C 22 7 ] 
The names are writen oil the infide ; and when the 
two parrs were put together, they made a cylinder (a). 
From this cuftom came the proverbial exprefllon, 
tejferam hofpitalem confringere 5 which was applied 
A to thofe perfons, who violated their engagements {b). 
The tejferae frumentariae are often mentioned by 
Roman writers, which were fmall tallies given by 
the emperors to the populace at Rome, intitling 
them to the reception of a certain quantity of corn 
from the public at dated feafons. And thofe, who 
were pofielfed of them, when they did not want the 
com, fometimes fold them to others 5 as we learn 
from the fatyrift, when he fais : 
Summu l a ne per eat , qua vilzs tejfera venit 
Frumenti [c). 
The perfon, who had the infpe&ion of thefe tef- 
ferae, and diftributed the corn to thofe, who pro- 
duced them, feems to have been called tejferarius ; 
as Fignorius obferves from a funeral monument, 
inferibed symphoro tesserario ser. caesar is (d). 
Thefe tejferae ; were firft made of wood, as appears 
from the words of Flirty , where treating upon the 
nature and properties of trees he fais, Ligujira tej- 
feris utilijjima (e). But Fabretti has publifhed the 
draughts of two of them made of done, in the form 
of cylinders, and of the fame lize with the originals. 
The length ot them is fomewhat fhort of three inches, 
the diameter three quarters of an inch, and the fol- 
lowing 
(a) De tejfer. hofpital. cap. 15. (b) Plant. Ci/iell. 11. 1. 29. 
(c) Juvenal. Sat. vii. 174- (d) De fervis, pag. 318. ed, 
1674, ofi. (e) H. N. Lib. XVI. cap. 8. § 31. 
G S 
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