 | The Maske of Flowers |  |
The Deuice of the Maske
The Sunne willing to doe honour to a Marriage, betweene two noble persons of the greatest Island of his vniuersall Empire, writeth his Letter of Commission to the two Seasons of the yeare, the Winter and the Spring, to visite and present them on his part, directing the Winter to present them with sports, such as are commonly called by the name of Christmasse sportes, or Carnaual sportes, and the Spring, with other sportes of more Magnificence.
And more especially, that Winter for his part take knowledge of a certaine Challenge which had beene lately sent and accepted betweene Silenus and Kanasha vpon this point; That Wine was more woorthy then Tobacco, and did more cheere and relieue the spirits of man. This to be tried at two weapons, at Song and at Dance, and requiring the Winter to giue order that the same Challenge be performed in the dayes of Solemnitie of the same Marriage.
The same Letter containeth a second Speciall direction to the Spring, that whereas of ancient time certaine beautifull youths had bin transformed from Men to Flowers, and had so continued till this time, that now they should be returned againe into Men,
All this is accordingly performed, and first the two Seasons Inuierno and Primauera come in, and receiue their dispatch from the Sunne, by Gallus the Sunnes Messenger: Thereupon Winter brings in the Challenge, consisting of two Anticke-Maskes, the Anticke-Maske of the Song, and the Anticke-Maske of the Dance.
Then the Spring brings in the Maske it selfe, and there is first seene in the fabrique, a faire Garden vpon a descending Ground, and at the height thereof there is a stately long Arbour or Bower arched vppon Pillars, wherein the Maskers are placed, but are not discouered at the first, but there appeare onely certaine great tufts of flowers betwixt the Collumnes. Those flowers vpon the Charme doe vanish, and so the Maskers appeare euery one in the space or intercolumne of his Arch.
| The Maske of Flowers | |