Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/92

80 parts, caused these eatables to appear as if nothing less than serpents, adders, lizards, newts, great venomous spiders, toads, frogs, scorpions, bats, and animals of similar kind, were to be forced upon the guests, but within these articles were found to be the most choice and inviting preparations; these were placed before each guest with a fire-shovel, under the direction of the huge devil before-mentioned, while a comrade of his brought wines of the finest quality in vessels of hideous form, and these he poured into ladles looking like such as are used for melting glass, and which served the guests as beakers.

After these first dishes, which were but as a species of “antepast,” or foretaste, there were fruits placed on the table as if for dessert, pretending that the supper (which had scarcely commenced) was already finished—with sweetmeats of various kinds; but these fruits and confections which were cast about and rudely scattered all over the table, were apparently relics of the dead, although in fact the seeming bones were most delicate compositions of sugar, &c. This being done, command was given by Pluto (who announced that he was then going to his repose), to the effect that the ordinary pains should recommence and the condemned be tormented anew; whereupon the lights by which the places of torture had been previously shown were instantaneously extinguished, aye, in less than the twinkling of an eye, and at the same moment there arose sounds of infinite horror, groans of the suffering, fearful cries, and exclamations full of terror. Then, in the midst of that darkness, and holding a faint light which did but just permit him to be seen, appeared the form of that Baia, the artillery-man of whom I have before spoken, and who was one of the guests, but had now been condemned to hell by Pluto, because in preparing fire-works and “girandole” he had always confined his inventions to a representation of the seven mortal sins and things appertaining to the realms of the infernal king.

While all were occupied with that spectacle and in listening to those outcries, lamentations, and moanings, the whole of the grizly sight was swept away; and lights then appearing, there was seen in its stead the most royal and magnificent preparation for a supper, which was instantly laid with all respect before the guests by well-appointed and watch-