PAN'S ANNIVERSARY:

OR THE

SHEPHERD'S HOLY DAY.

AS IT WAS PRESENTED AT COURT BEFORE KING JAMES, 1625.

The Inventors, INIGO JONES; BEN JONSON.

PAN'S ANNIVERSARY, &c.] This Masque, which was probably presented on New Year's day, was the last that James witnessed, as he died on the twenty-seventh of March following. It only appears in the fol. 1641, and was printed after Jonson's death.

PAN'S ANNIVERSARY.

The SCENE Arcadia.

The Court being seated, enter three NYMPHS, strewing several sorts of flowers, followed by an old SHEPHERD, with a censer and perfumes.

1 Nym. Thus, thus begin the yearly rites

Are due to Pan on these bright nights;
His morn now riseth, and invites
To sports, to dances, and delights:
All envious and profane, away,

This is the shepherd's holyday.

2 Nym. Strew, strew the glad and smiling ground With every flower, yet not confound The primrose drop, the spring's own

spouse,

Bright day's-eyes, and the lips of cows,
The garden-star, the queen of May,
The rose, to crown the holyday.

3 Nym. Drop, drop your violets, change your hues,
Now red, now pale, as lovers use,
And in your death go out as well,
As when you lived unto the smell:

That from your odour all may say,
This is the shepherd's holyday.

Shep. Well done, my pretty ones, rain roses still,
Until the last be dropt: then hence; and fill
Your fragrant prickles' for a second shower.
Bring corn-flag, tulips, and Adonis' flower,
Fair ox-eye, goldy-locks, and columbine,
Pinks, goulands, king-cups, and sweet sops-in-
wine,

Blue hare-bells, pagles, pansies, calaminth,
Flower-gentle, and the fair-hair'd hyacinth,
Bring rich carnations, flower-de-luces, lilies,
The checqued, and purple-ringed daffodillies,
Bright crown-imperial, kingspear, holyhocks,
Sweet Venus-navel, and soft lady-smocks,
Bring too some branches forth of Daphne's hair,
And gladdest myrtle for these posts to wear,
With spikenard weav'd, and marjoram between,
And starr'd with yellow-golds, and meadows-
queen,

That when the altar, as it ought, is drest,
More odour come not from the phoenix' nest;
The breath thereof Panchaia may envy',
The colours China,' and the light the sky.

Loud Music.

The Scene opens, and the MASQUERS are discovered sitting about the Fountain of Light, with the Musicians, attired like the Priests of Pan, standing in the work beneath them.

Enter a Fencer, flourishing.

Fen. Room for an old trophy of time; a son of

Your fragrant prickles.] So the gardeners still call the light open wicker baskets, in which flowers are brought to market.

The colours China,] This is the earliest allusion that I have found to the beautiful colouring of this ware; which now began to make its appearance in the shops, or, as they were called, China-houses of the capital.