282                                Pearls.
	height of her pride and wanton braverie (as being a noble curtezan, and a queene withall), began to debase the expense and provision of Antonie, and made no reckoning of all his costly fare. When he thereat demaunded againe how it was possible to goe beyond this magnificence of his ; she answered againe, that she would spend upon him in one supper ioo hundred thousand sestertij. Antonie, who would needs know how that might bee (for hee thought it was unpossible), laid a great wager with her about it, and she bound it againe and made it good. The morrow after, when this was to be tried, and the wager either to bee won or lost, Cleopatra made Antonie a supper (because she would not make default, and let the day appointed to passe), which was sumptuous and roiall ynough ; howbeit, there was no extraordinarie service seene upon the bourd, whereat Antonie laughed her to scorne, and by way of mockerie, required to see a bill with the account of the particulars. She againe said, that whatsoever had been served up alreadie, was but the overplus above the rate and proportion in question, affirming still that shee would yet in that supper make up the full summe that she was seazed at ; yea, herselfe alone would eat above that reckoning, and her owne supper should cost 600 hundred thousand sestertij : and with that commanded the second service to be brought in. The servitours