e outer side, made it appear as if they
were serpents, grass-snakes, lizards large and small, tarantulas, toads,
frogs, scorpions, bats, and other suchlike animals; but within all were
composed of the choicest viands. And these were placed on the tables
before every man with a shovel, under the direction of the Devil, who
was in the middle, while a companion poured out exquisite wines from a
horn of glass, ugly and monstrous in shape, into glazed crucibles, which
served as drinking-glasses. These first viands finished, which formed a
sort of relish, dead men's bones were set all the way down the table in
place of fruits and sweetmeats, as if the supper, which was scarcely
begun, were finished; which reliquary fruits were of sugar. That done,
Pluto, who proclaimed that he wished to go to his repose with his
Proserpine, commanded that the pains should return to torment the
damned; and in a moment all the lights that have been mentioned were
blown out by a sort of wind, on every side were heard rumblings, voices,
and cries, awesome and horrible, and in the middle of that darkness,
with a little light, was seen the image of Baia the bombardier, who was
one of the guests, as has been related--condemned to Hell by Pluto for
having always chosen as the subjects and inventions of his girandole and
other fireworks the seven mortal sins and the things of Hell. While all
were occupied in gazing on that spectacle and listening to various
sounds of lamentation, the mournful and funereal table was taken away,
and in place of it, lights being kindled, was seen a very rich and regal
feast, with splendid servants who brought the rest of the supper, which
was handsome and magnificent. At the end of the supper came a ship full
of various confections, and the crew of the ship, pretending to remove
their merchandize, little by little brought the men of the Company into
the upper rooms, where, a very rich scenic setting having been already
prepared, there was performed a comedy called the Filogenia, which was
much extolled; and at dawn, the play finished, every man went happily
home.

Two years afterwards, it being the turn of the same man, after many
feasts and comedies, to be master of the Company another time, he, in
order to reprove some of that Company who had spent too much on certain
feasts and banquets (only, as the saying goes, to be themselves eaten
alive), had his banquet arranged in the following manner. At the Aia,
where they we