The AudienceThe nuns of Sergius and Bacchus received them friendlily, and the following day, before the appointed hour, soon after early mass, the cubicularius, or chamberlain, fetched the pilgrims from the cloister and led them to the palace; there he delivered them, in the first hall to the protosciniarius, who passed them on to the vestiarius, from whom the vice-dominus received them and yielded them up to the primicerius of the defensorum—and so on from room to room. Through many hands they passed, and through ten stone halls it went with them, who were bound for the innermost room, guarded by Palatine halberdiers, guarda nobili, portiers, and red litter-bearers. In the largest room stood a throne; past it two honorary chamberlains led them and at the door gave them up to two privy cha
