At the entrance of the King .

THe first Trauers was drawne , and the lower descent of the Mountaine discouered , which was the Pendant of a hill to life , with diuers boscages and Grouets vpon the steepe or hanging grounds thereof ; and at the foote of the Hill , foure delicate Fountaines running with water and bordered with sedges and water flowers .

Iris first appeared ; and presently after Mercurie striuing to ouertake her .

Iris apparelled in a robe of discoulored Taffita figured in variable colours , like the Raine-bowe , a cloudie wreath on her head , and Tresses .

Mercurie in doublet and hose of white Taffita , a white hat , wings on his shoulders and feet , his Caduceus in his hand , speaking to Iris as followeth :

MERCVRIE . STay , Stay . Stay light foot Iris , for thou striuest in vaine , My wings are nimbler then thy feete . IRIS . Away , Dissembling Mercury ; my messages Aske honest haste , not like those wanton ones Your thundring father sends . MERCVRIE . Stay foolish Maid , Or I will take my rise vpon a hill , When I perceiue thee seated in a cloud , In all the painted glorie that thou hast , And neuer cease to clap my willing wings , Till I catch hold of thy discolour'd Bow , And shiuer it beyond the angry power Of your curst Mistresse , to make vp againe . IRIS . Hermes forbeare , Iuno will chide and strike ; Is great Ioue iealous that I am imploy'd On her loue errands ? she did neuer yet Claspe weake mortalitie in her white armes , As he hath often done : I onely come To celebrate the long wisht Nuptials , Heere in Olympia , which are now perform'd Betwixt two goodly Riuers , which haue mixt Their gentle rising waues , and are to grow Into a thousand streames , great as themselues ; I need not name them , for the sound is lowde In heauen and earth , and I am sent from her The Queene of Mariage , that was present heere , And smil'd to see them ioyne , and hath not chid Since it was done : good Hermes let me go . MERCVRIE . Nay you must stay , Ioues message is the same , Whose eies are lightning , and whose voice is thunder , Whose breath is any winde , he will , who knowes How to be first on earth as well as heauen . IRIS . But what hath he to doe with Nuptiall rights ? Let him keepe state vpon his starry throne , And fright poore mortals with his thunderbolts , Leauing to vs the mutuall darts of eyes . MERCVRIE . Alas , when euer offer'd he t' abridge Your Ladies power , but onely now in these , Whose match concernes his generall gouernment ? Hath not each god a part in these high ioyes ? And shall not he the King of gods presume Without proud Iunoes licence ? let her know That when enamor'd Ioue first gaue her power To linke soft hearts in Vndissolued bonds , He then foresaw , and to himselfe reseru'd The honor of this Mariage : thou shalt stand Still as a Rocke , while I to blesse this feast Will summon vp with my all charming rod , The Nymphes of fountains , from whose watry locks Hung with the dew of blessing and encrease , The greedie Riuers take their nourishment . You Nymphes , who bathing in your loued springs , Beheld these Riuers in their infancie , And ioy'd to see them , when their circled heads Refresht' the aire , and spread the ground with flowers : Rise from your Wells , and with your nimble feete Performe that office to this happie paire ; Which in these plaines , you to Alpheus did ; When passing hence through many seas vnmixt , He gain'd the fauour of his Arethuse .

Immediatlie vpon which speech , foure Naiades arise gentlie out of their seuerall Fountaines , and present themselues vpon the Stage , attired in long habits of sea-greene Taffita , with bubbles of Christall intermixt with powdering of siluer resembling drops of water blewish Tresses on their heads , garlands of Water-Lillies . They fall into a Measure , daunce a little , then make a stand .

IRIS . IS Hermes growne a louer , by what power Vnknowne to vs , calls he the Naiades ? MERCVRIE . Presumptuous Iris , I could make thee daunce Till thou forgott'st thy Ladies messages , And rann'st backe crying to her , thou shalt know My power is more , onely my breath , and this Shall moue fix'd starres , and force the firmament To yeeld the Hyades , who gouerne showers , And dewie clouds , in whose dispersed drops Thou form'st the shape of thy deceitfull Bow . You maids , who yearely at appointed times , Aduance with kindly teares , the gentle flouds , Descend , and powre your blessing on these streames , Which rolling downe from heauen aspiring hils , And now vnited in the fruitfull vales ; Beare all before them rauisht with their ioy , And swell in glorie till they know no bounds .

Fiue Hyades descend softly in a cloud from the firmament , to the middle part of the hill , apparelled in skie-coloured Taffita robes , spangled like the Heauens , golden Tresses , and each a faire Starre on their head ; from thence descend to the Stage , at whose sight the Naiades seeming to reioyce , meete and ioyne in a dance .

IRIS . GReat witte and power hath Hermes to contriue A liuelesse dance , which of one sexe consists . MERCVRIE . Alas poore Iris , Venus hath in store A secret Ambush of her winged boyes , Who lurking long within these pleasant groues ; First strucke these Louers with their equall darts , Those Cupids shall come forth , and ioyne with these , To honor that which they themselues begun .

Enter foure Cupids from each side of the Boscage , attired in flame coloured Taffita close to their bodie , like naked Boyes , with Bowes , Arrowes , and wings of gold ; Chaplets of flowers on their heads , hoodwinckt with Tiffiny scarfs , who ioyne with the Nymphes and the Hyades in another daunce . That ended , Iris speakes .

IRIS . BEhold the Statuaes which wise Vulcan plac'd Vnder the Altar of Olympian Ioue , Shall daunce for ioy of these great Nuptialls : And gaue to them an Artificiall life , See how they moue , drawne by this heauenly ioy , Like the wilde trees , which follow'd Orpheus Harpe .

The Statuaes enter , supposed to be before descended from Ioues Altar , and to haue been prepared in the couert with the Cupids , attending their call .

These Statuaes were attired in cases of gold and siluer close to their bodie , faces , hands and feete , nothing seene but gold and siluer , as if they had been solid Images of mettall , Tresses of haire as they had been of mettall imbossed , girdles and small aprons of oaken leaues , as if they likewise had been carued or molded out of the mettall : at their comming , the Musicke changed from Violins to Hoboyes , Cornets , &c. And the ayre of the Musicke was vtterly turned into a soft time , with drawing notes , excellently expressing their natures , and the Measure likewise was fitted vnto the same , and the Statuaes placed in such seuerall postures , sometimes all together in the Center of the daunce , and sometimes in the foure vtmost Angles , as was very gracefull , besides the noueltie and so concluded the first Anti-masque .

MERCVRIE . ANd what will Iunoes Iris do for her ? IRIS . Iust match this shew ; or my Inuention failes , Had it beene worthier , I would haue inuok'd The blazing Comets , Clouds and falling Starres , And all my kindred Meteors of the Ayre To haue excell'd it , but I now must striue To imitate Confusion , therefore thou Delightfull Flora , if thou euer felt'st Encrease of sweetnesse in those blooming plants , On which the hornes of my faire bow decline ; Send hither all the Rurall company , Which decke the May-games with their Countrey sports ; Iuno will haue it so .

The second Anti-masque rush in , daunce their Measure , and as rudely depart ; consisting of a Pedant May Lord , May Lady , Seruingman , Chambermaide , A Countrey Clowne , or Shepheard , Countrey Wench , An Host , Hostesse , A Hee Baboone , Shee Baboone , A Hee Foole , Shee Foole vshering them in .

All these persons apparelled to the life , the Men issuing out of one side of the Boscage , and the Woemen from the other : the Musicke was extremely well fitted , hauing such a spirit of Countrey iolitie as can hardly be imagined ; but the perpetuall laughter and applause was aboue the Musicke .

The dance likewise was of the same strain ; and the Dancers , or rather Actors expressed euery one their part so naturally and aptly , as when a Mans eye was caught with the one , and then past on to the other , hee could not satisfie himselfe which did best . It pleased his Maiestie to call for it againe at the end , as he did likewise for the first Anti-masque ; but one of the Statuaes by that time was vndressed .

MERCVRIE . IRis we striue , Like windes at libertie , who should do worst Ere we returne . If Iuno be the Queene Of Mariage , let her giue happie way To what is done , in honor of the State She gouernes . IRIS . Hermes , so it may be done Meerely in honor of the State , and these That now haue prou'd it , not to satisfie The lust of Iupiter , in hauing thankes More then his Iuno , if thy snakie rod Haue power to search the heauens , or found the sea , Or call together all the ends of earth , To bring in any thing that may do grace To vs , and these ; do it , we shall be pleas'd . MERCVRY . Then know that from the mouth of Ioue himselfe , Whose words haue wings , and need not to be borne ; I tooke a message , and I bare it through A thousand yeelding clouds , and neuer stai'd Till his high will was done : the Olympian games Which long haue slept , at these wish'd Nuptials , He pleas'd to haue renew'd and all his Knights Are gathered hither , who within their tents Rest on this hill , vpon whose rising head . Behold Ioues Altar , and his blessed Priests Mouing about it : come you holy men , And with your voices draw these youthes along , That till Ioues musicke call them to their games , Their actiue sports may giue a blest content To those , for whom they are againe begun .

The Maine Masque .

THe second Trauers is drawne , and the higher ascent of the Mountaine is discouered ; wherein vpon a leuell after a great rise of the Hill , were placed two Pauilions : open in the front of them , the Pauilions were to sight as of cloth of gold , and they were trimmed on the inside with rich Armour and Militarie furniture hanged vp as vpon the walles ; and behind the Tents there were represented in prospectiue , the tops of diuers other Tents , as if it had been a Campe . In these Pauilions were placed fifteene Olympian Knights , vpon seates a little imbowed neere the forme of a Croisant , and the Knights appeared first , as consecrated persons all in vailes , like to Coapes , of siluer Tiffinie , gathered , and falling a large compasse about them , and ouer their heads high Miters with long pendants behind falling from them ; the Miters were so high , that they receiued their hats and feathers , that nothing was seene but vaile : in the midst betweene both the Tents vpon the very top of the hill , being a higher leuell then that of the Tents , was placed Iupiters Altar gilt , with three great Tapers vpon golden Candlesticks burning vpon it : and the foure Statuaes , two of gold , and two of siluer , as supporters , and Iupiters Priests in white robes about it .

Vpon the sight of the King , the vailes of the Knights did fall easilie from them , and they appeared in their owne habit .

The Knight's attire .

ARming doublets of Carnation satten embrodered with Blazing Starres of siluer plate , with powderings of smaller Starres betwixt ; gorgets of siluer maile ; long hose of the same , with the doublets laide with siluer lace spangled , and enricht with embroderie betweene the lace ; Carnation like stockins imbrodered all ouer ; garters and roses sutable ; Pumpes of Carnation satten imbrodered as the doublets ; hats of the same stuffe and embroderie cut like a helmet before , the hinder part cut into Scallops , answering the skirts of their doublets ; the bands of the hats were wreathes of siluer in forme of garlands of wilde Oliues , white feathers with one fall of Carnation ; Belts of the same stuffe and embrodered with the doublet ; Siluer swords ; little Italian bands and cuffes embrodered with siluer faire long Tresses of haire .

The Priests habits .

LOng roabes of white Taffita ; long white heads of haire : The high-Priest a cap of white silke shagge close to his head , with two labels at the eares , the midst rising in forme of a Pyramis , in the top thereof a branch of siluer , euery Priest playing vpon a Lute : twelue in number .

The Priests descend and sing this song following ; after whom the Knights likewise descends first laying aside their vailes belts , and swords .

The first Song . SHake off your heauy traunce , And leape into a daunce , Such as no mortals vse to treade , Fit only for Apollo To play to , for the Moone to lead , And all the Starres to follow .

The Knights by this time are all descended and fallen into their place , and then daunce their first Measure .

The second Song . ON blessed youthes , for loue doth pause Laying aside his grauer lawes For this deuice , And at the wedding such a paire , Each daunce is taken for a praier , Each song a sacrifice .

The Knights daunce their second Measure .

The third Song . Single . MOre pleasing were these sweet delights , If Ladies mou'd as well as Knights ; Runne eu'ry one of you and catch A Nymph in honor of this match ; And whisper boldly in her eare , Ioue will but laugh , if you forsweare . All . And this daye 's sinnes he doth resolue That we his Priests should all absolue .

The Knights take their Ladies to daunce with them Galliards , Durets , Corantoes , &c. and leade them to their places . Then loude Musicke sound 's , supposed to call them to their Olympian games .

The fourth Song . YE should stay longer if we durst , Away , alas that he that first Gaue Time wilde wings to fly away , Hath now no power to make him stay . But though these games must needs be plaid , I would this Paire , when they are laid , And not a creature nie them , Could catch his scythe , as he doth passe , And cut his wings , and breake his glasse , And keepe him euer by them .

The Knights daunce their parting Measure and ascend , put on their Swords and Belts ; during which time , the Priests sing the fifth and last Song .

PEace and silence be the guide To the Man , and to the Bride , If there be a ioy yet new In mariage , let it fall on you , That all the world may wonder . If we should stay , we should doe worse , And turne our blessing to a curse , By keeping you asunder .