JUNIPER. 213 



enough to walk on flowers of Juniper. " This jocund 

 company," says an old translation, " having received li- 

 cence from their queen to disport themselves, the gentle- 

 men walked with the ladies into a goodly garden, making 

 chaplets and nosegays of divers flowers, and singing si- 

 lently to themselves. When they had spent the time 

 limited by the queen, they returned into the house, where 

 they found that Parmeno had effectually executed his 

 office ; for when they entered into the hall, they saw the 

 tables covered with delicate white napery, and the glasses 

 looking like silver, they were so transparently clear ; all 

 the room besides strewed with flowers of Juniper." 



As the passage has to do with gardens and flowers, and 

 is a very elegant one besides, the reader will not object to 

 a quotation of the whole of it : 



"When the queen and all the rest had washed, ac- 

 cording as Parmeno gave order, so every one was seated 

 at the table : the viands, delicately dressed, were served 

 in, and excellent wines plentifully delivered: none at- 

 tending but the three servants, and little or no loud table- 

 talk passing among them. Dinner being ended, and the 

 table withdrawn, all the ladies, and the gentlemen like- 

 wise, being skilful both in singing and dancing, and play- 

 ing on instruments artificially, the queen commanded that 

 divers instruments should be brought; and as she gave 

 charge, Dioneus took a lute, and Fiametta a viol-de- 

 gamba, and began to play an excellent dance : whereupon 

 the queen, with the rest of the ladies, and the other two 

 young gentlemen (having sent their attending servants to 

 dinner), paced forth a dance very majestically, and when 

 the dance was ended, sung sundry excellent canzonets, out- 

 wearing so the time until Parmeno commanded them all to 

 rest, because the hour did necessarily require it. The gen- 



