by the waving of the
left hand, to make their long fringes and tunics, embroidered in
multiform figures of animals with threads of various colours, more
conspicuous.

10. Others, with not any one asking them, put on a feigned severity of
countenance, and extol their patrimonial estates in a boundless degree,
exaggerating the yearly produce of their fruitful fields, which they
boast of possessing in numbers from east to west, being forsooth
ignorant that their ancestors, by whom the greatness of Rome was so
widely extended, were not eminent for riches; but through a course of
dreadful wars overpowered by their valour all who were opposed to them,
though differing but little from the common soldiers either in riches,
or in their mode of life, or in the costliness of their garments.

11. This is how it happened that Valerius Publicola was buried by the
contributions of his friends, and that the destitute wife of Regulus
was, with her children, supported by the aid of the friends of her
husband, and that the daughter of Scipio had a dowry provided for her
out of the public treasury, the other nobles being ashamed to see the
beauty of this full-grown maiden, while her moneyless father was so long
absent on the service of his country.

12. But now if you, as an honourable stranger, should enter the house of
any one well off, and on that account full of pride, for the purpose of
saluting him, at first, indeed, you will be hospitably received, as
though your presence had been desired; and after having had many
questions put to you, and having been forced to tell a number of lies,
you will wonder, since the man had never seen you before, that one of
high rank should pay such attention to you who are but an unimportant
individual; so that by reason of this as a principal source of
happiness, you begin to repent of not having come to Rome ten years ago.

13. And when relying on this affability you do the same thing the next
day, you will stand waiting as one utterly unknown and unexpected, while
he who yesterday encouraged you to repeat your visit, counts upon his
fingers who you can be, marvelling, for a long time, whence you come,
and what you want. But when at length you are recognized and admitted to
his acquaintance, if you should devote yourself to the attention of
saluting him for three years consecutively, and after this intermit your
visits for an equal length of time, then if you return to repeat a
similar course, yo