THE TRIVMPHS OF FAME and HONOVR: OR THE NOBLE ACcomplish'd solemnity, full of Cost, Art and state, at the Inauguration and Establishment of the true worthy and right nobly minded ROBERT PARKHVRST, into the Right Honourable office of Lord Maior of LONDON. The particularities of every Invention in all the Pageants, Shewes and Triumphs both by Water and Land, are here following fully set downe, being all performed by the Loves, Liberall Costs, and charges of the Right Worshipfull and worthy Brother-hood of the Cloth-workers the 29 of October 1634.
Written by Iohn Taylor.
¶ Imprinted at London 1634.
TO THE MOST WELCOME AND expected Pattern and Patron of Vertue and Goodnesse, the hopefull deserver of all the Costs and Honours which the Noble Fellowship and Brother-hood of Clothworkers and ample Love of the whole City, in full and generous Bounty bestow upon him, the Right Honourable and Judicious ROBERT PARKHVRST, Lord Major of the famous City of London.
THE TRIVMPHS OF FAME AND HONOUR.
T The first shew that is to be presented on the water is a vessell like a Boat or Barge, adorned with the armes and Impresses of the honourable Citie and Company, with seeming properties of being loaden, with Packs, dryfats, and divers other commodities, that marchants and others that are free of the Company of Cloth-workers, doe receive from foreigne parts by sea; this Barge attends the Lord Mayor and meets him about Pauls wharfe or attends further up the River. Thetis (the Goddesse of the sea) and Thames, or Thamisis (being one of her fairest daughters) sitting in the head of the Boate; Thetis being habitimented in a mantle of sea-Greene, with a corronet of shels of divers sorts of sea-fish on her head with a great whelk-fish in her hand with adornments of strange fishes and other significant representations. Thamisis being habited in [Page] a white or silver coloured Robe, having on her head a Chaplet of green Reeds, Flowers and Rushes, and about her feet deck'd with Sedge, Bulrushes and Flaggs, at which presentment Thetis speaks this following speech;
Then the Rowers (consisting of foure in number, being two Saylours, two watermen) being ouer-joyed, pike their oares, and every of them drinks his Kan as a health, tossing them up, and presently falling into a Rugged friskin daunce, returne to Pauls wharfe, and landing the said Barge, she is carried as the formost Pageant in the shew through the Citie.
The second is a Pageant representing the figures of Time and Mercury (Time being habited in a blew roabe with his Sithe in his hand) which do wait and attend the [Page] Lord Mayor in Paules Chuch-yard, The speakers being Mounted on two Griphons (the Supporters of the Cloth-workers Armes) which at the approach of my Lord, Mercury (upon one of the Griphons) with his Caducens or charming rod in his hand, with wings on his head to signifie quicknesse of Invention, Acutenesse of wit, and Volubility of tongue with Eloquence of speech. He hath also wings on his feet to signifie his swiftnesse; as Messenger to the Gods. Time speakes as followeth.
Next and neere to this Pageant of Time and Mercury, is the forme of a Citie representing London, with walls, Battlements, Gates, Churches, Towers, Steeples and lofty Buildings, and some Antique shapes here and there on the tops of the highest Edifices: Also with shops and men at worke upon cloth, as Cloth-workers, fullers, shermen, and others, the walls of the Citie being adorned round, with Armes and scoutcheons of the Cittie and company as [Page] also divers figures, as 1 of Antiquitie, 2 Record, 3 Memory, 4 Wisedome, and others the like; also an ancient Matron in a civill grave robe with her haire long hanging downe in trammels dishevelled behind her backe, sitting in one of the Gates of the Citie, shee speaks in the person of London to the Lord Mayor and company as followeth.
The next is a Pageant in the forme of a Tower, which doth import a Tower of Honour, on the top of which Tower sits one in royall robes, with a majestique Impalement on his head, a scepter in one hand, and a Ball in the other: under him (in the next descent) sit in equall distances the figures of a Lord Mayor, a Bishop, a Lawyer, [Page] and a warlike Captaine or Generall. On the right hand of the Lord Mayor is placed the figure or emblem of Honour: next the Bishop is placed piety or the feare of God: on the right hand of the Judge, a figure representing power is seated, and by the Generall or Captaine stands victory. In the descent below the Lord Mayor is an apprentice, and by him stands obedience: beneath the Bishop is a scholler, and by him is placed patience, under the Judge a clark, and by him diligence, & under the Lord Generall is a Common Souldiour, and by him is placed vertue, which shewes that by vertuous actions and true industry meane men have ascended and may be raised to Honourable places, which is an encouragement and paterne for others to pursue and follow those most worthy wayes to Honour and Renowne. The Tower being round or circular, and the Basis or Ground-worke square or Quadrangle, on each corner whereof sits, the foure prime or Cardinall Vertues, namely Justice, Fortitude, Temperance and Prudence, every one of them habited in Robes, significant and Emblematically shewing that those vertues doe adorne and dignifie the above presented noble personages. This Pageant attending my Lord Mayor, in Pauls Churchyard or at the upper end of Cheapside neere the little Conduit; he that sits highest in the place and person of Honour speakes this following Speech.
Then his Lordship being come to Saint Laurence lane end in Cheapside, he is saluted by Endimion, or a shepherd rideing on a Rams back, (the Ram being the crest of the Cloth-workers armes) there being neere or next unto him an ancient monument of fame: at the approach of my Lord the shepherd entertaines him with this speech.
Lastly, at night, when his Lordship returnes from Pauls, the Pageants being six in number, going all before him in their order, attending him to his house, then the last [Page] Pageant being an ancient Monument of Fame, shall present it selfe to his Lordship, in the front of which peace is erected a figure representing Fame, with a silver Trumpet in her hand, the Monument being adorn'd with the Armes, Escucheons, Hatchments and Impresses of divers Lord Mayors that have bin of the worshipfull company of the Cloth-workers, whom (though Time hath interred) Fame revives, sounding their praises, and inforceth Time to revive their noble Memory, encouraging his Lordship to follow them in all their Honourable actions, that when Time shall determinate, his Lordships shield of Honour may be added to the rest of his predecessors; and as this Pageant of the Monument of Fame is a representation of the night, so the night, and this following speech at his Lordships Gate is a conclusion and dutifull farewell to the daies Triumph and solemnity.
The explanation of the first Pageant of Thetis.
THetis, daughter to the sea-god Nereus, she was wife to King Peleus, also Thetis was the mother of Achilles, who was seven cubits in height, and the most valiant Captaine amongst the Greekes at the siege of Troy.
Danubia is a great River that runs through Hungaria by the famous Cities of Buda, Brundusium, and Belgrad, and so it passeth into Germany, by the Towne of Regensberg, and through Swabe, Bavaria, and Austria; it is also called Donawe, but passing into Illyria it is at a part of Thracia cald Istria changed into the name of Ister, it receives 60 rivers into it, the most part of which are navigable, it falls into the sea called Pontus Euxinus, or the Euxine sea.
Po a famous river in Italy. Seine a river in France which runs through Paris▪ Volgu a river that runs through the large Empire of Russia. Ems in east Frizland, from whence the Citie of Eniden hath name Elve or Albe, is a river that passeth from Bohem, through Saxony, Misnia, and so to the townes of Hamborough and Stoad, into the German Ocean. Tanais, a great river northward, which parts Asia from Europe. Nilus a famous river that runs through Ethiopia and Egypt, and because it never raines in Egypt, it is watered and made fruitfull once a yeare by [Page] the overflowing of Nilus. Ganges is a mighty river that runs through and divides India, it is one of the foure rivers of Paradise, and is called by Moses Phison. Tigris one of the foure named Hiddekell. Euphrates passeth by Babylon, and was also one of the rivers of Paradise named by Moses Perah, and the Tyber a river that runs through Rome. Iordan a river that runs betwixt Gallile and Iudea, and fals into Mare mortuum or the dead sea. Xanthus a river in Phrygia neere Troy, of which it is said that if sheepe dranke of the water, their fleeces became yellow. Indus a great and goodly navigable river, that hath its head from the mountaine Taurus or Caucasus, it incompasseth India on the west, and falls by Asia into the Lake called Paulus Meotis, and part into the Indian sea. Asphaltites is the dead sea or Mare mortuum, it is in Siria, and it is held to be the place where Sodom, Gomorah, and the rest of the five Cities stood which were consumed with fire and brimstone from heaven.
The meaning of the second Pageant being Time and Mercury.
2 TIme hath seene 426 severall daies of Mayoralty, which is so many yeares since the Cities government was changed (by King Richard the first) from Portgraves, Provosts and Bayliffs, to the Honourable title and dignity of Lord Mayor. Men that come rightly to places of Honour & dignity must make good use of Time. Truth is the daughter of Time, who though falshood may obscure her, yet Time will bring her forth at last, where her bright vertue shall outshine the Sun: there is nothing goes beyond Time but Eternity.
Ʋpon the third Pageant which represented a Citie.
LOndon doth expresse her duty and thankfullnesse, in acknowledging her happy preservation and government, when many of the goodliest Cities in the world are either ruind, and confounded, or else far short of her peacefull and plentifull felicity. As first, Thebes was a great Citie in Egypt, it was built by King Busiris, it had 100 gates about the walls, it was 40 miles in compasse, the walles were 30 stads high, and six stads in breadth; it is written that 200 watchmen watched at euery gate: when it was destroy'd by Allexander the Great, there were found the Toombs of 77 Kings, (and good Kings they had bin) for the law was amongst them that bad Kings should have no buriall. Also there was another Thebes in Boetia built by Cadmus, and a third Thebes in Cillicia, where it is said Andromche the wife to the worthy Hector was borne. Numantia was in Spaine, and being besieged by the brave roman Scipio, rather than they would yeeld their Citie, they burned it with their wives, children, goods and families. Carthage was a goodly Citie in Affrica, it was 40 English miles in circuit, it was held against the Romans 44 yeares when Rome was in her greatest greatnesse, it brought forth the valiant Captaine Haniball, and was at last destroy'd by Scipio Affricanus 144 yeares before Christs birth; the place and country where it stood is now called Tunis, which is a harbour [Page] or Receptacle for Pirats, sea-Rovers and misbeleeving Turkes. Ierusalem the chiefe Citie of Iudea, where King Salomons Temple was, and where our Saviour suffered his passion, it is now a ruind peece under the subjection of the Turk. There are two Babylons, one in Caldea, where Nimrods Tower was erected, and another Babylon there was in Egypt, they being (as their names doe signifie) both in confusion under the Turk. Constantinople was the metropolis and the head Citie of the Grecian or Easterne Empire, it was won from the Christians the 29 of May 1453. by the Turkish Emperour Mahomet the second, which Mahomet did also win the Empire of Trebizond, and tooke 12 Kingdomes and 200 Cities from the Christians. Rome nor any Citie that holds Rome for chiefe, cannot declare any such true Reality in their happinesse and government, as London justly may doe.
These few expressions I thought fit to set downe here for the illustration of such words and places as may seeme hard and obscure to some meane Readers.