Page:The Satyricon of Petronius Arbiter (1922), vol. 1.djvu/188

 metals into one: then the metal workers took their pick and made bowls and dessert dishes and statuettes as well. That’s how Corinthian was born; neither one nor the other, but an amalgam of all. But I prefer glass, if you don’t mind my saying so; it don’t stink, and if it didn’t break, I’d rather have it than gold, but it’s cheap and common now.

  “But there was an artisan, once upon a time, who made a glass vial that couldn’t be broken. On that account he was admitted to Cæsar with his gift; then he dashed it upon the floor, when Cesar handed it back to him. The Emperor was greatly startled, but the artisan picked the vial up off the pavement, and it was dented, just like a brass bowl would have been! He took a little hammer out of his tunic and beat out the dent without any trouble. When he had done that, he thought he would soon be in Jupiter’s heaven, and more especially when Cæsar said to him, ‘Is Rh