THE
SECOND
MASQVE.
Which was of Beauty; was presented in the same
Court, at White-Hall, on the Sunday night,
after the twelfth Night. 1608.
TWo yeares being now past, that her Maie-
sty had intermitted these delights, and the
third almost come; it was her Highnesseplea-
sure againe to glorifie the Court, & command
that I should thinke on some fit presentment,
which should answere the former, still keeping
thē the same persons, the Daughters of NIGER,
but their beauties varied, according to promise,
and their time of absence excus'd, with foure
more added to their Number.
To which limitts, when I had apted my in-
uention, and being to bring newes of them, frō
the Sea, I induc'd Boreas, one of the windes, as
my fitest Messenger; presenting him thus.
In a robe of Russet, and White mixt, full, and
bagg'd: his haire, and beard rough: and horrid;
his wings gray, and ful of snow, and icycles. His
mantle borne from him with wires, & in seueral
puffes; his feeta ending in serpents tayles; and in
his hand a leaueles Branch, laden with icycles.
But before, in midst of the Hall; to keepe the
State of the feast, and season; I had placedbIa-
nuary, in a throne of Siluer; His robe of Ash-
coullor long, fringed with Siluer; a white mantle:
His winges white, and his buskins: In his hand a
Laurell bough, vpon his head an Anademe of lau-
rell, fronted with the signe Aquarius, and the
Character. Who as Boreas blusterd forth, dis-
couer'd himselfe.
WHich, among these is Albion, Neptunes Sonne?
WHat ignorance dares make that question?
Would any aske, who Mars were, in the wars?
Or, which is Hesperus, among the starres?
Of the bright Planets, which is Sol? Or can
A doubt arise, 'mong creatures, which is man?
Behold, whose eyes do dart Promethean fire
Throughout this all; whose precepts do inspire
The rest with duty; yet commanding, cheare:
And are obeyed, more with loue, then feare.
WHat Power art thou, that thus informest me?
DOst thou not know me? I, to well, know thee
By thyc rude voyce, that doth so hoarcely blow,
Thy haire, thy beard, thy wings, ore-hil'd with snow,
Thy Serpent feet, to be that rough North-winde,
Boreas, that, to my raigne, art still vnkinde.
I am the Prince of Months, call'd Ianuary;
Because by med Ianus the yeare doth vary,
Shutting vp warres, proclayming peace, & feasts,
Freedome, & triumphes: making Kings his guests.
TO thee then, thus, & by thee, to that King,
That doth thee present honors, do I bring
Present remembrance of twelue Æthiope Dames:
Who, guided hither by the Moones bright flames,
To see his brighter light, were to the Sea
Enioyn'd againe, and (thence assign'd a day
For their returne) were in the waues to leaue
Theyr blacknesse, and true beauty to receaue.
WHich they receau'd, but broke theyr day: & yet
Haue not return'd a looke of grace for it,
Shewing a course, and most vnfit neglect.
Twise haue I come, in pompe here, to expect
Theyr presence; Twise deluded, haue bene faine
Withe other rites my Feasts to intertayne:
And, now the Third time, turn'd about the yeare
Since they were look'd for; and, yet, are not here.
IT was nor Will, nor Sloth, that caus'd theyr stay;
For they were all prepared by theyr day,
And, with religion, forward on theyr way:
When PROTEVS,fthe gray Prophet of the Sea,
Met them, and made report, how other foure
Of their blacke kind, (whereof theyr Sire had store)
Faithfull to that great wonder, so late done
Vpon theyr Sisters, by bright Albion,
Had followed them to seeke BRITANIA forth,
And there, to hope like fauor, as like worth.
Which Night envy'd, as doneg in her despight,
And (mad to see an Æthiope washed white)
Thought to preuent in these; least men should deeme
Her coulor, if thus chang'd, of small esteeme.
And so, by mallice, and her magicke, tost
The Nymphes at Sea, as they were allmost lost,
Till, on an Iland, they by chance arriu'd,
Thath floted in the mayme; where, yet, she' had giu'd
Them so, in charmes of darknes, as no might) (sight
Should loose them thence, but theyr chang'd Sisters
Whereat the Twelue (in piety mou'd, & kind)
Streight, put themselues in act, the place to finde;
Which was the Nights sole trust they so will do,
That she, with labor, might confound them too.
For, euer since, with error hath she held
Them wandring in the Ocean, and so quell'd
Their hopes beneath their toyle, as (desperat now
Of any least successe vnto their vow;
Nor knowing to returne to expresse the grace,
Wherewith they labor to this Prince, and place)
One of them, meeting me at Sea, did pray,
That for the loue of mya ORYTHYIA,
(Whose very name did heate my frosty brest,
And make me shake my Snow-fill'd wings, & crest)
To beare this sad report I would be wonne,
And frame their iust excuse: which here I haue
done.
WOuld thou hadst not begun, vnluckie Winde,
That neuer yet blew'st goodnes to mankind;
But with thy bitter, and too piercing breath,
Strik'stb horrors through the ayre, as sharp as death.
Here a second Wind came in, VVLTVRNVS, in
a blew coulored robe & mantle, pufft as the
former, but somewhat sweeter; his face blacke,
and on hisc head a red Sunne, shewing he came
from the East: his winges of seuerall coullors;
his buskins white, and wrought with Gold.
ALL horrors vanish, and all name of Death,
Bee all things here as calme as is my breath.
A gentler Wind, Vulturnus, brings you newes
The Ile is found, & that the Nymphs now vse
Their rest, & ioy. The Nights black charmes are flowne.
For, being made vnto their Goddesse knowne,
Bright Æthiopia, the Siluer Moone,
As she wasa Hecate, she brake them soone:
And now by vertue of their light, and grace,
The glorious Isle, wherein they rest, takes place
Of all the earth for Beauty.b There, their Queen
Hath raysed them a Throne, that still is seene
To turne vnto the motion of the World;
Wherein they sit, and are, like Heauen, whirld
About the Earth; whilst, to them contrary,
(Following those nobler torches of the Sky)
A world of little Loues, and chast Desires,
Do light their beauties, with still mouing fires.
And who to Heauens consent can better moue,
Then those that are so like it, Beauty and Loue?
Hether, as to theyr new Elysium,
The spirits of the antique Greekes are come,
Poets, and Singers, Linus, Orpheus, all
That haue excell'd inc knowledge musicall;
Where, set in Arbors made of myrtle, and gold,
They liue, againe, these Beautyes to behold.
And thence, in flowry mazes walking forth
Sing hymnes in celebration of their worth.
Whilst, to theyr Songs, two Fountaynes flow, one hight
Of lasting Youth, the other chast Delight,
That at the closes, from theyr bottomes spring,
And strike the Ayre to eccho what they sing.
But, why do I describe what all must see?
By this time, nere thy coast, they floating be;
For, so their vertuous Goddesse, the chast Moone,
Told them, the Fate of th' Iland should, & soone
Would fixe it selfe vnto thy continent,
As being the place, by Destiny fore-ment,
Where they should flow forth, drest in her attyres:
And, that the influence of those holy fires,
(First rapt from hence) being multiplied vpon
The other foure, should make their Beauties one.
Which now expect to see, great Neptunes Sonne,
And loue the miracle, which thy selfe hast done.
Here, a Curtine was drawne (in which the
Night was painted.) and the Scene discouer'd.
which (because the former was marine, and
these, yet of necessity, to come from the Sea) I
deuisd, should bee an Island, floting on a calme
water. In the middst therof was a Seate of state,
call'd the Throne of Beautie, erected: diuided
into eight Squares, and distinguish'd by so many
Ionick pilasters. In these Squares the sixteene
Masquers were plac'd by couples: behind them,
in the center of the Throne was a tralucent
Pillar, shining with seuerall colour'd lights, that
reflected on their backs. From the top of which
Pillar went seuerall arches to the Pilasters, that
sustained the roofe of the Throne, which was
likewise adorn'd with lights, and gyrlonds; And
betweene the Pilasters, in front, little Cupids in
flying posture, wauing of wreaths, and lights,
bore vp the Coronice: ouer which were placed
eight Figures, representing the Elements of
Beauty; which aduanced vpon the Ionick, and
being females, had the Corinthian order. The
first was
SPLENDOR.
In a robe of flame colour, naked brested; her
bright hayre loose flowing: She was drawne
in a circle of clowdes, her face, and body break-
ing through; and in her hand a branch, with
two aRoses, white, and a red. The next to her
was
SERENITAS.
In a garment of bright skye-colour, a long
tresse, & waued with a vayle of diuers colours,
such as the golden skie some-times shewes:
vpon her head a cleare, and faire Sunne shining,
with rayes of gold striking downe to the feete
of the figure. In her hand ab.Christall, cut with
seuerall angles, and shadow'd with diuerse co-
lours, as causd by refraction. The third
GERMINATIO.
In greene; with a Zone of golde about
her Wast, crowned with Myrtle, her haire like-
wise flowing, but not of so bright a colour: In
her hand, a branch of rMyrtle. Her socks of
greene, and Gold. The fourth was
LAETITIA.
IN a Vesture of diuerse colours, and all sorts
of flowers embroidered thereon. Her socks
so fitted. A sGyrland of flowers in her hand;
her eyes turning vp, and smiling, her haire
flowing, and stuck with flowers. The fift
TEMPERIES.
IN a garment of Gold, Siluer, and colours wea-
ued: In one hand shee held a t burning Steele,
in the other, an Vrne with water. On her head
a gyrland of flowers, Corne, Vine-leaues, and
Oliue branches, enter-wouen. Her socks, as
her garment. The sixth
VENVSTAS.
IN a Siluer robe, with a thinne subtle vaile ouer
her haire, and it: u Pearle about her neck, and
for head. Her socks wrought with pearle. In
her hand shee bore seuerall colour'd xLillies.
The seauenth was
DIGNITAS.
IN a dressing of State, the haire bound vp with
fillets of gold, the Garments rich, and set
with iewells, and gold; likewise her buskins,
and in her hand a yGolden rod. The eight
PERFECTIO.
IN a Vesture of pure Gold, a wreath of Goldvp-
on her head. About her body the z.Zodiack,
with the Signes: In her hand a Compasse of gold,
drawing a circle.
On the top of all the Throne, (as being made
out of all these) stood
HARMONIA.
A Personage, whose dressing had something
of al the others, & had her robe painted full
of Figures. Her head was compass'd with a
crowne of Gold, hauing in it a. seauen iewells e-
qually set. In her hand a Lyra, wheron she rested.
This was the Ornament of the Throne. The
ascent to which, consisting of sixe steppes, was
couered with a b multitude of Cupids (chosen
out of the best, and most ingenuous youth of
the Kingdome, noble, and others) that were the
Torch-bearers; and all armed, with bowes, Qui-
uers, Winges, and other Ensignes of Loue. On
the sides of the Throne, were curious, and ele-
gantArbors appointed: & behind, in the back
part of the Ile, a Groue, of growne trees laden
with golden fruict, which other little Cupids
plucked, and threw each at other, whilst on the
ground cLeuerets pick'd vp the bruised apples,
and left them halfe eaten. The Ground-plat of
the whole was a subtle indented Maze: And, in
the two formost angles, were two Fountaines,
that ranne continually, the one d.Hebe's, the
other e.Hedone's: In the Arbors, were plac'd the
Musitians, who represented the Shades of the
old Poets, & were attir'd in a Priest-like habit of
Crimson, and Purple, with Laurell gyrlonds.
The colours of the Masquers were varied;
the one halfe in Orenge-tawny, and Siluer: the o-
ther in Sea greene, and Siluer. The bodies and
short skirts of White, and Gold, to both.
The habite, and dressing (for the fashion) was
most curious, and so exceeding in riches, as the
Throne wheron they sat, seem'd to be a Mine of
light, stroake frō their iewells, & their garmēts.
This Throne, (as the whole Iland mou'd for-
ward, on the water,) had a circular motion of it
owne, imitating that which we cal Motum mun-
di, from the East to the West, or the right to the
left side. For so Hom. Ilia. M. vnderstāds by δεξιά
Orientalia mundi: by ἀριστερὰOccidentalia, The
steps, wheron the Cupids sate, had a motion con-
trary, with Analogy, admotum Planetarum, from
the West to the East: both which turned with
their seuerall lights. And with these three va-
ried Motions, at once, the whole Scene shot it
selfe to the Land.
Aboue which, the Moone was seene in a Sil-
uer Chariot, drawne by Virgins, to ride in the
cloudes, and hold them greater light: with the
Signe Scorpio, and the Character, plac'd before
her.
The order of this Scene was carefully, and
ingeniously dispos'd; and as happily put in
act (for the Motions) by the Kings Master Car-
penter. The Paynters, I must needes say, (not
to belie them) lent small colour to any, to attri-
bute much of the spirit of these things to their
pen'cills. But that must not bee imputed a
crime either to the inuention, or designe.
Here the loude Musique ceas'd; and the Mu-
sitians, which were placed in the Arbors, came
forth through the Mazes, to the other Land:
singing this full Song, iterated in the closes by
two Eccho's, rising out of the Fountaines.
WHen Loue, at first, did mooue
From f out of Chaos, brightned
So was the world, and lightned,
As now! Ecch. As now! Ecch. As now!
Yeeld Night, then, to the light,
As Blacknesse hath to Beauty;
Which is but the same duety.
It was g for Beauty, that the World was made,
And where shee raignes, h Loues lights admit no shade.
Ecch. Loues lights admit no shade.
Ecch. Admit no shade.
Which ended, Vulturnus the Wind, spake to
the Riuer Thamesis that lay along betweene the
shores, leaning vpon his Vrne (that flow'd with
water,) and crown'd with flowers; with a blew
cloth of Siluer robe about him: and was perso-
nated by Maister THOMAS GILES, who made the
Daunces.
RIse aged Thames, and by the hand
Receiue these Nymphes, within the land:
And, in those curious Squares, and Rounds,
Wherewith thou flow'st betwixt the grounds
Of fruictfull Kent, and Essex faire,
That lend thee gyrlands for thy haire;
Instruct their siluer feete to tread,
Whilst we, againe to sea, are fled.
With which the Windes departed; and the
Riuer receiu'd them into the Land, by couples
& foures, their Cupids comming before them.
Their Persons were.
- The QVEENE.
- La. ARABELLA.
- Co. of ARVNDEL.
- Co. of DERBY.
- Co. of BEDFORD.
- Co. of MONTGOMERY.
- La. ELIZ. GILFORD.
- La. KAT. PETER.
- La. ANNE WINTER.
- La. WINSORE.
- La. ANNE CLIFFORD.
- La. MARY NEVILL.
- La. ELIZ. HATTON.
- La. ELIZ. GARRARD.
- La. CHICHESTER.
- La. WALSINGHAM.
These dauncing forth a most curious Daunce,
full of excellent deuice, and change, ended it in
the figure of a Diamant, and so, standing still,
were by the Musitians, with a second Song (sung
by a loud Tenor) celebrated.
The Song ended; they Daunced forth their
second Daunce, more subtle, and full of change,
then the former; and so exquisitely performed;
as the Kings Maiestie incited first (by his owne
liking, to that which all others, there present,
wish'd) requir'd them both againe, after some
time of dauncing with the Lords. Which time,
to giue them respite, was intermitted with Song;
first by a treble voyce, in this manner.
IF all these Cupids, now, were blind
As is a their wanton Brother;
Or play should put it in their mind
To shoot at one another:
What pretty battayle they would make
If they their obiects should mistake
And each one wound his Mother!
Which was seconded by another treble; thus.
IT was no politie of Court,
Albee' the place were charmed,
To let in earnest, or in sport,
So many Loues in, armed.
For say, the Dames should, with their eyes,
Vpon the hearts, here, meane surprize;
Were not the men like harmed?
To which a tenor answerd.
YEs, were the Loues or false, or straying;
Or Beauties not their beauty waighing:
But here, no such deceipt is mix'd,
Their flames are pure, their eyes are fix'd:
They do not warre, with different darts,
But strike a musique of like hearts.
AFter which Songs, they daunc'd Galliards, &
Coranto's; and with those excellent Graces,
that the Musique, appointed to celebrate them,
shew'd it could be silent no longer: but by the first
Tenor, admir'd them thus.
HEere, they daunc'd a third most elegant,
and curious Daunce, and not to be descri-
b'd againe, by any art, but that of their owne
footing: which, ending in the figure, that was
to produce the fourth, Ianuary from his state
saluted them, thus,
YOur grace is great, as is your Beauty, Dames;
Inough my Feasts haue prou'd your thankfull flames.
Now vse your Seate: that seate which was, before,
Thought stray'ing, vncertayne, floting to each shore,
And to whose hauing aeuery Clime layd clayme,
Each Land, and Nation vrged as the ayme
Of their ambition, Beauties perfect Throne,
Now made peculiar, to this place, alone;
And that, by'impulsion of your destenies,
And his attractiue beames that lights these Skies:
Who (though with th' Ocean compass'd neuer wets
His hayre therein, nor weares a beame that sets.
Long may his light adorne these happy rites
As I renew them; and your gratious sights
Enioy that happinesse, eu'en to envy, 'as when
Beauty, at large, brake forth, and conquer'd men.
At which they daunc'd theyr last dance, into
their Throne againe: and that turning, the
Scene clos'd with this full Song.
STill turne, and imitate the Heauen
In motion swift and euen;
And as his Planets goe,
Your brighter lights do so:
May Youth and Pleaseur euer flow.
But let your State, the while,
Be fixed as the Isle.
Cho.
So all that see your Beauties sphere
May know the 'Elysian Fields are here.
Echo.
Th'Elysian feilds are here.
Echo.
Elysian feilds are here.