THE SURMULLET; 
* 3 8 
Genus XLI — 1 he Surmullet. 
X'his genus comprehends the three fpecies of mullets $ 
all fillies of the molt delicate kind : fome of them were iu 
fucli reqtieft among the Romans, that they were bought by 
the private citizens for their weight of filver. It was in 
the purchafe of this fiih, above all others, that the 
wealthy fctiators (hewed their extravagance and fenfuali- 
ty. Juvenal and Pliny afford ample teflimony of the 
luxury of their age, vehich, happily for mankind, has 
never been equalled in any other period of human focie* 
ty*. An inltance of fixty-four pounds being paid for a 
fiih of three pounds weight, is recorded by Pliny f . 
But the manner of drefiing and eating thefe fiih, dill 
more than the extravagance of the price, {hewed the epi- 
curil'm of the ancient entertainments. The mullet 
was not reckoned worth a farthing if it did not die in 
the hand of your gueft. There was water kept in the 
eating room into which the living animal was put, and 
from thence conveyed immediately to the flew, where it 
vvas drefied, which was al o in the fame apartment, and 
under the table ; from thence the fiih was placed upon it. 
It 
* MtiHum fex millibus emit, ^quantem fane paribus filfertia libris. 
This fum is equal to 4SI. 8s. jd. Joy. Sat. xv. 
t That of Afmius Celer, a man of confuiar dignity, Vide Lib. xx. 
riip. 1 7. 
