"Then for Trimalchio, he has more lands than a crow can fly over; monies upon monies: There lies more silver in his porters lodge, than any one man's whole estate. And for his family, hey-day, hey-day, there is not (so help me Hercules) one tenth of them that know their master. In brief, there is not one of those fools about him, but he can turn him into a cabbage-stalk. Nor is there any occasion to buy any thing, he has all at his own door; wooll, marte, pepper, nay hens milk; do but beat about and you'll find it. In a word, time was, his wooll was none of the best, and therefore he bought rams at Tarentum to mend this breed; an in like manner he did by his honey, by bringing his bees from Athens. It is not long since but he sent to the Indies for mushroom-seed: Nor has he so much as a mule that did not come of a wild ass. See you all these quilts? there is not one of them whose wadding is not the finest comb'd wooll of violet or scarlet colour, dy'd in grain. O happy man! but have a care how you put a slight on those freed men, they are rich rogues: See you him that sits at the lower-end of the table, he has now the Lord knows what; and 'tis not long since he was not worth a groat, and carried billets and faggots at his back; it is said, but I know nothing of it myself, but as I have heard, either he got in with an old hog-grubbler, or had to do with an incubus, and found a treasure: For my part, I envy no man, (if God gives anything it is a bit of a blow, and wills no evil to himself ) he lately set up this proclamation: "C. POMPEIUS DIOGENES HAS SOME LODGINGS TO LET, FOR HE HATH BOUGHT A HOUSE." "But what think you of him who sits in the place of a late slave? how well was he once? I do not upbraid him: He was once worth a hundred thousand sesterstias, but has not now a hair of his head that is not engaged; nor, so help me Hercules, is it his own fault: There is not a better humour'd man than himself; but those rascally freed-men have cheated him of all: For know, when the pot boyls, and a man's estate declines, farewell friends. And what trade do you think he drove? He had the setting forth of grave men's funerals; and with that eat like a prince: He had his wild boars served up covered; pastry-meats, fowl-cooks, bakers: More wine was thrown under his table than most men have in their cellars; a meer phantasm: And when his estate was going, and he feared his creditors might fall upon him, he made an auction under this title: "JULIUS PROCULUS WILL MAKE AN AUCTION OF SEVERAL GOODS HE HAS NO USE OF."