the Chronicles, of certaine Carthaginian Embafladours, who faid, Tharno menin the 
world had more good fellowfhip in their houles, and lived more friendly rogither, than the Ro- 2 
mans: for why ¢when they feafted one another(fay they) the fame *filver plate went round about *Thiswasfe., 
amongft them all from one to another without chaunge, But howfvever this frugalitie whereof 1 rst, pis baie 
fpcake, may feeme ftraunge and fabulousto the world wherein wee live, certeswe all knowthis wse:ior thar. 
tobe trucand nofable,that Pompeins Paulinus (thefonne of aRomane knight or man of armes él! thelr veel 
borne at Arles) was not only banifhed out of the country and nation where hisfather was born, ee i 
burcontined alfo to the marches of moft {avage and barbarous people and expofed to theif crue no better, fce~ 
eltie,onely for this, That he hadin his campe (co the evill example of the armie) as much filver TESA ith 
plate as weighed twelve pounds. Butlong agoe itis fince the fafhion came up at Rome, that our in fiver plate; 
dames had theit bedscovered all over with filver, yea & fome dining roums with tables laid with men vere ee 
the fame : which invention came firft (as it is reported) from Carvilivs Polite, agentieman or ee 
knight of Rome, who devifed to garnith his bourds with filver, not covering them full & whole workmantiip, 
throughout with plates thereof, nor afterthe manner of Deltacke workemanthip, but onely by Ae sf 
parcels,and according to the Punicke or Carthaginian fafhion. The fame Polio madebedsand = 
tables of gold: but not long after,thofe filver beds and bourds came to the order of thofe in the, 
Ifle Delos . But all this fumptuoficie was punithed fufficiently and expiat by the civile warre of 
Sylla:fora litle before thofe troubles, this excefleand thefefuperfuines came up : as alfo about 
thefametime, men fell tomake great chargers and platters of filver, weighing one hundred 
pound a peece; of which there were atRome (asitis well knowne) when the faid warte began, to 
the number of five hundred and above :which wasthe caufe that many a man fell intothe daun- 
ger of profcription andconfilcation, for that their rich plate fet their enemies teeth on waters 
who for the love and defire thereof, pradtifed by all cunning means their utter undoing, Certes 
our hiftorians heretofore, who: attributed this curfedand unhappie civil warre betweene Sylla 
and Mariz unto fuch fuperfluities and vices of thofe times which reigned {orife,might be atha- 
med and bluffi to fay fo; for ourage hath been more hardie, and hath proceeded farther with- 
out any fuch feare of punifhment from above. No longer fince than in the daies of Claadiz the 
Emperor, Drafillanwsaflave of hisfurnamed Rotwndus, (the Senefchol or Treafurer under him 
in high Spaine) hada filver charger of five hundred pound weight (for the working whereof, 
there wasa forge framed beforehand of fet purpofe: ) and the fame was accompanied and at- 
tended wit! eight more ofa {maller fize, weighing fiftie pound apeece.Now would J gladly know 
(it it might pleafe you) howmany of his fellows (fuch flaves I meane as himfelfe) there muft be 
to carie the faid veffell and ferve itup tothe table? or what guefts they mought be who were to 
be ferved with fuch huge plate ? Cornelius Nepos writeth That beforethe victorie of the faid Sylla 
who defeited “arius,two diningtables and nomore there werethroughout Rome, all of filver. 
T t Feneftella 
