The Works of Sir Thomas Browne, Volume 2Browne, Thomas, Sir
Religion
The Works of Sir Thomas Browne, Volume 2
Browne, Thomas, Sir
Christianity; Ethics; Religion and medicine
Lastly, For the disposing and ordering of the persons: The first and
middle beds were for the guests, the third and lowest for the Master of
the house and his family; he always lying in the first place of the last
bed, that is, next the middle bed; but if the wife or children were
absent, their rooms were supplied by the Umbræ, or hangers on, according
to that of _Juvenal_ [SN: _Who the Umbræ were at banquets._]----_Locus
est et pluribus Umbris._ For the guests, the honourablest place in every
bed was the first, excepting the middle or second bed; wherein the most
honourable Guest of the feast was placed in the last place, because by
that position he might be next the Master of the feast [SN: _Iul.
Scalig. familiarium exercitationum Problema 1._]. For the Master lying
in the first of the last bed, and the principal Guest in the last place
of the second, they must needs be next each other; as this figure doth
plainly declare, and whereby we may apprehend the feast of _Perpenna_
made unto _Sertorius_, described by _Salustius_, whose words we shall
thus read with _Salmasius_: _Igitur discubuere, Sertorius inferior in
medio lecto, supra Fabius; Antonius in summo; Infra Scriba Sertorii
Versius; alter scriba Mæcenas in Imo, medius inter Tarquitium et Dominum
Perpennam._
Ultimus
Honoratissimus Locus Summus
Infra Medius Supra
+--------------------------------+
|L. Fabius Locus Vacuus Sertorius|
| Medius Lectus |
+----------+--------------------------------+------------+
L | | | |
o S | | | | U
c e | | | |I l
u u S| | | |n t
s u|Perpenna | |Versinis |f i
D p|Dominus | | |r m
S o r| | | |a u
u m a| | | | s
m i | | | |
m n | | | |
u i | | | |
s | | | |
| | | |
M| | | |M
e| | |Locus |e
d|Mæcenas | |Vacuus |d
i|Imus | |Summus |i
u|Lectus | |Lectus |u
s| | | |s
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