OF
THE
MOST
Auspicatious
Marriage
:
BETWIXT
,
The
High
and
Mightie
Prince
,
FREDERICK
;
COVNT
PALATINE
of
RHEINE
,
chiefe
Sewer
to
the
sacred
Roman
Empire
,
Prince
Elector
,
and
Duke
of
BAVARIA
,
&c.
AND
The
most
Illustrious
Princesse
,
the
Ladie
ELIZABETH
her
Grace
,
sole
Daughter
to
the
high
and
mightie
IAMES
,
King
of
great
BRITTAINE
,
&c.
IN
III.
BOOKES
:
Composed
in
Latine
by
M.
IOANNES
MARIA
,
de
Franchis
.
And
Translated
into
English
AT
LONDON
,
Printed
by
G.
ELD
,
for
William
Blainchard
,
and
are
to
be
solde
in
Fleet-lane
,
at
the
signe
of
the
Printers
Presse
.
1613.
TO
THE
HIGH
AND
Mighty
Prince
CHARLES
Prince
of
Wales
.
THe
desired
and
happy
marriage
of
that
Illustrious
Princesse
,
with
that
magnanimous
and
Heroical
Prince
,
of
so
great
blood
(
but
of
greater
merits
)
hath
bin
generally
celebrated
among
all
the
subiects
with
such
an
vnaccustomed
ioy
,
that
some
of
them
,
being
not
able
to
containe
themselues
,
and
yet
desirous
to
shew
their
deuoted
affections
,
haue
strained
their
Muse
to
sing
a
ioyfull
Hymen
to
their
Highnesses
nuptiall
rights
:
Among
which
company
,
I
being
one
of
the
number
,
although
inferior
to
them
all
in
euery
thing
(
my
loue
and
affection
onely
excepted
)
commaunded
my
Muse
,
though
in
a
hard
and
vnpleasing
stile
,
yet
as
well
as
shee
could
to
expresse
my
vowed
seruice
and
obedience
to
their
Highnesses
.
At
the
first
I
intended
to
haue
made
onely
a
short
and
ordinary
Epithalamium
;
but
afterwards
hauing
considered
better
of
it
,
I
found
it
much
fitter
to
diuide
it
into
three
bookes
.
The
first
Booke
I
sent
to
the
right
Reuerend
Father
the
Lord
Arch-bishop
of
Yorke
,
who
presented
it
vnto
the
King
.
By
this
meanes
I
did
thinke
that
if
my
first
booke
might
haue
a
charitable
censure
of
the
wise
and
learned
sort
of
men
,
I
might
then
,
with
lesse
feare
and
with
more
spirit
,
presume
to
present
this
my
booke
,
with
the
other
two
,
vnto
their
Highnesses
.
Notwithstanding
,
I
had
no
such
good
conceit
,
either
of
myselfe
,
or
of
my
labours
,
to
thinke
them
all
three
worthy
to
be
exposed
to
the
iudgement
,
and
censure
of
all
men
:
and
yet
to
haue
put
forth
the
one
part
,
without
the
other
,
would
haue
made
my
Poeme
imperfect
,
which
had
been
a
greater
inconuenience
.
At
length
,
some
of
my
friends
hauing
receiued
this
Poeme
printed
it
,
being
delighted
with
the
noueltie
of
the
matter
,
and
desirous
to
shew
their
affection
and
my
congratulation
to
that
happy
marriage
.
At
the
first
it
grieued
me
a
little
,
that
my
book
,
being
not
fully
perfected
,
should
be
printed
:
but
at
last
hauing
no
desire
to
haue
it
printed
againe
,
after
that
the
solemnities
were
ended
,
som
of
my
friends
began
to
importune
me
that
I
would
impart
my
booke
vnto
them
.
I
being
easily
ouercome
with
their
vrging
yeelded
vnto
their
requests
:
This
booke
they
haue
now
translated
into
English
,
to
the
end
that
the
Ladies
may
be
partakers
of
this
curious
symetrie
.
This
booke
I
offer
vp
vnto
your
Highnesse
of
whom
I
haue
heard
many
honorable
relations
at
the
right
reuerend
father
in
God
my
lord
Arch-bishop
of
Yorkes
house
;
and
now
I
do
partly
know
your
Highnes
to
be
of
such
a
Princely
disposition
,
that
you
will
not
refuse
the
protection
of
the
first
fruits
of
a
Scholler
,
but
rather
cherish
and
maintaine
them
;
especially
such
a
one
that
prostrateth
himselfe
and
his
labours
at
your
Highnesse
feet
,
humbly
beseeching
your
Highnesse
not
to
suruey
the
booke
with
a
curious
eye
,
but
to
accept
of
that
good
minde
which
offers
it
.
Last
of
all
,
I
doe
wish
such
a
Spouse
,
as
is
described
in
these
Hymnes
,
to
be
matched
with
your
Highnesse
;
and
I
beseech
thee
,
O
God
,
to
adde
so
much
time
to
my
yeeres
,
that
I
may
liue
to
see
it
;
to
the
end
,
that
I
may
write
a
nuptiall
Hymen
of
your
Highnesse
marriage
,
in
a
more
iudicious
and
acurate
stile
.
Your
Highnesse
most
affectionate
seruant
,
Io.
MARIA
.
The
Argument
,
or
Epitome
,
of
the
whole
Poeme
.
IVpiter
,
by
meanes
of
Mercury
his
messenger
,
summons
a
Conuocation
of
the
Gods
to
confarre
and
dispose
of
things
here
below
;
at
this
Synod
,
Religion
(
being
a
power
amongst
the
heauenly
deities
of
no
small
repute
)
made
her
appearance
,
being
ful
of
affliction
,
&
depriued
of
that
accustomed
coelestiall
pompe
,
and
diuine
ornaments
with
which
all
th'
other
Gods
then
assembled
in
the
Consistorie
of
the
highest
heauens
did
most
gloriously
shine
:
which
moued
all
the
Gods
to
maruell
,
and
father
Iupiter
himselfe
to
require
the
cause
of
her
griefe
,
whereof
in
her
actions
and
habit
she
gaue
such
wofull
remonstrances
.
To
whom
shee
answered
with
teares
,
and
sobbes
,
that
this
happened
vnto
her
,
because
she
was
so
torne
and
persecuted
in
the
world
,
by
wickednesse
and
superstition
,
and
other
of
Pluto's
fire-brands
,
that
she
had
scarce
any
place
there
safely
to
rest
her selfe
,
farther
intimating
,
what
barbarous
&
horrible
torments
she
and
her
followers
had
,
for
many
ages
past
,
suffered
,
and
still
did
indure
.
Which
complaint
of
hers
,
moued
the
Deities
to
compassionate
her
,
and
caused
them
(
being
inkindled
with
a
iust
wrath
against
the
infernall
Furies
)
to
begin
to
muster
vp
,
and
bend
their
coelestiall
forces
to
succour
her
:
But
then
the
ruler
of
the
Gods
(
hauing
with
his
most
maiestick
awfull
becke
calmed
their
indignation
)
most
louingly
comforted
his
afflicted
Daughter
;
telling
the
deities
that
this
was
not
to
be
remedied
with
fury
and
the
destruction
of
men
,
but
with
fatherly
and
long
sufferance
to
bring
home
to
his
flock
those
strayed
sheep
,
by
good
counsell
and
exhortation
,
as
in
his
eternall
decrees
hee
had
in
this
case
determined
;
and
that
the
chiefe
meanes
for
the
effecting
hereof
was
,
the
linking
together
of
two
royal
families
in
a
most
profitable
marriage
,
long
since
preordained
by
Fate
,
for
the
reformation
of
these
corrupted
times
:
And
then
he
repeated
the
auncient
oracle
of
the
goddess
Themis
,
now
vpon
the
point
to
be
performed
,
in
the
persons
of
the
most
illustrious
Lady
,
the
Princesse
of
great
Brittany
,
and
of
the
most
noble
Prince
PALATINE
,
the
vertues
of
which
excellent
couple
,
euen
Ioue
himselfe
collanded
,
and
foretolde
the
many
blessings
that
should
proceed
of
these
royall
Nuptialls
:
whereby
Religion
,
and
the
whole
Quier
of
Heauen
,
were
with
great
hopes
appeased
.
THE
II.
BOOKE
.
THe
Gods
,
with
their
recomforted
Sister
,
doe
congratulate
each
other
,
and
she
returnes
them
thankes
for
their
so
great
fauors
,
and
they
allioine
,
and
moue
Iuno
,
the
president
of
marriages
,
and
Venus
the
mother
of
loue
,
to
assume
the
Embassy
&
the
effectuating
of
this
disseigne
of
the
gods
.
Iuno
sends
downe
vpon
the
earth
Iris
her
Embassadress
,
clad
with
most
artificialluestiments
,
in
which
the
reforming
of
Religion
,
and
the
occurrences
of
greatest
consequence
in
the
world
for
many
yeeres
past
were
inwoo●en
;
and
with
Iris
,
Venus
ioyned
as
colleague
Cupid
her
sonne
,
with
a
troope
of
other
Immortall
personages
:
who
being
repleat
with
ioy
,
and
prophecying
,
thorogh
the
regions
of
the
aire
,
the
greatnes
of
this
most
happy
vnion
,
arriued
at
Heidelberg
,
being
the
Metropolis
of
the
Pa●atinate
,
where
they
entring
secretly
by
night
,
Cupid
with
golden
dart
,
&
amorous
,
fire
in
a
dream
,
strook
&
inflamed
the
young
Prince
,
not
yet
knowing
the
obiect
of
his
desire
till
afterwards
walking
in
his
gallery
,
entraunced
with
those
amorous
thoughts
,
his
eye
lighted
on
the
picture
of
the
L.
Elizabeth
,
the
only
daughter
of
the
most
puissant
King
of
great
Brittā
,
with
whose
portraiture
,
amongst
diuers
others
of
the
greatest
Princesses
in
the
world
,
the
said
gallery
was
beautified
.
At
the
first
sight
of
that
faire
picture
,
of
a
more
faire
substance
;
the
Prince
was
supprised
with
a
new
flame
,
acknowledging
that
that
was
the
beautifull
forme
which
Cupid
represented
vnto
him
,
and
with
which
he
stirred
him
vp
to
loue
;
and
hereupon
the
Prince
causeth
the
picture
to
be
taken
downe
,
and
placed
in
his
owne
chamber
,
and
to
this
shrius
of
his
Goddess
,
he
daily
offers
many
truly
inamorated
and
deuoted
Orisons
:
But
his
loue
more
&
more
continually
increasing
▪
his
excellency
could
not
be
satisfied
with
this
liueless
resemblance
,
but
after
many
consultations
resolues
to
goe
in
person
into
England
to
see
at
the
life
,
the
Mistris
and
owner
of
that
faire
form
,
which
had
captiuated
his
heart
;
whither
at
length
with
a
most
auspitious
successe
,
and
a
most
noble
retinew
,
he
happily
arriued
.
THE
III.
BOOKE
.
WHere
being
honorably
receiued
of
the
King
,
&
his
whole
Court
,
the
Prince
,
with
the
excellency
of
his
endowments
of
nature
and
art
,
&
by
the
inuisible
assistance
of
the
supernall
powers
,
in
kindles
no
lesse
flames
of
loue
,
in
the
virgin
breast
of
the
royall
Princesse
towards
him
,
then
were
in
his
Excellencies
towards
her
highness
:
And
whilst
each
of
these
two
,
most
louing
,
and
most
louely
louers
,
did
day
&
night
seuerally
meditate
of
this
their
first
loue
;
Consus
the
lord
of
councel
,
in
the
shape
of
Philon
,
late
his
Maiesties
tutor
,
appear'd
in
night
to
the
sleeping
king
,
telling
his
highness
,
that
the
comming
of
the
Prince
Elector
into
his
kingdom
,
was
by
the
ordinance
of
heauen
;
to
the
end
,
that
by
the
aliance
made
between
them
,
by
the
Princess
his
daughter
,
the
state
of
Religion
should
he
established
by
this
most
wished
for
mariage
.
To
this
heauenly
Counsellor
the
king
consented
,
with
this
prouiso
,
that
the
Prince
should
first
(
as
it
was
fitting
)
request
it
at
his
highnesse
hands
,
which
his
excellency
afterward
willingly
performing
,
his
Maiesty
,
at
the
first
motion
,
graciously
condescended
.
The
esspousalls
are
prolaimed
,
and
at
the
report
hereof
the
whole
kingdome
reuels
and
keeps
royall
festiualls
,
and
the
father
of
waters
Oceanus
,
hauing
by
Triton
his
Trumpeter
assembled
the
Maritine
&
fluuiall
powers
,
doth
out
of
the
cleer
brow
of
heauen
,
and
the
most
temperate
season
of
the
spring
,
prognosticate
happy
successe
,
highly
praysing
in
this
match
the
iudgement
of
the
foreseeing
sapient
King
,
and
therwithall
prouokes
euery
thing
to
reioyce
.
Now
comes
the
Bridall
day
,
in
honor
whereof
Vulcan
,
the
God
of
fire
,
at
the
intercession
of
Venus
his
wife
,
doth
with
his
element
play
his
masters
prize
,
in
presenting
strange
and
delightful
fire-workes
vpon
the
Thames
:
And
Mars
in
competition
with
him
,
to
content
the
Queene
of
loue
,
shewes
valiant
and
various
feates
and
stratagems
of
warre
;
and
the
City
,
to
shew
her
loue
and
legeance
to
her
Soueraigne
,
with
many
sorts
of
stately
showes
disembowelleth
the
inmost
of
her
heart
:
and
the
king
himselfe
,
because
there
should
be
nothing
wanting
in
this
high
solemnety
,
keepes
an
open
Court
full
of
all
royall
delights
;
In
the
middest
whereof
the
marriage
is
consummated
,
and
the
most
louing
royall
paire
obtaine
the
height
of
their
amorous
desires
.