The Workes of Benjamin Jonson

Fest. Avi. paraph. Pars ait Idæa deflentem incendia Trojæ, Et numerosa suæ lugentem funera gentis, Electram tetris mœstum dare nubibus orbem. Besides the reference to antiquity, this speech might be understood by Allegory of the Towne here, that had been so ruined with sicknesse, &c.

laments I spent for ruin'd Troy,
Are dried; and now mine eyes run teares of joy.
No more shall men suppose Electra dead,
Though from the consort of her sisters fled
Unto the

Hyginus. Sed postquam Troia suit capta, & Progenies eius quae à Dardano suit eversa, dolore permotam ab his se remouisse, & in circulo qui Arcticus dicitur constitisse, &c.

Artick circle, here to grace,
And gild this day with her

Electra signifies Serenity it selfe, and is compounded of ηλιος, which is the Sunne, and αθριος, that signifies serene. Sire is mentioned to be Anime sphære solis, by Proclus. Com. in Hesiod.

serenest face:
And see, my

She is also faind to be the mother of the Raine-bow. Nascitur enim Iris ex aqua & serenitate, è refractione radiorum scilicet. Arist. in Meteorol.

daughter Iris hastes to throw
Her roseat wings in compasse of a bow,

About our State, as

Val. Flac. Argonaut. I. makes the rainbow, indicem serenitatis. Emicuit rescrata dies, cœumq resolvit Arcus, & in summos redierunt nubila montes.

signe of my approach:
Attracting to her seate from

A name of the Sun. Stat. The. lib. l. for quentem cornua Mithran. And Martian. Capel. lib. 3. de nup. Mer. & Phil. Te serapim Nilus, Memphis veneratur Osirin; Dissona sacra Mithran, &c.

Mithras coach,
A thousand different, and particular hiewes,
Which she throughout her body doth diffuse.
The Sun, as loth to part from this halfe Spheare,
Stands still; and Phœbe labors to appeare
In all as bright (if not as rich) as he:
And, for a note of more serenity,
My six

Alcyone, Celæno, Taygete, Asterope, Merope, Maia. which are also said to be the soules of the other Spheares, as Electra of the Sun. Proclus, ibi in com. Alcyone Veneris. Celœno Saturni, Taygete Lunæ. Asterope Iovis, Merope Martis. Maia Mercurii.

faire sisters hither shift their lights;
To do this hower the utmost of her rites.
Where lest the captious, or prophane might doubt,
How these cleare heavenly bodies come about
All to be seen at once; yet neithers light
Eclips'd, or shadow'd by the others sight:
Let ignorance know, great King, this day is thine,
And doth admit no night; but all do shine
As well nocturnall, as diurnall fires,
To adde unto the flame of our desires.
Which are (now thou hast closd up

Alluding back to that of our Temple.

Janus gates,
And giv'n so generall peace to all Estates)
That no offensive mist, or cloudy staine
May mixe with splendor of thy golden raigne;
But, as th'ast free'd thy

London.

Chamber, from the noyse
Of war and tumult; thou wilt powre those joyes
Upon

His City of Westminster, in whose name and at whose charge, together with the Duchy of Lancaster this arch was erected.

this place, which claimes to be

Since here, they not only sate being crowned, but also first received their Crowns.

the seate
Of all the kingly race: the cabinet
To all thy counsels; and the judging chaire
To this thy speciall Kingdome. Who so faire
And wholsome laws, in every Court, shall strive
By Æquity, and their first innocence to thrive;
The base and guilty bribes of guiltier men
Shall be thrown back, and Justice look, as when
She lov'd the earth, and fear'd not to be sold
For that,

Hor. Car. l. 4. Ode. 9. Ducentis ad se cuncta pecuniæ.

which worketh all things to it, gold.

The Dam of other evils, avarice
Shall here locke down her jaws, and that rude vice
Of ignorant, and pittied greatnesse, pride,
Decline with shame; ambition now shall hide
Her face in dust, as dedicate to sleep,
That in great portals wont her watch to keep.
All ils shall fly the light: Thy Court be free
No lesse from envy, than from flattery;
All tumult, faction, and harsh discord cease,
That might perturbe the musick of thy peace:
The querulous nature shall no longer finde
Room for his thoughts: One pure consent of minde
Shall flow in every brest, and not the ayre,
Sun, Moon, or Stars shine more serenely faire.

This from that loud, blest Oracle, I sing,
Who here, and first, pronounc'd thee Brittaines King.
Long maist thou live, and see me thus appeare,
As ominous

For our more authorite to induce her thus, See Fest. Auien paraph. in Arat. speaking of Electra, Nonquam Oceani tamen istam surgere ab undis, In convexa poli, sed sede carere sororum; Atque os discretum procul edere, deteflatam. Germanosque chores sobolis lachrymare ruinas Diffusomq comas cerni, crinisque soluti Monstrari effigie, &c.

a Comet, from my Spheare,
Unto thy raigne; as that

All Comets were not fatall, some were forunately ominous, as this to which we allude; and wherefore we have Plinies testimony. Nat. Histo. lib. 2 cap. 25. Cometes in uno totius orbis loco colitur in templo Romæ, admodum faustus Diuo Augusto judicatus ab ipso: qui incipiente eo, apparuit ludis quos faciebat Veneri G{a}trici, non multò post obitum patris Cæsaris, in colegio ab eo, instituto. Namque his verbis id gaudium prodidit. Iis ipsis Judorum meorum diebus, sydus crinitum per septem dies in regione Cœli, quæ sub Septentrionibus est, conspectum. Id oriebatur circa undecimam horam diei, clarumque & omnibus terris conspicuum fuit. Eo sydere significari vulgus credidit, Cæsaris animam inter Deorum immortalium numina receptam: quo nomine id insigne simulacro capitis, ejus, quod mox in foro consecravimus, adjectum est. Hæc ille in publicum, interiore gaudio sibi illum, natum seq in eo nasci interpretatus est. Et si verum satemur, salutare id terris fuit.

did auspicate
So lasting glory to Augustus State.

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