A Roman knight coming to Adrian to request a favour of him, received a denial: the knight was old, and had a very gray beard, but a few days after, having covered his beard black, like a young man, he came to the emperor again about the same business. The emperor, perceiving the fraud, said to him, " I would be very glad to gratify you in your desire, but a few days past I denied it to your father, and therefore it would not be just to grant that to the son which I refused to the father."

From The Olio, Or, Museum of Entertainment