other festivals given by the Company or Brotherhood of the Paiuolo, or Cauldron.
Another Company, which was that of the Trowel, and of which Giovan Francesco was also a member, had its origin in the manner following. One evening, in the year 1512, a joyous band had assembled at supper in that garden which the humpbacked fifer, Feo d'Agnolo, who was a right merry fellow, then had in the Campaccio; there were met, with this Feo, Ser Bastiano the pig-feeder, Ser RaffaeUo of the Shambles, the Barber Ser Cecchino, Girolamo del Giocondo, and II Baia; these good souls being all busily employed in the eating of their Ricotta[1] While thus appropriately occupied, it chanced that Il Baia espied a heap of mortar which had been left in the garden at no great distance from their table, and in which the mason had left his trowel sticking when he quitted his work on the previous day. Taking up a morsel of the mortar on the point of that trowel therefore, II Baia popped the same into the mouth of Feo, who sat gaping wide, in the expectation of a great lump of Ricotta, which another of his comrades was about to place therein. This being perceived by the company, they all began to cry, A Trowel! A Trowel! with the utmost force of their voices.
Out of this circumstance it was that the Company of the Trowel took its origin; and it was determined to make the society consist of twenty-four members; twelve of that number being selected from those who, as was the phrase at that time, ‘‘ went for the Great,”[2] and twelve from such of
- ↑ Another dainty, little known beyond the country of its birth; yet not a few of my readers will remember to have turned in their despair, from the wickedly-nauseous butter of certain Italian towns (whose names, as we are doing a little evil-speaking, the present writer refrains from particularizing) to the white and not uninviting looking Ricotta, a preparation of milk, somewhat resembling curd, or a something between that and cream cheese. This contrivance, my readers may have essayed perchance, but few will have felt themselves greatly consoled thereby for the loss of their good English butter. It is nevertheless much eaten by Italians of the lower orders, sometimes with a preparation of wine, sugar, and spices, by way of sauce; a re-inforcement respecting the merits whereof, the experience of this deponent doth not enable her to speak.
- ↑ The phrase, “to go for the Great,” was originally applied in Florence to those families whose names had been inscribed on the ancient rolls of the principal Guilds, and who were consequently considered of greater importance than those of others among the citizens. It afterwards came to be used as expressing every distinction of what kind soever.— Masselli.
