The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-09-16
CuriSsiiles or Luxury.


sThe Roman fortunes" says Tho Quarterly
Review, in an interesting article on luxury
swoud not bo thought extraordinary at Lon
don, Paris or Now York" But the methods by
which some of these old Romans made for.
tunes would be thought extraordinary even by
modern Tweed ring"
A patrician demagogue, knowing that popu.
larity led 10 power, and power to wealth, be-
gan by spending fortune. He borrowed
from whoever would lend, or ran in debt to all
whom he could persuade to trust him.
Caesar owed one million five hundred thou
sand dollars before he filed any public Office.
Cicero borrowed no much money that his debts
frightened him. II would DO willing TO con-
spirc, II any ono would accept me-" no wrote
to friend. One of his modern defenders ar
guos that no did not owe moro than Roman
Of rank ought to owe.
If a Roman gained popularity so as to be ap-
pointed pro consul of conquered kingdom,
then he began to realize" His opportunities
were good, and he made instant use Of them.
One Roman consul made n display OF honesty
by denpatching an enormous sum OF gold and
silver with an escort Then he caused the es-
cort to be murdered, and tho money found its
way iulo his strong-bo
The rich Roman knew that to save was to
invite prescription. He therefore lived on
his capital @Ah, woe is mel" exclaimed
citizen, as he saw his namo posted
among the list of the prescribed. ut is
my Alban villa that is my death"
Conquest the insecure tenure OF property,
and the precariousness of Investments, begat
the habit of luxurious prodigality. Easy
come, easy CO." was as true in Roman days as
IL is in tho modern times
Luxurious banquets were given, at which
were served up rare birds brought from dis
tant countries, and fish whose extraordinary
si2e made them cost two hundred dollars each
Ono of Lucullus' private suppors cost seven
thousand dollars, and once, when his cook had
taken less pains on account of the absence OF
guests, he said, "Did you not know that Lu-
culhns supped this evening with Lucullusy"
Some years ago q banquet was given at Del
monicos, New York, to Sir Morton Peto, at
which were laid one hundred plates at $50
plate The same caterer presided over
famous feast known rs the grand swan din
ner, becsuse in the center Of the table was
miniature lake, in which swans were SWIM
ming.
The late Baron James de Rothschild had an
establishment at Paris, in which were sepa-
rate departments for soups, sauces, roasting,
frying, vegetables, sweets, etc Seventy-two
persons were employed in the kitchens and
the wine cellars
The baron once gave feast at his country
seat TO Louis Napoleon The quantity of game
provided for the guests shooting was enor-
nous. A story asserts that parrot, disguised
as partridge, fell before the imperial gun,
crying "Vive rempereur"
Prince Nicholas Esterhazy, who died owing
nine million dollars, was even more of grand
segneur in his entertainments than the baron.
The emperor of Austria, being guest at his
rich subjects chateau, hunt on magnifi
cent scale was organized in his honor. Ester
hazys grand huntsman specified the game as
it fell before the royal gun. "Hare, your mai
esty" Pheasant your majesty" And
without the change Of muscle or q
tone, Lord high chamberlain, your majesty"
Louis XIV. OF France held that the more
money was spent in any way the better, as it
gave employment and promoted trade. But
French writer, who saw clearer than the
money spending king, defines luxury to BIO
that which destroys the product of many days
Of labor, without bringing any reasonable sat
isfaction.
@That queen Of the ball." he writes, sis
destroying in the whirls Of the waltz flounce
of lace worth two thousand dollars; there goes
the equivalent of fifty thousand hours of toll
destructive Of eyesight and what advantage
has been drawn from it?"