their second dance. So after, their third and fourth dances,
which were all full of elegancy and curious device.
thus it ended.1

And

EPITHALAMION.

Up, youths and virgins, up, and praise

The god, whose nights outshine his days,
Hymen, whose hallowed rites

Could never boast of brighter lights;

Whose bands pass liberty.

Two of your troop, that with the morn were free,

Are now waged to his war.

And what they are,

If you'll perfection see,

Yourselves must be.

Shine, Hesperus, shine forth, thou wishéd star!

What joy or honours can compare
With holy nuptials, when they are

Made out of equal parts

Of years, of states, of hands, of hearts!

When in the happy choice

The spouse and spouséd have the foremost voice!

Such, glad of Hymen's war,

Live what they are,

1 The two latter dances were made by Master Thomas Giles, the two first by Master Hier. Herne: who, in the persons of the two Cyclopes, beat a time to them with their hammers. The tunes were Master Alphonso Ferrabosco's. The device and act of the scene Master Inigo Jones's, with addition of the trophies. For the invention of the whole, and the verses, Assertor qui dicat esse meos, imponet plagiario pudorem.

The attire of the masquers throughout was most graceful and noble, partaking of the best both ancient and later figure. The colours carnation and silver, enriched both with embroidery and lace. The dressing of their heads, feathers and jewels; and so excellently ordered to the rest of the habit as all would suffer under any description after the show. Their performance of all, so magnificent and illustrious, that nothing can add to the seal of it, but the subscription of their

And long perfection see:

And such ours be.

Shine, Hesperus, shine forth, thou wishéd star!

The solemn state of this one night
Were fit to last an age's light;

But there are rites behind

Have less of state but more of kind;

Love's wealthy crop of kisses,

And fruitful harvest of his mother's blisses.
Sound then to Hymen's war :

That what these are,

Who will perfection see,
May haste to be.

Shine, Hesperus, shine forth, thou wishéd star!

Love's Commonwealth consists of toys;
His Council are those antic boys,
Games, Laughter, Sports, Delights,

That triumph with him on these nights :
To whom we must give way,

For now their reign begins, and lasts till day.
They sweeten Hymen's war,

And, in that jar,

Make all, that married be,

Perfection see.

Shine, Hesperus, shine forth, thou wishéd star!

Why stays the bridegroom to invade
Her that would be a matron made?
Good-night, whilst yet we may
Good-night, to you a virgin, say:
To-morrow rise the same

Your mother is,1 and use a nobler name.
Speed well in Hymen's war,

That, what you are,

By your perfection, we

And all may see.

Shine, Hesperus, shine forth, thou wishéd star!

To-night is Venus' vigil kept.

This night no bridegroom ever slept ;

1 A wife or matron: which is a name of more dignity than virgin. D. Heins.

in Nup. Ottonis Heurnii. Cras matri similis tuæ redibis.

And if the fair bride do,

The married say, 'tis his fault too.
Wake then, and let your lights

Wake too; for they'll tell nothing of your nights,

But that in Hymen's war

You perfect are.

And such perfection, we

Do pray should be.

Shine, Hesperus, shine forth, thou wishéd star!

That, ere the rosy-fingered morn
Behold nine moons, there may be born
A babe, to uphold the fame

Of Ratcliffe's blood and Ramsey's name:
That may, in his great seed,

Wear the long honours of his father's deed.
Such fruits of Hymen's war

Most perfect are:

And all perfection, we

Wish you should see.

Shine, Hesperus, shine forth, thou wished star!

THE MASQUE OF QUEENS;

CELEBRATED FROM THE HOUSE OF FAME

BY THE QUEEN OF GREAT BRITAIN WITH HER

LADIES

At Whitehall, Feb. 2, 1609.

[Dedication.]

TO THE GLORY OF OUR OWN, AND GRIEF OF OTHER NATIONS, MY LORD

HENRY

PRINCE OF GREAT BRITAIN, ETC.

SIR,-When it hath been my happiness (as would it were more frequent) but to see your face, and, as passing by, to consider you ; I have with as much joy, as I am now far from flattery in professing it, called to mind that doctrine of some great inquisitors in Nature, who hold every royal and heroic form to partake and draw much to it of the heavenly virtue. For, whether it be that a divine soul, being to come in. body, first chooseth a palace for itself; or, being come, doth make it so; or that Nature be ambitious to have her work equal; I know not: but what is lawful for me to understand and speak, that I dare; which is, that both your virtue and your form did deserve your fortune. The one claimed that you should be born a prince, the other makes that you do become it. And when Necessity (excellent lord), the mother of the Fates, hath so provided, that your form should not more insinuate you to the eyes of men, than your virtue to their minds: it comes near a wonder to think how sweetly that habit flows in you, and with so hourly testimonies, which to all posterity might hold the dignity of examples. Amongst the rest, your favour to letters, and these gentler studies, that go under the title of Humanity, is not the least honour of your wreath. For, if once the worthy professors of these learnings shall come (as heretofore they were) to be the core of princes, the crowns

their sovereigns wear will not more adorn their temples; nor their stamps live longer in their medals, than in such subjects' labours, Poetry, my lord, is not born with every man, nor every day: and in her general right, it is now my minute to thank your Highness, who not only do honour her with your care, but are curious to examine her with your eye, and inquire into her beauties and strengths, Where though it hath proved a work of some difficulty to me, to retrieve the particular authorities (according to your gracious command, and a desire born out of judgment) to those things which I writ out of fullness and memory of my former readings: yet, now I have overcome it, the reward that meets me is double to one act: which is, that thereby your excellent understanding will not only justify me to your own knowledge, but decline the stiffness of other's original ignorance, already armed to censure. For which singular bounty, if my fate (most excellent Prince, and only delicacy of mankind) shall reserve me to the age of your actions, whether in the camp or the council-chamber, that I may write, at nights, the deeds of your days, I will then labour to bring forth some work as worthy of your fame as my ambition therein is of your pardon.

By the most true admirer of your Highness's virtues,

And most hearty celebrater of them,

BEN JONSON.

It increasing now to the third time of my being used in these services to Her Majesty's personal presentations, with the ladies whom she pleaseth to honour; it was my first and special regard, to see that the nobility of the invention cho be answerable to the dignity of their persons. For which reason I the argument to be, A celebration of honourable and true Fred out of Virtue: observing that rule of the best artist,1 to suffer no object of delight to pass without his mixture of profit and example. And because Her Majesty (best knowing that a principal part of life, in these spectacles, lay in their variety) had commanded me to think on some dance or show, that might precede hers, and have the place of a foil, or false masque; I was careful to decline, not only from others, but mine own steps in that kind, since the last year 2 I had an anti-masque of boys; and therefore now devised, that twelve women, in the habit of hags, or witches, sustaining the persons of Ignorance, Suspicion, Credulity, &c., the opposites to good Fame, should fill that part; not as a masque, but a spectacle of strangeness, producing multiplicity of

1 Hor. in Art. Poetic.

2 In the masque at my lord Haddington's wedding.