The king's dinner was a solemn and important affair.

A multitude of post-wagons and couriers were ever on the way to bring from the remotest ends of the earth dainties for the royal table.

The bill of fare, therefore, to-day, as ever, exhibited the choicest and rarest dishes; and always when the king found one of his favorite ones written down he made an assenting and approving motion of the head, which always lighted up the face of the master of ceremonies like a sunbeam.

There were birds' nests brought from the East Indies by a fast-sailing vessel, built specially for the purpose.

There were hens from Calcutta and truffles from Languedoc, which the poet-king, Francis the First of France, had the day before sent to his royal brother as a special token of affection.