Page:The Satyricon of Petronius Arbiter (1922), vol. 1.djvu/201

 of dinner—and a note-book—suggestive of business—; “canale”—chased by a dog—“and pedale”—pertaining to the foot—, a hare and a slipper were brought out; “lamphrey’—murena—“and a letter,” he held up a mouse—mus—and a frog—rana—tied together, and a bundle of beet—beta—the Greek letter beta—. We laughed long and loud, there were a thousand of these jokes, more or less, which have now escaped my memory.

  But Ascyltos threw off all restraint and ridiculed everything; throwing up his hands, he laughed until the tears ran down his cheeks. At last, one of Trimalchio’s fellow-freedmen, the one who had the place next to me, flew into a rage, “What’s the joke, sheep’s-head,” he bawled, “Don’t our host’s swell entertainment suit you? You’re richer than he is, I suppose, and used to dining better! As I hope the guardian spirit of this house will be Rh