nce, that among
his many glorious actions this one also may be numbered to his supreme
glory.

Now, yielding to him who wrote of it in those days with infinite
learning, before me, and referring to that work those who may seek
curiously to see how every least thing in this masquerade, which had as
title the Genealogy of the Gods, was figured with the authority of
excellent writers, and passing over whatever I may judge to be
superfluous in this place, let me say that even as we read that some of
the ancient Gods were invited to the nuptials of Peleus and Thetis in
order to render them auspicious and fortunate, so to the nuptials of
this new and most excellent bridal pair it appeared that there had come
for the same reason not some only of these same Gods, but all, and not
invited, but seeking to introduce themselves and by their own wish, the
good auguring them the same felicity and contentment, and the harmful
assuring them that they would do them no harm. Which conception appeared
gracefully expressed in the following fashion by four madrigals that
were sung at various times in the principal places by four very full
choirs, even as has been told of the Triumph of Dreams; saying:

L' alta che fino al ciel fama rimbomba
Della leggiadra Sposa,
Che in questa riva erbosa
D' Arno, candida e pura, alma colomba
Oggi lieta sen vola e dolce posa,
Dalla celeste sede ha noi qui tratti,
Perche piu leggiadri atti
E bellezza piu vaga e piu felice
Veder gia mai non lice.

Ne pur la tua festosa
Vista, o Flora, e le belle alme tue dive
Traggionne alle tue rive,
Ma il lume e 'l sol della novella Sposa,
Che piu che mai gioiosa
Di suo bel seggio e freno
Al gran Tosco divin corcasi in seno.

Da' bei lidi, che mai caldo ne gielo
Discolora, vegnam; ne vi crediate
Ch' altrettante beate
Schiere e sante non abbia il Mondo e il Cielo;
Ma vostro terren velo
E lor soverchio lume,
Questo e quel vi contende amico nume.

Ha quanti il Cielo, ha quanti
Iddii la Terra e l' Onda al parer vostro;
Ma Dio solo e quell' un che il sommo chiostro
Alberga in mezzo a mille Angeli santi,
A cui sol giunte avanti
Posan le pellegrine
E stanche anime al fine, al fin del giorno,
Tutto allegrando il Ciel del suo ritorno.

I believe I can affirm most surely that this masquerade--a spe