h

When Love at first, did move
From out of Chaos, brightned
So was the world, and lightned,
As now.
I Ech. As now!

2 Ech. As now!
Yield Night, then to the light,
As BLACKNESS hath to BEAUTY :

Which is but the same duty.
It was for Beauty & that the world was made,
And where she reigns," Love s lights admit no shade.

i Ech. Love's lights admit no shade.

2 Ech. Admit no shade. Which ended, Vulturnus, the wind, spake to the river Thamesis, that lay along between the shores, leaning upon his urn that flow'd with water, and crowned with flowers; with a blue cloth of silver robe about him; and was personated by master Thomas Giles, who made the dances. Vul. Rise, Aged Thames, and by the hand

Receive these nymphs, within the land.
And in those curious squares, and rounds,
Wherewith thou flow'st betwixt the grounds
Of fruitful Kent, and Essex fair,
That lends the garlands for thy hair ;
Instruct their silver feet to tread,

Whilst we, again, to sea are fled. So is he feigned by Orpheus, to have appeared first of all the gods; awakened by Clotho : and is therefore called Phanes, both by him, and Lactantius.

8 An agreeing opinion, both with divines and philosophers, that the great artificer, in love with his own idea, did therefore frame the world.

h Alluding to the name of Himerus, and his signification in the name, which is Desiderium post aspectum : and more than Eros, which is only Cupido, ex aspectu amare. 2 Instruct their silver feet to tread.] Warton seemed inclined to

With which the Winds departed : and the river received them into the land, by couples and fours, their Cupids coming before them.

These dancing forth a most curious dance, full of excellent device and change, ended it in the figure of a diamond, and so, standing still, were by the musicians with a second song, sung by a loud tenor, celebrated.

So Beauty on the waters stood,
When Love had sever'd earth from flood !'
So when he parted air from fire,
He did with concord all inspire !
And then a motion he them taught,
That elder than himself was thought.
Which thought was, yet, the child of earth,

For Love is elder than his birth.
The song ended; they danced forth their second dance,

more subtle and full of change than the former ; and so exquisitely performed, as the king's majesty (incited first by his own liking, to that which all others there present wished) required them both again, after some time of dancing with the lords. Which time to give them respite was intermitted with a song; first, by a treble voice, in this manner.

If all these Cupids, now were blind,
As is their wanton brother;

compliment Milton with the introduction of this expression, when Mr. Bowles (the keen detector of Jonson's plagiarisms, vol. iv. 37) informed him that silver-footed was to be found in Brown's Pastorals (1619)—"perhaps," subjoins the former, " for the first time in English poetry.” It had previously occurred in twenty places in Jonson !

i As, in the creation, he is said by the ancients to have done.

k That is, born since the world, and out of those duller apprehensions that did not think he was before.

1 I make these different from him, which they feign cæcum Cupidinem, or petulantem, as I express beneath in the third song,

Or play should put it in their mind

To shoot at one another :
What pretty battle they would make,
If they their objects should mistake,

And each one wound his mother!

Which was seconded by another treble; thus,
It was no policy of court,

Albe' the place were charmed,
To let in earnest, or in sport,

So many Loves in, armed.
For say, the dames should, with their eyes,
Upon the hearts here mean surprize;

Were not the men like harmed ?

To which a tenor answered.
Yes, were the Loves or false, or straying ;
Or beauties not their beauty weighing :
But here no such deceit is mix'd,
Their flames are pure, their eyes are fix'd:
They do not war with different darts,

But strike a music of like hearts. After which songs they danced galliards and corantos; and with those excellent graces, that the music appointed to celebrate them, shewed it could be silent no longer : but, by the first tenor, admired them thus :

Song.
Had those that dwelt in error foul
And hold that women have no soul,m
But seen these move; they would have then
Said, women were the souls of men.

m

these being chaste Loves that attend a more divine beauty than that of Love's common parent.

m There hath been such a profane paradox published.

So they do move each heart and eye,
With the world's soul, true harmony."

Here they danced a third most elegant and curious

dance, and not to be described again by any art, but that of their own footing, which ending in the figure that was to produce the fourth, January from his state saluted them thus.

Janu. Your grace is great, as is your beauty, dames; Enough my feasts have proved your thankful flames. Now use your seat : that seat which was, before, Thought straying, uncertain, floating to each shore, And to whose havingo every clime laid claim, Each land and nation urged as the aim Of their ambition, beauty's perfect throne, Now made peculiar to this place alone; And that by impulsion of your destinies, And his attractive beams that lights these skies. Who, though with th' ocean compass'd, never wets His hair therein, nor wears a beam that sets.

Long may his light adorn these happy rites, As I renew them ; and your gracious sights Enjoy that happiness, even to envy, as when Beauty, at large, brake forth, and conquer'd men ! At which they danced their last dance into their throne

again; and that turning, the scene closed with this full song

Still turn and imitate the heaven

In motion swift and even ;
And as his planets go,

Your brighter lights do so:
May youth and pleasure ever flow.

n The Platonic's opinion. See also Mac. lib. i. and ii. Som. Sc.

For what country is it thinks not her own beauty fairest,

But let your state, the while,

Be fixed as the isle.
Cho. So all that see your beauties sphere,

May know the Elysian fields are here.
í Ech. The Elysian fields are here.

2 Ech. Elysian fields are here.

The Persons who were received on land by the

river god were, The QUEEN,

| Lady ARABELLA,

3

3 Lady Arabella.] Lady Arabella Stewart. This beautiful and accomplished lady was the only child of Charles Stewart, fifth earl of Lennox, (uncle to James I. and great grandson to Henry VII.) by Elizabeth, daughter of sir William Cavendish of Hardwick. Mr. Lodge, in his admirable Illustrations of British History, has given with his usual elegance a concise narrative of her eventful life. “She was brought up (he says) in privacy under the care of her grandmother, the old countess of Lennox, who had for many years resided in England. Her double relation to royalty was equally obnoxious to the jealousy of Elizabeth and the timidity of James, and they secretly dreaded the supposed danger of her leaving a legitimate offspring. The former, therefore, prevented her from marrying Esme Stuart, her kinsman, and heir to the titles and estates of her family, and afterwards imprisoned her for listening to some overtures from the son of the earl of Northumberland;* the latter, by obliging her to reject many splendid offers of

* Sully says that Henry IV. once told him he should have no objection to marry her if he thought the succession to the crown of England could be obtained for her; but immediately added, that was a very improbable thing.