AN EXTRAVAGANT OLD ROMAN.
THE outrageous absurdities of Elagabalus equaled or surpassed those of Caligula and Nero. He fed the officers of his place with the brains of pheasants and thrushes, the eggs of partridges, and the heads of parrots. Among the dishes served at his own table were peas mashed with grains of gold, beans fricasseed with morsels of amber, and rice mixed with pearls. His meals were frequently composed of twenty-two services. Turning roofs threw flowers with such profusion on the guests that they were nearly smothered. At the seaside he never ate fish, but when far inland he caused the roe of the rarest to be distributed among his suite. He was the first Roman who ever wore a complete dress of silk. His shoes glittered with rubies and emeralds, and his chariots were of gold, inlaid with precious stones.—Quarterly Review.