Silen. Stay! the cheerful chanticleer
Tells you that the time is near :—
See, the gates already spread!
Every Satyr bow his head.

There the whole palace opened, and the nation of Faies were discovered, some with instruments, some bearing lights, others singing; and within afar off in perspective, the knights masquers sitting in their several sieges: at the further end of all, OBERON, in a chariot, which, to a loud triumphant music, began to move forward, drawn by two white bears, and on either side guarded by three Sylvans, with one going in front.

SONG.

Melt earth to sea, sea flow to air,

And air fly into fire,

Whilst we in tunes, to Arthur's chair

Bear Oberon's desire;

Than which there's nothing can be high'r,

Save JAMES, to whom it flies:

But he the wonder is of tongues, of ears, of eyes.

Who hath not heard, who hath not seen,

Who hath not sung his name?

The soul that hath not, hath not been;

But is the very same

With buried sloth, and knows not fame,

Which doth him best comprise:

For he the wonder is of tongues, of ears, of eyes.

By this time the chariot was come as far forth as the face of the scene. And the Satyrs beginning to leap, and express their joy for the unused state and solemnity, the foremost Sylvan began to speak.

I Syl. Give place, and silence; you were rude too late;

This is a night of greatness, and of state,

Not to be mixt with light and skipping sport;
A night of homage to the British court,
And ceremony due to Arthur's chair,

From our bright master, Oberon the fair;
Who, with these knights, attendants, here preserv'd
In Fairy land, for good they have deserv'd
Of yond' high throne, are come of right to pay
Their annual vows; and all their glories lay
At's feet, and tender to this only great,
True majesty, restored in this seat;

To whose sole power and magic they do give
The honour of their being; that they live
Sustain'd in form, fame, and felicity,

From rage of fortune, or the fear to die.

Silen. And may they well. For this indeed is he,

My boys, whom you must quake at, when you see.
He is above your reach; and neither doth,
Nor can he think, within a Satyr's tooth:
Before his presence you must fall or fly.
He is the matter of virtue, and placed high.
His meditations, to his height, are even:
And all their issue is akin to heaven.
He is a god o'er kings; yet stoops he then
Nearest a man, when he doth govern men ;
To teach them by the sweetness of his sway,
And not by force. He's such a king as they,
Who're tyrants' subjects, or ne'er tasted peace,
Would, in their wishes, form for their release.
'Tis he that stays the time from turning old,
And keeps the age up in a head of gold.
That in his own true circle still doth run;
And holds his course as certain as the sun.
He makes it ever day, and ever spring,

Where he doth shine, and quickens every thing,
Like a new nature: so that true to call

Him, by his title, is to say, He's all.

I Syl. I thank the wise Silenus for his praise. Stand forth, bright Faies and Elves, and tune your lays

Unto his name; then let your nimble feet
Tread subtile circles, that may always meet
In point to him; and figures, to express
The grace of him and his great emperess.
That all, that shall to-night behold the rites,
Perform'd by princely Oberon, and these knights,
May, without stop, point out the proper heir
Design'd so long to Arthur's crowns and chair.
SONG by two Faies.

2 Faie.

1 Faie. Seek you majesty, to strike?
Bid the world produce his like.
Seek you glory, to amaze?
Here let all eyes stand at gaze.
Seek you wisdom, to inspire?
Touch then at no other's fire.

Cho.

1 Faie.

2 Faie.

Cho.

Seek you knowledge, to direct?
Trust to his without suspect.
Seek you piety, to lead?
In his footsteps only tread.
Every virtue of a king,
And of all, in him, we sing.

Then the lesser Faies dance forth their dance;2 which ended, a full SONG follows, by all the voices.

2 Then the lesser Faies dance.] "The little ladies (sir John Finnet says) performed their dance to the amazement of all beholders, considering the tenderness of their years, and the many intricate changes of the dance, which was so disposed, that which way soever the changes went, the little duke (Charles) was still found to be in the midst of these little dancers." Had sir John been much skilled in the mysteries of fairy land, he would have recollected that the Faies always danced in a circle, of which Oberon or Mab, or some graced person, was the centre.

The solemn rites are well begun;

And though but lighted by the moon,
They shew as rich, as if the sun

Had made this night his noon.

But may none wonder that they are so bright,
The moon now borrows from a greater light:
Then, princely Oberon,

Go on,

This is not every night.

OBERON and the knights dance out the first masquewhich was followed with this

dance

After which, they danced forth their second masquedance, and were again excited by a

SONG.

1 Faie. Nor yet, nor yet, O you in this night blest, Must you have will, or hope to rest.

3 Plants of clay,] i. e. feet of clay, from the Latin planta. WHAL. Shakspeare uses the word, with a punning allusion to the unsteady condition of his revellers, in Antony and Cleopatra: "Here they'll be, anon: some of their plants are ill rooted already."

2 Faie. If you use the smallest stay,
You'll be overta'en by day.

I Faie. And these beauties will suspect
That their forms you do neglect,
If you do not call them forth.

2 Faie. Or that you have no more worth
Than the coarse and country Fairy,
That doth haunt the hearth, or dairy.

Then followed the measures, corantos, galliards, &c. till PHOSPHORUs the day-star appeared, and called them away; but first they were invited home by one of the Sylvans, with this

Gentle knights,

SONG.

Know some measure of your nights.
Tell the high graced Oberon,

It is time that we were gone.
Here be forms so bright and airy,
And their motions so they vary,
As they will enchant the Fairy,

If you longer here should tarry.

Phos. To rest, to rest! the herald of the day, Bright Phosphorus, commands you hence; obey.

4 Then followed the measures, corantos, galliards.] "These light skirmishers, (our historian continues,) the faies, having done their devoir, in came the princesses; first the Queen, next the lady Elizabeth's Grace, then the lady Arbella, the countesses of Arundell, Derby, Essex, Dorset, and Montgomery; the lady Hadington, the lady Elizabeth Grey, the lady Winsor, the lady Katharine Peter, the lady Elizabeth Guildford, and the lady Mary Wintoun. By that time these had done, it was high time to go to bed, for it was within half an hour of the sun's rising." To this the speech of Phosphorus alludes." The Ambassadors of Spaine, of Venice, and of the Low Countries were present at this and all the rest of these glorious sights, and in truth such they were." Winwood's State Papers, vol. iii. p. 181.