ella gl' invola;

Dunque, se mai di me ti calse o cale,
Figlio, l' armi tue prendi,
E questa folle accendi
Di vilissimo amor d' uomo mortale.

Which being finished, and each of her handmaidens having returned to her
own place, while they kept continually throwing down various delicate
and lovely garlands of flowers upon the assembled spectators, the cloud
and the car, as if the beautiful guide had satisfied her desire, were
seen to move slowly and to go back towards the heaven; and when they had
arrived there, and the heaven was closed again in an instant, without a
single sign remaining from which one might have guessed by which part
the cloud and so many other things had come forth and returned,
everyone, it appeared, was left all amazed with a sort of novel and
pleasing marvel. But the obedient Cupid, while that was being done,
making a sign, as it were, to his mother that her command would be
fulfilled, and crossing the stage, continued--with his companions, who
were presenting him his arms, and who, likewise singing, kept in harmony
with him--the following stanza, the last, saying:

Ecco madre, andiam noi; chi l' arco dammi?
Chi le saette? ond' io
Con l' alto valor mio
Tutti i cor vinca, leghi, apra, ed infiammi.

And he, also, as he sang this, kept shooting arrows, many and various,
at those listening to him, whereby he gave reason to believe that the
lovers who were about to perform their parts, stung, as it were, by
them, were giving birth to the comedy about to follow.

SECOND INTERLUDE.

The first act being finished, and Cupid having been taken in his own
snare--at the moment when he thought to take the lovely Psyche--by
reason of her infinite beauty, it became necessary to represent those
mysterious voices which, as may be read in the fable, had been intended
by him to serve her; and so there was seen to issue by one of the four
passages that had been left on the stage for the use of the performers,
first a little Cupid who was carrying in his arms what seemed to be a
graceful swan, with which, since it concealed an excellent bass-viol,
while he appeared to be diverting himself with a wand of marsh-grass
that served him as a bow, he proceeded to play most sweet airs. After
him, four others were seen to come at one and the same moment by the
four passages of the stage already described; by one the amorous Zephyr,
all merry and smiling, who had wings, garments