Cho. Which from the sea flow'd forth upon the sense, Here follow the REVELS. Which ended, the scene changeth to a garden, and the heavens opening, there appear four new persons, in form of a Constellation, sitting; or a new Asterism, expecting VENUS, whom they call upon with this SONG. JUPITER, JUNO, GENIUS, Hymen. Jup. Haste, daughter Venus, haste and come away, Gen. Unto the constellation of this night. Jun. And Juno. Gen. And the Genius call. Jup. Your father Jupiter. Grand Cho. And all That bless or honour holy nuptial. VENUS here appears in a cloud, and passing through the Constellation, descendeth to the earth, when presently the cloud vanisheth, and she is seen sitting in a throne. Ven. Here, here I present am Both in my girdle, and my flame; On earth, for perfect love and beauty's sake. Her song ended, and she rising up to go to the queen, the throne disappears: in place of which, there shooteth up a palm-tree with an imperial crown on the top; from the root whereof, lilies and roses twining together, and embracing the stem, flourish through the crown; which she in the SONG with the CHORUs describes. Grand Cho. Beauty and Love, whose story is mysterial, Bring not more peace than these, who so united be are, And all the rest of loves or princes famed are. After this, they DANCE their going out. AND THUS IT ENDED. CHLORIDIA. RITES TO CHLORIS AND HER NYMPHS. PERSONATED IN A MASQUE AT COURT. BY THE QUEEN'S MAJESTY, AND HER LADIES, AT SHROVE-TIDE, 1630. The Inventors, BEN JONSON; INIGO JONES. Unius tellus ante coloris erat. са CHLORIDIA.] From the undated 4to. but probably printed in 1630 it is also in the fol. 1641. See the observations on Love's Triumph. No mention of Jones occurs in the 4to. edition of this Masque; though his name is found in the folio. CHLORIDIA. HE King and Queen's majesty having given their command for the invention of a new argument, with the whole change of the scene, wherein her majesty, with the like number of her ladies, purposed a presentation to the king; it was agreed, it should be the celebration of some rites done to the goddess Chloris, who, in a general council of the gods, was proclaimed goddess of the flowers; according to that of Ovid, in the Fasti, -Arbitrium tu Dea floris habe. And was to be stellified on earth, by an absolute decree from Jupiter, who would have the earth to be adorn'd with stars, as well as the heaven. Upon this hinge the whole invention moved. The ornament which went about the scene, was composed of foliage, or leaves heighten'd with gold, and interwoven with all sorts of flowers, and naked children, playing and climbing among the branches; and in the midst a great garland of flowers, in which was written, CHLORIDIA. The curtain being drawn up, the scene is discovered, consisting of pleasant hills, planted with young trees, and all the lower banks adorned with flowers. And from some hollow parts of those hills, fountains come gliding down; which, in the far-off landscape, seemed all to be converted to a river. Over all a serene sky, with transparent clouds, |