University of Virginia Library

SCENA. 6.

A Page carying a Scutchion argent charged with an Eagle displayed proper, then Visus with a Fanne of Peacocks fethers, next Lumen with a Crowne of Bayes, and a Shield with a bright Sunne in it, apparrelled in Tissue, then a Page bearing a Shield before Cœlum, clad in Azure Taffata, dimpled with Starres, a Crowne of Starres on his head, and a Scarfe resembling the Zodiack ouerthwart the Shoulders, next a page clad in greene with a terrestriall Globe before Terra, in a greene Veluet gowne stucke with branches, and flowers, a Crowne of Turrets vpon her head, in her hand a Key, then a Herauld leading in his hand Colour clad in changeable silke, with a Rainbowe out of a Cloud on her head, last a Boy, Visus Marshalleth his shew about the Stage, and presents it before the Bench.
Visvs. Lvmen. Coelvm. Phantas. Com. Sens. Memorie.
Vis.
Loe here the obiect that delights the sight,
The goodliest obiects that mans heart can wish,
For all things that the Orbe first moueable,
Wrappes in the circuite of his large-stretcht armes,
Are subiect to the power of Uisus eyes,
That you may know what profit light doth bring,
Note Lumens words that speakes next following.

Lvmen.
Light the faire Grand-child to the glorious Sunne,
Opening the casements of the Rosie morne,
Makes the abashed heauens soone to shun,
The vgly darknesse it embrac'd beforne,
And at his first appearance puts to flight,
The vtmost reliques of the Hell-borne night.
This heau'nly sheild soone as it is displaide,
Dismayes the vices that abhorre the light,
To wanderers by Sea and Land giues aide,
Conquers display, recomforteth affright,
Rowseth dull Idlenesse, and starts soft sleepe.
And all the world to daily labour keepes,
This a true looking glasse impartiall,
Where Beauties selfe, her selfe doth beautifie,
With natiue hue, not artificiall,
Discouering falsehood, opening veritie,
The dayes bright eye colours distinction,
Iust iudge of measure and proportion.
The onely meanes by which each mortall eye,
Sends messengers to the wide firmament,
That to the longing soule brings presently
High contemplation and deepe wonderment.
By which aspirement she her wings displaies,
And her selfe thither whence she came vpraisd.

Ph.
What blew thing's that, that's dappled so with Starres.

Vis.
He represents the heau'n.

Ph.
In my conceit it were pritty, if hee thundred when hee speakes.

Vis.
Then none could vnderstand him.

Coel.
Tropick coloures the Equinoctiall,
The Zodiack poles, and line Eclipticall,
The Nadaz, Zenith, and Anomalies,
The Azimeth and Ephimerides,
Starres, Orbes, and Plannets, with their motions,
The Orientall Regradations,
Excentricks, Epicyctes, and—and—and—

Ph.
How now Uisus is your heauen at a stay?
Or is it his Motus trepidationis that makes him stammer:
I pray you Memory set him agate againe.

Mem.

I remember when Iupiter made Amphitrio Cuckold,
and lay with his wife Alcmena, Cœlum was in this taking for
three dayes; space, and stood still iust like him at a non plus.

Com. Sen.

Leaue iesting, youle put the fresh Actor out of
countenance.

Coel.
Excentricks, Epicyctes, and Aspects,
In Sextile, Trine, and Quadrate which effects
Wonders on earth: also the Oblique part
Of signes, that make the day both long and short,
The Constellations, rising Cosmicall,
Setting of Starres, Chronicke, and Heliacall,
In the Orison or Meridionall,
And all the skill in deepe Astronomie,
Is to the soule deriued by the eye.

Pha.

Uisus you haue made Cœlum a heauenly speech, past
earthly capacitie, it had beene as good for him hee had thundred.
But I pray you who taught him speake and vse no action,
me thinke it had beene excellent to haue turn'd round about
in his speech.

Uis.

Hee hath so many motions hee knowes not which to
begin withall.

Ph.

Nay rather it seemes hee's of Copernicus opinion, and
that makes him stand still.

Terra comes to the midsts of the Stage, stands stil awhile, saith nothing, and steps back.
Com. Se.

Lets heare what Terra can say—iust nothing.

Vis.

And't like your Lordship, t'were an indecorum Terra
should speake.

Mem.

You are deceiued, for I remember when Phaeton rul'd
the Sunne, I shall neuer forget him, he was a very pretty youth,
the earth opened her mouth wide, and spoake a very good
speech to Iupiter.

Anam.

By the same token Nylus hid his head then, he could
neuer finde it since.

Ph.

You know Memory that was an extreame hotte day, &
'tis likely Terra sweat much, and so tooke cold presently after,
that euer since she hath lost her voyce.

Heravld.

A Cauton Ermines added to the field, is a sure
signe the man that bore these Armes, was to his Prince as a defensiue
shield, sauing him from the force of present Armes.

Ph.

I know this fellow of old, 'tis a Herauld, many a Centaure,
Chimera, Barnacle, Crocadile, Hippotame, and such like
toyes, hath he stolne out of the shop of my Inuention, to shape
new coates for his vpstart Gentlemen. Either Affrica must

breed more monsters, or you make fewer Gentlemen M. Herauld,
for you haue spent all my deuises already, but since you
are here, let me aske you a question, in your owne profession,
how comes it to passe that the victorious Armes of England,
quartred with the conquered Coate of France are not placed
on the dexter side, but giue the flowre deluce the better hand?

Her.

Because that the three Lyons are one coate made of
two French Duke-domes, Normandy and Aquitaine: but I
pray you Visus, what Iaye is that, that followes him?

Vis.
'Tis Color an obiect of mine, subiect to his cōmandment.

Pha.
Why speakes he not?

Vis.
He is so bashfull, he dares not speake for blushing:
What thing is that, tell mee without delay.

A Boy.
That's nothing of it selfe, yet euery way,
As like a Man, as a thing, like may bee,
And yet so vnlike, as cleane contrary,
For in one point it euery way doth misse,
The right side of it a mans left side is
Tis lighter then a Feather, and withall
It filles no place, nor roome it is so small.

Com. Sen.

How now Uisus, haue you brought a boy with
a riddle to pose vs all.

Phan.

Pose vs all? and I here; that were a iest indeed: My
Lord, if he haue a Sphinx, I haue an Oedipus assure your selfe,
lets heare it once againe.

Boy.

What thing is that Sir.

Phan.

This such a knotty Enigma? why my Lord, I think
it's a Woman, for first a Woman is nothing of her selfe, and againe
shee is likest a man of any thing.

Com. Sen.

But wherein is she vnlike?

Pha.

In euery thing, in peeuishnes, in folly. ---'st Boy.

Hev.

In Pride, Deceit, Prating, Lying, Cogging, Coynes,
Spite, Hate Sir.

Pha.

And in many mo such vices: Now he may well say,
the left side a mans right side is, for a crosse wife, is alwayes
contrary to her husband, euer contradicting what hee wisheth
for, like to the verse in Martiall, Uelle tuum.

Mem.

Velle tuvm nolo. Dindine nolle volo.

Pha.

Lighter then a feather, doth any man, make question
of that?

Mem.

They neede not, for I remember I saw a Cardinall
weigh thē once, & the Woman was found 3. graynes lighter.

Com. Sen.

Tis strange, for I haue seene Gentlewomen
weare Feathers oftentimes, can they carrie heauier things then
themselues?

Mem.

O sir, I remember, tis their onely delight to do so.

Com. Sen.

But how apply you the last verse, it fills no
place Sir?

Pha.

By my faith, that spoyles all the former, for these fardingalles
take vp all the roome now a dayes, tis not a woman
questionlesse, shall I be put downe with a Riddle sirrah, Heuresis
search the corners of your conceit, and find it me quickly.

Hev.

Hay ευρηκα, ευρηκα. I haue it, tis a mans face in a looking
Glasse.

Phan.

My Lord, tis so indeede, Sirrha lets see it, for do
you see my right eye here?

Com. Sen.

What of your eye?

Ph.

O Lord, sir, this kind of frowne is excellent, especially
when tis sweetned with such a pleasing smile.

Com Se.

Phantastes.

Pha.

O Sir my left eie is my right in the glasse, do you see?
by these lips my garters hang so neately, my Gloues & shooes
become my hands and feete so well: Heuresis tie my shooes
strings with a new knot;—this point was scarse well trust,—
so, tis excellent.—Looking-glasses were a passing inuentiō,
I protest the fittest bookes for Ladies to study on—

Mem.

Take heede you fall not in loue with your selfe Phantastes,
as I remember: Anamnestes who wast that died of the
looking disease?

An.

Forsooth Narcissus, by the same token he was turn'd to a
Daffadill, & as he died for loue of himselfe, so if you remēber
there was an old ill-fauoured, precious nosed, babber-lipt, beetle-browed,
Bleere-eyd, slouch-eard slaue that looking himselfe
by chance in a Glasse, died for pure hate.

Ph.

By the lip of my --- I could liue and die with this face.

Co. Se.

Fie fie Phantastes, so effeminate for shame leaue off.

Visus your obiects I must needs say are admirable if the house &
instrument bee answerable, letts here therefore in breife your
description—

Vis.
Vnder the fore-head of mount Cephalon,
That ouer-peeres the coast of Microcosme,
All in the shaddowe of two pleasant groues,
Stand my two mansion houses, both as round
As the cleare heauens, both twins as like each other:
As starre to starre, which by the vulger sort,
For their resplendent composition,
Are named the bright eyes of mount Cephalon:
With foure faire roomes those lodgings are contriued.
Foure goodly roomes in forme most sphericall,
Closing each other like the heauenly orbes:
The first whereof, of Natures substance wrought,
As a strange moate the other to defende,
Is trained moueable by Art diuine:
Stirring the whole compacture of the rest,
The second chamber is most curiously
Composed of burnisht, and transparent horne.

Phan.

That's a matter of nothing, I haue knowne many
haue such bed-chambers.

Mem.

It may be so, for I remember being once in the townes
Library, I read such a thing, in their greate booke of monuments
called, Cornucopia, or rather their copia-Cornu.

Vis.
The third's a lesser roome of purest glasse,
The fourth's smallest, but passeth all the former,
In worth of matter built most sumptuously:
With walls transparent of pure Christaline.
This the soules mirrour and the bodies guide,
Loues Cabinet bright beacons of the Realme,
Casements of light quiuer of Cupids shafts:
Wherein I sit and immediatly receiue,
The species of things corporeall,
Keeping continuall watch and centinell:
Least forraine hurt inuade our Microcosme,
And warning giue, (if pleasant things approch)
To entertaine them, from this coastly roome:
Leadeth my Lord an entrie to your house,
Through which I hourely to your selfe conuay
Matters of wisdome by experience bred:
Arts first inuention, pleasant vision,
Deepe contemplation, that attires the soule,
In gorgeous roabes of flowering literature:
Then if that Visus haue deserued best,
Let his victorious browe, with Crowne be blest.

Com. Sen.
Anamnestes, see who's to come next.

Ana.
Presently my Lord.

Phan.

Visus, I wonder that amongst all your obiects, you
presented vs not with Platoes Idea, or the sight of Niniuie, Babilon,
London, or some Sturbridge faire-monsters, they would haue
done passing well, those motions in my immagination are very
delightfull.

Vis.

I was loath to trouble your honours with such toies,
neither could I prouide them in so short a time.

Com. Sen.

We will consider your worth, meane while wee
dismisse you.

Uisus leades his showe about the stage, and so goeth out with it.