University of Virginia Library

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A devise of a Maske for the right honorable Viscount Mountacute

written upon this occasion, when the sayde L. had prepared to solemnize twoo marriages betweene his sonne and heyre, and the Daughter of syr William Dormer Knight, and betweene the sonne and heyre of syr William Dormer, and the Daughter of the said L. Mountacute: there were eight Gentlemen (all of blood or alliaunce to the sayd L. Mountacute) which had determined to present a Maske at the daye appointed for the sayd marriages, and so farre they had proceeded therein, that they had alreadye bought furniture of Silkes, &c, and had caused their garmentes to bee cut of the Venetian fashion. Nowe then they began to imagine that (without some speciall demonstration) it would seeme somewhat obscure to have Venetians presented rather than other countrey men. Whereupon they entreated the Aucthour to devise some verses to bee uttered by an Actor wherein might be some discourse convenient to render a good cause of the Venetians presence. The Aucthour calling to minde that there is a noble house of the Mountacutes in Italie, and therwithall that the L. Mountacute here doth quarter the coate of an auncient English Gentleman called Mounthermer, and hath the inheritaunce of the sayde house, dyd thereupon devise to bring in a Boye of the age of twelve or .xiiii. yeeres, who should faine that he was a Mounthermer by the fathers side, and a Mountacute by the mothers side, and that his father being slaine at the last warres against the Turke, and he there taken, hee was recovered by the Venetians in their last victorie, and with them sayling towardes Venice, they were driven by tempest upon these coastes, and so came to the marriage upon report as followeth, and the sayde Boye pronounced the devise in this sort.

What wōder you my Lords? why gaze you gentlemen?
And wherefore marvaile you Mez Dames, I praye you tell mee then?
Is it so rare a sight, or yet so straunge a toye,
Amongst so many nooble peeres, to see one Pouer Boye?

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Why? boyes have bene allowed in everye kinde of age,
As Ganymede that pretye boye, in Heaven is Jove his page.
Cupid that mighty God although his force be fearse,
Yet is he but a naked Boye, as Poets doe rehearse.
And many a preetye boye a mightye man hath proved,
And served his Prince at all assayes deserving to bee loved.
Percase my strange attire my glittering golden gite,
Doth eyther make you marvaile thus, or move you with delite.
Yet wonder not my Lordes for if your honours please,
But even to give me eare a while, I wyll your doubtes appease.
And you shall knowe the cause, wherefore these roabes are worne,
And why I goe outlandishe lyke, yet being Englishe borne.
And why I thus presume to presse into this place,
And why I (simple boye) am bolde to looke such men in face.
Fyrst then you must perstande, I am no straunger I,
But English boye, in England borne, and bred but even hereby.
My father was a Knight, Mount Hermer was his name,
My mother of the Mountacutes, a house of worthy fame.
My father from his youth was trained up in field,
And alwayes toke his chiefe delight, in helmet speare and shielde.
Soldado for his life, and in his happie dayes,
Soldado like hath lost his life, to his immortall prayse.
The thundering fame which blewe about the worlde so wyde,
Howe that the Christian enemye, the Turke that Prince of pride,
Addressed had his power, to swarme uppon the Seas,
With Gallies, foists, and such lik[e] ships, well armde at al assaies.
And that he made his vaunt, the greedy fishe to glut,
With gobs of Christian carkasses, in cruell peeces cut.
These newes of this report, did pearce my fathers eares,
But never touched his noble heart, with any sparke of feares.
For well he knewe the trade of all the Turkishe warres,
And had amongst them shed his blood, at many cruell jarres.
In Rhodes his race begonne, a slender tal[l] yong man,
Where he by many martiall feats, his spurres of knighthood wan.
Yea though the peece was lost, yet won he honour styll,
And evermore against the Turkes he warred by his wyll.
At Chios many knowe, how hardily he fought,
And howe with streames of stryving blood, his honoure deare hee bought.

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At length enforst to yeeld with many captaines mo,
He bought his libertie with Landes, and let his goodes ago.
Zechines

A peece of golde like the Crusado.

of glistering golde, two thousand was his price,
The which to paye his landes must leape, for else he were unwise.
Beleeve me nowe my Lordes although the losse be mine,
Yet I confesse them better solde, than lyke a slave to pine.
“For landes maye come againe, but lybertie once lost,
“Can never finde such recompence, as countervailes the cost.
My selfe now know the case, who lyke my fathers lot,
Was lyke of late for to have lost my libertie God wot.
My father (as I saye) enforste to leave his lande,
In mortgage to my mothers kinne, for ready coyne in hande,
Gan nowe upon these newes, which earst I dyd rehearse,]
Prepare himselfe to save his pawne, or else to leese his phearce.
And first his raunsome payde, with that which dyd remaine,
He rigged up a proper Barke, was called Leffort Brittaine.
And lyke a venturer (besides him seemely selfe)
Determined for to venture me and all his worldly pelfe.
Perhappes some hope of gaine perswaded so his minde,
For sure his hauty heart was bent, some greate exploite to finde.
Howe so it were, the windes nowe hoysted up our sailes,
Wee furrowing in the foming flooddes, to take our best availes.
Now hearken to my wordes, and marke you well the same,
For nowe I wyll declare the cause, wherefore I hyther came.
My father (as I saye) had set up all his rest,
And tost on seas both daye and night, disdayning ydle rest,
We left our forelandes ende, we past the coast of Fraunce,
We reacht the cape of Finis Terre our course for to advaunce.
We past Marrocchus streightes, and at the last descried,
The fertile coastes of Cyprus soile, which I my selfe first spyed.
My selfe (a foreward boye) on highest top was plast,
And there I saw the Cyprian shoare, whereto we sayld in haste.
Which when I had declared unto the masters mate,
He lepte for joye and thanked God, of that our happy state.
“But what remaines to man, that can continue long?
“What sunne can shine so cleare & bright but cloudes may ryse among?
Which sentence soone was proved, by our unhappy hap,
We thought our selves full neere our friendes, & light in enemies lap.

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The Turke yt Tirant he, with siege had girte the walles,
Of famous Famagosta

The chiefe Cittie in Cyprus.

then and sought to make them thralles.
And as he laye by lande, in strong and stately trenche,
So was his power prest by Sea, his Christian foes to drenche.
Upon the waltring waves, his Foistes and Gallies fleete,
More forrest like than orderly, for such a man most meete.
This heavy sight once seene, we turnde our course apace,
And set up al our sailes in haste, to give suche furie place.
But out alas, our willes, and windes were contrarie,
For raging blastes did blowe us still uppon our enimie.
My father seeing then, whereto he needes must go,
And that the mighty hand of God, had it appointed so,
Most like a worthy knight (though certaine of his death)
Gan cleane forget all wayling wordes, as lavishe of his breath.
And to his Christian crewe, this (too shorte) tale he told,
To comfort them which seemde to faint, & make the coward bold,
“Fellowes in armes, quod hee, although I beare the charge,
“And take upon mee chieftaines name, of this unhappy barge,
“Yet are you all my pheares, and as one companie,
“Wee must like true companions, togeather live and die,
“You see quod hee our foes, with furious force at hand,
“And in whose handes our handfull heere, unable is to stand,
“What resteth then to doe, should we unto them yeeld?
“And wi[l]fully receive that yoke, which Christians cannot weld.
“No sure, hereof be sure, our lives were so unsure,
“And though we live, yet so to live, as better death endure.
“To heare those hellishe fiendes in raging blasphemie,
“Defye our onely Saviour, were this no miserie?
“To see the fowle abuse of boyes in tender yeeres,
“The which I knowe must needes abhorre all honest Christians eares.
“To see maides ravished, Wives, Women forst by feare,
“And much more mischiefe than this time can let me utter here.
“Alas, quod he, I tell not all, my tongue is tyde,
“But all the slaveries on the earth, we should with them abide.
“How much were better than, to dye in worthy wise,
“And so to make our carkasses, a wylling Sacrifice?
“So shall we paye the debt, which unto God is due,

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“So shall you die in his defence, who deind to die for you.
“And who with hardy hand, most Turkish tikes can quell,
“Let him accompt in conscience, to please his maker well.
“You see, quod he, my sonne, wherewith hee lookt on mee,
“Whome but a babe, yet have I brought, my partner here to bee.
“For him, I must confesse, my heart is pensive nowe,
“To leave him lyving thus in youth, to die I know not how.
“But since it pleaseth God, I may not murmure I,
“If God had pleased we both should live, and as God wyll we dye.
Thus with a braying sigh, his noble tongue he stayde,
Commaunding all the ordinaunce, in order to be laide.
And placing all his men in order for to fight,
Fell groveling styll upon his face, before them all in sight.
And when in secreete so, he whispered had a while,
He raisde his head with cheerefull looke, his sorrowes to beguile:
And with the rest he prayde, to God in heaven on hie,
Which ended thus, Thou onely Lord, canst helpe in miserie.
This sayd (behold) the Turkes enclosde us round about,
And seemde to wonder that we durst resist so great a rout.
Wherat they doubt not long, for though our power was slender,
We sent them signes by Canon shot, that we ment not to render.
Then might we see them chafe, then might we heare them rage,
And all at once they bent their force, about our silly cage.
Our ordinaunce bestowed, our men them selves defend,
On every side so thicke beset, they might not long contend.
But as their captaine wilde, eche man his force did strayne,
To send a Turke (some two or three) unto the hellishe trayne,
And he himselfe which sawe, he might no more abide,
Did thrust amide the thickest throng, and so with honour died.
With him there dyed like wise, his best aproved men,
The rest did yeeld as men amazd, they had no courage then.
Amongest the which my selfe, was tane by Turkes alas,
And with the Turkes a turkish life, in Turkie must I passe.
I was not done to death for so I often cravde,
But like a slave before the Gattes, of Famagosta savde.
That peece once put to sacke, I thither was conveyed,

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And under savegard evermore, I silly boye was stayed.
There dyd I see such sightes, as yet my heart do pricke,
I sawe the noble

The governour of Famagosta.

Bragadine, when he was fleyd quicke.
First like a slave enforst to beare to every breach,
Two baskets laden full with earth

The generall of the Turkes.

Mustaffa dyd him teach.
By whome he might not passe before he kyst the grounde,
These cruell tormentes (yet with mo) that worthy souldior found.
His eares cut from his head, they set him in a chayre,
And from a maine yard hoisted him aloft into the ayre,
That so he might be shewed with crueltie and spight,
Unto us all, whose weeping eyes dyd much abhorre the sight.
Alas why do I thus with woefull wordes rehearse,
These werye newes which all our heartes with pittie needes must pearce?
Well then to tell you forth, I styll a slave remaind,
To one, which Prelybassa hight, who held me styll enchaind.
With him I went to Seas into the gulfe of Pant,
With many christians captives mo, which dyd their freedom wāt.
There with the Turkishe traine we were enforst to staye,
With waltring styll upon the waves, dyd waite for furder praye.
For why? they had advise, that the Venetian fleete,
Dyd floote in Argostelly then, with whome they hopte to meete.
And as they waltered thus with tides and billowes tost,
Their hope had hap, for at the last they met them to their cost.
As in October last uppon the seventh daye,
They found the force of christian knightes addrest in good aray.
And shall I trie my tong to tell the whole discourse,
And howe they did encounter first, and howe they joynd in force?
Then harken nowe my lords, for sure my memorye,
Doth yet recorde the very plot of all this victorye,
The christian crew came on, in forme of battayle pight,
And like a cressent cast them selves preparing for to fight.
On other side the Turkes, which trusted power to much,
Disorderly did spread their force, the will of God was such.
Well at the last they met, and first with cannones thunder,
Eache other sought with furious force to slit their ships in sunder.

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The barkes are battered sore, the gallies gald with shot,
The hulks are hit, and every man must stand unto his lot.
The powder sendes his smoke into the cruddy skies,
The smoulder stops our nose with stench, the fume offends our eies.
The pots of lime unsleakt, from highest top are cast,
The parched pease are not for got to make them slip as fast.
The wilde fire works are wrought and cast in foemens face,
The grappling hooks are stretched foorth, ye pikes are pusht a pace.
The halbert[s] hewe on hed, the browne billes bruse the bones,
The harquebush doth spit his spight, with prety persing stones.
The drummes crie dub a dub, the braying trumpets blow,
The whistling fifes are seldom herd, these sounds do drowne thē so.
The voyce of warlike wights, to comfort them that faynt,
The pitious plaints of golden harts, which were with feares attaint.
The groning of such ghosts as gasped nowe for breath,
The praiers of the better sort, prepared unto death.
And to be short, eache griefe which on the earth maye growe,
Was eath and easie to be found, upon these floudes to flowe.
If any sight on earth, maye unto hell resemble,
Then sure this was a hellishe sighte, it makes me yet to tremble:
And in this bloudie fight, when halfe the daye was spent,
It pleazed God to helpe his flocke, which thus in poūd was pent.
The generall of Spayne, gan gald that galley sore,
Where in my Prely Bassa was, and grievde it more and more:
Upon that other side, with force of sworde and flame,
The good Venetian Generall dyd charge upon the same.
At leength they came aboorde, and in his raging pride,
Stroke of this Turkish captains head, which blasphemd as it dide:
Oh howe I feele the bloud now trickle in my brest,
To thinke what joye then pierst my heart, and how I thought me blest.
To see that cruell Turke which held me as his slave,
By happie hand of Christians, his paiment thus to have:

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His head from shoulders cut, upon a Pike dyd stand,
The which Don John of Austrye, helde in his triumphant hand.
The boldest Bassa then, that dyd in life remaine,
Gan tremble at the sight hereof, for privy griefe and paine.
Thus when these fierce had fought, from morning untyl night,
Christ gave his flocke the victory, and put his foes to flight:
And of the Turkishe traine, were eyght score Galleys tane,
Fifteene sunke, five and twenty burnt, & brought unto their bane,
Of Christians set at large were foureteene thousand soules,
Turkes twentie thousand registred in Belzebub his rolles.
Thus have you nowe my Lordes, the summe of all their fight,
And trust it all for true I tell, for I was styll in sight:
But when the Seas were calme, and skies began to cleare,
When foes were all or dead or fled, and victors dyd appeare.
Then every Christian sought amongst us for his friende,
His kinsman or companion, some succour them to lende:
And as they ransakte so, loe God his wyll it was,
A noble wise Venetian, by me dyd chaunce to passe:
Who gazing on my face, dyd seeme to lyke me well,
And what my name, and whence I was, commaunded me to tel:
I now which waxed bolde, as one that scaped had,
From deepest hell to highest heaven, began for to be glad:
And with a lively sprite, began to pleade my case,
And hid not from this worthy man, myne auntient worthy race:
And tolde my fathers name, and howe I dyd descende,
From Mountacutes by Mothers side, nor there my tale dyd ende.
But furthermore I tolde my Fathers late exployte,
And how he left [landes,] goodes & life, to pay son Dieu son droit.
Nor of my selfe I craved so credited to bee,
For lo there were remaining yet, These foure whom here you see.

The foure torche bearers, that came in with the Actor.

Which all were Englishe borne, and knewe I had not lyed,
And were my Fathers souldiors eke, and sawe him how he dyed.
This grave Venetian who heard the famous name,
Of Mountacutes rehersed there, which long had bene of fame
In Italy, and he of selfe same worthy race,

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Gan straight with many curteous words, in arms me to imbrace.
And kyssed me on cheeke, and bad me make good cheere,
And thank the mighty hand of God, for that which hapned there,
Confessing that he was him selfe a Mountacute,
And bare the selfe same armes that I dyd quarter in my scute:
And for a further proofe, he shewed in his hat,
This token which the Mountacutes dyd beare alwaies, for that

The Actor had a token in his cap like to the Mountacutes of Italie.

They covet to be knowne from Capels where they passe,
For auncient grutch which lōg ago, twene these two houses was.
Then tooke me by the hand, and ledde me so aboorde,
His Galley: where there were yfeere, full many a comely Lorde:
Of whome eyght Mountacutes dyd sitte in highest place,
To whom this first declared first my name, and then my race:
Lo Lordings here (quod he) a babe of our owne bloods,
Whō Turks had tane, his father slaine, with losse of lands & goods:
See how God favours us, that I should find him nowe,
I straunge to him, he straunge to mee, we met I know not howe.
But sure when I him saw, and gazed in his face,
Me thought he was a Mountacute, I chose him by his grace.
Herewith he dyd rehearse my Fathers valiaunt deede,
For losse of whome eche Mountacute, did seeme in heart to bleede.
They all embrast me then, and straight as you may see,
In comely garments trimde me up, as brave as brave may bee:
I was in sackcloath I, nowe am I cladde in Golde,
And weare such roabes, as I my selfe take pleasure to beholde.

The token that he dyd weare in his cappe. The Montacutes and capels in Italye do were tokens in their cappes to be knowen one from another.

Amongst their other giftes, this token they me gave,
And bad me lyke a Mountacute, my selfe alway behave.
Nowe hearken then my Lordes, I staying on the Seas
In consort of these lovely Lordes, with comfort and with ease,
Determined with them in Italie to dwell,
And there by traine of youthfull yeeres in knowledge to excell.
That so I might at last reedifye the walles,
Which my good father had decaide by tossing fortunes balles.
And while they slice the Seas to their desired shore,

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Beholde a lytle gale began, encreasing more and more.
At last with raging blast, which from Southeast dyd blowe,
Gan sende our sailes upon these shores, which I ful wel did know.
I spyed the Chalkie Clyves upon the Kentishe coast,
Whereby our Lande hight Albyon, as Brutus once dyd boast.
Which I no sooner sawe, but to the rest I sayde,
Siate di buona voglia, My Lordes be well apaide:
I see by certaine signes these Tempestes have us cast,
Upon my native countrey coastes with happy hap at last:
And if your honours please this honour me to doo,
In Englishe havens to harbour you, and see our Citties too:
Lo London is not farre, whereas my friendes would bee,
Right glad, with favour to requite your favour shewed to mee:
Vouchsafe my Lordes (quod I) to stay upon this strand,
And whiles your Barks be rigged new, remaine with me on land.
Who though I bee a Boye, my Father dead and slaine,
Yet shall you see I have some friendes which wyll you entertaine.
These Noble men which are, the flowre of curtesie,
Dyd not disdaine this my request, but tooke it thankfullie.
And from their battered Barkes commaunded to be cast,
Some

Venetian botes.

Gondalaes, wherin upon our pleasant streames they past.
Into the mo[u]th of Thames, thus dyd I them transport,
And to London at the last, whereas I heard report,
Even as we landed first, of this twise happie day,
To thinke whereon I leapt for joye, as I both must and may.
And to these lovely Lordes, which are Magnificoes,
I dyd declare the whole discourse in order as it rose:
That you my Lorde who are the chiefest Mountacute,
And he whome Englishe Mountacutes their onely staye impute,
Had found the meanes this daye to match your sonne and heire,
In marriage with a worthy dame, which is both fresh and faire,
And (as reportes are spread) of goodly quallyties,
A virgin trayned from hir youth in godly exercise,
Whose brother had like wise your daughter tane to wife,
And so by double lynkes enchaynde themselves in lovers life:
These noble Mountacutes which were from Venice droven,
By tempest (as I tolde before) wherewith they long had stroven,

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Gan nowe give thankes to God which so did them convay,
To see such honours of their kinne in such a happie day.
And straight they mee intreat, whom they might wel commaund,
That I should come to you my Lord, first them to recommaund,
And then this boone to crave, that under your protection,
They might be bolde to enter here, devoyd of all suspection,
And so in friendly wise for to conselebrate,
This happie match solemnized, according to your state.
Lo this is all they crave, the which I can not doubt,
But that your Lordship soone will graunt, with more, if more ye mought:
Yea were it for no more, but for the Curtesie,
Which as I saye they shewde to me in greate extremitye:
They are Venetians, and though from Venice reft,
They come in such Venecian robes, as they on seas had left:
And since they be your friendes, and kinsmen too by blood,
I trust your entretainement will be to them right good:
They will not tarry long, to nowe I heare their drumme,
Behold, lo nowe I see them here, in order howe they come,
Receive them well my lord, so shall I praye all wayes,
That God vouchsafe to blesse this house with many happie days.

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