Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-12-07
4 banquet in hedlFVal Venice.


When Henry III. OF France, and kin,
OF Poland, was on his return to Paris t,
take up the government which had de
volyed upon him by the death of Catha
rine de Medici's two elder sons, Ii,
passed through Venice, and the recep
tion given to him by the queen of tn,
Adnatic Is fair specimen of numerous
other displays of like nature. On thu
Venetian frontier 4 goodly number o
senators and councillors met the king
his gOndola was spread with gold bro
cade; the mobiles told off to attend upOr
him were dressed in flowing robes ol
silk; sixty halberdiers AS guards of hon
or wore liveries of orange cOlored silk,
and carried ancient battle-axes. Fom
hundred rowers sped the royal craft on
its way to the Lido, followed by countless
gondolas of the nobility draped in cloth
of gold, and resplendeut with mirrors
and arms. On the Lido was erected a
triumphal arch, of which Palladio the
celebrated Vlcenzan, had been the ar
ohiteot, and which Tintoretto and Paolo
Veronese had PAINTED. The king was
lodged in the Foscari palace, adorned
for the purpose with everything that
was rich IN tapestry and gold. But the
banquet in the evening was the most
striking ceremony. 1t took place at the
Giudecca, Just over against the favorite
hotel Of modern Venice; the royal gon-
dola glided down the Grand Canal amid
soft-sounding music, and at the steps
the monarch was received by twelve
noblemen, dressed in picturesque ma
Iiner's costume, blue satin with scarlet
facings. each with lady in white rest
ing on his arm. Three thousand guests
were awaiting the kings advent into the
courtyard. resplendent with Jewels and
brocase. To while away the time be
fore the banquet WAS announced, an ac-
robat performed gymrastic feasts for
tie editication Of the guests, and all
around was assembled a sparkling fleet
of gondolas, with their torches and gil
ded prows, and their crimson damask
coverings floating in the waves, for there
were no sumptuary laws in those days,
and no restraint on display. Tables
were laid 10 accommodate the three thou
sand guests. For the royal entertainment
a curious surprise was prepared. Henry
was invited to seat himself at a table
made entirely Of sugar; the napkins,
plates, knives, forks, etc. were all made
Of that commodity; SO good was the de
ception that the king complacentIy sat
down, but, on taking up his napkin, he
found it c;tlmbled beneath his grasp,
The plate before the king had upon it
the figure of a queen seated on two IL
gers which had on their breasts the arms
OF France and Poland. On the right of
the royal seat were two sugar lions,
with Pallas and Justice of like ma
terial, while on his left stood a sugar st.
Mark and sugar David, and ON the
table were spread horses. trees, and
ships, etc, all of sugar. After the re-
past 1860 figures of sugar We're distribu-
ted among the fair sex as pleasing
memorial of the event. After this cpl
sode the king was taken to more sub
stantial table, and to food to a more snb-
gtantial character. At the intervals of
the courses comedies we're acted and
poems sung; around the hall were plan
ted rare trees ani o,lorous plants; bask
cts full of frdit hung from the cell
ing, and tame hares, rabbits and birds
were chained among the trees with silk
en- cords. The repast lasted for four
hours, and ninetyc curses passed before
the royal eyes; and then, at the end OF
all things. huge pie was opened, from
which issued birds; and the guests arose
to give them chase, the prize for the
largest bag being an ostrich egg set IN
gold With this began the dancing and
-evelry of the evening. These public
han1uets were initiated extensively in
private life. Four to five hundred du-
cats was an ordinary sum for Venetian
to spend on an entertainment. The art
OF cooking WAS carried to ridiculous
excess, into every dish it was deemed
necessary to cast some gold dust to give
it what they termed ''the heart.