THE
QVEENES
MASQVES.
The first, of Blacknesse: personated at the
Court, at White-Hall, on the
Twelu'th night.
1605.
THE honor, and splendor of
these Spectacles was such in
the performance, as could
those houres haue lasted, this
of mine, now, had beene a
most vnprofitable worke: But
(when it is the fate, euen of
the greatest, and most absolute births, to need,
and borrow a life of posterity) little had beene
done to the study of magnificence in these, if
presently with the rage of the people, who (as
a part of greatnesse) are priuiledged by Cu-
stome, to deface their carkasses, the spirits had
also perished. In dutie, therefore, to that Ma-
iestie, who gaue them their authoritie, and
grace; and, no lesse then the most royall of pre-
decessors, deserues eminent celebration for
these solemnities: I adde this later hand, to re-
deeme them as well from ignorance, as enuie,
two common euils, the one of Censure, the other
of Obliuion.
LEO dthe African, remember vnto vs a riuer
in Æthiopia, famous by the name of Niger;
of which the people were called Nigrite, now
Negro's: & are the blackest nation of the world.
This e riuer taketh spring out of a certain Lake,
east-ward; & after a long race, falleth into the
westerne Ocean. Hence (because it was her Ma-
iesties will, to haue them Black-mores at first) the
inuention was deriued by me, & presented thus.
First, for the Scene, was drawne a Landtschape,
consisting of small woods, and here and there
a voide place filld with huntings; which falling,
an artificiall Sea was seene to shoote forth, as
if it flowed to the land, raised with waues, which
seemed to mooue, and in some places the billow
to breake, as imitating that orderly disorder,
which is common in nature. In front of this Sea
were placed sixe fTritons, in mouing, & spright-
ly actions, their vpper parts humane, saue that
their haires were blew, as pertaking of the Sea-
colour: their desinent parts, fishe, mounted
aboue their heads, and all varied in disposition.
From their backs were borne out certaine light
pieces of Taffata, as if carried by the winde, and
their Musique made out of wreathed shels. Be-
hinde these, a paire of Sea-Maides, for song, were
as conspicuously seated; betweene which, two
great Sea-horses (as bigge as the life) put forth
themselues; the one mounting aloft, & writhing
his head from the other, which seemed to sinck
forwards; so intended for variation, & that the
Figure behind, might come of better: g vpon
their backs, OCEANVS & NIGER were aduanced.
OCEANVS, presented in a humane forme, the co-
lour of his flesh, blew; and shadowed with a
robe of Sea-greene; his head grey, & h horned;
as he is described by the Antients: his beard of
the like mixt colour. he was gyrlonded with Al-
ga, or Sea-grasse; and in his hand a Trident.
NIGER, in forme and colour of an Æthiope;
his haire, and rare beard curled, shadowed with
a blew, and bright mantle: his front, neck, and
wrists adorned with Pearle, and crowned, with
an artificiall wreath of Cane, and Paper-rush.
These induced the Masquers, which were
twelue Nymphs, Negro's; and the daughters of
NIGER; attended by so many of the i OCEANIAE
which were their Light-bearers.
The Masquers were placed in a great concaue
shell, like mother of Pearle, curiously made to
moue on those waters, and rise with the billow;
the top therof was stuck with a cheu'rō of lights,
which, indented to the proportion of the shell,
strooke a glorious beame vpon them, as they
were seated, one aboue another : so that they
were all seene, but in an extrauagant order.
On sides of the shell, did swim sixe huge Sea-
monsters, varied in their shapes, and dispositions,
bearing on their backs the twelue Torch bearers;
who were planted there in seuerall graces; so
as the backs of some were seene; some in purfle,
or side; others in face; & all hauing their lights
burning out of Whelks, or Murex shels.
The attire of the Masquers was alike, in all,
without difference: the colours, Azure, and
Siluer; but returned on the top with a scrole
and antique dressing of Feathers, and Iewels
interlaced with ropes of Pearle. And, for the
front, eare, neck, and wrists, the ornament was
of the most choise and orient Pearle; best set-
ting of from the black.
For the Light bearers, Sea-greene, waued
about the skirts with gold and siluer: their
hayre loose, and flowing, gyrlanded with Sea-
grasse, and that stuck with branches of Corall.
These thus presented, the Scene behind, see-
med a vast Sea(and vnited with this that flowed
forth)from the terminaton, or horizon of which
(being the leuell of the State, which was placed
in the vpper end of the Hall) was drawne, by
the lines of Prospectiue, the whole worke shoo-
ting downewards, from the eye; which decorum
made it more conspicuous, and caught the eye
a far of with a wandring beauty. To which was
added an obscure and cloudy night-piece, that
made the whole set of. So much for the bodily
part. Which was of Maister YNIGO IONES
his designe, and act.
By this, one of the Tritons, with the two Sea-
Maides, began to sing to the others lowd Mu-
sique, their voyces being a tenor, and two
trebles.
SOund,sound aloud
The welcome of the orient Floud,
Into the West;
Fayre, NIGER, ksonne to great OCEANVS,
Now honord, thus,
With all his beauteous race:
Who, though but black in face,
Yet, are they bright,
And full of life, and light.
To proue that, Beauty best,
Which not the colour, but the feature
Assures vnto the creature.
BE silent, now the Ceremonies done.
And NIGER, say, how comes it, louely Sonne,
That thou, the ÆTHIOPES Riuer, so farre East,
Art seene to fall into th' extreamest West
Of me, the King of flouds, OCEANVS,
And, in mine Empires heart, salute me, thus?
My ceaselesse current, now amazed stands!
To see thy labor, through so many lands,
lMixe thy fresh billow, with my brackishe streame;
And, in thy sweetnesse, stretch thy diademe,
To these farre distant, and vn-equall'd skies
This squared Circle of cœlestiall bodies:
Diuine OCEANVS, tis not strange at all,
That(since the immortal soules of creatures mortal,
Mixe with their bodies, yet reserue for euer
A powre of seperation) I should seuer
My fresh streames, from thy brackish (like things
fixed)
Though, with thy powerful saltnes, thus far mixed.
”Vertue, though chain'd to earth, will still liue free;
”And Hell it selfe must yeeld to industry.
BVt, what's the end of thy Herculean labors,
Extended to these calme, and blessed shores?
TO do a kind, and carefull Fathers part,
In satisfiyng euery pensiue heart
Of these my Daughters, my most loued birth:
Who though they were the m first form'd Dames of earth
And in whose sparckling, and refulgent eyes,,
The glorious Sunne did still delight to rise;
Though he (the best Iudge, and most formall Cause
Of all Dames beauties) in their firme hewes, drawes
Signes of his feruent'st Loue; and thereby shewes
That, in their black, the perfectst beauty growes;
Since the fix't colour of their curled haire,
(Which is the highest grace of dames most faire)
No cares, no age can change; or there display
The fearefull tincture of abhorred Gray;
Since Death hir selfe(hir selfe being pale & blew)
Can neuer alter their most faith-full hew;
All which are arguments, to proue, how far
Their beauties conquer, in great Beauties warre;
And more, how neere Diuinity they be,
That stand from passion, or decay so free.
Yet, since the fabulous voyces of some few
Poore brain-sicke men, stil'd Poets, here with you,
Haue, with such enuy of their graces, sung
The painted Beauties, other Empires sprung;
Letting their loose, and winged fictions fly
To infect all clymates, yea our purity;
As of onenPHAETON,that fir'd the world
And, that, before his heedles flames were hurld
About the Globe, the Æthiopes were as faire,
As other Dames; now blacke, with blacke dispaire:
And in respect of their complexctions chang'd,
Are each where, since, for o luckles creatures rang'd.
Which, when my Daughters heard,(as women are
Most iealous of their beauties) feare, and care
Posess'd them whole; yea, and beleeuing pthem,
They wept such ceasles teares, into my streame,
That it hath, thus far, ouerflow'd his shore
To seeke them patience: who haue since, ere more
As the Sunne riseth, q chardg'd his burning throne
With volleys of reuilings; cause he shone
On their scorch'd cheekes, with such intemperate fires,
And other Dames, made Queenes of all desires.
To frustrate which strange error, oft, I sought,
(Though most in vaine, against a setled thought
As womens are) till they confirm'd at length
By miracle, what I, with so much strength
Of argument resisted; els they fain'd:
For in the Lake, where their first spring they gain'd,
As they sate, cooling their soft Limmes, one night,
Appear'd a Face, all circumfus'd with light;
(And sure they saw't, for Æthiopesrneuer dreame)
Wherein they might decipher through the streame,
These words.
That they a Land must forth with seeke,
Whose termination (of the Greeke)
Sounds TANIA; where bright Sol, that heat
Their blouds, doth neuers rise, or set,
But in his Iourney passeth by,
And leaues that Clymat of the sky,
To comfort of a greater Light,
Who formes all beauty, with his sight.
In search of this, haue we three Princedomes past,
That speake out Tania, in their accents last;
Blacke Mauritania, first; and secondly,
Swarth Lusitania; next, we did descry
Rich Aquitania: and, yet, cannot find
The place vnto these longing Nymphes design'd.
Instruct, and ayde me, great OCEANVS,
What Land is this, that now appeares to vs?
This Land, that lifts into the temperate Ayre
His snowy cliffe, ist Albion the fayre;
So call'd ofuNeptunes Son, who ruleth here:
For whose deare guard, my selfe, (foure thousand yeare)
Since old Deucalion's daies, haue walk'd the round
About his Empire, proud, to see him crown'd
Aboue my waues.
At this, the Moone was discouered in the vp-
per part of the house, triumphant in a Siluer
throne, made in figure of a Pyramis. Her gar-
mentsWhite, and Siluer, the dressing of her head
antique; & crown'd with a Luminarie, or Sphære
of light: which striking on the clouds, and
heightned with Siluer, reflected as naturall
clouds do by the splendor of the Moone. The
Heauen, about her, was vaulted with blew silke,
and set with Starres of Siluer which had in
them their seuerall lights burning. The sud-
daine sight of which, made NIGER to interrupt
OCEANVS, with this present passion.
—O see, our siluer Starre!*
Whose pure, auspicious light greetes vs, thus farre!
Great Æthiopia, Goddesse of our shore,
Since, with particular worshippe we adore
Thy generall brightnesse, let particular grace
Shyne on my zealous Daughters: Shew the place,
Which, long, their Longings vrdg'd their eyes to see.
Beautifie them, which long haue Deified thee.
NIGER, be glad: Resume thy natiue cheare.
Thy Daughters labors haue their period here,
And so thy errors. I was that bright Face
Reflected by the Lake, in which thy Race
Read mysticke lines; (which skill PITHAGORAS
First taught to men, by a reuerberate glasse)
This blessed Isle doth with that TANIA end,
Which there they saw inscrib'd, and shall extend
Wish'd satisfaction to their best desires.
BRITANIA, which the triple world admires,
This Isle hath now recouered for her name;
Where raigne those Beauties, that with so much fame
The sacred MVSES Sonnes haue honored,
And from bright HESPERVS to EOVS spred.
With that great name BRITANIA, this blest Isle
Hath wonne her ancient dignitie, and stile,
A World, diuided from the world: and tri'd
The abstract of it, in his generall pride.
For were the World, with all his wealth, a Ring,
BRITANIA (whose new name makes all tongues sing)
Might be a Diamant worthy to inchase it,
Rul'd by a SVNNE, that to this height doth grace it:
Whose Beames shine day, and night, and are of force
To blanche an ÆTHIOPE, and reuiue a Cor's.
His light scientiall is, and (past mere nature)
Can salue the rude defects of euery creature.
Call forth thy honor'd Daughters, then;
And let them, 'fore the Brittaine men,
Indent the Land, with those pure traces
They flow with, in their natiue graces.
Inuite them, boldly, to the shore,
Their Beauties shalbe scorch'd no more:
This Sunne is temperate, and refines
All things, on which his radiance shines.
Here the Tritons sounded, & they daunced on
shore, euery couple (as they aduanced) seuerally
presenting their Fans: in one of which were in-
scribed their mixt Names, in the other a mute
Hieroglyphick, expressing their mixed quallities.
Which manner of Symbole I rather chose, then
Imprese, as well for strangenesse, as relishing of
antiquity, and more applying to that originall
doctrine of sculpture, which the Ægiptians are
said, first, to haue brought from the Æthiopians.*
| The Queene. Co:of Bedford. |
1 | EVPHORIS. AGLAIA. |
| La: Herbert. Co: of Derby. |
2 | DIAPHANE. EVCAMPSE. |
| La: Riche. Co: of Suffolke |
3 | OCYTE. KATHARE. |
| 1 | A golden Tree, la- denwith fruict. |
| 2 | The figure Isocae- dron of cristall. |
| 3 | A paire of naked feet, in a Riuer. |
| La: Beuill. La: Effingham. |
4 | NOTIS. PSYCHROTE. |
4 | The Salamander simple. |
| La: El: Howard. La: Sus:Vere. |
5 | GLYCYTE. MALACITA. |
5 | A clowd full of raine, dropping. |
| La: Wroth. La: Walsingham |
6 | BARYTE. PERIPHERE. |
6 | An vrne' spheard with wine. |
The names of the OCEANIAE
were.
- DORIS.
- PETRAEA.
- OCYRHOE.
- CYDIPPE.
- GLAVCE.
- TYCHE.
- BEROE.
- ACASTE.
- CLYTIA.
- IANTHE.
- LYCORYS.
- PLEXAVRE.
Their owne single Daunce ended, as they were
about to make choice of their Men: One, from
the Sea, was heard to call'hem with this charme,
sung by a tenor voyce.
COme away, come away,
We grow iealous of your stay:
If you do not stop your eare,
We shall haue more cause to feare
Syrens of the land, then they
To doubt the Syrens of the Sea.
Here they daunc'd with their men, seuerall
measures, and corranto's. All which ended, they
were againe accited to sea, with a Song of two
Trebles, whose cadences were iterated by a
double Eccho, from seuerall parts of the Land.
DAughters of the subtle Flood,
Do not let Earth longer intertayne you;
1. Ecch. Let Earth longer intertaine you.
2. Ecch, Longer intertaine you.
'Tis to them, inough of good,
That you giue this litle hope, to gaine you
1. Ecch. Giue this litle, hope to gaine you.
2. Ecch. Little hope, to gaine you.
If they loue,
You shall quickly see;
For when to flight you mooue,
They'll follow you, the more you flee
1. Ecch. follow you, the more you flee.
2. Ecch. The more you flee.
If not, impute it each to others matter;
They are but Earth,
1. Ecch:but earth
2. Ecch: earth
& what you vowd was Water.
1. Ecch. And what you vow'd was Water.
2. Ecc: You vow'd was Water.
INough, bright Nymphes, the night growes old,
And we are greiu'd, we can not hold
You longer light: But comfort take.
Your Father, onely, to the Lake
Shall make returne: Your selues with feasts,
Must here remaine the Ocean's guests.
Nor shall this vayle, the Sunne hath cast
Aboue your bloud, more Summers last.
For which, you shall obserue these rites.
Thirteene times thrise, on thirteene nightes,
(So often as I fill my Sphære
With glorious light, throughout the yeare)
You shall (when all things els do sleepe
Saue your chast thoughts)with reuerence, steepe
Your bodies in that purer brine,
And wholsome dew call'd Ros-marine:
Then with that soft, and gentler fome,
Of which the Ocean, yet, yeelds some,
Whereof bright Venus, Beauties Queene,
Is sayd to haue begotten beene,
You shall your gentler limmes ore-laue,
And for your paynes, perfection haue.
So that this night, the yeare gone round,
You do againe salute this ground;
And, in the beames of yond' bright Sunne,
Your faces dry, and all is done.
At which in a Daunce they returned to the
Sea, where they tooke their Shell;and, with this
full Song, went out.
NOw Dian, with her burning face,
Declines apace:
By which our Waters know
To ebbe, that late did flow.
Backe Seas, backe Nymphes; but, with a forward grace,
Keepe, still, your reuerence to the place:
And shout with ioy of fauor, you haue wonne,
in sight of Albion, Neptunes Sonne.
So ended the first Masque, which (beside the
singular grace of Musicke and Daunces) had that
successe in the nobility of performance; as no-
thing needes to the illustration, but the memo-
ry by whome it was personated.