I have read in a Spanish book called 'El Viaje del Principe' (The Voyage
of the Prince), made by the King of Spain in the Pays-Bas in the time of
the Emperor Charles, his father, about the wonderful entertainments
given in the rich cities. The most famous was that of the Queen of
Hungary in the lovely town of Bains, which passed into a proverb, "Mas
bravas que las festas de Bains" (more magnificent than the festivals of
Bains). Among the displays which were seen during the siege of a
counterfeit castle, she ordered for one day a fête in honor of the
Emperor her brother, Queen Eleanor her sister, and the gentlemen and
ladies of the court.
Toward the end of the feast a lady appeared with six Oread-nymphs,
dressed as huntresses in classic costumes of silver and green,
glittering with jewels to imitate the light of the moon. Each one
carried a bow and arrows in her hand and wore a quiver on her shoulder;
their buskins were of cloth of silver. They entered the hall, leading
their dogs after them, and placed on the table in front of the Emperor
all kinds of venison pasties, supposed to have been the spoils of the
chase. After them came the Goddess of Shepherds and her six nymphs,
dressed in cloth of silver, garnished with pearls. They wore
knee-breeches beneath their flowing robes, and white pumps, and brought
in various products of the dairy.
Then entered the third division--Pomona and her nymphs--bearing fruit of
all descriptions. This goddess was the daughter of Donna Beatrix
Pacheco, Countess d'Autremont, lady-in-waiting to Queen Eleanor, and was
but nine years old. She was now Madame l'Admirale de Chastillon, whom
the Admiral married for his second wife. Approaching with her
companions, she presented her gifts to the Emperor with an eloquent
speech, delivered so beautifully that she received the admiration of the
entire assembly, and all predicted that she would become a beautiful,
charming, graceful, and captivating lady. She was dressed in cloth of
silver and white, with white buskins, and a profusion of precious
stones--emeralds, colored like some of the fruit she bore. After making
these presentations, she gave the Emperor a Palm of Victory, made of
green enamel, the fronds tipped with pearls and jewels. This was very
rich and gorgeous. To Queen Eleanor she gave a fan containing a mirror
set with gems of great value. Indeed, the Queen of Hungary showed that
she was a very excellent lady, and the Emperor was proud of a sister
worthy of himself. All the young ladies who impersonated these mythical
characters were selected from the suites of France, Hungary, and Madame
de Lorraine; and were therefore French, Italian, Flemish, German, and of
Lorraine. None of them lacked beauty.
At the same time that these fêtes were taking place at Bains, Henry II.
made his entrée in Piedmont and at his garrisons in Lyons, where were
assembled the most brilliant of his courtiers and court ladies. If the
representation of Diana and her chase given by the Queen of Hungary was
found beautiful, the one at Lyons was more beautiful and complete. As
the king entered the city, he saw obelisks of antiquity to the right and
left, and a wall of six feet was constructed along the road to the
courtyard, which was filled with underbrush and planted thickly with
trees and shrubbery. In this miniature forest were hidden deer and
other animals.
As soon as his Majesty approached, to the sound of horns and trumpets
Diana issued forth with her companions, dressed in the fashion of a
classic nymph with her quiver at her side and her bow in her hand. Her
figure was draped in black and gold sprinkled with silver stars, the
sleeves were of crimson satin bordered with gold, and the garment,
looped up above the knee, revealed her buskins of crimson satin covered
with pearls and embroidery. Her hair was entwined with magnificent
strings of rich pearls and gems of much value, and above her brow was
placed a crescent of silver, surrounded by little diamonds. Gold could
never have suggested half so well as the shining silver the white light
of the real crescent. Her companions were attired in classic costumes
made of taffetas of various colors, shot with gold, and their ringlets
were adorned with all kinds of glittering gems....
Other nymphs carried darts of Brazil-wood tipped with black and white
tassels, and carried horns and trumpets suspended by ribbons of white
and black. When the King appeared, a lion, which had long been under
training, ran from the wood and lay at the feet of the Goddess, who
bound him with a leash of white and black and led him to the king,
accompanying her action with a poem of ten verses, which she delivered
most beautifully. Like the lion--so ran the lines--the city of Lyons lay
at his Majesty's feet, gentle, gracious, and obedient to his command.
This spoken, Diana and her nymphs made low bows and retired.
Note that Diana and her companions were married women, widows, and young
girls, taken from the best society in Lyons, and there was no fault to
be found with the way they performed their parts. The King, the princes,
and the ladies and gentlemen of the court were ravished. Madame de
Valentinois, called Diana of Poitiers,--whom the King served and in
whose name the mock chase was arranged,--was not less content.