menu_book Chapter 31

CHAPTER III. A FASHIONABLE PARTY AND A DINNER A LA MAUDE IN POMPEI. Meanwhile, Sallust and Glaucus were slowly strolling towards the house of Diomed. Despite the habits of his life, Sallust was not devoid of many estimable qualities. He would have been an active friend, a useful citizen, in short an excellent man, if he had not taken it into his head to be a philosopher.

Brought up in the schools in which Roman plagiarism worshipped the echo of Grecian wisdom, he had imbued himself with those doctrines by which the later Epicureans corrupted the simple maxims of their great master. He gave himself altogether up to pleasure, and imagined there was no sage like a boon companion. Still, however, he had a considerable degree of learning, wit, and good nature, and the hearty frankness of his very vices seemed like virtue itself, beside the utter corruption of Clodius, and the prostrate effeminacy of Lepidus, and therefore Glaucus liked him the best of his companions, and he, in turn, appreciating the nobler qualities of the Athenian, loved him almost as much as a cold murena, or a bowl of the best Falernian.

This is a vulgar old fellow, this Diomed, said Sallust, but he has some good qualities, in his cellar, and some charming ones, in his daughter. True, Glaucus, but you are not much moved by them, methinks. I fancy Clodius is desirous to be your successor. He is welcome. At the banquet of Julia's beauty, no guest, be sure, is considered a musker. You are severe, but she has, indeed, something of the Corinthian about her. they will be well matched after all what good-natured fellows we are to associate with

that gambling good for naught pleasure unites strange varieties answered glaucus he amuses me and flatters but then he pays himself well he powders his praise with gold dust you often hint that he plays unfairly think you so really my dear glaucus a roman noble has his dignity to keep up dignity is very expensive clodius must cheat like a scoundrel in order to live like a gentleman Ha ha! Well, of late I have renounced the dice. Ah, Sallust, when I am wedded to Ioni,

I trust I may yet redeem a youth of follies. We are both born for better things than those in which we sympathise now, born to render our worship in nobler temples than the sty of Epicurus. Alas, returned Sallust, in rather a melancholy tone, what do we know more than this? Life is short, beyond the grave all is dark. There is no wisdom like that which says, enjoy.

By Bacchus, I doubt sometimes if we do enjoy the utmost of which life is capable. I am a moderate man, returned Sallust, and do not ask the utmost. We are like malefactors, and intoxicate ourselves with wine and myrrh as we stand on the brink of death, but if we did not do so, the abyss would look very disagreeable. I own that I was inclined to be gloomy until I took so heartily to drinking.

That is a new life, my Glaucus. Yes, but it brings us next morning to a new death. Why, the next morning is unpleasant, I own, but then, if it were not so, one would never be inclined to read. I study betimes, because by the gods I am generally unfit for anything else till noon. Fie, Scythian!

Pshaw the fate of Pentheus to him who denies Bacchus! Well, Sallust, with all your faults you are the best profligate I ever met, and verily, if I were in danger of life you are the only man in all Italy who would stretch out a finger to save me. Perhaps I should not if it were in the middle of supper, but in truth we Italians are fearfully selfish. So are all men who are not free, said Glaucus with a sigh.

Freedom alone makes men sacrifice to each other. Freedom, then, must be a very fatiguing thing to an Epicurean, answered Sallust, but here we are at our hosts. As Diomedes' villa is one of the most considerable in point of size of any yet discovered at Pompeii, and is, moreover, built much according to the specific instructions for a suburban villa laid down by the Roman architect, it may not be uninteresting briefly to describe the plan of the apartments through which our visitors passed.

They entered, then, by the same small vestibule at which we have before been presented to the aged Medan, and passed at once into a colonnade, technically termed the peristyle, for the main difference between the suburban villa and the town mansion consisted in placing, in the first, the said colonnade, in exactly the same place as that which in the town mansion was occupied by the atrium. In the centre of the peristyle was an open court which contained the impluvium.

From this peristyle descended a staircase to the offices, another narrow passage on the opposite side communicated with a garden. Various small apartments surrounded the colonnade, appropriated probably to country visitors. Another door to the left on entering communicated with a small triangular portico, which belonged to the baths and behind was the wardrobe in which were kept the vests of the holiday suits of the slaves and perhaps of the master seventeen centuries afterwards were found those relics of ancient finery calcined and crumbling

kept longer alas than their thrifty lord foresaw return we to the peristyle and endeavour now to present to the reader a coup d'oeil of the whole suite of apartments which immediately stretched before the steps of the visitors let him then first imagine the columns of the portico hung with festoons of flowers the columns themselves in the lower part painted red and the walls around glowing with various frescoes then looking beyond a curtain three parts drawn aside the eye caught the tablinum or saloon which was closed at will by glazed doors now slid back into the walls on either side of this tablinum were small rooms one of which was a kind of cabinet of gems and these apartments as well as the tablinum communicated with a long gallery which opened at either end upon terraces and between the terraces and communicating with the central part of the gallery was a hall in which the banquet was that day prepared all these apartments though almost on a level with the street were one story above the garden and the terraces communicating with the gallery were continued into corridors raised above the pillars which to the right and left skirted the garden below beneath and on a level with the garden ran the apartments we have already described as chiefly appropriated to julia in the gallery then just mentioned diomed received his guests the merchant affected greatly the man of letters and therefore he also affected a passion for everything greek he paid particular attention to glaucus

you will see my friend said he with a wave of his hand that i am a little classical here a little cecropian eh the hall in which we shall sup is borrowed from the greeks it is an aecus cyzacene noble sallust they have not i am told this sort of apartment in rome oh replied sallust with a half smile you pompeians combine all that is most eligible in greece and in rome may you diomed combine the viands as well as the architecture you shall see you shall see my sallust replied the merchant we have a taste at pompeii and we have also money they are two excellent things replied sallust but behold the lady julia the main difference as i have before remarked in the manner of life observed among the athenians and romans was that with the first the modest woman rarely or never took part in entertainments with the latter they were the common ornaments of the banquet but when they were present at the feast it usually terminated at an early hour magnificently robed in white interwoven with pearls and threads of gold the handsome julia entered the apartment scarcely had she received the salutation of the two guests ere panza and his wife lopidus clodius and the roman senator entered almost simultaneously then came the widow fulvia then the poet fulvius like to the widow in name if in nothing else the warrior from herculaneum accompanied by his umbra next storkton afterwards the less eminent of the guests

ione yet tarried it was the mode among the courteous ancients to flatter whenever it was in their power accordingly it was a sign of ill-breeding to seat themselves immediately on entering the house of their host after performing the salutation which was usually accomplished by the same cordial shake of the right hand which we ourselves retain and sometimes by the yet more familiar embrace they spent several minutes in surveying the apartments and admiring the bronzes the pictures or the furniture with which it was adorned a mode very impolite according to our refined english notions which place good breeding in indifference we would not for the world express much admiration of another man's house for fear it should be thought we had never seen anything so fine before a beautiful statue this of bacchus said the roman senator a mere trifle replied diomed what charming painting said fulvia mere trifles answered the owner exquisite candelabra cried the warrior exquisite echoed his umbra trifles trifles reiterated the merchant meanwhile glaucus found himself by one of the windows of the gallery which communicated with the terraces and the fair julia by his side is it an athenian virtue glaucus said the merchant's daughter to shun those whom we once sought

fair julia no yet methinks it is one of the qualities of glaucus glaucus never shuns a friend replied the greek with some emphasis on the last word may julia rank among the number of his friends it would be an honour to the emperor to find a friend in one so lovely you evade my question returned the enamoured julia but tell me is it true that you admire the neapolitan ione does not beauty constrain our admiration ah subtle greek still do you fly the meaning of my words but say shall julia be indeed your friend if she will so favour me blessed be the gods the day in which i am thus honoured shall be ever marked in white yet even while you speak your eye is resting your colour comes and goes you move away involuntarily you are impatient to join ione for at that moment ione had entered and glaucus had indeed betrayed the emotion noticed by the jealous beauty can admiration to one woman make me unworthy the friendship of another sanction not so o julia the libels of the poets on your sex well you are right or i will learn to think so glaucus yet one moment you are to wed ione is it not so if the fates permit such is my blessed hope accept then from me in token of our new friendship a present for your bride nay it is the custom of friends you know always to present to bride and bridegroom some such little marks of their esteem and favouring wishes julia i cannot refuse any token of friendship from one like you i will accept the gift as an omen from fortune herself

then after the feast when the guests retire you will descend with me to my apartment and receive it from my hands remember said julia as she joined the wife of panza and left glaucus to seek ione the widow fulvia and the spouse of the ordeal were engaged in high and grave discussion oh fulvia i assure you that the last account from rome declares that the frizzling mode of dressing the hair is growing antiquated they only now wear it built up in a tower like julia's or arranged as a helmet the gallerian fashion like mine you see it has a fine effect i think i assure you vespius vespius was the name of the herculaneum hero admires it greatly and nobody wears the hair like yon neapolitan in the greek way what parted in front with the knot behind oh no how ridiculous it is it reminds one of the statue of diana yet this ione is handsome eh so the men say but then she is rich she is to marry the athenian i wish her joy he will not be long faithful i suspect those foreigners are very faithless oh julia said fulvia as the merchant's daughter joined them have you seen the tiger yet no why all the ladies have been to see him he is so handsome i hope we shall find some criminal or other for him and the lion replied julia your husband turning to panza's wife is not so active as he should be in this matter why really the laws are too mild replied the dame of the helmet there are so few offences to which the punishment of the arena can be awarded and then too the gladiators are growing effeminate

the stoutest bestiari declare they are willing enough to fight a boar or a bull but as for a lion or a tiger they think the game too much in earnest they are worthy of a mitre replied julia in disdain oh have you seen the new house of fulvius the dear poet said panza's wife no is it handsome very such good taste but they say my dear that he has such improper pictures he won't show them to the women how ill-bred those poets are always odd said the widow but he is an interesting man what pretty verses he writes we improve very much in poetry it is impossible to read the old stuff now i declare i am of your opinion returned the lady of the helmet there is so much more force and energy in the modern school the warrior sauntered up to the ladies it reconciles me to peace said he when i see such faces oh you heroes are ever flatterers returned fulvia hastening to appropriate the compliments specially to herself by this chain which i received from the emperor's own hand replied the warrior playing with a short chain which hung around the neck like a collar instead of descending to the breast according to the fashion of the peaceful by this chain you wrong me i am a blunt man a soldier should be so how do you find the ladies of pompeii generally said julia by venus most beautiful they favour me a little it is true and that inclines my eyes to double their charms we love a warrior said the wife of panza i see it by hercules it is even disagreeable to be too celebrated in these cities at herculaneum they climb the roof of my atrium to catch a glimpse of me through the compluvium

the admiration of one's citizens is pleasant at first but burthensome afterwards true true o vespius cried the poet joining the group i find it so myself you said the stately warrior scanning the small form of the poet with ineffable disdain in what legion have you served you may see my spoils my ex u va in the forum itself returned the poet with a significant glance at the woman i have been among the tent companions the contubanales of the great mantuan himself i know no general from mantua said the warrior gravely what campaign have you served that of helicon i never heard of it nay vespius he does but joke said julia laughing joke by mars am i a man to be joked yes mars himself was in love with the mother of jokes said the poet a little alarmed know then o vespius that i am the poet volvius it is i who make warriors immortal the gods forbid whispered sallus to julia if vespius were made immortal what a specimen of tiresome braggadocio would be transmitted to posterity the soldier looked puzzled when to the infinite relief of himself and his companions the signal for the feast was given as we have already witnessed at the house of glaucus the ordinary routine of a pompeian entertainment the reader is spared any second detail of the courses and the manner in which they were introduced diomed who was rather ceremonious had appointed a nomenclator or a pointer of places to each guest

the reader understands that the festive board was composed of three tables one at the center and one at each wing it was only at the outer side of these tables that the guests reclined the inner space was left untenanted for the greater convenience of the waiters or ministry the extreme corner of one of the wings was appropriated to julia as the lady of the feast that next her to diomed at one corner of the centre table was placed the ideal at the opposite corner the roman senator these were the posts of honor the other guests were arranged so that the young gentleman or lady should sit next each other and the more advanced in years be similarly matched an agreeable provision enough but one which must often have offended those who wished to be thought still young the chair of ione was next to the couch of glaucus the seats were veneered with tortoise-shell and covered with quilts stuffed with feathers and ornamented with costly embroideries the modern ornaments of epern or plateau were supplied by images of the gods wrought in bronze ivory and silver the sacred salt cellar and the familiar lares were not forgotten over the table and the seats a rich canopy was suspended from the ceiling at each corner of the table were lofty candelabra for though it was early noon the room was darkened while from tripods placed in different parts of the room distilled the odor of myrrh and frankincense and upon the abacus or sideboard large vases and various ornaments of silver were ranged much with the same ostentation but with more than the same taste that we find displayed at a modern feast

the custom of grace was invariably supplied by that of libations to the gods and vesta as queen of the household gods usually received first that graceful homage this ceremony being performed the slaves showered flowers upon the couches and the floor and crowd each guest with rosy garlands intricately woven with ribbons tied by the rind of the linden tree and each intermingled with the ivy and the amethyst supposed preventives against the effect of wine the wreaths of the women only were exempted from these leaves for it was not the fashion for them to drink wine in public it was then that the president diomed thought it advisable to institutor basilius or director of the feast an important office sometimes chosen by lot sometimes as now by the master of the entertainment diomed was not a little puzzled as to his election the invalid senator was too grave and too infirm for the proper fulfilment of his duty the ideal panzer was adequate enough to the task but then to choose the next in official rank to the senator was an affront to the senator himself while deliberating between the merits of the others he caught the mirthful glance of sallust and by a sudden inspiration named the jovial epicure to the rank of director or arbiter bibendi sallust received the appointment with becoming humility

i shall be a merciful king said he to those who drink deep to a recusant minos himself shall be less inexorable beware the slaves handed round basins of perfumed water by which levation the feast commenced and now the table groaned under the initiatory course the conversation at first exultory and scattered allowed ione and glaucus to carry on those sweet whispers which are worth all the eloquence in the world julia watched them with flashing eyes how soon shall her place be mine thought she but clodius who sat in the centre table so as to observe well the countenance of julia guessed her pique and resolved to profit by it he addressed her across the table in set phrases of gallantry and as he was of high birth and of a showy person the vain julia was not so much in love as to be insensible to his attentions the slaves in the interim were constantly kept upon the alert by the vigilant sallust who chased one cup by another with a celerity which seemed as if he were resolved upon exhausting those capacious sellers which the reader may yet see beneath the house of diomed the worthy merchant began to repent his choice as amphora after amphora was pierced and emptied the slaves all under the age of manhood the youngest being about ten years old it was they who filled the wine the eldest some five years older mingled it with water

seemed to share in the zeal of sallust and the face of diomed began to glow as he watched the provoking complacency with which they seconded the exertions of the king of the feast pardon me o senator said sallust i see you flinch your purple hem cannot save you drink by the gods said the senator coughing my lungs are already on fire you proceed with so miraculous a swiftness that fate in himself was nothing to you i am infirm o pleasant sallust you must exonerate me not i by vesta i am an impartial monarch drink the poor senator compelled by the laws of the table was forced to comply alas every cup was bringing him nearer and nearer to the stygian pool gently gently my king groaned diomed we already begin to treason interrupted sallust no stern brutus here no interference with royalty but our female guests lover toper did not ariadne dote upon bacchus the feast proceeded the guests grew more talkative and noisy the dessert or last course was already on the table and the slaves bore round water with myrrh and hyssop for the finishing levation at the same time a small circular table that had been placed in the space opposite the guests suddenly and as by magic seemed to open in the centre and cast up a fragrant shower sprinkling the table and the guests

while as it ceased the awning above them was drawn aside and the guests perceived that a rope had been stretched across the ceiling and that one of those nimble dancers for which pompey was so celebrated and whose descendants add so charming a grace to the festivities of astley's or vauxhall was now treading his airy measures right over their heads this apparition removed but by a cord from one's pericranium and indulging the most vehement leaps apparently with the intention of alighting upon that cerebral region would probably be regarded with some terror by a party in mayfair but our pompeian revellers seemed to behold the spectacle with delighted curiosity and applauded in proportion as the dancer appeared with the most difficulty to miss falling upon the head of whatever guest he particularly selected to dance above he paid the senator indeed the peculiar compliment of literally falling from the rope and catching it again with his hand just as the whole party imagined the skull of the roman was as much fractured as ever that of the poet whom the eagle took for a tortoise at length to the great relief of at least ione who had not much accustomed herself to this entertainment the dancer suddenly paused as a strain of music was heard from without he danced again still more wildly the air changed the dancer paused again

no it could not dissolve the charm which was supposed to possess him he represented one who by a strange disorder is compelled to dance and whom only a certain air of music can cure at length the musician seemed to hit on the right tune the dancer gave one leap swung himself down from the rope alighted on the floor and vanished one art now yielded to another and the musicians who were stationed without on the terrace struck up a soft and mellow air to which were sung the following words made almost indistinct by the barrier between and the exceeding lowness of the minstrelsy festive music should be low hark through these flowers our music sends its greeting to your loved halls where silas shuns the day when the young god his cretan nymph was meeting he taught pan's rustic pipe this gliding lay soft as the dews of wine shed in this banquet hour the rich libation of sound stream divine o reverent harp to aphrodite pour wild rings the trump o'er ranks to glory marching music's sublimer bursts for war are meet but sweet lips murmuring under wreaths o'er arching find the low whispers like their own most sweet steal my lulled music steal like woman's half-heard tone so that whoe'er shall hear shall think to feel in thee the voice of lips that love his own at the end of that song ione's cheek blushed more deeply than before and glaucus had contrived under cover of the table to steal her hand

it is a pretty song said fulvius patronizingly ah if you would oblige us murmured the wife of panza do you wish fulvius to sing asked the king of the feast who had just called on the assembly to drink the health of the roman senator a cup to each letter of his name can you ask said the matron with a complimentary glance at the poet sallust snapped his fingers and whispering the slave who came to learn his orders the latter disappeared and returned in a few moments with a small harp in one hand and a branch of myrtle in the other the slave approached the poet and with a low reverence presented to him the harp alas i cannot play said the poet then you must sing to the myrtle it is a greek fashion diomed loves the greeks i love the greeks you love the greeks we all love the greeks and between you and me this is not the only thing we have stolen from them however i introduce this custom i the king sing subject sing the poet with a bashful smile took the myrtle in his hands and after a short prelude sang as follows in a pleasant and well-tuned voice the coronation of the loves the merry loves one holiday were all at gambols madly but loves too long can seldom play without behaving sadly they laughed they toyed they romped about and then for change they all fell out fie fie how can they quarrel so

my lesbia are for shame love methinks tis scarce an hour ago when we did just the same love the loves tis thought were free till then they had no king or laws dear but gods like men should subject be say all the ancient saws dear and so our crew resolved for quiet to choose a king to curb their riot a kiss ah what a grievous thing for both methinks twould be child if i should take some prudish king and cease to be so free child among their toys a casque they found it was the helm of ares with horrent plumes the crest was crowned it frightened all the lares so fine a king was never known they placed the helmet on the throne my girl since valour wins the world they chose a mighty master but thy sweet flag of smiles unfurled would win the world much faster the cask soon found the loves too wild a troop for him to school them for warriors know how one such child has i contrived to fool them they plagued him so that in despair he took a wife the plague to share if kings themselves thus find the strife of earth and shared severe girl why just to halve the ills of life come take your partner here girl within that room the bird of love the whole affair had eyed then the monarch hailed the royal dove and placed her by his side then what mirth amidst the loves was seen long live they cried our king and queen ah lesbia would that thrones were mine and crowns to deck that brow love and yet i know that heart of thine for me is thrown in now love

the urchins hoped to tease the mate as they had teased the hero but when the dove in judgment sate they found her worse than nero each look a-frown each word a-law the little subjects shook with awe in thee i find the same deceit too late alas a learner for where a mien more gently sweet and where a tyrant sterner this song which greatly suited the gay and lively fancy of the pompeians was received with considerable applause and the widow insisted on crowning her namesake with the very branch of myrtle to which he had sung it was easily twisted into a garland and the immortal fulvius was crowned amidst the clapping of hands and shouts of i o triumph the song and the harp now circulated round the party a new myrtle branch being handed about stopping at each person who could be prevailed upon to sing the sun began now to decline though the revellers who had worn away several hours perceived it not in their darkened chamber and the senator who was tired and the warrior who had to return to herculaneum rising to depart gave the signal for the general dispersion tarry yet a moment my friends said diomed if you will go so soon you must at least take a share in our concluding game so saying he motioned to one of the ministry and whispering him the slave went out and presently returned with a small bowl containing various tablets carefully sealed and apparently exactly similar

each guest was to purchase one of these at the nominal price of the lowest piece of silver and the sport of this lottery which was the favorite diversion of augustus who introduced it consisted in the inequality and sometimes the incongruity of the prizes the nature and amount of which were specified within the tablets for instance the poet with a wry face drew one of his own poems no physician ever less willingly swallowed his own draught the warrior drew a case of bodkins which gave rise to certain novel witticisms relative to hercules and the dyestaff the widow fulvia obtained a large drinking cup julia a gentleman's buckle and lopidas a lady's patch-box the most appropriate lot was drawn by the gambler clodius who reddened with anger on being presented to a set of cogged dice a certain damp was thrown upon the gaiety which these various lots created by an accident that was considered ominous glaucus drew the most valuable of all the prizes a small marble statue of fortune of grecian workmanship on handing it to him the slaves suffered it to drop and it broke in pieces a shiver went round the assembly and each voice cried spontaneously on the gods to avert the omen glaucus alone though perhaps as superstitious as the rest affected to be unmoved sweet neapolitan whispered he tenderly to ione who had turned pale as the broken marble itself

i accept the omen it signifies that in obtaining thee fortune can give no more she breaks her image when she blesses me with thine in order to divert the impression which this incident had occasioned in an assembly which considering the civilization of the guests would seem miraculously superstitious if at the present day in a country party we did not often see a lady grow hypochondriacal on leaving a room last of thirteen sallust now crowning his cup with flowers gave the health of their host this was followed by a similar compliment to the emperor and then with a parting cup to mercury to send them pleasant slumbers they concluded the entertainment by a last libation and broke up the party carriages and litters were little used in pompeii partly owing to the extreme narrowness of the streets partly to the convenient smallness of the city most of the guests replacing their sandals which they had put off in the banquet room and enduing their cloaks left the house on foot attended by their slaves meanwhile having seen ione depart glaucus turning to the staircase which led down to the rooms of julia was conducted by a slave to an apartment in which he found the merchant's daughter already seated glaucus said she looking down i see that you really love ione she is indeed beautiful julia is charming enough to be generous replied the greek yes i love ione amidst all the youth who court you may you have one worshipper as sincere

i pray the gods to grant it see glaucus these pearls are the present i destined to your bride may juno give her health to wear them so saying she placed a case in his hand containing a row of pearls of some size and price it was so much the custom for persons about to be married to receive these gifts that glaucus could have little scruple in accepting the necklace though the gallant and proud athenian inly resolved to requite the gift by one of thrice its value julia then stopping short his thanks poured forth some wine into a small bowl you have drunk many toasts with my father said she smiling one now with me health and fortune to your bride she touched the cup with her lips and then presented it to glaucus the customary etiquette required that glaucus should drain the whole contents he accordingly did so julia unknowing the deceit which nydia had practised upon her watched him with sparkling eyes although the witch had told her that the effect might not be immediate she yet sanguinly trusted to an expeditious operation in favour of her charms she was disappointed when she found glaucus coldly replace the cup and converse with her in the same unmoved but gentle tone as before and though she detained him as long as she decorously could do no change took place in his manner but to-morrow thought she exultingly recovering her disappointment to-morrow alas for glaucus alas for him indeed chapter three