University of Virginia Library

Actus quintus

Enter Poetry at one door, and Aurora at the other.
Poetry.
Hail fair Aurora.

Auro.
Poetry good morrow.
Why art thou up so soon?

Poe.
I come to borrow
Light from your lustre Madam, your bright eyes
Discover Natures vast varieties;
You and Apollo have the keys of health,
Whose treasury discloseth wit and wealth;
You are the Students Queen, the wanderers guide,
The Springs Imperial Crown, the Summers pride;
Flora that drinks her mornings draught in dew,
Could never spread her mantle but for you.
Though Phebe shine refulgent in her sphere,
She shews but sickly when your beams appear,
You are fair Fancies Midwife, all the worth
She labours with all night, your hands bring forth;
To tell how bright, how sweet, how rich, how ruddy
Aurora is, would ask a twelve-months study.

Auro.
Leave off, you'l make me blush else I protest.

Poet.
Tis my intent, a blushing morning's best.

Auro.
When saw you Madam Fancy.

Poe.
Never since.
I did employ her to present the Prince
Of darkness with some Revels, which were done
To celebrate his Coronation.

Auro.
That was but lately, they are newly gon,
The Queen and he went off as I came on.

Poet.
You never move together.

Auro.
Never since
We parted from the Chaos, when the Prince
Of all the world divided us.

Poet.
Who's here?

Auro.
Tis Madam Fancy sure.

Poet.
Wel met my dear.

Fancy.
Your servant vertuous Madam.

Auro.
welcome from
The Court of Darkness.

Poe.
I am glad th'art come,
For without thy assistance there's no hope
Of a conclusion.

Fan.
What must be the scope
Of this design?

Poe.
Something that may appear
For a grand Masque.

Fan.
A Dance? what if it were
Perform'd by the 9. Worthies.

Poe.
That's too common.

Fan.
Or the 9. Muses?

Poe.
There's too much of woman
To express footing well.

Fan.
Then ye shall have
The 7. Sciences.

Poe.
They are too grave.

Fan.
The 7. deadly sins.

Poe.
They are too rude.

Fan.
The 7. Champions.

Poe.
They are too proud.

Fan.
The 4. Complexions.

Poe.
No, they are not new.

Fan.
The 4. patts of the world.

Poe.
They are too few.

Fan.
Five Sences with a Devil and a Zany.

Poe.
Preposterous.

Fan.
12 Sibils.

Poe.
They'r too many.

Auro.
You'r hard to please.

Poe.
I would have something come,
As from the bancks of blest Elizium,
Where Immortality doth lead the Spirits
Of Heroes, lately stellified for merits,
Where the white souls of those bright Lovers move,
Who made their lives a sacrifice to Love,
And in deep Melancholy dyed to please,
The cruel coyness of their Mistresses,
Where those triumphant Worthies are, whose blood
By war was wasted for their Countries good;
Where pious Priests and Princes reassume
The heads and Crowns they lost in Martyrdome,
Where Poetry is mounted above chance,
And the poor power of Pride and Ignorance;
Where the Fields bloom with everlasting Summers,
And Sufferers are onely Overcommers.

Fan.
Shall this be your device?

Po.
I think 'twill be
The best design for a Catastrophie.

Fan.
Why then it shall be so, I like the story,
That which begins with Truth, should end with Glory.

Aur.
Tis very proper.

Po.
Go about it then.

Fan.
would Madam Verity were here agen,
Where shall I look for her?

Po.
I know not where.

Fan.
I'le search the City.

Po.
She is seldome there.

Aur.
Look in the Camp, for they pretend to good.

Po.
'Twill be in vain, she never deals in blood.

Fan.
Ile seek for her at Court.

Po.
That were meer dotage,
You'l sooner find her in some poor mans Cottage,
Whose low-pric'd labour hardly will sustain
His house with bread, and free his bed from rain.

Fan.
Are those her Rendezvouz?

Aur.
See, she is come.

Po.
Whence came you Madam?

Ver.
From Elizium.

Po.
And in a happy minute; 'tis from thence
At this time we attend Intelligence.

Ver.
What is your wish?

Po.
That you would pleas to grace
Us with a glimpse of that eternal place.

Ver.
It is a great request, no carnal eye
Can view the splendors of Eternity.

Po.
Not by reflexion?

Ver.
Yes, if you can get
An Optick from Fidelia's Cabinet,
The Queen of Faith, thorow that Glass I'le show,
What all the world without it cannot know.

Po.
It will not fit this place.

Ver.
Why then go on.
By Fancy, and I'le give direction.

Po.
Content.

Aur.
I must depart, I see the Sun
Begins to mount to the Meridian;
My Regency declines.

Po.
See us begin it,
We shall not much exceed the twentieth minute;
Advance your concord, let the Spheres proclaim,
Cromatick welcomes in Aurora's name.

Exeunt.
Scene drawn discloseth 9. Heroes.
SONG.
Chor.
Chor.
Chor.

The Heroes descend and dance the Grand Masque, they conclude the last Figure in a semicircle. Poetry enters in the middle, and speaks
Exeunt omnes.