When presently came in two long-hair'd blacks, with small leather
bottles, such as with which they strew sand on the stage, and gave us
wine to wash our hands, but no one offered us water. We all admiring
the finicalness of the entertainment, "Mars," said he, "is a lover of
justice, and therefore let every one have a table to himself, for
having more elbow-room, these nasty stinking boys will be less
troublesome to us"; and thereupon large double-eared vessels of glass
close plaistered over, were brought up with labels about their necks,
upon which was this inscription:
OPIMIAN MUSCADINE OF AN HUNDRED YEARS OLD.
While we were reading the titles, Trimalchio clapped his hands, and
"Alas, alas," said he, "that wine should live longer than man! Wine
is life, and we'll try if it has held good ever since the consulship
of Lucius Opimius, or not. 'Tis right Opimian, and therefore make
ready; I brought not out so good yesterday, yet there were persons of
better quality sup'd with me."
We drank and admired every thing, when in came a servant with a silver
puppet, so jointed and put together that it turned every way; and
being more than once thrown upon the table, cast it self into several
figures; on which Trimalchio came out with his poetry:
Unhappy mortals, on how fine a thread
Our lives depend! How like this puppet man,
Shall we alas! be all when we are dead!
Therefore let's live merrily while we can.
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