midnight
The scholars were almost ready to drop with drinking , when Master Mathias sent for three Galician Jews , who were shoved into the hall , bound together by their forelocks , their beards sprinkled with pepper . Whenever one of them sneezed violently , and so jerked the heads of the other two , everybody laughed , but the master , whose eyes filled with tears . `` In this too , he was master , he knew how to joke with the Jews ; ah , he was a wit ! '' So the feast went on ; it was already midnight , and the guests began to sing alone and to tumble against one another ; then they brought in the final cup which each one was to empty at a single draught . There was great laughter , for its capacity was beyond any of them . The Lord again murmured to himself ; `` Ah , worthless set ! He could out-drink them all .