Tricoenivm Christi in nocte proditionis suæ The threefold svpper of Christ in the night that he vvas betrayed / explained by Edvvard Kellett.

PAR. 8.

THe eleventh point insisted on by Pererius, standeth on these diverse branches. 1. The Romanes feasting, lay 3. on every bed; and all the guests were a tri∣ple-trine, for the honour of the nine Muses; yet, Non rarò, often (saith Pererius) 4. or 5. did lye on one bed; concerning foure on one bed; Horace saith,

Saepè tribus Lectis videas coenare quaternos,

that is,

Oft times you may see 12. on 3. beds sit, On each bed 4. and 4. themselves they fit.

Againe, though the Romanes were wont to make 3. beds, at a feast; from whence the place of the feast had the name of Triclinium; yet sometimes 4. sometimes 5. beds were made, even to 10, yea, to 30. as Philander: so farre he. I answere, all this discourse is full of generality, ambiguity, and if not totall impertinencie, yet no∣thing to his maine purpose; that the Iewes imitated the feastings of the Romanes: let me rove a little after the Rover: about Vespasianus his time, they had but one bed called sigma, Σ, from the forme thereof: the Greekes, and after them the La∣tines named it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, stibadium; so Plinie, and this incompassed three sides of the feasting Table: Martial. (10.48.)

Stella, Nepos, Cani, Cerealis, Flacce, venite, Septem sigma capit,—

that is,

Come to my house, you five be bold, My Table well will seven hold.

Idem. (14.87.)

Accipe lunatâ scriptum testudine sigma, Octo capit, veniat, quisquis amicus erit.

that is,

Accept this Table sent from me, Like a New-moone, tis shap'd you see; Eight guests, I know, it well will hold, Let every friend come and be bold.

Concerning the correspondence of guests to the Muses, it held sometimes, but the old adage cited by Alexander ab Alexandro (5.21. crosseth it; Septem Convivium;

novem Convicium facere; that is, seven make a feast; nine, a frey; when they had the fewest guests, they had not under three; when they were the most at their ordinary repast there were not above 9 at the same boord, on the same beds; yet extraordi∣narily, and at great feasts they had more discumbents, often they had but two beds: Plautus mentioneth, Biclinium, a Roome, wherein two beds, or two Tables stood: Iulius Caesar had his Biclinium, as he passed the Provinces; yet Suetonius, (pag. 35.) in Iulio Caesare, saith; he feasted dayly, Duobus Tricliniis; one, on which Cassocked Souldiers, with Philosophers, or Cloake-men did lye; on the other lay gowne-men and the chiefest of the Provinces: sometimes but one onely lay on one bed, saith Cicero (in Pisonem) onely Volumnius Eutrapelus, and his Cytheris lay on one bed, when Atticus, Cicero, Verrius, lay on a second bed; sometimes 4. sometimes 5. lay on one bed; the most usuall course was indeede, for three beds; see Alexander ab Alexandro (Genial. dier. 5.21.) Macrobius, at that great feast of Metellus, placed foure men on one bed, five on another, sixe women on the third bed: Lucius Ʋe∣rus Imperator, praeter exempla majorum, cum duodecem, solenni Convivio, primus accubuit; that is, Lucius Ʋerus the Emperour, was the first, that contrary to the custome of his Predecessors, sate at a great feast, with twelve in his company, saith Alexander, ibidem: I thinke I should puzzle any of Pererius his friends, to bring me a Patteme (if that of the Emperour Verus be not one) that five lay on one bed, five on ano∣ther; and but three on a thrid bed, as Pererius saith, Christ and his Apostles did.