Archivio Mediceo del Principato,
Firenze,
Filza 4197
Account of the masque, in a dispatch sent home by the
Tuscan agent Amerigo Salvetti, dated 7
March 1630 [i.e. 25 Feb. 1631]
. It occupies four pages in a single folded sheet (extract on pp. 3-4).
Martedi’ passato, giorno di carneuale, la Regina
accompagnata da altre 14 Dame principali, fece il
suo Balletto; la Scena et Inuentione fu’ bella, ma’ l’ assemblea di cosi’ gran numero
di
Dame spettatrici cariche di ricchissime ueste et gioie, era
ueramente uista nobilissima. Nessuno degli Amb asciatori ne Ministri di
Principi ui furno Inuitati, et quelli che ui andorno lo fecero
priuatamente, come segui di quello di Francia. Uenetia ui uenne ancora lui, ma’ entrato
nel Salone, non soddisfacendosi del luogo, che li uoleuano dare, se n’ando’ uia, credo
poco contento. Francia come familiare della Regina, et non come
Amb asciato re, sento con i Signori1 Consiglieri di Stato scoperto
Translation
Last Tuesday, which was Shrove Tuesday, the
Queen
performed her masque, accompanied by fourteen other principal ladies. The scenery
and the device were beautiful, but the assembly of such a great quantity of ladies
in
the audience, laden with very rich clothing
and jewels, was truly a most noble sight. None of the Ambassadors nor the ministers
of
the Princes was invited. Those who went did it privately, as did the French ambassador.
The Venetian ambassador also went, but as soon
as he entered the hall and saw the place they wanted to give him, not being satisfied
with it, he went away, little contented, I believe. The French ambassador sat with
some lords of the Council uncovered, as
servant of the
Queen
and not as an ambassador.
Bibliography
Orrell (1979a),
15-16