University of Virginia Library

TETHYS FESTIVAL.

WHEREIN TETHYS

Tethys mater Nympharum & fluuiorum.

QVEENE OF the Ocean, and wife of Neptune, attended with thirteene Nymphs of seuerall Riuers, is represented in this manner:

First the Queenes Maiestie in the figure of Tethys. The Ladies in the shape of Nimphes, presiding seuerall

Riuers, appropriaten, either to their dignitie, Signiories or places of birth.

1 Whereof the first was the Ladie Elizabeths grace representing the Nymph of Thames.

2 The Ladie Arbella the Nymph of Trent.

3 The Countesse of Arundell the Nymph of Arun.

4 The Countesse of Darbie the Nymph of Darwent.

5 The Countesse of Essex the Nymph of Lee.

6 The Countesse of Dorcet the Nymph of Ayr.

7 The Countesse of Mongommerie, the Nymph of Severn.

8 The Viscountesse Haddington the Nymph of Rother.

9 The Ladie Elizabeth Gray the Nymph of Medway.

These foure Riuers are in Monmouth shire.

The Ladie Elizabeth Guilford, the Nymph of Dulesse.

The Ladie Katherine Peeter, the Nymph of Olwy.

The Ladie Winter, the Nymph of Wy.

The Ladie Winsor, the Nymph of Vske.

The discription of the first Scene.

On the Trauers which serued as a curtaine for the first Scene, was figured a darke cloude, interfer with certaine sparkling starres, which, at the sound of a loud musick, being instantly drawne, the Scene was discouered with these adornements: First on eyther side stood a great statue of twelue foot high, representing Neptune and Nereus. Neptune holding a Trident, with an Anchor made to it, and this Mot. His artibus: that is, Regendo, & retinendo, alluding to

this verse of Virgill, Hæ tibi erunt artes, &c. Nereus holding out a golden fish in a net, with this word Industria: the reason whereof is deliuered after, in the speech vttered by Triton. These Sea-gods stood on pedestals and were al of gold. Behinde them were two pillasters, on which hung compartments with other deuises: and these bore vp a rich Freeze, wherein were figures of tenne foote long, of flouds, and Nymphes, with a number of naked children, dallying with a draperie, which they seemed to holde vp, that the Scene might be seene. and the ends thereof fell downe in foldes by the pillasters. In the midst was a compartment, with this inscription, Tethyos Epinicia, Tethys feasts of triumph. This was supported with two winged boyes, and all the worke was done with that force and boldnesse on the gold and siluer, as the figures seemed round and not painted.

The Scene it selfe was a Port or Hauen, with Bulworkes at the entrance, and the figure of a Castle commaunding a fortified towne: within this Port were many Ships, small and great, seeming to lie at Anchor, some neerer, and some further off, according to perspectiue: beyond all appeared the Horison or termination of the Sea, which seemed to mooue with a gentle gale, and many Sayles, lying some to come into the Port, and others passing out. From this Scene issued Zephirus

with eight Naydes, Nymphs of fountaines, and two Tritons sent from Tethys to giue notice of her intendement, which was the Ante-maske or first shew. The Duke of Yorke presented Zephirus, in a short robe of greene satin imbrodered with golden flowers with a round wing made of lawnes on wyers, and hung down in labels. Behind his shoulders two siluer wings. On his head a Garland of flowers consisting of all colours, and on one Arme which was out bare, he wore a bracelet of gold set with rich stones. Eight little Ladies neere of his stature represented the Naydes, and were attired in light robes adorned with flowers, their haire hanging downe, and wauing with Garlands of water ornaments on their heads.

The Tritons wore skin-coates of watchet Taffata (lightned with siluer) to shew the Muscles of their bodies. From the waste almost to the knee were finnes of siluer in the manner of bases, a mantle of Sea-greene laced, and fringed with golde, tyed with a knot vppon one shoulder, and falling down in foldes behinde, was fastened to the contrary side: on their heads garlands of Sedge, with trumpets of writhen shels in their hand: Buskins of Sea-greene laid with siluer lace. These persons thus attired, entred with this song of foure parts, and a musicke of twelue Lutes.

[Tritons.]

The song ended, Triton in the behalfe of Zephirus deliuers Tethys message with her Presents (which was a Trident to the King, and a rich sword and skarfe to the Prince of Wales) in these wordes.

The Speech ended, the Naydes daunce about Zephirus, and then withdraw them aside, when suddenly at the sound of a loud and fuller musique, Tethys with her Nymphes appeares, with another Scene, which I will likewise describe, in the language of the Architector, who contriued it, and speakes in his owne mestier to such as are vnderstāders & louers of that design. First at the opening of the heauens appeared 3. circles of lights and glasses, one within another, and came downe in a straight motion fiue foote, and then began to mooue circularly; which lights and motion so occupied the eyes of the spectators, that the manner of altering the Scene was scarcely discerned: for in a moment the whole face of it was changed, the Port vanished, and Tethys with her Nymphes appeared in their seuerall Cauernes gloriously adorned. This Scene was comparted into 5. Neeces, whereof that in the middest had some slender pillowes of whole round, and were made of moderne Architecture in regard of roome: these were of burnisht gold, and bare vp the returnes of an Architraue, Freeze, and Cornish of the same worke:

on which, vpon eyther side was a Plinth directly ouer the pillers, & on them were placed, for finishings, two Dolphins of siluer, with their tailes wreathed together, which supported ouall vases of gold.

Betweene the two pillers on eyther side were great ornaments of relieuo, the Basement were two huge Whales of siluer. Aboue in an action mounting were two Sea-horses, and aboue them, on each side of Tethys seat was placed a great Trident The seate or Throne itselfe was raised sixe steps, and all couered with such an artificiall stuffe, as seemed richer by candle, then any cloth of gold. The rests for her armes were tvvo Cherubines of gold: ouer her head was a great skallop of siluer, from which hung the foldes of this rich drapery.

Aboue the Skallop and round about the sides was a resplendent freeze of iewell glasses or lights, which shewed like Diamonds, Rubies, Saphires, Emralds, and such like,

The part which returned from the two Plinthes that bare vp the Dolphines, was circular, and made a hollownesse ouer Tethys head, and on this circle were 4. great Chartuses of gold, which bore vp a round bowle of siluer, in mannner of a fountaine, with mask-heads of gold, out of which ran an artificiall water. On the middest of this was a triangular basement formed of scrowles & leaues, and then a rich Vayle adorned with slutings, and inchased worke with a freeze of fishes, and a battaile of Tritons, out of whose mouthes, sprang water into the Bowle vnderneath. On the top of this was a round globe of gold full of holes, out of which issued aboundance of water, some falling into the receipt below, some in to the Ovall vase, borne vp by the Dolphines, and indeed there was no place in this great Aquatick

throne, that was not filled with the sprinckling of these two naturall seeming waters. The Neeces wherein the Ladies sate, were foure, with Pillasters of gold, mingled with rustick stones shewing like a minerall to make it more rocke, and Cauern-like, varying from that of Tethys throne. Equall with the heads of the Pillars was an Architraue of the same work, aboue was a circular frontispice, which rose equall with the Bowle of the fountaine fore discribed. On the rustick, frontispice lay two great figures in Rileue, which seemed to beare vp a Garland of Sea-weeds: to which from two antick Candlestickes which stood ouer the Pillasters were hanging Labells of gold. And these were the finishings of the top of the two Neeces next to that of Tethys.

In the space betweene the frontispice and the Architraue stood a great Concaue shel, wherein was the head of a Sea-god, and on either side the shell to fill vp the roome, two great mask heads in perfile. The other two Neeces which were outermost, were likewise borne vp with Pillasters of gold, and for variation had square frontispices, and against the streight Architraue of the other was an Arch. All these were mingled with rustick, as before.

In the middle betweene the frontispice & the Arch, was a Bowle or fountaine made of foure great skallops, borne vp by a great maske head which had likewise foure aspects, and lying vpon this Arch (to fill vp the Concaues) were two figures turned halfe into fishes, these with their heads held vp the sides of this Bowle: aboue this were three great Cherubines heads spouting water into the Bowle. On the middest of the square frontispice stood a great vase adorned.

The rest of the ornaments consisted of maske-heads, spouting water, swannes, festons of maritime weedes, great shels, and such like; and all this whole Scene was filled with the splendor of gold and siluer: onely some beautifull colours behinde to distinguish them, and to set off the rest.

The whole worke came into the forme of a halfe round: there sate three Ladies in each Neece, which made sixe of a side: the Queene in the middest, and the Lady Elizabeth at her feete.

Now concerning their habite: first their head-tire was composed of shels and corrall, and from a great Muriake shell in forme of the crest of an helme, hung a thin wauing vaile. Their vpper garments had the boddies of sky-colored taffataes for lightnes, all embrodered with maritime inuention: then had they a kinde of halfe skirts of cloth of siluer imbrodered with golde, all the groūd work cut out for lightnes which hung down ful, & cut in points: vnderneath that, came bases (of the same as was their bodies) beneath their knee. The long skirt was wrought with lace, waued round about like a Riuer, and on the bankes sedge and Sea-weedes, all of gold. Their shoulders vvere all imbrodered vvith the vvorke of the short skirt of cloth of siluer, and had cypresse spangled, ruffed out, and fell in a ruffe aboue the Elbow. The vnder sleeues vvere all imbrodered as the bodies: their shoes vvere of Satin, richly imbrodered, with the worke of the short skirt.

In this habite they discended out of their Cauernes one after another, and so marched vp with winding meanders like a Riuer, till they came to the Tree of victory, which was a Bay erected at the right side of the state, vpon a little mount there raised, where they offer

their seuerall flowers in golden vrnes which they bare in their hands: whilst a soft musique of twelue Lutes and twelue voyces, which entertained the time, exprest as a Chorus, their action in this manner.

[Chorus.]
Was euer houre brought more delight
To mortall sight,
Then this, wherein faire Tethys daignes to shew
Her, and her Nymphes arow
In glory bright?
See how they bring their flowers,
From out their watry bowers,
To decke Apollos Tree,
The tree of victory.
About whose verdant bowes,
They Sacrifice their vowes,
And wish an euerlasting spring
Of glory, to the Oceans King.

This songe and ceremony ended they fall into their first daunce, after which Tethys with drawes and reposes her vpon the Mount vnder the tree of victory, entertain'd with Musicque and this Song.
If ioy had other figure
Then soundes, and wordes, and motion,
To intimate the measure,
And height of our deuotion:
This day it had beene show'd
But what it can, it doth performe,
Since nature hath bestowd
No other letter,
To expresse it better,
Then in this forme;
Our motions, soundes, and wordes,
Tun'd to accordes,
Must shew the well-set partes,
Of our affections and our harts.

After this Tethys rises, and with her Nymphes performes her second daunce, and then reposes her againe vpon the Mount, entertaind with another songe.

Are they shadowes that we see?
And can shadowes pleasure giue?
Pleasures onely shadowes bee
Cast by bodies we conceiue,
And are made the thinges we deeme,
In those figures which they seeme.
But these pleasures vanish fast,
Which by shadowes are exprest
Pleasures are not, if they last,
In their passing, is their best.
Glory is most bright and gay
In a flash, and so away.
Feed apace then greedy eyes
On the wonder you behold.
Take it sodaine as it flies
Though you take it not to hold:
When your eyes haue done their part,
Thought must length it in the hart.

After this songe Tethys againe arises, and with her Nymphes, taketh out the Lordes to daunce their Measures Corantos and Galliardes, which done they fall into their third and retyring daunce, wherewith they returne againe into their seuerall Cauernes, and sodainely vanish. VVhen to auoid the confusion which vsually attendeth the desolue of these shewes; and when all was thought to be finisht, followed another entertainement, and was a third shew no lesse delightfull then the rest, whose introduction was thus.
Zephirus marching a certaine space after Tethys and her Nymphes, attended with his Tritons, a sodaine flash of lightning causes them to stay, and Triton deliuereth this speech.
And then bowing himselfe towardes the State, craueth their stay, and prepareth them, to the expectation of a returne of the Queene and her Ladies in their formes, with these wordes.

Triton hauing ended his speech, Mercury most artificially, and in an exquisite posture descends, and sommons the Duke of Yorke, and six young Noble-men to attend him, and bring backe the Queene and her Ladies in their owne forme, directing him to the place where to finde them; with this speech.
Faire branch of power, in whose sweete feature here
Milde Zephirus a figure did present
Of youth and of the spring-time of the yeare
I sommon you, and six of high descent
T'attend on you (as hopefull worthyes borne
To shield the Honour and the cleare Renowne
Of Ladies) that you presently returne
And bring backe those, in whose faire shapes were showne
The late-seene Nymphes in figures of their owne
Whom you shall finde hard by within a groue
And Garden of the spring addrest to Ioue.

Hereupon the Duke of Yorke with his attendants departing to performe this seruice, the lowde Musicque soundes, and sodainely appeares the Queenes Maiesty in a most pleasant and artificiall Groue, which was the third Scene, and from thence they march vp to the King conducted by the Duke of Yorke, and the Noble-men, in very stately manner.

And in all these shewes, this is to be noted, that there were none of inferiour sort, mixed amongst these great Personages of State and Honour (as vsually there haue beene) but all was performd by themselues with a due reseruation of their dignity. And for those two which did Personate the Tritons, they were Gentlemen knowne of good worth and respect. The introducing of Pages with torches, might haue added more splendor, but yet they would haue pestred the roome, which the season would not well permit.