shall ye see that they are not all of the male gender." Then with a loud
voice he added:

"Angel beauteous, angel best,
Save me thou, make thou me blest."

Upon this my charming creature laughed, and lifted the right hand and
gave him a papal benediction, with many pleasant words to boot. So
Michel Agnolo stood up, and said it was the custom to kiss the feet of
the Pope and the cheeks of angels; and having done the latter to Diego,
the boy blushed deeply, which immensely enhanced his beauty.

When this reception was over, we found the whole room full of sonnets,
which every man of us had made and sent to Michel Agnolo, My lad began
to read them, and read them all aloud so gracefully, that his infinite
charms were heightened beyond the powers of language to describe. Then
followed conversation and witty sayings, on which I will not enlarge,
for that is not my business; only one clever word must be mentioned, for
it was spoken by that admirable painter Giulio, who, looking round with
meaning [4] in his eyes on the bystanders, and fixing them particularly
upon the women, turned to Michel Agnolo and said: "My dear Michel
Agnolo, your nickname of crow very well suits those ladies to-day,
though I vow they are somewhat less fair than crows by the side of one
of the most lovely peacocks which fancy could have painted"

When the banquet was served and ready, and we were going to sit down to
table, Giulio asked leave to be allowed to place us. This being granted,
he took the women by the hand, and arranged them all upon the inner
side, with my fair in the centre; then he placed all the men on the
outside and me in the middle, saying there was no honour too great for