THE TRVE DISCRIPTION Of a Royall Masque. Presented at Hampton Court vpon Sunday night being the eight day of Ianuary. 1604.
The Night apparelled in a black vesture set with Stars comming from belowe, and approching neere vnto the Temple erected towarde the vpper end of the Hall: wakens her Sonne Somnus that there lyes sleeping in a Caue; with this speech.
AWake dark sleep, rouse thee from out thy Caue;
Thy Mother Night, that bred thee in her womb,
And fed thee first with silence and with ease,
Doth heere thy shadowed operations craue.
And therefore wake my sonne, awake and come:
Strike with thy Hornie wande, the spirits of theis
That here expect some pleasing nouelties;
And make their slumber to beget strange sightes.
[Page] Strange visions and vn-usual properties,
Vn-seene of latter ages, auncient rites;
Of gifts diuine, wrapt vp in Misteries,
Make this to seeme a Temple in their sight:
Whose maine support, holy religion, frame,
And wisedome, courage, Temperaunce and right:
Make seeme the pillors that sustaine the same,
Shadow some
Sibill to attend the rites;
And to describe the power that shall resorte,
With the interpretation of the benefites
They bring in Cloudes, & what they doe importe,
Yet make them to protend the true desire
Of those that wish them, waking reall things;
Whilste I wil hoou'ring heere aloofe retire,
And couer all things with my sable wings.
Som. Deere Mother Night, I your commandement
Obay, and dreams t'interpret dreames, will make
As waking curiositie is wonte.
Though better dreames asleepe, the dreames awake
And this White Horny wande shall worke the deed:
Whose power, doth figures of the light present,
When from this sable
Radius doth proceede
Nought but confusde darke shewes to no intent:
And therefore goe bright visions, entertaine
All round about, whilste Ile to sleepe againe.
Iris the Messenger of the Goddesses, discending from the Mountaine where they were assembled, deckt in the couller of the Raine-bow, speakes as foloweth.
I The daughter of wounder, now made the Messenger of power; heere descended, to signifie the comming of a Celestiall presence of Goddesses, determined this faire Temple of peace, with holy handes and deuoute desires, haue dedicated to vnity and concord: and leauing to themselues in
Ouidos Ida Paphos their auncient delighting places of Greece and Asia, now made the seates of Barbarisme, and spoyle, vouchsafe to take their recreation, here, vpon the Westerne Mount of mightie
Brittanie, the Land of Ciuill Musicke and of rest: And are pleased to appeere in the self-same figures, wherein antiquitie hath formorly cloathed them; and as they haue bene cast in the imagination of pittie, who hath giuen mortal shapes to the gifts and effects of an eternall power: For that
[Page] those beautifull Carrecters of sence were easier to be read, then their misticall Ideas, dispersed in that wide and incomprehensible volume of Nature. And well haue mortall men apparelled all the vertues, all the graces, all blessings, with that shape wherewith themselues are most delighted, and which worke the best motions, and best represent the beauty of heauenly powers. And therefore, reuerend Prophetesse, who heare attendest vpon the deuotions of this place, prepare thy selfe for those rites that pertaine to thy function, and the honour of such deities. And to the end thou maist haue a fore-notion what powers, and who they are that come; take here this Prospectiue, and herein note and tell what thou seest: For well maist thou there obserue their shadowes, but their presence will bereaue thee of all, saue admiration and amazement. For who can looke vpon such powers and speake? And so I leaue thee.
Sybilla deckt as a Nunne, in blacke vpon White, hauing receiued this Message, and the Prospectiue, vseth these words.
WHat haue I seene? Where am I? Or doe I see at all? or am I anie where? What? was this IRIS the Messenger of IVNO, or else, but a fantasma or imagination? Will the Diuine Goddesses vouchsafe to visit this poore Temple? Shall I be blest to entertaine so great powers? It can bee but a dreame; yet such great powers haue blest as humble Roofes, and vse it of no other respect, then their owne great fauours to shine where they will. But what Prospectiue is this? or what shall I herein see? O admirable powers! what sights are these?
JVNO.
FIrst, heere Imperiall IVNO in her chayre,
With Scepter of command, for Kingdomes large:
Ascends, all clad in colours ef the ayre,
Crown'd with bright Starres, to signifie her charge.
PALLAS.
Next, warlike PALLAS, in her helmet drest,
With Launce of winning; Target of defence:
In whom both wit and courage are exprest,
To get with glory, hold wth prouidence.
VENVS.
Then louely VENVS in bright Majestie,
Appeares with milde aspect in Doue-like-hewe,
With th'al combining scarffe of amitie;
T'ingird strange Nations with affections true.
DIANA.
Next, chaste DIANA in her robes of greene,
With weapons of the Wood her selfe addrests,
To blesse the Forrest where her power is seene,
T'hold peace with all the World, but with wilde beasts.
VESTA.
Then comely VESTA with her flames of zeale▪
Presents her selfe, clad in white puritie,
Whose booke the soules sweet comfort doth reueale,
By th'euer burning lampe of pietie.
PROSERPINA.
Next, rich PROSERPINA with flames of gold,
Whose estate, although within the earth, yet shee
Comes from aboue, and in her hand doth hold
The Mine of wealth, with cheerefull Majestie.
MACARIA.
Then al in purple robes, rich Happinesse:
Next her appeares, bearing in either hand,
Th'ensignes both of welth and wit; t'expresse,
That by them both, her Majestie doth stand.
CONCORDJA.
Then all in partie-coloured robes appeares
In White and Crimson-gracefull Concord, rest
With knottes of vnion; and in hand she beares
The happy joyned Roses of our rest.
ASTRAEA.
Cleare-eyde ASTRAEA next, with reuerend browe,
Clad in Celestiall hew, which best she likes:
Comes with her ballance, and her sword to showe,
That first her judgement weighes before it strikes.
FLORA.
Then cheerefull FLORA, all adornd with flowers,
Who cloathes the earth with beauty and delight,
In thousand sundrie sutes, whilst shining howers,
Will scarse afford a darkenes to the Night.
CERES.
Next, plenteous CERES in her haruest weede,
Crown'd with the'ncrease of what she gaue to keepe,
To Gratitude and Faith in whom we neede:
Who sowes on Vertue, shall with glory reape.
TETHIS.
Lastly comes TETHIS, ALBIONS deerest Loue,
Whom she in faithfull armes doth deigne t'imbrace:
And brings the Trident of her power t'approue
Her fauour and respect to do him grace.
Thus haue I read their shadowes, but beholde:
In glory where they come as IRIS tolde.
The three Graces march before the Goddesses, discending downe the Mountaine with lowd Musicke, and comming vp to the vpper ende, stay and sing this Song, whilst the Goddesses go vp to the Temple with Presents, and from them, march downe the Hall.
The Song.
DEsert, Reward, and Gratitude,
The Graces of Society:
Do heere with hand in hand conclude,
The blessed chaine of amity.
1. For I deserue. 2. I giue. 3. I thanke:
All. Thanks, guifts, deserts thus joyne in ranck.
Wee yeeld the splendent rayes of light,
Vnto the blessings that discend;
The grace whereof with more delight,
The well disposing doth commend,
Whilst gratitude, rewards, deserts,
Please, win, draw on, and couple hearts.
For woorth, and power, and due respect,
Deserues, bestowes, returnes with grace;
The meed, reward, the kind effect,
That giues the world a cheerefull face.
And turning in this course of right,
Makes vertue moue with true delight.
The Song being ended, and the Maskers in the middest of the Hall, disposing themselues to their daunce, Sibilla hauing placed their seuerall Presents on the Altar, vttereth these words.
O Power of powers, graunt to our vowes we pray,
That these fayre blessings which we here arrest,
In figures left vs here, in substance, may
Be those great proppes of glory and respect.
Let Kingdomes large, let armed Pollicye,
Milde Loue, true Zeale, right shooting at the white,
Of braue designes, let Wealth, Felicitie,
Iustice, and Concord, Pleasure, Plenty, Might
And powre by Sea, with grace proportinate,
Make glorious both this Kingdome and Estate.
After this the Maskers dawnced their owne measures, which being ended, & they ready to take out the Lords, the three Graces sing.
I.
VVHilst worth with honour, make their choise,
For measured motions ordered right:
Now let vs likewise giue a voyce,
Vnto the touch of our delight.
II.
FOr comforts lockt vp without sound,
Are th'vnborne Children of the thought:
Like vnto Treasures neuer found,
That buryed lowe, are left forgot.
III.
Where words or glory do not show,
There like braue actions without Frame,
It seems like plants not set to growe,
Or as a tombe without a name.
The Maskers hauing ended the Dauncing with the Lords: IRIS, giues warning of their departure, in this manner, IRIS.
AS I was the joyfull Messenger, to notifie the comming of these diuine powers; so am I nowe the same of their departure, who hauing cloathed themselues with these apparances, doe nowe returne backe Spheres of there owne being from whence they are. But yet of my selfe, this much I must reueale, though against the warrant of a Messenger, who, I know had better to fayle in obedience, than in presumption, that these Deities by (the motion of the all-directing Pallas, the glorious Patronesse of this mighty Monarchie) descending in the Majestie of their inuisible essences, vpon yonder Mountaine; found there the best and most worthy, the best of Ladies, disporting her selfe with the choisest attendants, whose formes they presently tooke, as delighting to be in the best built Temples of beauty and honour, and in them vouch safed to appeare in this manner, being otherwise no objects for mortall eyes.
[Page] And no doubt, but that in respect or the persons, vnder whose beautiful couerings they haue thus presented themselues? these Deities will be pleased, the rather at their inuocation, knowing all their desires to be such, as euermore to grace this glorious Monarchie, with the Royall effects of these blessings represented.
After this, they fel to a short parting Daunce, and so ascended the Mountaine in the same order as they came downe.
FINIS.