THe King, and Queenes Maiesty, hauing
giuen their command for the Inuention
of a new argument, with the whole
change of the Scene, wherein her Maiesty,
with the like number of her Ladies, purposed a
presentation to the King. It was agreed, it should
be the celebration of some Rites, done to the
Goddesse Chloris, who in a generall counsell of
of the Gods, was proclaim'd Goddesse of the
flowers, according to that of Ouid, in the Fasti.
Arbitrium tu Dea floris habe.
And was to bee stellified on Earth, by an ab-
solut decree from Iupiter, who would haue the
Earth to be adorn'd with starres, as well as the Heauen.
Vpon this hinge, the whole Inuention moou'd.
The ornament, which went about the Scene,
was composed of Foliage, or leaues heightned
with gold, and enterwouen with all sorts of
flowers; and naked children, playing, and
climbing among the branches; and in the midst,
a great garland of flowers, in which was writ-
ten, CHLORIDIA.
The Curtaine being drawne vp, the Scene is
discouer'd, consisting of pleasant hills, planted
with young trees, and all the lower bankes a-
dorned with flowers. And from some hollow
parts of those hills, Fountaynes come gliding
downe, which, in the farre-of Land-shape,
seem'd all to be conuerted to a riuer.
Ouer all, a serene skie, with transparent
clouds, giuing a great lustre to the whole worke,
which did imitate the pleasant Spring.
VVhen the Spectators had enough fed their
eyes, with the delights of the Scene, in a part of
the ayre, a bright cloud begins to breake forth;
and in it, is sitting a plumpe Boy, in a changea-
ble garment, richly adorn'd, representing the
mild Zephyrus. On the other side of the Scene,
in a purplish cloud, appeareth the Spring, a beau-
tifull Mayde, her vpper garment greene, vnder
it, a white robe wrought with flowers; A gar-
land on her head.
Here Zephyrus begins his dialogue, calling her
forth, and making narration of the Gods decree
at large; which shee obeyes, pretending, it is
come to Earth already: and there begun to bee
executed, by the Kings fauour, who assists with
all bounties, that may bee eyther vrg'd, as causes,
or reasons of the Spring.
The first Song.
ZEPHYRVS.
Come forth, come forth, the gentle Spring,
And carry the glad newes, I bring,
To Earth, our common mother:
It is decreed, by all the Gods
The Heau'n, of Earth shall haue no odds,
But one shall loue another:
Their glories they shall mutuall make,
Earth looke on Heauen, for Heauens sake;
Their honour's shall bee euen:
All emulation cease, and iarres;
Ioue will haue Earth to haue her starres
And lights, no lesse then Heauen.
SPRING.
It is already done, in flowers
As fresh, and new as are the howres,
By warmth of yonder Sunne.
But will be multipli'd on vs,
If from the breath of ZEPHYRVS
Like fauour we haue wonne.
ZEPHYRVS.
Giue all to him: His is the dew,
The heate, the humor,
SPRING.
——All the true-
Beloued of the Spring!
ZEPHYRVS.
The Sunne, the Wind, the Verdure!
SPRING.
——All,
That wisest Nature cause can call
Of quick'ning any thing.
At which, Zephyrus passeth away through the
ayre, and the Spring descendeth to the Earth: and
is receiu'd by the Naiades, or Napeæ; who are the
Nymph's, Fountaynes, and Seruants of the season.
The second Song.
FOVNTAYNES.
Fayre Mayde, but are you come to dwell,
And tarry with vs here?
SPRING.
Fresh Fountaynes, I am come to tell
A tale in yond'soft eare,
Whereof the murmure will do well:
If you your parts will beare.
FOVNTAYNES.
Our purlings wayte vpon the Spring.
SPRJNG.
Goe vp with me, then: helpe to sing
The story to the King.
Here the Spring goes vp, singing the argument to
the King; and the Fountaynes follow with the
close.
SPRING.
Cupid hath ta'ne offence of late
At all the Gods, that of the State,
And in their Councell, he was so deserted,
Not to be call'd into their Guild
But slightly pass'd by, as a child.
FOVNTAYNES.
Wherein hee thinkes his honour was peruerted.
SPRING.
And though his Mother seeke to season,
And rectifie his rage with reason,
By shewing he liues yet vnder her command,
Rebellious he, doth disobey,
And she hath forc'd his armes away.
FOVNTAYNES.
To make him feele the Justice of her hand.
SPRING.
Whereat the Boy, in fury fell,
With all his speed, is gone to hell,
There to excite, and stirre vp Iealousy,
To make a party 'gainst the Gods,
And set Heauen, Earth, and Hell at odds.
FOVNTAYNES.
And rayse a chaos of calamity.
The Song ended, the Nymphs fall into a dance,
to their voyces, and instruments, and so returne
into the Scene.
THE ANTIMASQVE.
First Entry.
A part of the vnder-ground opening, out of it
enters a Dwarfe-Post from Hell, riding on a Cur-
tall, with clouen feete, and two Lacqueys: These
dance, & make the first entry of the Antimasque.
Hee alights, and speakes.
POSTILION. Hold my stirrop, my one Lacquey; and looke to my
Curtall, the other: walke him well, Sirrah, while I ex-
patiate my selfe here in the report of my office! oh the
Furies! how I am ioyed with the title of it! Postil-
lionof Hell! yet no Mercury. But a mere Cacodæ-
mon, sent hether with a packet of newes! newes! neuer
was Hell so furnished of the commodity of newes! Loue
hath bin lately there, and so entertained by Pluto, and
Proserpine; and all the Grandees of the place, as, it is
there perpetuall Holy-day: and a cessation of torment
granted, and proclaimed for euer! Halfe-famish'd
Tantalus is fallen to his fruit, with that appetite, as it
threaten's to vndoe the whole company of Costard-
mungers, and ha's a riuer afore him, running excellent
wine Ixion is loos'd from his wheele, and turn'd Dancer,
does nothing but cut capreols, fetch friskals, and leades
Laualtos, with the Lamiæ! Sisyphus ha's left rowling the
stone, and is growne a Mr. bowler; challenges all the
prime gamesters, Parsons in hell, and giues them odds:
vpon Tityus his brest, that (for sixe of the nine acres)
is counted the subtlest bowling-ground in all Tartary.
All the Furies are at a game call'd nine pins, or keilles,
made of old vsurers bones, and their soules looking on
with delight, and betting on the game. Neuer was there
such freedome of sport. Danaus daughters haue broke
their bottomelesse tubs, and made bonfires of them. All
is turn'd triumph there. Had hell gates bin kep't with,
halfe that strictnesse as the entry here ha's bin to night
Pluto would haue had but a cold Court, & Proserpine
a thinne presence, though both haue a vast territory We
had such a stirre to get in, I and my Curtall, and my two
Lacqueys all ventur'd through the eye of a Spanish
needle, we had neuer come in else, & that was by the fa-
uour of one of the guard who was a womans-tayler, and
held ope the passage. Cupid by commission hath carried
Iealousie from Hell, Disdaine, Feare, and Dissimula-
tion, with other Goblins, to trouble the Gods. And I am
sent after post, to rayse Tempest, Windes, Lightnings,
Thunder, Rayne, and Snow, for some new exployt they
haue against the Earth, and the Goddesse Chloris,
Queene of the flowers, and Mistris of the Spring. For
ioy of which I will returne to my selfe, mount my Bidet,
in a dance; and coruet vpon my Curtall.
The speech ended, the Postillion mounts his
Curtall, and with his Lacqueys, danceth forth as
hee came in.
2 Entry.
Cupid, Jealousy, Disdaine, Feare, and Dissimula-
tion, dance together.
3 Entry.
The Queenes Dwarfe, richly apparrel'd, as
a Prince of Hell, attended by 6 infernall Spirits;
He first danceth alone, and then the Spirits: all ex-
pressing their ioy, for Cupids comming among
them.
4 Entry.
Here the Scene changeth, into a horrid storme.
Out of which enters the Nymph Tempest, with
foure Windes. they dance.
5 Entry.
Lightnings, 3 in number, their habits gliste-
ring, expressing that effect, in their motion.
6 Entry.
Thunder alone dancing the tunes to a noyse,
mixed, and imitating thunder.
7 Entry.
Rayne, presented by 5 persons all swolne, and
clouded ouer, their hayre flagging, as if they
were wet, and in their hands, balls full of sweete
water, which, as they dance, sprinkle all the roome.
8 and last Entry.
Seuen with rugged white heads, and beards,
to expresse Snow, with flakes on their garments,
mix'd with hayle. These hauing danced, returne
into the stormy Scene, whence they came.
Here, by the prouidence of Iuno, the tempest on
an instant ceaseth: And the Scene is changed into
a delicious place, figuring the bowre of Chloris.
Where, in an arbour fayn'd of Gold-smiths worke,
the ornament of which was borne vp with Termes
of Satyres, beautify'd with Festones, garlands, and
all sorts of fragrant flowers. Beyond all this, in
the skie a farre of appear'd a Rainebow, In the most
eminent place of the Bowre, sate the Goddesse
Chloris, accompanied with fourteene Nymphs,
their apparrell white, embroydered, with siluer,
trim'd at the shoulders with great leaues of greene,
embroydered with gold, falling one vnder the o-
ther. And of the same worke were their bases,
their head-'tires of flowers, mix'd with siluer, and
gold, with some sprigs of Ægrets among, and
from the top of their dressing, a thinne vayle han-
ging downe.
All which beheld,
The Nymphs, Riuers, and Fountaynes with the Spring, sung this reioycing Song.
Song. 3.
RIVERS, SPRING, FOVNTAYNES.
Run out, all the Flouds, in ioy with your siluer feete;
And hast to meete, the enamour'd Spring;
For whom the warbling Fountaynes sing:
The story of the flowers; preserued by the Howers;
At Iuno's soft command, and Iris showers;
Sent to quench iealousie, and all those powers
Of Loues rebellious warre:
Whil'st Chloris sits a shining starre
To crowne, and grace our iolly song, made long,
To the notes, that we bring, to glad the Spring.
Which ended, the Goddesse, and her Nymphsde-
scend the degrees, into the roome, and dance the entry of the
grand-masque.
After this, another Song
by the same persons,
as before.
Song. 4,
RIVERS, FOVNTAYNES.
Tell a truth, gay Spring, let vs know
What feete they were, that so
Impres't the Earth, and made such various flowers to grow!
SPRING.
She that led, a Queene was at least,
Or a Goddesse, 'boue the rest:
And all their graces, in her selfe expres't!
RIVERS, FOVNTAYNES.
O' it were a fame, to know her name!
Whether she were the roote;
Or they did take th' impression, from her foote.
The Masquers here dance
their second dance.
Which done,
The farther Prospect of the Scene changeth into
ayre, with a low Land-shape, in part couered with
clouds: And in that instant, the Heauen opening,
Iuno, and Iris are seene, and aboue them many aery
spirits, sitting in the cloudes.
Song. 5.
IVNO.
Now Iuno, and the Ayre shall know
The truth of what is done below,
From our discolourd bow. Iris, what newes?
IRIS.
The ayre is cleare, your bow can tell,
Chloris renown'd, Spight fled to Hell;
The busines all is well. And Cupid sues-
IVNO.
For pardon. Do's hee?
IRIS.
Hee sheds teares
More then your Birds haue eyes.
IVNO
The Gods haue eares.
Offences, made agaynst the Deities,
Are soone forgot-
IRIS.
If who offends, be wise.
>Here, out of the Earth, ariseth a Hill, and on the
top of it, a globe, on which Fame is seene standing
with her trumpet, in her hand; and on the Hill,
are seated foure Persons, presenting, Poesie, History,
Architecture, and Sculpture: who together with
the Nymphs, Floods, and Fountaynes, make a full
Quire, at which, Fame begins to mount, and moo-
uing her wings, flyeth, singing vp to Heauen:
FAME.
Rise golden Fame, and giue thy name a birth
CHORVS.
From great and generous actions, done on Earth.
FAME.
The life of Fame is action.
CHORVS.
Vnderstood
That action must be vertuous, great, and good!
FAME.
Vertue it selfe by Fame is oft protected,
And dies despised——
CHORVS.
Where the Fame's neglected
FAME.
Who hath not heard of Chloris, and her bowre
Fayre Iris act, employ'd by Iuno's power
To guard the Spring, and prosper euery flower,
Whom Iealousie and Hell thought to deuoure?
CHORVS.
Great actions, of't obscurd by time, may lye,
Or enuy——
FAME
But they last to memory.
POESY.
Wee that sustaine thee, Learned Poesy
HISTORY.
And I, her sister, seuere History.
ARCHITECTVRE.
With Architecture, who will rayse thee high,
SCVLPTVRE.
And Sculpture, that can keepe thee from to dye.
CHORVS.
All helpe lift thee to eternity.
JVNO.
And Iuno, through the ayre, doth make thy way,
IRIS.
By her serenest Messenger of Day.
FAME.
Thus Fame ascend's, by all degrees, to Heauen:
And leaues a light, here, brighter, then the seuen.
CHORVS.
Let all applaud the sight.
Ayre first, that gaue the bright
Reflections, Day or Night!
With these supports of Fame,
That keepe aliue her name!
The beauties of the Spring.
Fount's, Riuers, euery thing:
From the height of all,
To the Waters fall-
Resound, and sing
The honour's of his Chloris, to the King.
Chloris, the Queene of Flowers;
The sweetnesse of all Showres;
The ornament of Bowres;
The top of Par-amours!
The Masquers dance with the Lords.
sate in the Bowre.
The Queene.
Countesse of Carlile. Countesse of Oxford. Lady Strange. Countesse of Berkeshire.
Lady Anne Cauendish. Countesse of Carnaruan. Countesse of Newport. Lady Penelope Egerton.
M. Porter. M. Dor. Sauage. La. Howard. M. Eliz. Sauage. M. Anne Weston. M. Sophia Cary.