PAR. 5.
THe Table-talke was the next fixed subsequent Ceremony: Maymonides saith, the religious Table-talke began not, till the cloath was removed from the Ma∣ster of the Feast, at the end of the first Supper: And after blessing, then, the younger fort enquired; why, the preceding Supper was so discordant, and divers from all other Suppers, with double washings, without baked, boyled, or stewed meates, without any herbes, save bitter ones: As the youth enquired (according to that, Exod. 12.26.) So the head of that societie; (you may say, he was Rex, sacrorum Ar∣chitriclinus, King of the Ceremonies, Sewer, or Master of the feast; Gentleman-Vsher, Chaplaine in Ordinary, or, Marshall of the Hall; or Symposiast, pater discubitus, Ini∣tiator, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, who placed the guests, according to their worth; Nomarcha Coenae, the Ruler of the Feast, according to that of Exod. 13.8. made remonstrance, of what God had done, to deliver them, from the house of bondage: nor might any of their Table-talke, be irreligious, or vaine, or carpingly censorious, or provoking to wrath; nor was it, as at other times, with Riddles, or other delightfull good discourses; nor roved they at large, at all sacred conferences; but was empaled in, and confined, to the well-seasoned Relations, as the Memoriall then lead them; of the plagues in Aegypt; of the de∣stroying Angell; inhibited to destroy their First-borne; of the Seas retiring; and the Two walles of water (forgetting their naturall Fluidity) on the right hand and on the left; of their haste, and feare, and of Pharaohs hardened heart, mollified by his drowning; and Gods carrying them, on Eagles winges. Aulus Gellius (Noct. Attic. 13.11.) Nec loquaces Convivas, nec multos legere oportet; guests must not be tatling like Geese, nor mute, as Fishes; and the discourses must be jucunde, & invitabiles, delightfull, and profitable; not perplexing, or troublesome; the Master, or Lord of the Feast, must be, Non tam lautus, quàm sive sordibus; neate, and cleane∣ly: Macrobius (Saturnal. 7.1.) handleth the poynt, more at large; as a few, mute letters dispersed among many vowells, in societatem vocis facilè mansuescunt, doe make an easie pronounciation; so, some few unlearned, delighting in the company of more learned, either accord with them, if they can; or, are delighted, with their discourse: Timotheum, clarum hominom Athenis, & principem Civitatis, ferunt, cùm coenuvisset apuà Platonem, eoqui convivio, admodùm delectat ••s esses, videssetque eum po∣stridiè, dixisse, vestrae quidem Coenae, non solùm in praesentiâ, sed etiàm postero die jucundae sunt; that is, It is storied of Timothy, a famous man of Athens, and one of the chiefe of that Citie; that having, on a time supped with Plato, hee was wonderously de∣lighted with that Feast; and meeting him, by chance, the next day; he told him, that his Supper did rellish a long time after; a Philosophers banquet; as Cicero (lib. 5. Tusquaest.