The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-11-10
Splendors of a Medieval Banouet.

w ueu heury LII. Ol france auQ h1DQ
of Poland was on his return to Paris to
take up the government which had de-
volved upon him by the death of Gath
crime de Medici's two elder sons, he
passed through Venice, and the recep-
ton given to him by the Queen of the
Adriatic is a fair specimen of numerous
displays of like nature. On the Vene-
tian frontier goodly number of sepr-
tors and councillors met the king; Lis
gondola was spread with gold brocade;
the mobiles toled off to attend him were
dressed in flowing robes of silk; sixty
halberdiers as guards of honor wore
iveries of orange-colored silk, and car
ried ancient battle-axes. -Four hundred
rowers sped the royal craft on its way
to the Lido, followed by countless.gon-
dolas of the nobility draped in cloth of
gold and resplendent with mirrors and
arms. On the Lido was erected a tri-
umphal arch, of which Palladio, the
celebrated Vicenzan, had been the archi-
tect, and which Tintoretto and Palo
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
oyal gondoll glided down the grand
canal amid soft-sounding music, and at
the steps the monarch was received by
twelve noblemen dressed in picturesque
mariners costume, blue satin with
scarlet facings, each with lady in
white resting on his arm. Three thou
sand guests awaited the kings advent
into the courtyard, resplendent with
jewels and gold brocade. To while away
the time before the banquet was an
nounced, an acrobat performed gym
nastic feats for the edifcation of the
guests, and all around was assembled
sparkling feet of gondolas with their
torches and gilded prows, and their
crimson damask coverings foated in the
waves, for there were no sumptuary laws
in those days, and no restraint on display.
Tables were laid to accommodate the
5000. For the royal entertainment o
curious sui prise was prepared. Henry
was invited to seat himself at table
made entirely of sugar ; the napkins,
plates, knives, forks, etc., were all
made of that commodity; so good was
the deception that the king complacently
sat down, but on taking up his napkin
he found it crumble beneath his grasp.
The plate before the king had upon it
the figure of a queen seated on two
tigers, 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
material, while on his left stood a sugar
st. Mark and sugar David, and on
tae table were spread horses, trees,
ships, ETC., all of sugar. After the re-
past 1.270 figures of sugar were dis
tributed among the fair sex as
pleasing memorial of the event. After
this episode the king was taken to a
more substantial table and to food
of more substantial character. At the
intervals of courses, comedies were
acted and poems sung; around the hall
were planted rare trees and odorous
plants, baskets full of fruit hung from
the ceiling, and tame hares, rabbits and
birds were chained among the trees
with silken cords. The repast lasted
for four hours, ard ninety courses
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 be-
gan the dancing and revelry of the
evening. These public banquets were
initiated extensively in private life
Four to five hundred ducats was an or,
dinary 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" t."-Frdzer'S
Magazine.