Book 4
28
And Philoxenus of Cythera, in the play which is entitled The Supper, (for he it is whom Plato the comic writer mentions in his Phaon, and not Philoxenus the Leucadian,) mentions the following as the preparation made for a banquet— And then two slaves brought in a well-rubb'd table, And then another, and another, till The room was fill'd, and then the hanging lamps Beam'd bright and shone upon the festive crowns, And herbs, and dishes of rich delicacies. And then all arts were put in requisition To furnish forth a most luxurious meal. Barley-cakes white as snow did fill the baskets, And then were served up not coarse vulgar pots, But well-shaped dishes, whose well-order'd breadth Fill'd the rich board, eels, and the well-stuffd conger, A dish fit for the gods. Then came a platter Of equal size, with dainty sword-fish fraught, And then fat cuttle-fish, and the savoury tribes Of the long hairy polypus. After this Another orb appear'd upon the table, Rival of that just brought from off the fire, Fragrant with spicy odour. And on that Again were famous cuttle-fish, and those Fair maids the honey'd squills, and dainty cakes, Sweet to the palate, and large buns of wheat, Large as a partridge, sweet, and round, which you Do know the taste of well. And if you ask What more was there, I'd speak of luscious chine, And loin of pork, and head of boar, all hot; Cutlets of kid, and well-boil'd pettitoes, And ribs of beef, and heads, and snouts, and tails. Then kid again, and lamb, and hares, and poultry, Partridges and the bird from Phasis' stream. And golden honey, and clotted cream was there, And cheese, which I did join with all in calling Most tender fare. And when we all had reach'd Satiety of food and wine, the slaves Bore off the still full tables; and some others Brought us warm water for to wash our hands.I have only attempted here to extract a few of the sentences and words which appeared a little intelligible. The whole quotation is perhaps the most hopelessly corrupt in all Athenæus. Schweighauser says,—Even the most learned men have given up the whole extract in despair, and that it is only a very few words from which he can extract any sense by the greatest freedom of conjecture.
