sold for nearly 14,000_l_.; and Nero gave nearly 59,000_l_. for another.  So highly were they prized, that, in the conquest of Egypt, Augustus was content to select, for his own share, out of all the spoils of Alexandria, a single murrhine cup.[5] Precious stones and pearls were imported from Persia and Babylonia; the latter country also furnished the wealthy Romans with triclinaria, which was furniture of some description, but whether quilts, carpets, or curtains is not ascertained.  Persia supplied also incense of a very superior quality.  The various and valuable commodities with which Arabia supplied the profusion and luxury of Rome, reached that capital from the port of Alexandria in Egypt.  We cannot enumerate the whole of them, but must confine ourselves to a selection of the most important and valuable.  Great demand, and a high rate of profits necessarily draw to any particular trade a great number of merchants; it is not surprising, therefore, that the trade in the luxuries of the east was so eagerly followed at Rome.  Pliny informs us, that the Roman world was exhausted by a drain of 400,000_l_. a year, for the purchase of luxuries, equally expensive and superfluous; and in another place, he estimates the rate of profit made at Rome, by the importation and sale of oriental luxuries at 100 per cent.

Arabia furnished diamonds, but these were chiefly of a small size, and other gems and pearls.  At Rome the diamond possessed the highest value; the pearl, the second; and the emerald, the third.  Nero used an emerald as an eye-glass for short sight.  But though large and very splendid diamonds brought a higher price at Rome than pearls, yet the latter, in general, were in much greater repute; they were worn in almost every part of the dress, by persons of almost every rank.  The famous pearl ear-rings of Cleopatra were valued at 161,458_l_., and Julius Caesar presented the mother of Brutus with a pearl, for which he paid 48,457_l_.  Frankincense, myrrh, and other precious drugs, were also brought to Rome from Arabia, through the port of Alexandria.  There was a great demand at Rome for spices and aromatics, from the custom of the Romans to burn their dead, and also from the consumption of frankincense, &c. in their temples.  At the funeral of Sylla 210 bundles of spices were used.  Nero burnt, at the funeral of Poppaea, more cinnamon and cassia than the countries from which they were imported produced in one year.  In the reign of Augustus, according to Horace, one whole street was occupied by those who dealt in frankincense, pepper, and other aromatics.  Frankincense was also imported into Rome from Gaza, on the coast of Palestine; according to Pliny, it was brought to this place by a caravan, that was sixty-two days on its journey:  the length of the journey, frauds, impositions, duties; &c. brought every camel’s load to upward of 22_l_.; and a pound of the best sort sold at Rome for ten shillings.  Alexandria, however, was the great emporium for this, as well as all the