it had been poured out; and a teetotaller might continue
smelling a lotus without any affront.

Men and women either sat together, or separately, in a different part
of the room; but no rigid mistrust prevented strangers, as well as
members of the family, being received into the same society; which
shows how greatly the Egyptians were advanced in the habits of social
life. In this they, like the Romans, differed widely from the Greeks,
and might say with Cornelius Nepos, "Which of us is ashamed to bring
his wife to an entertainment? and what mistress of a family can be
shown who does not inhabit the chief and most frequented part of the
house? Whereas in Greece she never appears at any entertainments,
except those to which relations alone are invited, and constantly
lives in the women's apartments at the upper part of the house, into
which no man has admission, unless he be a near relation." Nor were
married people afraid of sitting together, and no idea of their having
had too much of each other's company made it necessary to divide them.
In short, they were the most Darby and Joan people possible, and they
shared the same chair at home, at a party, and even in their tomb,
where sculpture grouped them together.

The master and mistress of the house accordingly sat side by side on a
large fauteuil, and each guest as he arrived walked up to receive
their welcome. The musicians and dancers hired for the occasion also
did obeisance to them, before they began their part. To the leg of the
fauteuil was tied a favorite monkey, a dog, a gazelle, or some other
pet; and a young child was permitted to sit on the ground at the side
of its mother, or on its father's knee.

In the meantime the conversation became animated, especially in those
parts of the room where the ladies sat together, and the numerous
subjects that occurred to them were fluently discussed. Among these
the question of dress was not forgotten, and the patterns, or the
value of trinkets, were examined with proportionate interest. The
maker of an ear-ring, and the store where it was purchased, were
anxiously inquired; each compared the workmanship, the style, and the
materials of those she wore, coveted her neighbor's, or preferred her
own; and women of every class vied with each other in the display of
"jewels of silver and jewels of gold," in the texture of their
"raiment," the neatness of their sandals, and the arrangement or
beauty of their plaited hair.