"Vpp, Aryadne, thie cleare beauty roufe, "In the mideft of this speech Ariadne rose from ye bottome of the roome, mounted vpon a cloude wch waved vp vntill it came neere Cynthia; where refting, Ariadne fpake thus: "Can our chafte Queene, searching Apollo's fifter, After many more compliments to the Ladies, Cynthia replies : "The cloudes defcend, whilste foft mufique foundeth: Cynthia and Ariadne difmount from theire clouds, and, pacing vp to the Ladies, Cynthia, perceaving Aryadne wanting hir crowne of ftarrs, fpeaks thus: "But where is Ariadne's wreath of ftarrs, "Her eight pure fiers that studd with goulden barrs "And throan'd them in thy wreath, &c.? Ariadne. "Queene of chaste dew, they will not be confyn'd, "Or fyx themfelues where Mercury affynde : "But every night vpon a forreft fide "On which an eagle pearcheth they abyde, "And honor her &c. Cynthia. "Tell them thei err; and fay yt wee, the Queene "Of Night's pale lampes, haue now the substance feene "Whose shadowe they adore: goe, bring thofe eight.. "At mighty Cynthia's fummons, &c. "Presently Ariadne fings this fhorte call; Mufique, and gentle night, "Pleasures, all full invite "Your due attendance to this glorious roome: "Then, yf you haue or witt or vertue, come, "Ah come, ah come! "Suddenly vpon this fonge the cornetts were winded, and the travers that was drawn before the Mafquers fanke downe: The whole fhewe presently appeereth, wch prefented it felfe in this figure: The whole body of it seemed to be the fyde of a steepely affending woodd; on the topp of wch in a fayre oake satt a goulden eagle; vnder whofe wings fatt in eight feuerall thrones the eight Mafquers wth vifards like ftarres, theire helmes like Mercurye's wth the addition of fayre plumes of carnation and white; their antique doubletts and other furniture futable to thofe cullours; the place full of fhields, lights, and pages all in blew fatten robes imbrodered wth ftarres. The Masquers, thus difcouered, fatt ftill vntill Ariadne pronounced this invocation, at wch thei defcended : "Mercurian iffue, fonnes of fonne of Joue; By the Cyllenian rodd, and by the loue "Deuotely chafte you vow Pafithea, "Defcende, &c. "And O, if euer you were worthe the grace "Of viewing majefty in mortalls face, "Yf ere to perfect worth you vow'd hart's duty; "Shew fpiritt, worth yo' vertues and theire beuty. "The violins vpon this played a newe Measure, in wch the Mafquers danced; and ceafing, Cynthia fpake; "Stay a little, and now breath yee, "Whilft theis Ladies grace bequeath yee; "Cynthia charmes hence what may displease yee. "From Ladies yt are rudely coy, "Barring their loues from modest joy; "From ignorant filence, and proud lookes; "From thofe that aunfwer out of bookes; "From those who hate our chaft delight; "I bleffe the fortune of each starry knight. * "From Gallants who ftill court with oathes; bumbaft ftockings,] Marston here feems to fneer at the spindlethanked gentry of those days; who probably stuffed out their stockings withs "I bleffe the fortune of each starry Dame. 66 Singe, that my charme may be more ftronge; "The Goddes are bounde by verfe and fonge. "Songe. "Audatious Nighte makes bolde the lippe; "And tread the gracing measure. "Now meete, now breake, then fayne a warlike falley; "So Cynthea fports, and fo the Godes may dalley, &c. "During this Songe the Mafquers prefented theire sheelds, and tooke forth their Ladyes to daunce. "After they hadd daunced many measures, galliards, corantos, and lavaltos, the night being much fpent; whilft the Mafquers prepared themfelues for theire departing measure, Cynthea fpake thus: "Now, pleasing, reft; for fee the nighte แ Vppon the high cœleftial floore, cotton, in order to exhibit a good leg. To bombaft or bumbaft was, in this fenfe, a common expreffion: See Reed's Old Pl. vol. iii. 441. "Is this fattin doublet to be bombafted with broken meat?" that is, ftuffed out. See alfo Steevens's Shakfp. ed. 1793, vol. viii. 468, where the following paffage is exhibited from Stubbs's Anat. of Abuses, 1595. "The doublettes were fo hardquilted, ftuffed, bombafted, and fewed, as they could neither worke, nor yet very well play, in them." "Then whilft we finge, though you departe, After this a fhepherd fings" a paffionate ditty att my Lady's departure:" He then prefents the Countefs with a fcarf, and adds, "Farewell, farewell: "Joy, Love, Peace, Health, "In you longe dwell; "Wth our farewell, farewell. "So the Countess paffed on vntill fhe came through the little park, where Niobe prefented hir w'h a cabinet; and fo departed." There is a loose sheet in the copy of the Mask, on which are written fourteen stanzas of six and four verses, each stanza being appropriated to a different Lady, and exhibiting a complimentary addrefs to Lady Derby. The first stanza is a ftanza of thanks from the Countefs herfelf. There is no direction in what part of the Mask thefe verfes were to be spoken. The speakers are in the following order: "Lady Derby, Lady Huntingdon, Lady Hunfdon, Lady Berckly, Lady Stanhope, Lady Compton, Lady Fielding, Mrs. Grelly, Mrs. Packington, Mrs. K. Fischer, Mrs. Saychoverell, Mrs. M. Fifcher, Mrs. Davers, Mrs. Egerton." I have been induced to make the preceding large extracts from the Mafk, in order that the reader may comprehend the nature of thefe dramatick entertainments; which, in the fixteenth and feventeenth centuries, were performed frequently at Court, and in the private houses of the Nobility, not without prodigious expence in machinery and decoration; to which humour we certainly owe the entertainment of Arcades, and the inimitable mafk of Comus. TODD. ARCADE S. Part of an Entertainment prefented to the Countess Dowager of Derby at Harefield, by fome noble perfons of her family; who appear on the scene in paftoral habit, moving toward the feat of State, with this Song, I. SONG. LOOK, Nymphs and Shepherds, look, Is that which we from hence descry, Ver. 1. Look, Nymphs and Shepherds, look, &c.] See the ninth divifion of Spenfer's Epithalamion. And Spenfer's April, in praife of queen Elizabeth. Sce, where she fits upon the graffie greene, &c." See alfo Fletcher's Faithful Shepherdess, A. i. S. i. Where the Satyr stops at seeing the fhepherdefs Clorin. "The Syrinx bright: "But behold a fairer fight. "Shines more aweful majefty, &c." T. WARTON. Sylvefter thus alludes to queen Elizabeth, Du Bart. ed. 1621. p. 265. "But what new fun dazles my tender eyes ?" And thus defcribes the approach of Solomon and his spouse, ib. "Lo, where they com: O what a splendor bright! But fee Spenfer, Faer. Qu. vi. ix. 8. TODD. |