CAELATURA—WEDDING OF CARANUS. 159
do
the same shall get the same prize.' No sooner said than ' up got nine
in all,' snatching at the cup, and trying the one to be beforehand with
the other. But one of our fellow guests, poor fellow ! not being able
to drink it off, sat down again and began to weep because he had lost
his cup : Caranus, however, makes him a present of the cup, empty.
Hereupon came in a choir of one hundred persons singing in measure the
nuptial hymn; and after them, female dancers attired some in the guise
of sea-nymphs, others of wood-nymphs.
"
5. As the drinking went on, and the time began to grow dusk, they open
up the hall, in which the part surrounding us had been cut off entirely
from the rest by hangings of white linen, and th6se having been drawn
up, lights made their appearance by means of some concealed
contrivance, as the enclosures burst asunder ; Cupids, and Dianas, and
Pans, and Mercuries, and many such like figures, holding silver lamps
to illuminate the scene. Whilst we were admiring this piece of
ingenuity, wild boars, truly Erymanthian in magnitude, laid upon square
chargers ornamented with threads of gold, and spitted upon silver
spears, were presented to each man. And the wonder was, how we who were
by this time overcome by, and drowsy with drink, at the mere sight of
the bringing in of these dishes, of a sudden became sober, and, as the
saying is, got on our legs' again. Our boys were therefore engaged in
piling them into the fortunate hampers, until the trumpet gave the
established signal for the last course, for this, as you know, is the
custom with the Macedonians at their great banquets. Thereupon
Caranus, opening this bout, bade the attendants go briskly around with
small-sized cups. We sipped therefore at our leisure, taking it as it
were for an antidote to our previous immoderate potations. In the mean
time there
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