The journal of Montaigne's travels in Italy by way of Switzerland and Germany in 1580 and 1581, Volume 2 (of 3)Montaigne, Michel de
History
The journal of Montaigne's travels in Italy by way of Switzerland and Germany in 1580 and 1581, Volume 2 (of 3)
Montaigne, Michel de
Germany -- Description and travel; Italy -- Description and travel; Switzerland -- Description and travel
On the following Thursday he went to a feast given by the Castellan
for which vast preparation had been made, notably an amphitheatre very
artistically and sumptuously disposed for the sport of tilting, the
courses being run in the evening before supper. The amphitheatre was
erected in a square barn, a section, oval in form, having been set
out in the centre for the purpose. Amongst other curious devices the
floor was painted with the utmost despatch with certain designs in
red. This floor had previously been covered with plaster, then they
laid thereupon a piece of parchment or leather with designs according
to their taste cut out of the same, and lastly they painted this with
a brush dipped in red paint so as to leave on the plaster under the
openings the design they wished for. So rapid was their work that
they might easily have decorated the nave of a church in two hours.
At supper the ladies were served by their husbands, who stood by them
and gave them to drink and whatever they might ask for. On the table
were many roast fowls, their plumage having been restored to them to
give them the look of living birds, capons cooked whole in vessels of
glass, good store of hares, rabbits, and birds in pies with feathers as
if alive, and the tables admirably laid with linen. The ladies’ table,
which was laid for four courses, could be removed in portions, and
below the first service was a second one of sweetmeats ready prepared.
They use no masks for visiting one another, but they wear them, of
a very cheap sort, when they walk about the town in public or go to
meetings for running at the ring. On Carnival Monday two rich and
well-appointed companies of gentlemen met for the sport aforesaid with
a wealth of superb horses such as we cannot equal.
* * * * *
Having given leave of absence to the one of my followers who has up
to this time written this journal in admirable fashion, I feel that,
albeit it may irk me somewhat, I must needs continue the work with my
own hand, seeing that it is so far advanced.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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