Canto XXV

This one is headed "THE BOOK OF THE COUNCIL MAJOR" and it's soon obvious we're in Venice. A long, sparsely punctuated, passage covers two prohibitions on gambling, followed by a mythical story in which a lion and a lioness mate and on St Mark's Day three cubs are born. This account is solemnly attested by "John Marchesini Ducal notary of the Venetians". And is followed by this listed item:

Also a note from Pontius Pilate dated the "year 33."

It's another joke! And quite a good one, too.

More accounting style notes follow, tracing, I think the building of Venice.

Finally, we move on to notes about the work of Titian, mainly about the business of commissioning and paying for works.

This canto is less quotable than some, being largely a selection of prosy passages, documents rather than drawings. It was quite a nice experience, though, back in the antiquarian's shop.