amused. He began by
proposing that the queen should take part in the game; on her replying by
shrieks of laughter, his majesty did not insist.

The old courtiers made their escape, greatly to my regret, for I should
have liked to see them cutting capers in the air, specially Prince Paul
Nicander, who had been the king's tutor, and had filled him with all his
own prejudices.

When the king saw that his old followers had fled, he was reduced to
asking the young nobles present to play their part.

I was not afraid for myself, as I was unknown, and not of sufficient rank
to merit such an honour.

After three or four young noblemen had been tossed, much to the amusement
of the queen and her ladies, the king cast his eyes on two young
Florentine nobles who had lately arrived at Naples. They were with their
tutor, and all three had been laughing heartily at the disport of the
king and his courtiers.

The monarch came up and accosted them very pleasantly, proposing that
they should take part in the game.

The wretched Tuscans had been baked in a bad oven; they were undersized,
ugly, and humpbacked.

His majesty's proposal seemed to put them on thorns. Everybody listened
for the effects of the king's eloquence; he was urging them to undress,
and saying that it would be unmannerly to refuse; there could be no
humiliation in it, he said, as he himself had been the first to submit.

The tutor felt that it would not do to give the king a refusal, and told
them that they must give in, and thereupon the two Florentines took off
their clothes.

When the company saw their figures and doleful expressions, the laughter
became general. The king took one of them by the hand, observing in an
encouraging manner that there would be no danger; and as a special honour
he held one of the corners of the blanket himself. But, for all that, big
tears rolled down the wretched young man's cheeks.

After three or four visits to the ceiling, and amusing everyone by the
display of his long thin legs, he was released, and the younger brother
went to the torture smilingly, for which he was rewarded by applause.

The governor, suspecting that his majesty destined him for the same fate,
had slipped out; and the king laughed merrily when he heard of his
departure.

Such was the extraordinary spectacle we enjoyed--a spectacle in every way
unique.

Don Pascal Latilla, who had been lucky enough to avoid his majesty's
notice, told us a number of