Lastly, For the disposing and ordering of the persons: The first and middle beds were for the guests, the third and lowest for the Master of the house and his family; he always lying in the first place of the last bed, that is, next the middle bed; but if the wife or children were absent, their rooms were supplied by the Umbræ, or hangers on, according to that of _Juvenal_ [SN: _Who the Umbræ were at banquets._]----_Locus est et pluribus Umbris._ For the guests, the honourablest place in every bed was the first, excepting the middle or second bed; wherein the most honourable Guest of the feast was placed in the last place, because by that position he might be next the Master of the feast [SN: _Iul. Scalig. familiarium exercitationum Problema 1._]. For the Master lying in the first of the last bed, and the principal Guest in the last place of the second, they must needs be next each other; as this figure doth plainly declare, and whereby we may apprehend the feast of _Perpenna_ made unto _Sertorius_, described by _Salustius_, whose words we shall thus read with _Salmasius_: _Igitur discubuere, Sertorius inferior in medio lecto, supra Fabius; Antonius in summo; Infra Scriba Sertorii Versius; alter scriba Mæcenas in Imo, medius inter Tarquitium et Dominum Perpennam._
Ultimus Honoratissimus Locus Summus Infra Medius Supra +--------------------------------+ |L. Fabius Locus Vacuus Sertorius| | Medius Lectus | +----------+--------------------------------+------------+ L | | | | o S | | | | U c e | | | |I l u u S| | | |n t s u|Perpenna | |Versinis |f i D p|Dominus | | |r m S o r| | | |a u u m a| | | | s m i | | | | m n | | | | u i | | | | s | | | | | | | | M| | | |M e| | |Locus |e d|Mæcenas | |Vacuus |d i|Imus | |Summus |i u|Lectus | |Lectus |u s| | | |s | | | | | | | | P U| | | | S r l| | | | e i t| | | |S u m i|Tarquitius| | Antonius |u u m| | | |p S s u| | | |r u s| | | |a m L | | | | m o | | | | u c | | | | s u | | | | s
At this feast there were but seven; the middle places of the highest and middle bed being vacant; and hereat was _Sertorius_ the General and principal guest slain. And so may we make out what is delivered by _Plutarch_ in his life, that lying on his back, and raising himself up, _Perpenna_ cast himself upon his stomack; which he might very well do, being Master of the feast, and lying next unto him. And thus also from this Tricliniary disposure, we may illustrate that obscure expression of _Seneca_; That the Northwind was in the middle, the North-East on the higher side, and the North-West on the lower. For as appeareth in the circle of the winds, the North-East will answer the bed of _Antonius_, and the North-West that of _Perpenna_.