guish them from what are termed Precious Stones, were also brought from India; the Onyx and Cornelian were principally employed for engravings; the Sardonyx, and other Agates, in works of curiosity and drinking cups; but stones of sizes fit for these being extremely rare, and much admired, bore proportionately high prices. The Onyx is mentioned as being brought from Tagara, and fine Onyxes are now found in that part of the Deckan, more frequently, I believe, than in any other part of India.

But it appears that the gems, most esteemed by the Roman ladies, were Pearls, which were purchased with eagerness, and when of great size and beauty, at a prodigious expense. The sum paid by Julius Cæsar for one that he gave to Servilia, the mother of Marcus Brutus, is stated at fortyeight thousand four hundred and fifty pounds sterling; and the famous pearl ear-rings of Cleopatra have been valued at one hundred and sixty-one thousand four hundred and fifty-eight pounds. Pliny observes, that the prices of pearls exceeded those of any other

gems; that there was not a female without some pearl ornament, saying, they were as necessary to a woman when she appeared in public, as the Lictor to the magistrate ; that not only the knots, but the whole of the shoes were to be found covered with them; and he mentions having seen Lollia Paulina, the wife of the Emperor Caius,* not at a festival, or public ceremony, but at a common marriage supper, with pearls and emeralds which had cost forty millions of Sesterces:† and these were not, says the author, jewels

* Caligula, son of Germanicus, and successor of Tiberius.

The common, or small Sesterce, has by some been valued so low as two French sols, or a penny English; by others more.

“Le sestertius nummus des Romains," says the learned Chevalier Visconti, in a communication to the author, "valoit deux As et demi de leur monnoie; mais il ne faut pas inférer de cette valeur que le sesterce Romain, doit être évalué à deux sous et demi, monnoie de France. Une infinité d'anciens Denarius Romains existent en nature: la plupart sont connus sous le nom de Médailles de famille en argent. Il est certain que ces Denarius contiennent autant d'argent pur que nos francs actuels en contiennent. Or si le Denarius qui valoit dix As, équivaut à peu-près à un franc, le Sestertius qui formoit

given to her by the profuse Caius, but came to her from her grandfather, Marcus Lollius.

Silks were for a long time used by the women only. Besides the expense of a silk dress, it was judged too effeminate for men. The Greeks and Romans, as long as they preserved their ancient character, wore nothing but woollen garments. But some must have put on silk so early as about the third year of the reign of Tiberius, or seventeenth year of the Christian æra: for we find in a motion made in the senate, for passing a law to restrain the excessive luxury that prevailed, a prohibition for men from using silk dresses.* The dissolute

la quatrième partie du Denarius, sera l'équivalent de cinq sous."

If therefore the Sesterces here mentioned be taken at five sols French money, it will make those jewels amount to ten millions of francs, or about 416,666 pounds sterling.

* Decretumque ne vasa auro solido ministrandis cibis fierent; ne vestis serica viros fœdaret.--Tacit. Ann. lib. ii. c. 33.

Heliogabalus, above two hundred years afterwards, is said to have been the first that ventured to wear a Holosericum, or garment wholly made of silk; but before that time it appears that persons of rank had worn the Subsericum, or garment of a texture of silk and wool.

Pliny, when speaking of muslin, terms it, "a dress, under whose slight veil our women contrive to shew their shapes to the public."

The consumption of spices and aromatics by the Romans, was so great as to exceed belief, were not the circumstances that prove it transmitted to us by authors whose testimony cannot be rejected. Much frankincense and other aromatics were employed in sacred functions, but the consumption of them by individuals greatly exceeded these. At the funeral of Sylla, forty-eight years before Augustus took possession of Egypt, it is said that two hundred and ten burthens of spices and aromatics were strewed upon the pile; and Pliny observes that Nero caused a quantity to be

burnt at the obsequies of Poppaa,* greater than what he supposes the countries from which they were imported could produce in the year. Though those assertions may be exaggerated, they shew at least that a most profuse use was made of those articles. on particular occasions. He observes that heaps were consumed on the carcases of the dead, whilst only grains were offered to the gods.†

Cinnamon appears to have been in great demand. The fine Cinnamon is produced on the island of Ceylon only; different species of inferior kinds are found in various parts of India. Pepper was then, as now, produced on the coast of Malabar; quantities may also have been brought from the island of Sumatra into the penin

* A. D. 65.

+ Periti rerum asseverant, non ferre tantum annuo fœtu, quantum Nero princeps novissimo Poppææ suæ die concremaverit. Estimantur postea toto orbe singulis annis tot funera, acervatimque congesta honori cadaverum, quæ Diis per singulas micas dantur.-Plin. lib. xii. c. 41. (tom. ii. p. 343. edit. Bipont.)