I would neither wish that my mistress, nor
my fortune, should be a bona roba, nor, as Homer used to describe
his beauties, like a daughter of great Jupiter, for the stateliness
and largeness of her person, but, as Lucretius says, "Parvula,
pumilio, [Greek text which cannot be reproduced], tota merum sal."
Where there is one man of this, I believe there are a thousand of
Senecio's mind, whose ridiculous affectation of grandeur Seneca the
elder describes to this effect. Senecio was a man of a turbid and
confused wit, who could not endure to speak any but mighty words and
sentences, till this humour grew at last into so notorious a habit,
or rather disease, as became the sport of the whole town: he would
have no servants but huge massy fellows, no plate or household stuff
but thrice as big as the fashion; you may believe me, for I speak it
without raillery, his extravagancy came at last into such a madness
that he would not put on a pair of shoes each of which was not big
enough for both his feet; he would eat nothing but what was great,
nor touch any fruit but horse-plums and pound-pears. He kept a
concubine that was a very giantess, and made her walk, too, always
in a chiopins, till at last he got the surname of Senecio Grandio,
which, Messala said, was not his cognomen, but his cognomentum.
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