The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-05
The Grentest Of buttons.

Apicius, the greatest of all gluttons,
wrote long and elaborate work on culin-
airy science, which is filed with descri2-
lions of extraordinary dishes and sauces.
His sole ambition in life was to discover
novelties in food, and to this pursuit ne
devoted all his energy and most Of his
wealth. Shrimps were at one time his
hobby; and because the marshes of Min
turnae produced shrimps of an enormous
size, he sci up magnificent establishment
in that seaport, ana made himself happy
with his favorite luxury until ne heard, by
chance that still larger sheNfsh of the
same sort could be found in Africa. In
stantly he bought a ship and set sail for
the blissfui region. He was nearly drown
ed on the voyage, but that did not worry
him. His single thought was of the de-
lciOus monsters awaiting him. But Wnen
the fishermen he employed could show him
nothing bigger than he had eaten at home,
he flew into a rage and straightway start
ed across the Mediterranean again, de-
claring that the whole continent of Africa
was worthless compared with his private
shrimp bed at Minturnae. Well Apicius
spent so much of his fortune on Teasing
that one day, on looking over his accounts,
he found he had only a few millions left.
Then the strange idea came into his mead
that he was going to die of starvation.
And what do you think he did?"
Cut down his expenses
Turned miser.- perhaps"
He committed suicide; just hanged him
sell, out of sheer terror lest the time should
come when he could not get enough to eat,
though in fact he was rolling in wealth"
One of the Greek historians says that the
regular price of a meal a a Roman NOEL
was about one quarter of a cent. That was
litJle before the time of the emperors
but we know that in Trajan's reign, Two
cents day were considered ample for the
support and education of a boy. On this
basis, a a rough calcula zion, the money
paid for Caigula's supper might nave
supplied a dinner for one hundred and
fifty millions of people, if so many could
have been brought together.
II call it wickedness," said Amy; down
right wickedness,"
That was the opinion of quite num-
her, even then, my dear Lucullus was
often taken to task for his prodigaity
and several years later great writer
named Juvenal spoke his mind freely
enough on the subject, He gave dinners
too; but from one of his bills of fare
drawn up with his own hand, we can t1nd
what he considered ampie for himself nd
friend. His principal dish was young
kid after which he offered chickens, new
| laid eggs, and vegetables; and for des-
sert, grapes, pears, and apples.
HE was no glutton,T said Percy ap-
provingly.
mo, nor was Lucullus, in the lowest
! sense though he seemed determined &c
make himself out worse than he really
was. He always pretended thai he gave
his huge banquets for purely selfish pur-
pose He invited a party Of Greek traV-
elers so often, and at such reckless eX-
pense, that they finally protested, anc
declared themselves unwilling to accept
any more; but he tod them they should
not set it all down to their account, for
! though a part of the display was for theil
sake, more of it was for his own.
"Don't you think" asked Percy, that
he said that in kindness, to make them
| feel at ease?'
81 like to think it, and am glad wher
other persons do the same; for l have g
| fondness for Lucullus, in spite OF his
faults, as you will have when you come
TO know all about him. There is no rea-
son for CHASING him with the vulgar gor'
mandizers of his age, like V4tenius Of
| Commodus, or, l may say, the majority
of the Emperors, most of whom took more
pleasure in managing kitchens than il
| ruling Kingdoms Domitian, the ,ast Of the
twelve Caesars, considered problems Of
cookery so far above questions of state
that on one occasion he caEed the Roman
Senate together to consult with him as
to how turbot should be prepared fol
the table. He looked upon the Senator
| Montanus as a miracle of wisdom, for ne
better reason, apparently, than that this
cultivated epicure could tell, by the frs
bite he gave an oyster, whether it came
from England or from the Mediterranean
1t is. Juvenal, again, who tells us of The
| delicate taste for which Montanus was
renowned. think, however, that the
faculty of distinguishing British oysters
does not count for much. "a good many
Americans could do that quickly enough
with their eyes shut; though not, perhaps
if the oysters had sugar on them, which
was one of the ways they were eaten il
ancient Rome