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But whether am I carried, if such State
Yong Tython and Aurora celebrate:
VVhat shall be then at this vniting done?
Since in his noone-tide progresse, the bright Sunne
Hath neuer seene their Equals? what blest muse
Shall I inuoke, or whose assistance vse?
VVhat accent, in what number, or what straine?
Shall I the weakenesse of my skill complaine?
Oh were I by the cleere Begasian Fount,
VVhich Perseus Steed made, when he gan to Mount,
VVhere his heele stroke, first grew the sacred VVell,
By which Ioues daughters, the nine sisters dwell:
Or were I laid in Aganippes Spring,
VVhere Pellas oft discends to heare them sing:
Or might I come to wash my Temples cleane,
In the pure drops of learned Hypotrene:
I might haue then some hope to be inspired,
And mount the height I haue so long desired:
Yet howsoe're, I will presume to sing
And foare according to my strength and wing,
Then now, ô Hymen don thy brightest weed
That all things may successiuely succeed
At these high Nuptials, spread thy golden haire,
And let no spot vpon thy Robes appeare,
No wrinckle in thy front, which may presage
The least sad chance, as at the marriage
Of Orpheus and Euridice, when thou
Wor'st stormes and tempests in thy angry brow.
Or when the father of the two Atrides,
Or their bold sonnes, contracted first their Brides.
Or when Minerua's Champion Diomed,
That wounded Venus in the hand, was sped;
For which the Goddesse curst him, and then sware
To leaue his bed adulterate without heire.
Or when King Ceix with Alcione met,
When at the Nuptiall table thou wast set,
Thou wouldst not lend the feast one gentle smile,
But discontentedly sat'st all the while.
Nor as when first the Troian sheepheard tooke
Oenone, and soone after her forsooke
O put not on that habit thou then wore,
VVhen first faire Phedra to Duke Theseus swore!
But bring with thee that bright and cheerefull face,
As when Alcest, Admetus did imbrace.
Chaste Alcest, who to keepe him from the graue,
Offred her life, her husbands life to saue.
Not Portia, whom the Romans so admire,
VVho for the loue of Brutus swallowed fire.
Not Romes great'st honor, and Collatiums pride
For chastity, that by her owne hand dy'd
Can equall this Alcest: but must giue place,
In all perfection, beauty, fame, and face,
Appeare in those faire colours without stame,
As when Vlysses did the chaste loue gaine
Of his Penelope, who twice ten yeares
Expects the absence of her Lord in teares;
Whō neither threats, intreats, nor crowns can moue
To attend the motiues to vntemperate loue.
In him all vertues so vnited are,
Neither loues blandishments, nor stormes of warre,
No Circe, Syrtes, or Charibdis deepe,
Can from the bosome of his chaste wife keepe.
Oh decke thee in thy best and hollowedst robe
That ere was seene vpon this earthly globe!
More proudly dight, then when the Gods did striue
To grace thy pompe, when Ioue did Iuno wiue,
Whē the great thunderer gaue thee a bright crowne
And Pallas with her needle wrought thy gowne:
When Neptune through his billowy concaue sought
And for thee a rich Smarag'd found and bought,
VVhen Phœbus on thy fore-head fixt his rayes,
And taught thee frō his harpe, sweet Nuptiall layes.
VVhen Venus to their bounties added pleasure,
And Pluto from God Mammon, gaue thee treasure.
VVhen Mercury gaue fluence to thy tongue,
To haue th' Epithilamion sweetly sung:
VVhen Iuno to thy presence added state,
And Cinthia, though that night she sate vp late,
To watch Endimion, by her beams so bright,
In th' Oceans bottome spide a stone giue light,
A glorious shining Carbuncle, and that
She gaue thee, and thou pindst it in thy hat:
VVhen the God Mars gaue thee, not least of all,
The richest armour in his Arcenall:
VVhen Hebe fild thee Nectar for thy tast,
VVhich from the Christal Conduits run so fast.
Nor did lame Vulcan come behinde in cost,
An anticke robe with gold richly imbost
VVith Gold-smiths worke, and hammer'd from the wedge;
VVith curious art, deep fring'd about the edge
He did present thee, (pompous to behold)
Berontes and Pyragmon wrought in gold,
And left their plates of steele, to shew no dearth
Of loue to thee: thou from our mother earth
Hadst a gift too, of all the fruits that grow
She fild her Cornucopia, and did bestow
By fertill Ceres hand, to please thy taste
A plenteous largesse; as in heauen thou wast
At those great bridals, with like pompe and state,
The Rites of these high Nuptials consecrate.

Whom all our populous vnited Nation
Attended long, with ioyfull expectation,
Whom th' empire of great Brittaine wisht to see,
And th' Emperour to receiue with Maiesty.
Whom the Peeres ardently craue to behold,
And the glad Nobles in their armes t'infold,
Whom all the Nations in his way admir'd,
Whose presence the rich Court so long desir'd,
Whom London with applause wisht to embrace,
(The Chamber of the King, and best lou'd place)
Whom at his landing from the troublous maine,
The people stand on shore to entertaine,
And with glad shouts, and lowd applauses bring,
Euen to the presence of the potent King.
Behold that Prince, the Empires prime Elector,
Of the religious Protestants protector,
The high and mighty Palsgraue of the Rhyne,
Duke of Bauaria, and Count Palatyne,
VVith Titles equall, laterally ally'd
To Mars his brood, the Soldiers chiefest pride,
That from the triple-headed Gerion haue
Kept from a timelesse and abortiue graue
Faire Belgia, and her seuenteene daughters, all,
Doom'd to a sad and mournfull funerall;
Yet each of these in former times haue beene
A beauteous Lady, and a flourishing Queene.
Now when their widowed eies are drownd in teares,
And by th' Hesperian Gyant fraught with feares,
They are freed from slaughter, and restor'd againe
To their first height by his triumphant straine,
A youth so louely, that euen beasts of Chace,
Staid by the way, to gaze him in the face.
The wildest birds, his beauty to espye
Sit round about him, and before him flye,
And with their chirping tunes beare him along,
As if to greet him with a Nuptiall song.
But when they saw he was imbark't, returne
As loth to leaue him, and together mourne.
Chanting vnto themselues vnpleasant notes,
And full of discords from their pretty throtes.
Now lancht into the deepe, see by the way,
About his ship th' vnweldy Porpoise play:
The Dolphin hath quite left the Southerne Seas,
And with a thousand colours seekes to please
The Princes eye, changing as oft his hue,
As he doth wish him ioyes; Behold in view,
Where shoots the little Enuious Remora,
Thinking his swift ship vnder saile to stay.
O stop her prosperous course. But when she saw
A face so full of beautie, mixt with awe,
Vpon the hatches, sham'd what she had done,
Her head shee doth below the Channels runne,
No boysterous Whale aboue the waues appeares
The Seas to trouble whilest the Pilot steeres,
The huge Leuiathan dwels in the deepes,
And wrapt in waters, with his femall sleepes,
As loath to moue a tempest: Thus at last
He in a prosperous calme the Seas hath past;
Neptune meane time, in Amphitrites bowre,
Inuited to a banquet, for her dowre
By churlish old Octavius denide
That paid her not, since she was first his bride:
Shee knowing Neptune powerfull, as he's wise,
Intreats him this olde Iarre to compromise,
This difference held so long the God of Seas,
Who being made Vmpire, sought both parts to please,
That whilest he in faire Thetis Pallace staid,
The Prince was past, without his marine aid,
This when he know, that one so yong, so faire,
Of whom the other Gods had tooke such care
In his safe wastage, and that he alone
Of all his choice gems, had afforded none,
Of which his wealthie channels as full stor'd,
Grieuing so puissant and so great a Lord
Should passe his waterie Kingdomes, and not tast
Part of his bountie, vp he starts in hast,
Mounts on his Sea-horse, and his Trydent takes,
Which all enrag'd, about his Crest he shakes.
And calling Triton from his concaue shell
Bids him through all the deeps his furie tell;
That since no Marchant to the Indies traded
Whose wealthie ships, with drugs and spices laded,
Had made the verie Oceans backe to bend;
Since he had suffered them from end to end
To voyage his large Empire, as secure
As in the safest ouze, where they assure
Themselues at rest; since they for all the gold
Pangeans fraughts them: with great summes vntold,
Pearles, Stones, Silks, Sweet-perfumes & Amber-greece,
With profits richer farre then Iasons fleece;
Since neither Marchant, nor yet Man of warre,
Poore Fisherman, or such as reckoned are
Sonnes of the Sea, or Bastards, Pyrats fell,
For all the wealth in which the Seas excell,
And they haue thriued so richly, would make knowne
This newes to him, they now shall tast his frowne.
Streight the foure brothers from their brazen caues
Æolus vnlocks, who shake aboue the waues
Their flaggie plumes, and as they rise or fall
They hatch huge tempests: still doeth Neptune call
To make a turbulent Sea. Triton shrils lowd
T'Inuoke the helpe of euery stormie clowd
They all conspire in horrour, at new warre;
Meane time the foure seditious brothers jarre.
The South wind brings with him his spightful showers,
And gainst the cold and stormie Boreas powers
His spitting waters, in whose foule disgrace
His gusts returne them backe in Austers face,
Bleake Aquilo still with the West-wind crosse,
Mountaines of waues against his foe doth tosse;
And he as much at him: in this fierce brall
Poore ships are shaken, some are forc't to fall
So low, that they blacke Orcus may espie,
And suddenly are bandied vp so high,
As if the Barke with tackles, masts, and shrouds,
Ioue would like th' Argoe, snatch aboue the clouds.
No maruell, we so many wracks to heare,
Since Neptune hath of late beene so austeare;
So many ships being foundred, split and lost,
So many wrackt-men, cast on euery Coast;
So many, that my passionate teares inforces,
Since all the Seas seem'd to be shor'd with coarses.
Long Neptunes furie lasted, made great spoile,
And wrackes at Sea, for still the billowes boile
With wrath and vengeance, till the Queene of loue
Borne of the frothie waues, this suit gan moue,
That since the high solemnitie drew neere
Of this faire Couple, to the Gods so deere,
As Heauen and Earth did in their ioyes agree,
So at the last would his calm'd waues and he.
These words of hers great Neptune did appease;
So with his Trident straight he calm'd the Seas.
Now's the glad day, how can it other be
But a presage of all prosperitie!
The early howres that from her Rose at bed
Aurora call, the night haue banished:
And enuying shee so long hath soiournd here,
They chase the Hag from off this Hemisphere.
Who when she but espies the peepe of day;
Wrapt in her mistie darknesse, speeds away
To the Cymerians, were she meanes to dwell
And hide her horrid darksome front in Hell:
But ere her blacke and cloudie face she steeps,
The starres from off Heauens azured floare she sweeps,
And will not let them see the glorious Bride,
Whose presence was her hated lookes denide.
This day, Apollo in his orbe of fire
Ryseth before his hower, her face t'admire;
And in meere joy that he may gaze his fill,
He capers as he mounts th' Olympique hill:
The morning blusheth guiltie of the wrong
That she hath kept his steedes vntrac't so long,
And such deepe sorrowes in her eyes appeares
That all the World she waters with her teares.
But when this vniuersall joy she cals
To her remembrance, teares no more she fals,
But for the glistering Rayes of Phœbus seekes
With whose bright beames shee dries her blubbred cheekes,
The monstrous Signes by which the Sunne must passe
Guild with his glittering streakes their scalles of brasse.
Phœbus as oft, as he hath past the line
Hath neuer seene them in such glory shine:
And all to grace these Nuptials. Ioues high Court
Is 'gainst this day new starr'd (as some report)
With stones and gems, and all the Gods attired
In there best pompe to make this day admired.
The Seasons haue prefer'd the youthfull Spring
To be at this high states solemnizing:
Who lest he should be wanting at that day
Brings Februarie in, attyred like May,
And hath for hast to shew his glorious prime
Stept or'e two moneths, and come before his time:
And that's the cause, no strange preposterous thing,
That we this yeare haue such a forward Spring.
The Summer now is busied with her seed
Which quickning in the Earth begins to breed;
And being sickish cannot well be spar'd.
Autumne in beggers rags attired, not dar'd
Intrude into so braue a pompous traine.
Old Winter clad in high furres, showers of raine
Appearing in his eyes, who still doth goe
In a rug gowne ashied with flakes of snow,
Shiuering with cold, at whose long dangling beard
Hangs Isickles, with hoarie frosts made hard,
Dares not approach, nor in that Center moue,
Where liues so sweet a Summer of warme loue.
Therefore by Ianus double face he's past
Retyring by December, speeding fast
Backward, with more then common aged speed,
Most willing that the fresh Spring should succeed
With chearefull lookes, and his greene dangling haire,
Winters most wastefull Ruines to repaire.
But oh leane Lent, why should thy pale lancke cheekes
Threaten a suddaine dearth for seuen spare weekes
After this surplusage; but that the God,
That swayes the Ocean with his three-tin'd rod,
Would feast these Nuptials with his various cheere,
And nothing thinke, that the Sea holds, too deere?
Because that as the Heauens gaue free assent,
With th' Earth to fill these Bridals with content,
Euen so the Seas their bounties would afford
With seasonable Cates to Crowne their bord.
Bacchus hath cut his most delicious Vine,
And sent it through his swiftest Riuer Rhine,
Least to these Bridals it might come too late,
Which Brittaine with such joy doth celebrate.
What Plannet, Starre, Fate, Influence, or Spheere,
But in their operatiue powers hold deere
These faire Espousals? Is there vertue, grace,
Or any goodnesse, but doth claime chiefe place
In these great triumphs? Can the Heauens afford
Blessings that doe not Crowne this bridall bord?
Can man deuise, or of the Gods importune
A choice selected good, or speciall fortune,
Which heer's not frequent? 'mongst the Saints diuine,
Be euer henceforth crown'd Saint Valentine.
Of all thy hallowings, let not this be least,
That thy Saints day is honour'd with this feast.
Thou hast the fauour to lead in the Spring,
And to thy feastiue Eue, the birds first sing,
With joy that Winter doth the Earth forsake:
Vpon this day, they each one chuse his make.
Couple in paires, and first begin t'inquire
Where they may pearch, to quench the raging fire
Of their hot loues, where they may safely build
And from the bitter stormes their yong ones shield,
Vntill there naked bodies be ful plum'd,
And that with their fledgd wings they haue assumed
Courage and strength, that when the season's faire
They with their careful Dams may proue the Ayre.
Learne euerie of you a new Nuptiall Lay
To Solemnize the triumphs of this day:
Your mourneful straines to sadder fates assigne.
Now with glad notes salute Saint Valentine.
For in this sacred, and melodious quire,
The Angels will beare part, tis their desire
To haue this combination shrild so hie
That Heauen may Eccho with the melodie.
And now me thinks, I from a Cherubs tongue
Heare this applausiue Hymne most sweetly sung.