University of Virginia Library


871

The inuention was, to haue a Satyre lodged in a little Spinet, by which her Maiestie, and the Prince were to come, who (at the report of certayne Cornets that were diuided in seuerall places of the Parke, to signifie her approch) aduanced his head aboue the top of the wood, wondring, and (with his pipe in his hand) began as followeth.
Satyre:
Here? there? and euery where?
Some solemnities are neere,
That these changes strike mine eare.
My pipe and I a part shall beare.
And after a short straine with his pipe; againe.
Looke, see; (beshrew this tree,)
What may all this wonder bee?
Pipe it, who that lift for mee:
I'le flie out abroade, and see.
There he leaped downe, and gazing the Queene and Prince in the face, went forward.
That is Gyparissvs face?
And the dame hath Syrinx grace!
O that Pan were now in place,
Sure, they are of heauenly race.

Here he ranne into the wood againe, and hid himselfe whilst to the sound of excellent soft Musique, that was there concealed in the thicket; there came tripping vp the lawne, a beuy of Faeries, attending on Mab their Queene, who

872

falling into an artificiall ring, that was there cut in the path, began to dance around, whilst their Mistris spake as followeth.

Faerie.
Haile, and welcome worthiest Queene,
Ioy had neuer perfect beene,
To the Nymphs that haunt this greene,
Had they not this euening seene.
Now they print it on the ground
With their feete in figures round,
Markes that will be euer found,
To remember this glad stound.

The Satyre peeping out of the bush, said,
Trust her not, you bonny-bell,
Shee will fortie leasings tell,
I doe know her pranks right well.

Faerie.
Satyre, we must haue a spell,
For your tongue, it runnes too fleet.

Satyre.
Not so nimbly as your feet,
When about the creame-bowles sweet,
You, and all your Elues doe meet.
Here he came hopping forth, and mixing himselfe with the Faeries skipped in, out, and about their circle, while the Elues made many offers to catch at him.
This is Mab the mistris-Faerie,
That doth nightly rob the dayrie,
And can hurt, or helpe the cherning,
(As shee please) without discerning.

Elfe.
Pvg, you will anon take warning?
Shee, that pinches countrey wenches,
If they rub not cleane their benches,
And with sharper nayles remembers,
When they rake not vp their embers:
But if so they chance to feast her,
In a shooe shee drops a tester.

Elfe.
Shall we strip the skipping iester?
This is shee, that empties cradles,
Takes out children, puts in ladles:
Traynes forth mid-wiues in their slumber,
With a siue the holes to number.
And then leads them, from her borroughs
Home through ponds, and water furrowes.


873

Elfe.
Shall not all this mocking stirre vs?
Shee can start our Franklins daughters,
In their sleepe, with shrikes, and laughters,
And on sweet Saint Anne's night,
Feed them with a promis'd sight,
Some of husbands, some of louers,
Which an emptie dreame discouers.

Elfe.
Satyre, vengeance neere you houers,
And in hope that you would come here
Yester-eue the lady

For shee was expected there on Mid-summer day at night, but came not till the day following.

Summer,

Shee inuited to a banquet;
But (in sooth) I con you thanke yet,
That you could so well deceiue her
Of the pride which gan vp-heaue her:
And (by this) would so haue blowne her,
As no wood-god should haue knowne her.

Here he skipped into the wood.
Elfe.
Mistris, this is onely spight:
For you would not yester-night
Kisse him in the cock-shout light.

And came againe.
Satyre.
By Pan, and thou hast hit it right.

There they laid hold on him, and nipt him.
Faery.
Fayries, pinch him black and blue,
Now you haue him, make him rue.

Satyre.
O, hold, Mab: I sue.

Elfe.
Nay, the deuill shall haue his due.

There he ranne quite away and left them in a confusion, while the Faery began againe.
Satyre.
Pardon lady this wild strayne,
Common with the Sylvan trayne,
That doe skip about this plaine:
Elues, apply your gyre againe.
And whilst some doe hop the ring,
Some shall play, and some shall sing,
Weele expresse in euerything,

Quasi Orions Anna.

Oranas well—comming.


874

Song.
This is shee,
This is shee,
In whose world of grace
Euery season, person, place,
That receiue her, happy be,
For with no lesse,
Then

Bringing with her the Prince which is the greatest felicitie of kingdomes.

a kingdomes happinesse,

Doth shee priuate

For households.

Lares blesse,

And ours aboue the rest:
By how much we deserue it least.
Long liue Oriana
To exceed (whom shee succeeds) our late Diana.

Faery.
Madame, now an end to make,
Deigne a simple gift to take:
Only for the Faeries sake,
Who about you still shall wake.
'Tis done only to supply,
His suspected courtesie,
Who (since Thamyra did dye)
Hath not brookt a ladies eye,
Nor allow'd about his place,
Any of the female race.
Only we are free to trace
All his grounds, as he to chase.
For which bountie to vs lent,
Of him vnknowledgde, or vnsent,
We prepar'd this

A iewell was giuen her.

complement,

And as farre from cheape intent,
In particular to feed,
Any hope that should succeed.
Or our glorie by the deed,
As your selfe are from the need.
Vtter not; we you implore,
Who did giue it, nor wherefore.
And when euer you restore
Your selfe to vs, you shall haue more.
Highest, happyest Queene farewell,
But beware you doe not tell.


875

Here the Faeries hopt away in a fantastique dance, when on a sodaine the Satyre discouered himselfe againe and came forth.
Satyre.
Not tell? Ha, ha, I could smile,
At this old, and toothlesse wile.
Ladie, I haue beene no sleeper,
Shee belyes the noble keeper.
Say, that here he like the groues:
And pursue no forraine loues,
Is he therefore to be deemed,
Rude, or sauage? or esteemed,
But a sorry entertayner,
'Cause he is no common strayner:
After painted Nymphs for fauours,
Or that in his garbe he sauours
Little of the nicety,
In the sprucer courtiery;
As the rosarie of kisses,
With the oath that neuer misses,
This, beleeue me on the brest,
And then telling some mans iest,
Thinking to preferre his wit,
Equall with his suite by it,
I meane his clothes: No, no, no,
Here doth no such humour flow.
He can neither bribe a grace,
Nor encounter my lords face
With a plyant smile, and flatter,
Though this lately were some matter
To the making of a courtier.
Now he hopes he shall resort there,
Safer, and with more allowance;
Since a hand hath gouernance,
That hath giuen those customes chase,
And hath brought his owne in place.
O that now a wish could bring,
The god-like person of a king,
Then should euen Enuy find,
Cause of wonder at the mind
Of our wood-man: but loe, where
His kingly image doth appeare,
And is all this while neglected.
Pardon (lord) you are respected

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Deepe as is the Keepers hart,
And as deare in euery part.
See, for instance where he sends
Here the Satyre fetcht out of the wood, the Lord Spencers eldest sonne, attyr'd and appointed like a huntsman.
His son, his heire; who humbly bends
Low, as is his fathers earth,
To the wombe that gaue you birth:
So he was directed first,
Next to you, of whom the thirst
Of seeing takes away the vse
Of that part, should plead excuse
For his boldnesse, which is lesse
By his comly shame fac'tnesse.
Rise vp, sir, I will betray,
All I thinke you haue to say;
That your father giues you here,
(Freely as to him you were)
To the seruice of this Prince:
And with you these instruments
Of his wild and Syluan trade,
Better not Acteon had.
The bow was Phœbes, and the horne,
By Orion often worne:
The dog of Sparta breed, and good,
As can ring within a wood;
Thence his name is: you shall try
How he hunteth instantly.
But perhaps the Queene your mother,
Rather doth affect some other
Sport, as coursing: we will proue
Which her highnesse most doth loue.
Satyres let the woods resound,
They shall haue their welcome crown'd,
With a brace of bucks to ground.

At that, the whole wood and place resounded with the noyse of cornets, hornes, and other hunting musique, and a brace of choice Deere put out, and as fortunately kill'd, as they were meant to be; euen in the sight of her Maiestie.
This was the first nights shew. Where the next day being Sunday, shee rested, and on Munday, till after dinner; where there was a speech sodainly thought on, to induce a morrise of the clownes there about, who most officiously presented themselues, but by reason of the throng of the countrey that came in, their speaker could not be heard, who was in the person of No-body, to deliuer this following speech, and attyred in a paire of breeches which were made to come vp to his neck, with his armes out at his pockets, and a cap drowning his face.

877

If outside moue your laughter,
Pray Iove, my inside be thereafter.
Queene, Prince, Duke, Earles,
Countesses; you courtly Pearles:
(And, I hope no mortall sinne,
If I put lesse Ladies in)
Faire saluted be you all.
At this time it doth befall,
We are the Huisher to a Morrise,
(A kind of Masque) whereof good store is
In the countrey hereabout,
But this, the choice of all the rout.
Who, because that no man sent them,
Haue got No-bodie to present them.
These are things haue no suspition
Of their ill doing; nor ambition
Of their well: but as the Pipe
Shall inspire them, meane to skip.
They come to see, and to be seene,
And though they dance afore the Queene,
Ther's none of these doth hope to come by
Wealth, to build another Holmby:
All those dauncing dayes are done,
Men must now haue more then one
Grace, to build their fortunes on,
Else our soles would sure haue gone,
All by this time to our feete.
I not deny, where Graces meete
In a man, that qualitie
Is a gracefull propertie:
But when dauncing is his best,
(Beshrew me) I suspect the rest.
But I am No-bodie, and my breath
(Soone as it is borne) hath death.
Come on clownes, forsake your dumps,
And bestirre your hob-nail'd stumps,
Doe your worst, Ile vndertake,
Not a ierke you haue shall make
Any Ladie here in loue.
Perhaps your Foole, or so, may moue
Some Ladies woman with a trick,
And vpon it she may pick
A paire of reuelling legs, or two,
Out of you, with much adoe.

878

But see, the Hobby-horse is forgot.
Foole, it must be your lot,
To supply his want with faces,
And some other Buffon graces,
You know how; Piper play,
And let no bodie hence away.
There was also another parting Speech; which was to haue beene presented in the person of a youth, and accompanied with diuers gentlemens younger sonnes of the countrey: but by reason of the multitudinous presse, was also hindred. And which we haue here adioyned.
And will you then, Mirror of Queenes, depart?
Shall nothing stay you? not my Masters heart?
That pants to leese the comfort of your light,
And see his Day ere it be old grow Night?
You are a Goddesse, and your will be done:
Yet this our last hope is, that as the Sunne
Cheeres obiects farre remou'd, as well as neere;
So, where so'ere you shine, you'le sparkle here.
And you deare Lord, on whom my couetous eye
Doth feed it selfe, but cannot satisfie,
O shoot vp fast in spirit, as in yeares;
That when vpon her head proud Europe weares
Her stateliest tire, you may appeare thereon
The richest gem, without a paragon.
Shine bright and fixed as the Artick starre:
And when slow Time hath made you fit for warre,
Looke ouer the strict Ocean, and thinke where
You may but lead vs forth, that grow vp here
Against a day, when our officious swords
Shall speake our action better then our words.
Till then, all good euent conspire to crowne
Your parents hopes, our zeale, and your renowne.
Peace vsher now your steps, and where you come,
Be Enuie still strooke blind, and Flatterie dumbe.