To My Most Illustrious Lady, and Always Right Worshipful Patroness,
The Lady Olimpia Orsina Cesi,
Marquesse of Monticelli.

Jove seeing in earth
Beauty so wondrous, and so new,
Said, like to this
Not had Lady ever, nor Heavenly Goddess.
Understand the occasion
Of Venus, of Minerva, and of Juno,
Which together you assemble
Were being of making so much beauty agreed.
Whence that beauty,
Which adorns all the world of lovely grace,
Is the lovely Goddess
Mother of Love who is named Citerea
The graces, and rare virtue,
Which make the Heavens, the earth, and the sea to wonder,
Seeing it in her often,
As those which to issue from the highness.
The beauty, and the comeliness
It give the great Goddess of the highest Choir;
And so in the fair visage
Is perceived all the good of Paradise.
For eyes clear and lovely,
The gods were granting two clear stars,
And of Heaven did take the name,
Of Phoebus the light, and the gilded hairs.
Since each of the Gods,
(Said then Jove) have part now in this woman;
For to make her unique to the world,
Divine to make I wish it turned high, and merry:
And of the Ambrosia scattered
In the turn, whence divine suddenly it appears;
And thence having, which stars,
Nor Goddess to appear in Heaven so clear, and lovely.
Of which Love has seen it,
Fallen in love of one so much high splendor;
The arch he gave, and the stars,
And for to stand always in her, cut off his wings.

Original rhyme scheme - AA/BB/CC/DD/EE/FF/GG/HH/II/JJ/KK/LL/MM/NN/OO/PP/QQ/RR

Of Sir Quintilio Romoli.

To The Same

Is high fate the Lycaean children
Towards star enough shining and fair
Of star did to become bright star,
Which near to the pole now the sun envies less:
Not was moreover worthy, whence it did wail and grieve
To dive it in the sea: But you new star,
Whose oysters serve in this part, and in that,
The earth, and the heaven with her great study.
Thence of roses is adorned, which you will be able
To leap crowds between the proud Mountains,
You impart your high delights:
There, and by all the most frozen breasts,
You will warm with the deeds, to turn quickly
All the honors, and to submerge it in lethe.

Original rhyme scheme - ABBA/ABBA/CDEEDC

To the Same

Spreading glad the fair flower the lovely Clori,
Were the sweet morning winds, and the clear Heaven,
Of the great Lord of the Heaven were running to the bosom
In one gathering the best stars;
When Nature for to fill the honors
Of seven hills, and us to bless to complete,
Of his major power nimble each restraint,
Nor sent Olimpia of more worth excellent Choirs;
Thence came its beauty, and thence has the soul
Proudly humble, the grace, thence
The eloquence, Beauty, Virtue, Honesty;
Which marvel then, is had the glory,
Between how many see the Sun from the Mauri, to the Indi [proper names?]
Gracious ladies, and how many ever would be stood?

Original rhyme scheme - ABBA/ABBA/CDECDE

Le Bellezze D'Olimpia (The Beauty of Olimpia)
Balletto

In Praise of the Most Illustrious Lady
My Patroness and Benefactress, Always Most Worshipful,
The Lady Olimpia Orsina Cesi,
Marquesse of Monticelli.

Besides the diverse manners which I have until now kept in starting the Balli, this also seemed to me to put for to vary it; and is such, which standing the people facing (as is shown in the design) the man with the left hand will take the lady by the right, doing together a little facing the Riverenza grave, and 2 Continenze, the 1 to the left, and the other to the right: after the man, holding the hand in manner of half moon, will do to pass the lady with 2 Seguiti ordinarii, doing thence also this in the same time another 2 back: to the end of which, they will change place, putting the man to the left, and the lady to the right then letting go the hand, they will be turned with 2 other Seguiti to the left, separating them some: and to the end of these, finding them again facing, the man will do 2 Seguiti spezzati flanked forward, and 3 Trabuchetti, starting it with the left foot: and the lady will do the same back.  They will return then to do the same another turn, going then the lady forward, and the man back, and starting with the right foot.  They will do then 1 Seguito ordinario to the left flank with the Riverenza with the right foot, touching the right hand, and turning the body in perspective to the right flank, they will do another Seguito with the right, doing the Riverenza with the left, and touching the left hand.

In the second time he will be turned to take the ordinary hand of the lady, and walking, they will do 2 Passi gravi, and 1 Seguito ordinario, starting with the left foot: the same will be done starting with the right, and doing also 2 Puntate forward, and letting the hand go, will be done 2 Seguiti ordinarii turned to the left hand: then facing they will do 2 Seguiti spezzati flanked forward with 3 Trabuchetti, that is the man forward, and the lady back.  The will return to do the same in the manner said of above.  That done, they will do the turn of the Ballo named Contrapasso, to the end of which they will rest facing, that is 1 in head of the room, and the other in the foot.

In the third time, the man alone will do 1 Puntata forward with the left flank forward, and the lady thence will do another: then the man will turn to do thence another with the right foot, and she will do the same with the same, after he will do 2 Seguiti flanked, with the left foot, and she will do the same; they will return then to do the prestated 2 Seguiti spezzati with the 3 Trabuchetti forward, and back 2 turns, as of above, and taking both the hands, they will do 2 Continenze, the 1 to the left, and the other to the right, with the Riverenza grave.

In the fourth time, taking it by the right hand, they will do 2 Seguiti ordinarii, and letting it go, thence they will do another 2 turned to the left, changing place: then to the left flank they will do 1 Seguito semidoppio, and the Riverenza with the right foot: and turning in perspective to the right flank, they will do the same Seguito with the right foot, and the Riverenza with the left: facing then the man will do 2 Seguiti spezzati, and 3 Trabuchetti forward: and the lady will do the same back.  After the lady will return to do the same forward, and he back by opposite, doing the turns of the Ballo named Contrapasso. 

In the fifth time, the left hand will be taken, and the same will be done which yet is done above; but the lady will do the same turn of the Contrapasso, and the man instead of these will do 2 Seguiti flanked back, and another 2 forward: then they will finish the Ballo gracefully, the man taking the ordinary hand of the lady, and doing together the Riverenza.

Lute tablature, and music of the Bellezze d'Olimpia


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