f the Court and the
strangers, and partly among the gentlemen of the city and the two
colonies of merchants, the Spanish and the Genoese. First, then, upon
the first buffalo that appeared in the appointed place, there was seen
coming Wickedness, adorned with great art and judgment, who was shown
being chased, goaded and beaten by six cavaliers likewise figured most
ingeniously as Scourging, or rather, Scourges. After that, upon the
second buffalo, which had the appearance of a lazy ass, was seen coming
the old and drunken Silenus, supported by six Bacchants, who were seen
striving at the same time to goad and spur the ass; even as upon the
third, which had the form of a calf, there was likewise seen coming the
ancient Osiris, accompanied by six of the companions or soldiers with
whom, it is believed, that Deity travelled over many parts of the world
and taught to the still new and barbarous races the cultivation of the
fields. Upon the fourth, without any disguise, was placed as on
horseback Human Life, likewise chased and goaded by six cavaliers who
represented the Years; even as upon the fifth, also without any
disguise, was seen coming Fame with the many mouths and with the great
wings of desire that are customary, also chased by six cavaliers who
resembled Virtue, or the Virtues; which Virtues, so it was said, chasing
her, were aspiring to obtain the due and well-deserved reward of honour.
Upon the sixth, then, was seen coming a very rich Mercury, who was shown
being goaded and urged on no less than the others by six other similar
figures of Mercury; and upon the seventh was seen the nurse of Romulus,
Acca Laurentia, with six of her Fratres Arvales, who were not only
urging her lazy animal to a run with their goads, but seemed almost to
have been introduced to keep her company with much fittingness and pomp.
Upon the eighth, next, was seen coming with much grace and richness a
large and very natural owl, with six cavaliers in the form of bats most
natural and marvellously similar to the reality, who with most dexterous
horses, goading the buffalo now from one side and now from another, were
seen delivering a thousand joyous and most festive assaults. For the
ninth, with singular artifice and ingenious illusion, there was seen
appearing little by little a Cloud, which, after it had held the eyes of
the spectators for some time in suspense, was seen in an instant as it
were to part asunder, and from it issued the seafar