of ivy and vine-leaves with their little
bunches of ripe grapes. And these and all the others in the companies
already described, besides a good number of grooms, likewise very richly
and ingeniously dressed according to the company wherein they were
serving, had horses of different colours distributed among them, a
particular colour to each company, so that one had dappled horses,
another sorrel, a third black, a fourth peach-coloured, another bay, and
yet another of a varied coat, according as the invention required. And
to the end that the above-described masques, which were composed almost
entirely of the most noble lords, might not be constrained to carry the
customary torches at night, forty-eight different witches--who during
the day preceded in most beautiful order all those six companies, guided
by Mercury and Diana, who had each three heads to signify their three
powers; being themselves also divided into six companies, and each
particular company being ruled by two dishevelled and barefooted
priestesses--when night came, went in due order on either side of the
particular company of dreams to which they were assigned, and, with the
lighted torches which they and the grooms bore, rendered it abundantly
luminous and clear. These witches, besides their different faces, all
old and hideous, and besides the different colours of the rich draperies
wherewith they were clothed, were known in particular, and one company
distinguished from another, by the animals that they had upon their
heads, into the shapes of which, so men say and believe, they transform
themselves often by their incantations; for some had upon the cloth of
silver that served as kerchief for their heads a black bird, with wings
and claws outspread, and with two little phials about the head,
signifying their maleficent distillations; and some had cats, others
black and white dogs, and others, by their false blonde tresses and by
the natural white hair that could be seen, as it were against their
will, beneath them, betrayed their vain desire to appear young and
beautiful to their lovers.

The immense car, drawn by six large and shaggy bears crowned with
poppies, which came at the end after all that lovely train, was without
a doubt the richest, the most imposing, and the most masterly in
execution that has ever been seen for a long time back. That car was
guided by Silence, a figure adorned with grey draperies and with the
customary shoes of felt upo