Plant in the passage to your heavenly seats Are for my sake slighted, despis'd, abus'd; Or with prophane hands lessen the bright heap. shall gain such credit, as at the next sessions you may be heard with better success. But till you are thus reformed, I pronounce this positive sentence, that wheresoever you shall chuse to abide, your society shall add no credit or reputation to the party, nor your discontinuance or total absence be matter of disparagement to any man; and whosoever shall hold a contrary estimation of you, shall be condemned to wear perpetual motley, unless he recant his opinion. Now you may void the court. PANIA enters, a woman of a pale colour, large brims of a hat upon her head, through which her hair started up like a Fury; her robe was of a dark colour, full of patches; about one of her hands was tied a chain of iron, to which was fastened a weighty stone, which she bore up under her arm. Merc. What creature's this? Mom. The antipodes to the other; they move like Pov. I nothing doubt, great and immortal powers! Cease from your labours, when Wealth bids you play; Since that which renders him incapable Proves a strong plea for me. I could pretend, They dance the fourth antimasque, consisting of coun- Than gaudy Wealth in all his pomp can boast; try-people, music, and measures. Merc. Plutus, the gods know and confess your Mom. Nay, stay, and take my benediction along with you. I could, being here a co-judge, like others in my place, now that you are condemn'd, either rail at you, or break jests upon you. But I rather chuse to lose a word of good counsel, and intreat you be more careful in your choice of company; for you are always found either with misers that not use you at all, or with fools that know not how to use you well. Be not hereafter so reserved and coy to men of worth and parts; so you For mark how few they are that share the world: They dance the fifth antimasque of gypsies. Mom. I cannot but wonder that your perpetual conversation with poets and philosophers hath furnished you with no more logic, or that you should 13 Pallas, This alludes to the contest for beauty think to impose upon us so gross an inference, as between Juno, Pallas, and Venus, which was de-because Plutus and you are contrary, therefore, eided by Paris in favour of the latter. whatsoever is denied of the one must be true of the other; as if it should follow of necessity, because | he is not Jupiter, you are. No, I give you to know, I am better versed in cavils with the gods, than to swallow such a fallacy; for though you two cannot be together in one place, yet there are many places that may be without you both; and such is Heaven, where neither of you are likely to arrive. Therefore let me advise you to marry yourself to Content, and beget sage apophthegms and goodly moral sentences in dispraise of Riches, and contempt of the world. The shallow fathom of their human reason: I gave the dignity, but you made the vice. Merc. Thou dost presume too much, poor needy That Plutus is refus'd, dismays me not; wretch, To claim a station in the firmament, In the cheap sun-shine, or by shady springs Of your necessitated temperance, That knows nor joy nor sorrow; nor your forc'd Above the active: this low, abject brood, TYCHE enters, her head bald behind, and one great lock before, wings at her shoulders, and in her hand a wheel, her upper parts naked, and the skirt of her garment wrought all over with crowns, sceptres, books, and such other things as express both her greatest and smallest gifts. Mom. See where dame Fortune comes; you may know her by her wheel, and that veil over her eyes, with which she hopes, like a seeled 14 pigeon, to mount above the clouds, and perch in the eighth sphere. Listen; she begins. Fort. I come not here, you gods, to plead the right By which antiquity assign'd my deity, Though no peculiar station 'mongst the stars, Yet general power to rule their influence, Or boast the title of omnipotent, Ascrib'd me then, by which I rival'd Jove, Since you have cancell'd all those old records: But confident in my good cause and merit, Claim a succession in the vacant orb; For since Astræa fled to Heaven, I sit Her deputy on Earth; I hold her scales, And weigh men's fates out, who have made me blind Because themselves want eyes to see my causes; Call me inconstant, 'cause my works surpass 14 Hooded. Term of falconry. He is my drudge, and the external pomp You warlike squadrons, who in battles join'd, Mom. Madam, I should censure you, pro falso clamore, for preferring a scandalous cross-bill of recrimination against the gods, but your blindness shall excuse you. Alas! what would it advantage you, if virtue were as universal as vice is: it would only follow, that as the world now exclaims upon you for exalting the vicious, it would then rail as fast at you for depressing the virtuous; so they would still keep their tune, though you changed their ditty. Merc. The mists, in which future events are wrapp'd, That oft succeed beside the purposes Leave nought to hazard, mocks thy futile power. HEDONE. Pleasure, a young woman with a smiling face, in a light lascivious habit, adorn'd with silver and gold, her temples crowned with a garland of roses, and over that a rainbow circling her head down to her shoulders. Merc. What wanton's this? Mom. This is the sprightly lady, Hedone, a merry gamester; the people call her Pleasure. Pleas. The reasons, equal judges, here alledg'd Each single man, and propagate the kind. > Or common air we breathe; and since I am Tell me what rate my choicest pleasures bear, Come forth, my subtle organs of delight, And apprehension of thy hasty end Mom. I concur, and am grown so weary of these tedious pleadings, as I'll pack up too and be gone. Besides, I see a crowd of other suitors pressing hither; I'll stop 'em, take their petitions, and prefer 'em above; and as I came in bluntly without knocking, and nobody bid me welcome, so I'll depart as abruptly without taking leave, and bid nobody farewell. MERC. These, with forc'd reasons, and strain'd arguments, Urge vain pretences, whilst your actions plead, Of your fam'd court, make Honour's story full, They dance the seventh antimasque of the five You naked, antient, wild inhabitants, senses Merc. Bewitching Syren! gilded rottenness! And cuts thy slender thread; but still the terrour, That breath'd this air, and press'd this flow'ry earth, Come from those shades where dwells eternal night, And see what wonders time hath brought to light. Atlas and the sphere vanished; and a new scene appears of mountains, whose eminent height exceeds the clouds which passed beneath them; the lower parts were wild and woody. Out of this place comes forth a more grave antimasque of Picts the natural inhabitants of this isle, ancient Scotch and Irish; these dance a Pyrrhick, or martial dance. When this antimasque was past, there began to arise out of the earth the top of a hill, which by little and little grew to be a huge mountain that co GENIUS. Then, from your impris'ning womb, vered all the scene. The under part of this was wild and craggy, and above somewhat more pl asant and flourishing. Ab ut the middle part of this mountain were seated the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland; all richly attired in regal habits, appropriated to the several nations, with crowns on their heads, and each of them bearing the ancient arms of the kingdoms they there presented. At a distance, above these, sate a young man in a white embroidered robe, upon his fair hair an olive garland, with wings at his shoulders, and holding in his hand a cornucopia filled with corn and fruits, representing the the Genius of these kingdoms. THE FIRST SONG. GENIUS. Raise from these rocky cliffs your heads, Call forth your aged priests and crystal streams, KINGDOMS. 1. From your consecrated woods, Holy Druids. 2. Silver Floods, From your channels fring'd with flowers, 5. Hither move; forsake your bowers, 1. Strew'd with hallowed oaken leaves, Deck'd with flags and sedgy sheaves, And behold a wonder. 3. Say, What do your duller eyes survey? CHORUS OF DRUIDS AND RIVERS. We see at once in dead of night A sun appear, and yet a bright Noon-day springing from star-light. GENIUS. Look up, and see the darken'd sphere Depriv'd of light; her eyes shine there. CHORUS. These are more sparkling than those were. KINGDOMS. 1. These shed a nobler influence; 2. These by a pure intelligence Of more transcendent virtue move; 3. These first feel, then kindle love; 1. 2. From the bosoms they inspire, These receive a mutual fire; 1. 2. 3. And where their flames impure return, These can quench as well as burn. GENIUS. Here the fair victorious eyes Make Worth only Beauty's prize; Here the hand of Virtue ties 'Bout the heart Love's amorous chain, Captives triumph, vassals reign; And none live here but the slain. These are th' Hesperian bow'rs, whose fair trees bear Rich golden fruit, and yet no dragon near. KINGDOMS. Open thy stony entrails wide, CHORUS. Pace forth, thou mighty British Hercules, At this the under part of the rock opens, and out of a cave are seen to come the masquers richly attired like ancient heroes; the colours yellow, embroidered with silver; their antique helmets curiously wrought, and great plumes on the top; before them a troop of young lords and noblemen's sons, bearing torches of virgin war: these were apparelled, after the od British fashion, in white coats, embroidered with silver, girt, and full gathered, cut square-collar'd, and round caps or their heads, with a white feathered wreathen about them. First, these dance with their lights in their hands: after which, the masquers descend into the room, and dance their entry. The danc being past, there appears in the further part of the Heaven, coming down, a pleasant cloud, bright and transparent, which, coming softly downwards before the upper part of the mountain, embraceth the Genius, but so, as through it all his body is seen; and then, rising again with a gentle motion, bears up the Genius of the three kingdoms, and, being past the airy region, pierceth the Heu:ens, and is no more seen. that instant the rock with the three kingdoms an it sinks, and is hidden in the earth. This strange spectacle gave great cause of admiration; but especially how so huge a machine, and of that great height, could come from under the stage, which was but six feet high. THE SECOND SONG. KINGDOMS. 1. Here are shapes form'd fit for Heaven; 2. Those move gracefully and even. 3. Here the air and paces meet So just, as if the skilful feet Had struck the viols. 1. 2. 3. So the ear Might the tuneful footing bear. CHORUS. And had the music silent been, The eye a moving time had seen. GENIUS. These must in th' unpeopled sky At KINGDOMS. 1. We cannot lend Heaven so much treasure. 2. Nor that pay, CHORUS. Or be to one eternal posture ty'd, GENIUS. Jove shall not, to enrich the sky, Beggar the Earth; their fame shall fly From hence alone, and in the sphere Kindle new stars, whilst they rest here. KINGDOMS. 1. 2. 3. How can the shaft stay in the quiver, Yet hit the mark? GENIUS. Did not the river, Eridanus, the grace acquire In Heaven and Earth to flow, Above in streams of golden fire, In silver waves below? KINGDOMS. 1. 2. 3. But shall not we, now thou art gone, Who wert our nature, wither? Or break that triple union Which thy soul held together? GENIUS. In Concord's pure, immortal spring I will my force renew, And a more active virtue bring KINGDOMS. Adieu! CHORUS. Adieu! The masquers dance their main dance, which done, the scene again is varied into a new and pleasant prospect, clean differing from all the other, the nearest part showing a delicious garden with several walks, and parterres set round with low trees, and on the sides, against these walks, were fountains and grotts, and in the furthest part a palace, from whence went high walks upon arches, and above them open terraces planted with cypress trees; and all this together was composed of such ornaments as might express a princely villa. From hence the Chorus descending into the room, goes up to the state. THE THIRD SONG. BY THE CHORUS, GOING UP TO THE QUEEN. Whilst thus the darlings of the gods, Of Love, we guide; let thy divine We bring prince Arthur, or the brave St. George himself, great queen, to you ; You'll soon discern him: and we have A Guy, a Beavis, or some true Round-table kuight, as ever fought For lady, to each beauty brought. Plant in their martial hands, War's seat, Your peaceful pledges of warm snow, And, if a speaking touch, repeat In Love's known language tales of woe; Say in soft whispers of the palm, As eyes shoot darts, so lips shed balm. For though you seem, like captives, led And the fierce victor proves your prey. [The song done they retire, and the masquers dance the revels with the ladies, which continued a great part of the night. The revels being past, and the king's majesty seated under the state by the queen; for conclusion to this masque there appears coming forth from one of the sides, as moving by a gentle wind, a great cloud, which, arriving at the middle Heaven, stayeth; this was of several colours, and so great, that it covered the whole scene; out of the further part of the Heaven began to break forth two other clouds, differing in colour and shape; and being fully discovered, there appeared sitting in one of them, Religion, Truth, and Wisdom. Religion was appareiled in white, and part of her face was covered with a light veil; in one hand a book, and in the other a flame of fire. Truth in a watchet robe, a sun upon her forehead, and bearing in her hand a palm. Wisdom in a mantle wrought with eyes and hunds, golden rays about her head, and Apollo's cithara in her hand. In the other cloud sat Concord, Government and Reputation. The habit of Concord was carnation, bearing in her hand a little faggot of sticks bound together, and on the top of it a hart, and a garland of corn on her head: Government was figured in a coat of ar mour bearing a shield, and on it a Medusa's head; upon her head a plumed helm, and in her right hand a lance. Reputation, a young man in a purple robe wrought with gold, and wearing a laurel on his head. These being come down in an equal distance to the middle part of the air, the great cloud began to break open, out of which broke beams of light; in the midst, suspended in the air, sat Eternity on a globe; his garment was long, of a light blue, wrought all over with stars of gold, and bearing in his hand a serpent bent into a circle, with his tail in his mouth. In the firmament about him was a troop of fifteen stars, expressing the stellifying of our British heroes; but one more great and eminent than the rest, which was over his head, figured his majesty; and in the lower part a-far off was seen the prospect of Windsor-Castle, the famous seat of the most honourable order of the garter. THE FOURTH SONG. ETERNITY, EUSEBIA, ALETHIA, SOPHIA, HOMONOIA, DICEARCHE, EUPHEMIA. ETERNITY. Be fix'd, you rapid orbs, that bear |