Page:The Deipnosophists (Volume 3).djvu/326

 B. 'Tis but a fair demand. A.                        What hoa! within there! [Calls to his servant. My style and tablets. (Style and tablets are brought.)                      Now, Sir, to your reckoning. B. To salt a herring—price—two farthings— A.                                           Good. [Writes.

B. To mussels—three— A.                     No villany as yet. [Writes.

B. Item, to eels—one obol— A.                           Still you're guiltless. [Writes.

B. Next came the radishes; yourselves allow'd—

A. And we retract not—they were delicate And good.

B.     For these I touch two obols.

A.                       [Aside.] Tush! The praise is in the bill—better our palates Had been less riotous—onward.

B.                          To a rand Of tunny fish—this charge will break a sixpence.

A. Dealst on the square? no filching?—no purloining?—

B. No, not a doit—thou'rt green, good fellow, green; And a mere novice yet in market-prices. Why, man, the palmer-worms have fix'd their teeth Upon the kitchen-herbs.

A.                   Ergo, salt fish Bears twice its usual price—call you that logic?

B. Nay, if you've doubts—to the fishmonger straight,— He lives and will resolve them.—To a conger-eel— Ten obols.

A.      I have nothing to object: Proceed.

B.    Item, broil'd fish—a drachma.

A.                                   Fie on't!— I was a man, and here's the fever come With double force.

B.              There's wine too in the bill, Bought when my masters were well half-seas over— Three pitchers, at ten obols to the pitcher.—