like
manner so well and of so many different viands, that to attempt to
describe them all would make too long a story. Enough that when the time
came to break up, after many peals of thunder an artificial rain began
to fall, and all left the work and fled, each one going to his own
house.

[Footnote 16: A Florentine cake.]

Another time, when the master of the same Company was Matteo da Panzano,
the banquet was arranged in the following manner. Ceres, seeking
Proserpine her daughter, who had been carried off by Pluto, entered the
room where the men of the Cazzuola were assembled, and, coming before
their master, besought him that they should accompany her to the
infernal regions. To which request consenting after much discussion,
they went after her, and so, entering into a somewhat darkened room,
they saw in place of a door a vast mouth of a serpent, the head of which
took up the whole wall. Round which door all crowding together, while
Cerberus barked, Ceres called out asking whether her lost daughter were
in there, and, a voice having answered Yes, she added that she desired
to have her back. But Pluto replied that he would not give her up, and
invited Ceres with all the company to the nuptials that were being
prepared; and the invitation was accepted. Whereupon, all having entered
through that mouth, which was full of teeth, and which, being hung on
hinges, opened to each couple of men that entered, and then shut again,
they found themselves at last in a great room of a round shape, which
had no light but a very little one in the centre, which burned so dim
that they could scarcely see one another. There, having been pushed into
their seats with a great fork by a most hideous Devil who was in the
middle, beside the tables, which were draped in black, Pluto commanded
that in honour of his nuptials the pains of Hell should cease for as
long as those guests remained there; and so it was done. Now in that
room were painted all the chasms of the regions of the damned, with
their pains and torments; and, fire being put to a match of tow, in a
flash a light was kindled at each chasm, thus revealing in the picture
in what manner and with what pains those who were in it were tormented.
The viands of that infernal supper were all animals vile and most
hideous in appearance; but nevertheless within, under the loathly
covering and the shape of the pastry, were most delicate meats of many
kinds. The skin, I say, on th