163 



PARSO^^S ON THE ROSE. 



the hands of Augustus, thrust himself through with his 

 sword, and requested Cleopatra to scatter perfumes over 

 Ms tomb, and to cover it with roses. 



The greatest profusion of roses mentioned in ancient 

 history, and wliich is scarcely credible, is that which Sue- 

 tonius attributes to Nero. This author says, that at a 

 fete which tlie emperor gave in the Gulf of Baise, when 

 inns were established on the banks, and ladies of distinc- 

 tion played the part of hostesses, the expense incurred for 

 roses alone was more than four millions of sesterces — 

 about $100,000. Since Nero, many of his successors have 

 nearly equaled him in prodigal enjoyment of the luxury 

 of roses. Lucius Aurelius Verus, whose licentiousness 

 and destitution of every manly quality equaled that of 

 the worst empei?ors, but whom no one reproaches with 

 any act of cruelty, was the inventor of a new species of 

 luxury. He had a couch made on which were four raised 

 cushions, closed on all sides by a very thin net, and filled 

 with leaves of roses. Heliogabalus, celebrated for luxury 

 and vice of every kind, caused roses to be crashed with 

 the kernels of the pine (Pinus maritima), in order to in- 

 crease the 2^erfume. The same emperor caused roses to 

 be scattered over the couches, the halls, and even the 

 porticoes of the palace, and he renewed this profusion 

 with flowers of every kind — lilies, violets, hyacinths, nar- 

 cissus, etc. Gallien, another equally cruel and luxurious 

 prince, lay, according to some authors, under arbors of 

 roses ; and, according to others, on beds covered with 

 these flowers. And finally, Carrius, another licentious 

 and prodigal emperor, who reigned only a few months, 

 caused roses to be scattered over the chambers of his 

 palace, and on the couches of his guests. 



