University of Virginia Library

The Seconde Scene.

While Circe was speakinge her first speech, & at these words, ‘Yond standes a hill, &c.’ a trauers was drawne at ye lower end of the hall, & gaue way for the discouery of an artificiall wood so nere imitatinge nature yt I thinke had there been a grove like yt in ye open plaine, birds would have been faster drawne to that than to Zeuxis grapes. Ye trees stood at the climbinge of an hill, & lefte at their feete a little plaine, wch they circled like a crescente. In this space vpon hillockes were seen eight musitians in crimsen taffity robes wth chaplets of lawrell on their heades their lutes by them, wch beinge by them toucht as a warninge to ye Nymphes of ye wood, from amonge the trees was heard this songe.......
By this time Circe & ye Syrens being come into ye wood, Vlysses was seene lyeing as asleepe, undr ye couverte of a fair tree, towards whom Circe coming bespake thus:—
Circe.
Yet holdes soft sleepe his course. Now Ithacus
Aiax would offer Hecatombes to vs,
And Iliums rauish'd wifes, & childlesse sires,
Wth incense dym ye bright æthereall fires,
To haue thee bounde in chaynes of sleepe as heere;
But yt [those] mayst behold, & knowe how deare
Thou art to Circe, wth my magicke deepe
And powerfull verses thus I banish sleepe.

Vlysses (as by ye power of Circe) awakinge thus began:
Ulysses.
......Thou more than mortalle mayde
Who when thou listes canst make (as if afraide)
The mountaines tremble & wth terrour shake
The seate of Dis; & from Avernus lake
Grim Hecate wth all the Furyes bringe
To worke reuenge; or to thy questioninge
Disclose the secretes of th' infernall shades
Or raise the ghostes yt walke the vnder-glades.
To thee, whom all obey, Ulysses bendes,
But may I aske (greate Circe) whereto tendes
Thy neuer-failinge handes? Shall we be free?
Or must thyne anger crush my mates and mee?

Circe.
Neyther, Laertes' sonne wth winges of loue
To thee, & none but thee, my actions moue.
My arte went wth thee & thou me mayst thanke
In winninge Rhesus horses, e're they dranke
Of Xanthus streame; & when wth human gore
Cleare Hebrus channell was all stayned 'ore;
When some braue Greekes, companions then wth thee,
Forgot their country through the Lotos tree;
I tyn'd the firebrande that (beside thy flight)
Left Polyphemus in eternall nighte;
And lastly to Æœa brought thee on,
Safe from the man-deuouring Læstrigon.
This for Ulysses loue hath Circe done,
And if to live wth mee thou shalt be wonne;
Aurora's hand shall neuer drawe awaye
The sable vale yt hides ye gladsome daye.
But we new pleasures will beginne to taste,
And, better stille, those we enjoyed laste.
To instance what I canne: Musicke, thy voyce,
And of all those haue felt or wrath the choyce
Appeare; and in a dance 'gin that delight
Which wth the minutes shall growe infinite.

Here one attir'd like a woodman in all poyntes came forth of ye wood & goeinge tow'ds ye stage sunge this songe, to call away ye firste Antimasque.
While ye first staffe of this songe was singinge out of ye thickets on eythr side of ye passage came rushinge ye Antimasque, beinge such as by Circe were supposed to haue beene transformed (havinge ye mindes of men still) into theese shapes followinge:

• 2. wth heartes, heades & bodyes as Actæon is pictur'd.
• 2. like Midas wth Asses eares.
• 2. like wolues as Lycaon is drawne.
• 2. like Baboons.
• Grillus (of whom Plutarche writes in his morralles) in ye shape of a hogge.

These together dancinge an antike measure tow'rdes ye latter end of yt missd Grillus who was newly slipte away & whilst they were at a stand wondringe what was become of him, the woodman stepte forth & sunge this songe:
Circe.
How likes Ulysses this!

Ulysses.
........Much like to one
Who in a shipwracke being cast vpon
The froathy shores, and safe beholdes his mates
Equally cross'd by Neptune and the fates.
You might as well haue ask'd how I would like
A straine whose æquall Orpheus could not strike,
Upon a harpe whose stringes none other be,
Then of the harte of chaste Penelope.
O let it be enough that thou in theese
Hast made most wretched Laertiades:
Let yet the sad chance of distressed Greekes
Wth other teares than Sorrowes dewe your cheekes!
Most abiect basenesse hath enthral'd that breste
Wch laughs at men by misery oppreste.

Circe.
In this, as lyllies, or ye new-falne snowe
Is Circe spotlesse yet, what though the bowe
Wch Iris bendes, appeareth to each sight
In various hewes & colours infinite?
The learned knowe that in itselfe is free
And light and shade make that varietye.
Thinges farre off seene seeme not the same they are,
Fame is not ever truth's Discouerer;
For still where enuy meeteth a reporte
Ill she makes worse, & what is Good come shorte.
In whatso'ere this land hath passiue beene
Or she that here 'ore other raigneth Queene
Let wise Ulysses judg. Some I confesse
That tow'rds this Isle not long since did addresse
Their stretched oares, no sooner landed were,
But (carelesse of themselues) they heere & there
Fed on strange fruites, inuenominge their bloodes,
And now like monsters range about the woods.
If those thy mates were, yet is Circe free:
For their misfortunes haue not byrth from mee
Who in th' Apothecaries shoppe hath ta'ne
(Whilst he is wantinge) that wch breeds his bane,
Should neuer blame the man who there had plac'd it
But his owne folly urginge him to taste it.

Vlysses.
Æœas Queene and great Hyperions pride,
Pardon misdoubtes; and we are satisfide.

Circe.
Swifter the lightninge comes not from aboue,
Then doe our grants borne on the winges of Loue.
And since what's past doth not Ulysses please,
Call to a dance the fair Nereides,
Wth other Nymphes wch doe in euery creeke,
In woods, on plaines, on mountaines, symples seeke
For powerfull Circe, and let in a songe
Ecchos be aydinge that they may prolonge
My now com̄and to each place where they be,
To bringe them hither all more speedilye.

Presently in ye wood was heard a full musicke of lutes wch descendinge to the stage had to them sung this followinge songe, the Ecchos being plac'd in seueral pts of the passage.
Ecch:
Come awaye, come awaye.
From ye riuers, from the sea.

Ecch:
From the sea, from the sea.
From the greene woods euery one.

Ecch:
Euery one, euery one.
Of her maides be missinge none.

Ecch:
Missinge none, missinge none.
No longer stay, except it bee to bringe
A med'cine for loues stinge.
That would excuse you & be held more deare
Then witte or Magicke, for both they are heere.

Ecch:
They are here, they are here.

The Eccho had no sooner answered to ye last line of the songe, They are here, but the second Antimasque came in, being seuen Nymphs & were thus attir'd: Fower in white taffita robes long tresses & chaplets of flowers, herbs & weeds on their heades wth little wicker baskets in yeir hands, neatly painted. These were supposed to be maids attending vpon Circe, & usd in gatheringe simples for their mistresses enchantments.—(Pausanias in prioribus Eliacis.) Three in sea greene robes, greenish haire hanging loose wth leaues of corrall & shelles intermixte vpon it. These are by Ouid affirmed to helpe the Nymphes of Circe in their collections by throse: These hauinge danc'd a most curious measure to a softer tune then ye first Antimasque as most fitting returned as they came; the Nereides tow'rds ye cliffes & ye other maides of Circe to ye woods & plaines, after wch Ulysses, thus:
Ulysses.
Fame addes not to thy ioyes, I see in this,
But like a high & stately Pyramis
Growes least at farthest; now, faire Circe, grante
Although the faire-hair'd Greeks do neuer vaunte,
That they in measur'd paces ought haue done,
But where the god of battailes ledd them on;
Give leaue that (freed from sleepe) ye small remaine
Of my companions on the under plaine
May in a dance striue how to pleasure thee
Eyther wth skill or wth varietye.

Circe.
Circe is pleas'd; Ulysses, take my wand
And from their eyes each child of sleepe com̄and;
Whilst my choyce maides wth their harmonious voyces
(Whereat each byrd and dancinge springe reioyces)
Charminge the windes when they contrary meete,
Shall make their spirits as nimble as their feete.