158 NATURAL HISTORY OF PRECIOUS METALS, &c.
last,
but enriched with myrtle-branches in gold. Hereupon Caranus,
perceiving how much we were crowded, ordered hampers and bread-baskets
to be given us, platted out of strips of ivory ; whereat we were so
delighted that we shouted in honour of the bridegroom, because what he
had bestowed upon us was thus safely stored. Then came fresh garlands,
and a double cruse of perfume, in gold and silver, of the same weight
as the preceding. And silence being made, there enter the performers at
the festival Chytra at Athens. After these came in buffoons and
performers of feats of strength, and some female jugglers that throw
somersets amongst swords set upright in the ground, and blow fire out
of their mouths, being completely naked.
"
4. When all these performers had gone off, hot and stronger drink
succeeds ; our wines being the Thasian, Mendœan, and Lesbian sorts, and
gold cups of very large size being set before us. And after this bout a
glass dish about two cubits in width, lying in a silver case,
covered with baked fish of all sorts piled up, was given to all of us,
together with a silver bread-basket full of Cappadocian cakes. Some of
these we ate there and then, the rest we handed over to our attendants.
Then we washed our hands and put on our wreaths, and were again
presented with gold bandeaux of double the weight of those before,
together with another double cruse of perfume. Then silence being
proclaimed, Proteas leaped off his couch, and having filled a gold cup
with Thasian wine and added thereto a few drops of water, he tossed it
off exclaiming :—
' Who drinks the most will be the merriest.'
Thereupon said Caranus, ' Since you have drunk it off the first, accept the cup for a keepsake : and all the rest that
