Neroli Jasmine

Do you like my new perfume? I asked Pliny the Elder this morning.

No, he replied, wrinkling his Roman nose. You smell like the emperor Nero.

Impossible, I said, offended. My new perfume is Neroli Jasmine. Neroli was invented by Anne Marie Orsini, Duchess of Bracciano and Princess of Nerola, in the 17th century. She used it to perfume her gloves and her bath. Neroli is the essence of the flower of the bitter orange, and it's named after her.

All perfume smells of excess and luxury to me, growled Pliny. A superfluous decadence! The emperor Nero used to perfume the soles of his feet. He sprayed fragrance down upon his dinner guests from pipes hidden in his ivory carved ceiling. He once accidentally asphyxiated one of his guests under a shower of rose petals.

So you don't approve the use of any sort of perfume, I ventured.

I don't, and I blame the practice on the Egyptians. Myrrh, frankincense, thyme, marjoram, lavender, lily, rosemary, peppermint, cedar, rose, aloe, olive oil, sesame oil, almond oil, cinnamon, saffron and balsam, all were known to them. They used to place a cone of scented grease on the heads of guests at a dinner party. The grease melted and trickled down their necks. They thought it increased their brain power. They also thought it useful in the prevention of drunkenness.

Really? I said, pricking up my ears. I wonder if it worked?

No, he said. I think we can safely say it did not.