ven others, which could be recognized as
such with ease, for the reason that not only the bust of each was all
spotted, after the likeness of a leopard, and the thighs and legs like
serpents, but their locks were seen all composed of malicious foxes in
most fantastic forms and very beautiful attitudes; and in their hands,
not without laughter from the bystanders, some were holding traps, some
hooks, and others guileful crooks and grapnels, under which had been
concealed with singular dexterity some musical serpents, for the sake of
the music that they had to make. These, expressing thus the conception
described above, after they had first most sweetly sung, and then sung
and played, the following madrigal, went with very beautiful order
(providing material for the deceptions of the comedy) their several ways
along the four above-mentioned passages of the stage:

S' amor vinto e prigion, posto in oblio
L' arco e l' ardente face,
Della madre ingannar nuovo desio
Lo punge, e s' a lui Psiche inganno face,
E se l' empia e fallace
Coppia d' invide suore inganno e froda
Sol pensa, or chi nel mondo oggi piu sia
Che 'l regno a noi non dia?
D' inganni dunque goda
Ogni saggio, e se speme altra l' invita
Ben la strada ha smarrita.

FOURTH INTERLUDE.

Now, deceits giving rise to affronts, and affronts to dissensions and
quarrels and a thousand other suchlike evils, since Cupid, by reason of
the hurt received from the cruel lamp, was not able to attend to his
customary office of inflaming the hearts of living mortals, in the
fourth interlude, in place of the seven mounds that had been shown on
the stage the time before, there were seen to appear in this one (to
give material for the disturbances of the comedy) seven little abysses,
from which there first came a black smoke, and then, little by little,
was seen to appear Discord with an ensign in the hand, recognized,
besides her arms, by the torn and varied dress and by the tresses, and
with her Rage, also recognized, besides the arms, by the buskins in the
form of claws, and by the bear's head in place of a helmet, from which
poured a constant stream of smoke and flame; and Cruelty, with the great
scythe in her hand, known by the helmet in the likeness of a tiger's
head and by the buskins after the manner of the feet of a crocodile; and
Rapine, also, with the pruning-hook in her hand, with the bird of prey
on the