peared upon whose top was a Genius who recited verses; these over, he
dropped down the ends of nine silk ribbons which were taken by nine
maskers who danced a ballet about the tree. This _moresca_ was loudly
applauded. In conclusion the Pope asked his daughter to dance, which she
did with one of her women, a native of Valencia, and they were followed
by all the men and women who had taken part in the ballet.[139]

Comedies and _moresche_ were in great favor on festal occasions. The
poets of Rome, the Porcaro, the Mellini, Inghirami, and Evangelista
Maddaleni, probably composed these pieces, and they may also have taken
part in them, for it was many years since Rome had been given such a
brilliant opportunity to show her progress in histrionics. Lucretia was
showered with sonnets and epithalamia. It is strange that not one of
these has been preserved, and also that not a single Roman poet of the
day is mentioned as the author of any of these comedies. On January 2d a
bull fight was given in the Piazza of S. Peter's. The Spanish bull fight
was introduced into Italy in the fourteenth century, but not until the
fifteenth had it become general. The Aragonese brought it to Naples, and
the Borgias to Rome. Hitherto the only thing of the sort which had been
seen was the bull-baiting in the Piazza Navona or on the Testaccio.
Caesar was fond of displaying his agility and strength in this barbarous
sport. During the jubilee year he excited the wonder of all Rome by
decapitating a bull with a single stroke in one of these contests. On
January 2d he and nine other Spaniards, who probably were professional
matadors, entered the enclosure with two loose bulls, where he mounted
his horse and with his lance attacked the more ferocious one
single-handed; then he dismounted, and with the other Spaniards
continued to goad the animals. After this heroic performance the duke
left the arena to the matadors. Ten bulls and one buffalo were
slaughtered.

In the evening the _Menaechmi_ of Plautus and other pieces were
produced in which was celebrated the majesty of Caesar and Ercole. The
Ferrarese ambassador sent his master an account of these performances
which is a valuable picture of the day.

This evening the _Menaechmi_ was recited in the Pope's room, and
the Slave, the Parasite, the Pandor, and the wife of Menaechmus
performed their parts well. The Menaechmi themselves, however,
played badly. They had no masks, and the