te. There are
some, whose genius invents nothing but new kinds of pastry. To waste
one's care upon one thing, is by no means sufficient; just as if any
person should use all his endeavors for this only, that the wine be not
bad; quite careless what oil he pours upon his fish. If you set out
Massic wine in fair weather, should there be any thing thick in it, it
will be attenuated by the nocturnal air, and the smell unfriendly to the
nerves will go off: but, if filtrated through linen, it will lose its
entire flavor. He, who skillfully mixes the Surrentine wine with
Falernian lees, collects the sediment with a pigeon's egg: because the
yelk sinks to the bottom, rolling down with it all the heterogeneous
parts. You may rouse the jaded toper with roasted shrimps and African
cockles; for lettuce after wine floats upon the soured stomach: by ham
preferably, and by sausages, it craves to be restored to its appetite:
nay, it will prefer every thing which is brought smoking hot from the
nasty eating-houses. It is worth while to be acquainted with the two
kinds of sauce. The simple consists of sweet oil; which it will be
proper to mix with rich wine and pickle, but with no other pickle than
that by which the Byzantine jar has been tainted. When this, mingled
with shredded herbs, has boiled, and sprinkled with Corycian saffron,
has stood, you shall over and above add what the pressed berry of the
Venafran olive yields. The Tiburtian yield to the Picenian apples in
juice, though they excel in look. The Venusian grape is proper for
[preserving in] pots. The Albanian you had better harden in the smoke. I
am found to be the first that served up this grape with apples in neat
little side-plates, to be the first [likewise that served up] wine-lees
and herring-brine, and white pepper finely mixed with black salt. It is
an enormous fault to bestow three thousand sesterces on the fish-market,
and then to cramp the roving fishes in a narrow dish. It causes a great
nausea in the stomach, if even the slave touches the cup with greasy
hands, while he licks up snacks, or if offensive grime has adhered to
the ancient goblet. In trays, in mats, in sawdust, [that are so] cheap,
what great expense can there be? But, if they are neglected, it is a
heinous shame. What, should you sweep Mosaic pavements with a dirty
broom made of palm, and throw Tyrian carpets over the unwashed furniture
of your couch! forgetting, that by how much less care and expense