Jugglers and Acrobats at the Castle

A troupe of jugglers, dancers, and musicians is performing in the courtyard of a medieval castle. A few soldiers in full armor are pushed back against a wall by the graceful movements of a dancing woman, while other soldiers are watching the scene from above, some from a balcony, others sticking their heads out of every available window.

This picture is an illustration for the story, “The Venial Sin,” from Droll Stories.

The caption reads in the original French: Les ieux de la troupe ægyptiacque.
The translation provided here is from the edition published in London by the Bibliophilist Society, 1874.