of the Calends of August born in Trimalchio's manner of cumanum,
thirty boys and forty girls, brought from the threshing-floor into the
granary, five hundred thousand bushels of wheat. The same day broke
out a fire in a pleasure-garden that was Pompey's, first began in one
of his bayliffs houses.'
"How's this," said Trimalchio: "When were those gardens bought for
me?" "The year before," answered his notary, "and therefore not yet
brought to account."
At this Trimalchio fell into a fume; and "whatever lands," said he,
"shall be bought me hereafter, if I hear nothing of it in six months,
let them never, I charge ye, be brought to any account of mine." Then
also were read the orders of the clerks of the markets, and the
testaments of his woodwards, rangers, and park-keepers, by which they
disinherited their relations, and with ample praise of him, declare
Trimalchio their heir. Next that, the names of his bayliffs; and how
one of them that made his circuits in the country, turned off his wife
for having taken her in bed with a barber; the door-keeper of his
baths turn'd out of his place; the auditor found short in his
accounts, and the dispute between the grooms of his chamber ended.
At last came in the dancers on the rope, and a gorbelly'd blockhead
standing out with a ladder, commanded his boy to hopp every round
singing, and dance a jigg on the top of it, and then tumble through
burning hoops of iron, with a glass in his mouth.
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