which I had caused to be laid out. He readily complied, and put them on
at once, while I added new beauties to the beauty of his face by the
elaborate and studied way in which I dressed his hair. In his ears I
placed two little rings, set with two large and fair pearls; the rings
were broken; they only clipped his ears, which looked as though they had
been pierced. Afterwards I wreathed his throat with chains of gold and
rich jewels, and ornamented his fair hands with rings. Then I took him
in a pleasant manner by one ear, and drew him before a great
looking-glass. The lad, when he beheld himself, cried out with a burst
of enthusiasm: "Heavens! is that Diego?" I said: "That is Diego, from
whom until this day I never asked for any kind of favour; but now I only
beseech Diego to do me pleasure in one harmless thing; and it is this-I
want him to come in those very clothes to supper with the company of
artists whereof he has often heard me speak." The young man, who was
honest, virtuous, and wise, checked his enthusiasm, bent his eyes to the
ground, and stood for a short while in silence. Then with a sudden move
he lifted up his face and said: "With Benvenuto I will go; now let us
start."

I wrapped his head in a large kind of napkin, which is called in Rome a
summer-cloth; and when we reached the place of meeting, the company had
already assembled, and everybody came forward to greet me. Michel Agnolo
had placed himself between Giulio and Giovan Francesco. I lifted the
veil from the head of my beauty; and then Michel Agnolo, who, as I have
already said, was the most humorous and amusing fellow in the world,
laid his two hands, the one on Giulio's and the other on Gian
Francesco's shoulders, and pulling them with all his force, made them
bow down, while he, on his knees upon the floor, cried out for mercy,
and called to all the folk in words like these: "Behold ye of what sort
are the angels of paradise! for though they are called angels, here