BOOK ONE

...task to some young man loved by you, to ensure the Game is conducted in such a manner, distributing some name, or instrument, or property of Fortune around, so that if you said to the first, Right-hand Fortune, to the second you could say, Left-hand Fortune, and thus continuing to assign one to everyone one by one.

Having thus given to each person that name of Fortune which falls to them by luck, and if there are not enough proposed names of Fortune, you may, with foresight and cleverness, search for and perhaps find others, so as not to leave your begun pleasure imperfect. Once everyone is provided with names, you will remember to have them repeat them two or three times around, so that the Players are thereafter without excuse for making errors, and cannot say they did not understand them. Then, while they are all intent on what must be done, let the noble Master Maestro: the designated leader of the game who directs the flow of the evening's entertainment or the Mistress of the Game begin, almost in the form of a discourse; and hearing their assigned name mentioned, the players are bound to immediately respond by naming themselves, and failing to do so, they shall pay the forfeit pegno: a small personal object surrendered as a penalty for a mistake, to be "redeemed" later by performing a humorous or difficult task.

The Discourse which the Master makes to Play.

Most gracious Ladies, Fortune is an accident outside of every intent of Nature, and is a thing more vain and more unstable than shadows or the wind; ask the Sailors original: "Naviganti" about it, if the Fortune of the Sea— At this point, the player assigned "Fortune of the Sea" must respond. whether she be Fortune on the ball, on the Dolphin, or even with the sail, she is an uncertain thing...