University of Virginia Library

Actus Quartus.

Enter Pamona, Raybright, Cupid and Fortune.
Ray.
Your entertainment, Autumns bounteous queen,
Have feasted me with rarities as delicate,
As the full growth of an abundant year
Can ripen to my palate.

Pom.
They are but courtings
Of gratitude to our dread Lord the Sun,
From whom thou draw'st thy name; the feast of fruits
Our gardens yield, are much too course for thee;
Could we contract the choice of natures plenty
Into one form, and that form to contein
All delicates, which the wanton sence
Would relish: or desire to invent to please it,
The present were unworthie far to purchase
A sacred league of friendship.

Ray.
I have rioted
In surfets of the ear, with various musick
Of warbling birds; I have smelt perfumes of roses,
And every flower with which the fresh-trim'd earth
Is mantled in: the Spring could mock my sences
With these fine barren lullabies, the Summer
Invited my then ranging eies to look on
Large fields of ripen'd corn, presenting trifles
Of waterish pettie dainties, but my taste
Is onely here pleas'd, t'other objects claim
The eye of formal, these are real bounties.

Pom.
We can transcend thy wishes, whom the creatures
Of every age and qualitie posts, madding
From land to land, and sea to sea to meet,
Shall wait upon thy nod, Fortune and Cupid,
Love yield thy quiver, and thine arrows up
To this great Prince of Time, before him Fortune,
Powr out thy mint of treasures, crown him sovereign
Of what his thoughts can glorie to command:
He shall give paiment of a roial prize
To Fortune, Judgment, and to Cupids eies.

Fort.
Be a Merchant, I will fraight thee
With all store that time is bought for.

Cup.
Bee a lover, I will wait thee
With successe in life most sought for.

For.
Be enamored on bright honor,
And thy greatnesse shall shine glorious.

Cup.
Chastitie, if thou smile on her,
Shall grow servile, thou victorious.

Fort.
Be a warrior, conquest ever
Shall triumphantly renown thee.

Cup.
Be a Courtier, beauty never
Shall but with her duty crown thee.

Fort.
Fortunes wheel is thine, depose me,
I'me thy slave, thy power hath bound me.

Cup.
Cupids shafts are thine, dispose me,
Love loves love, thy graces wound me.

Fort., Cup.
Live, reign, pitie is fames jewel;
We obay, oh! be not cruel.

Ray.
You ravish me with infinites, and lay
A bountie of more sovereigntie and amazement,
Then the Atlas of mortalitie can support—

Enter Humor and Follie
Hu.
Whats here.

Fol.
Nay pray observe.

Ray.
Be my hearts Empresse, build your kingdom there.

Hu.
With what an earnestnesse he complies.

Fol.

Upon my life he means to turn Costermonger, and is projecting
how to forestall the market; I shall crie Pippins
rarely.

Ray.
Till now, my longings were ne're satisfied,
And the desires my sensuall appetite
Were onely fed with barren expectations,
To what I now am fill'd with.

Fol.

Yes we are fill'd and must be emptied, these wind fruits have

distended my guts into a Lenten pudding, theres no fat in them, my
belly swells, but my sides fall away, a month of such diet would
make me a living Anatomie.

Po.
These are too little, more are due to him,
That is the patterne of his fathers glorie;
Dwell but amongst us, industrie shall strive,
To make another artificiall nature;
And change all other seasons into ours.

Hu.
Shall my heart breake, I can containe no longer.

Ray.
How fares my lov'd Humor?

Hu.
A little stirr'd, no matter, i'le be merry;
Call for some Musick, do not; i'le be melancholly.

Fol.

A sullen humor, and common, in a dicer that has lost all
his money.

Po.
Lady! I hope 'tis no neglect of Courtesie
In us, that so disturbs you, if it rise
From any discontent, reveal the cause,
It shall be soone removed.

Hu.
Oh! my heart, helpe to unlace my gowne.

Fol.
And unlace your peticoate.

Hu.

Sawcie, how now! 'tis well you have some sweet heart,
some new fresh sweet heart; i'me a goodly foole to be thus plaied
on, stall'd, and foyl'd.

Po.
Why Madam?
We can be courteous without staine of honor;
'Tis not the raging of a lustfull blood
That we desire to tame with satisfaction:
Nor hath his masculine graces in our brest
Kindled a wanton fire, our bounty gives him
A welcome free, but chaste and honorable.

Hu.
Nay 'tis all one, I have a tender heart,
Come, come, lee's drink.

Fol.

A humor in fashion with gallants, and brought out of the
low Countries.

Hu.

Fie! there's no musick in thee, let us sing.

Fol.

Here's humor in the right trim, a few more such toies
would make the little world of man runne mad, as the Puritan
that sold his conscience for a May pole—

Florish: showre.
Ray.
The meaning of this mirth.

Po.
My Lord is coming.

Ray.
Let us attend, to humble our best thanks,
For these high favours—

Enter Autumne & Baccanalian, Humor & Follie.
Pom.
My dearest Lord, according to th'injuction
Of your command, I have with all observance,
Given entertainment to this noble stranger.

Au.
The Sun-born Raybright, minion of my love,
Let us be twins in heart, thy grandsires beames
Shine graciously upon our fruits, and vines:
I am his vassail-servant, tributarie:
And for his sake, the knigdomes I possesse,
I will devide with thee, thou shalt command
The Lidian Tmolus, and Campanian mounts,
To nodd their grape-crownd heads into thy bowles,
Expressing their rich juice: a hundred graines
Both from the Beltick and Sicilian fields,
Shall be Congested for thy sacrifice
In Ceres fane, Tiber shall pay thee Apples,
And Sicyon Olives, all the Choicest fruits,
Thy Fathers heat doth ripen.

Ray.
Make me but treasurer
Of your respected favours, and that honor
Shall equall my ambition.

Au.
My Pomona,
Speed to prepare a banquet of novelties;
This is a day of rest, and we the whiles,
Will sport before our friends, and shorten time
With length of wonted revels.

Pom.
I obey:
Will't please you Madam, a retirement
From these extreames in men, more tollerable,
Will better fit our modesties.

Hu.
I'le drink, and be a Bacchanalian, no, I will not;
Enter, i'le follow; stay, i'le go before.

Po.
Ee'ne what humor pleaseth.

Exit. Florishes
Au.
Raybright, a health to Phœbus—Drinks.
These are the Peans which we sing to him,
And ye wear no baies, our cups are onely
Crowned with Lyeus blood, to him a health—Drinks.

Ray.
I must pledge that too.

Au.
Now one other health
To our grand Patron, called, good fellowship;
Whose livery, all our people hereabout
Are call'd in.—

Drinks
Ray.
I am for that too.

Au.
'Tis well, let it go round, and as our custome is
Of recreations of this nature, ioyne,
Your voices, as you drink, in lively notes;
Sing Jos unto Baccus.

Fol.

Hey hoes, a god of windes, there's at least four and twenty
of them imprisoned in my belly; if I sigh not forth some of them,
the rest will break out at the back door; and how sweet the Musick
of their roring will be, let an Irishman judge.

Ray.

He is a songster too.

Fol.

A very foolish one; my Musiques naturall, and came by
inheritance, my father was a French Nightingall, and my mother
an English wagtaile; I was born a Cuckow in the Spring, and lost
my voice in Summer, with laying my egges in a sparrowes nest;
but I'le venture for one, fill my dish; every one take his own, and
when I hold up my finger, off with it.

Au.
Begin.

Fol.

Now have I more air then ten Musicians, besides there is a whirlwinde
in my brains, I could both caper and turn round.

Au.
Oh! a Dance by all meanes,
Now cease your healths, and in an active motion
Bestir yee nimbly, to beguile the hours.

Fol.

I am for you in that too, 'twill jogge down the lees of
these rowses into a freer passage; but take heed of sure footing, 'tis
a slippery season; many men fall by rising, and many women
are raised by falling—

Dance
Au.
How likes our friend this pastime?

Ray.
Above utterance,
Oh! how have I in ignorance and dullnesse,
Run through the progresse of so many minutes;
Accusing him, who was my lifes first author,
Of slacknesse and neglect, whilst I have dream't
The folly of my daies in vaine expence,
Of uselesse taste and pleasure; pray my Lord
Let one health passe about, whilst I be think me
What course I am to take, for being denison
In your unlimited courtesies.

Au.
Devise a round,
You have your liberty.

Ray.
A health to Autumns selfe.
And here let time hold still his restlesse glasse,
That not another golden sand may fall
To measure how it passeth.

Au.
Continue here with me, and by thy presence
Create me favorite to thy faire progenitor;
And be mine heire.

Ray.
I want words to expresse
my thankfullnesse.

Au.
What ere the wanton Spring,
When she doth diaper the ground with beauties,
Toils for, comes home to Autumne, Summers sweats
Fither in pasturing her furlongs, reaping
The cropp of bread, ripening the fruits for food.
Autumnes garners house them, Autumnes jollities
Feeds on-them; I alone in every land
Traffique my usefull merchandize, gold and jewells,
Lordly possessions, are for my commodities
Morgag'd and lost, I sit Cheese moderator
Between the cheek-parch'd Summer, and th'extreames
Of Winters tedious frost; nay, in my selfe
I do containe another teaming Spring:
Surety of health, prosperity of life
Belongs to Autumne, if thou then canst hope
T'inherit immortality in frailty,
live here till time be spent, yet be not old.

Ray.
Under the Sun, you are the yeers great emperor.

Au.
On now, to new veriety of feasts;
Princely contents are fit for princely guests,

Exit—
Ray.
My Lord I'le follow; sure I am not well.

Florish.
Fol.

Surely I am halfe drunk, or monstrously mistaken, you
mean to stay here belike.

Ray.

Whither should I go else?

Fol.

Nay, if you will kill your selfe in your own defence, I'le
not be of your Jurie—

Enter Humor.
Hu.

You have had precious pleasures, choice of drunkennesse;
will you be gon?

Ray.
I feele a warr within me,
And every doubt that resolution kills
Springs up a greater in the years revolution;
There cannot be a season more delicious,
When Plenty (Summers daughter) empties daily
Her cornucopia, fill'd with choisest viands.

Fol.
Plenties horne is alwaies full in the City.

Ray.
When temperate heat offends not with extremes;
When day and night have their distinguishment
With a more equall measure.

Hu.
Ha! in contemplation.

Fol.

Troubling himself with this windy-gutts; this bellyaking
Autumne; this Apple John Kent, and warden of Fruiterers
hall.

Ray.

When the bright Sun, with kindly distant beames
guilds ripen'd fruit.

Hu.
And what fine meditation transports you thus,
You study some Encomium
Upon the beauty of the gardens Queene,
You'd make the palenesse to supply the vacancie
Of Cinthia's dark defect.

Fol.

Madam! let but a green sicknesse chamber-maid be throughly
steel'd, if she get not a better color in one month, I'le bee
forfeited to Autumne for ever, and fruite-eate my flesh into a consumption.

Hu.
Come Raybright, whatsoer'e suggestions
Have won on thy apt weakenesse, leave these empty
And hollow sounding pleasures, that include
Onely a windy substance of delight,
Which every motion alters into ayre:
I'le stay no longer here.

Ray.
I must.

Hu.
You shall not,
These are adulterate mixtures of vain follies; I'le bring thee
Into the Court of
Winter, there thy food:
Shall not be sicklie fruits, but healthfull broathes,
Strong meat and dainty.

Fol.

Porke, Beefe, Mutton, (very sweet Mutton, veale Venson,
Capon, fine fat Capon, partridge, Snite, plover, larkes, Teale
admirable Teale, my Lord.

Hu.
Mistery there, like to another nature,
Confects the substance of the choisest fruits,
In a rich candy, with such imitation
Of forme and colour, 'twill deceive the eye:
Untill the taste be ravished.

Fol.
Comfits and Carawaies, Marchpaines and Marmalades
Suger-plums and Pippin-pies, ginger bread and Walnuts

Hu.
Nor is his bounty limited, hee'le not spare
T'exhaust the treasure of a thousand Indies.

Fol.

Two hundred pound suppers, and neither fidlers nor broken
glasses reckoned, besides, a hundred pound a throw, ten times together,
if you can hold out so long.

Ray.
You tell mee wonders!
Be my conductresse, I'le flie this place in secret;
Three quarters of my time is almost spent,
The last remains to crown my full content.
Now if I fail, let man's experience read me;
'Twas Humor, join'd with Follie, did mislead me.

Hu.
Leav this naked season,
Wherein the very trees shake off their locks,
It is so poor and barren.

Fol.

And when the hair fall's off, I have heard a Poet say, 'tis
no good sign of a sound bodie.

Ray.
Com let's go taste old Winter's fresh delights,
And swell with pleasures our big appetites.
The Summer, Autumne, and the Spring,
As 'twere conjoin'd in one conjugal ring;
An embleme of four Provinces we sway,
Shall all attend our pastimes night and day;
Shall both be subject to our glorious state,
While wee enjoy the blessings of our fate:
And since wee've notice that som barbarous spirits
Mean to oppose our entrance, if by words
They'l not desist, wee'l force our way with swords.

Exeunt.