These represented the four Humours and four Affections, all gloriously attired, distinguished only by their several ensigns and colours; and, dancing out on the stage, in their return at the end of their dance, drew all their swords, offered to encompass the altar, and disturb the ceremonies. At which HYMEN, troubled, spake:

Hy. Save, save the virgins; keep your hallow'd lights

Untouch'd; and with their flame defend our rites. The four untemper'd Humours are broke out, And, with their wild Affections, go about

To ravish all religion. If there be

A power, like reason, left in that huge body

Cooper, who married Anne, daughter and sole heir of sir Antony Ashley, (a famous soldier under Elizabeth,) and who, with the immense property, might also enjoy the name of his father-in-law. Sir John was the father of Antony Ashley Cooper, first earl of Shaftsbury.

That they were personated in men hath already come under some grammatical exception. But there is more than grammar to release it. For, besides that humores and affectus are both masculine in genere, not one of the specials but in some language is known by a masculine word. Again, when their influences are common to both sexes, and more generally impetuous in the male, I see not why they should not, so, be more properly presented. And, for the allegory, though here it be very clear, and such as might well escape a candle, yet because there are some must complain of darkness, that have but thick eyes, I am contented to hold them this light. First, as in natural bodies so likewise in minds, there is no disease or distemperature, but is caused either by some abounding humour, or perverse affection; after the same manner, in politic bodies (where order, ceremony, state, reverence, devotion, are parts of the mind) by the difference or predominant will of what we metaphorically call humours and affections, all things are troubled and confused. These, therefore, were tropically brought in, before marriage, as disturbers of that mystical body, and the rites, which were soul unto it; that afterwards, in marriage, being dutifully tempered by her power, they might more fully celebrate the happiness of such as live in that sweet union, to the harmonious laws of nature and reason.

Or little world of man, from whence these came, Look forth, and with thy bright and numerous flame' Instruct their darkness, make them know, and see, In wronging these, they have rebell'd 'gainst thee.

Hereat, REASON, seated on the top of the globe, as in the brain, or highest part of man, figured in a venerable personage, her hair white, and trailing to her waist, crowned with light, her garments blue, and semined with stars, girded unto her with a white band filled with arithmetical figures, in one hand bearing a lamp, in the other a bright sword, descended and spake:

Rea. Forbear your rude attempt; what ignorance Could yield you so profane, as to advance One thought in act against these mysteries? Are Union's orgies" of so slender price? She that makes souls with bodies mix in love, Contracts the world in one, and therein Jove; Is spring and end of all things:" yet, most strange, Herself nor suffers spring, nor end, nor change. No wonder they were you, that were so bold; For none but Humours and Affections would Have dared so rash a venture. You will say It was your zeal that gave your powers the sway; And urge the masqued and disguised pretence Of saving blood, and succouring innocence : So want of knowledge still begetteth jars, When humorous earthlings will control the stars.

Alluding to that opinion of Pythagoras, who held all reason, all knowledge, all discourse of the soul to be mere number. See Plut. de Plac. Phil.

m

Opyia, with the Greeks, value the same that ceremonia with the Latins; and imply all sorts of rites: howsoever (abusively) they have been made particular to Bacchus. See Serv. to that of Virg. Æneid iv. Qualis commotis excita sacris Thyas.

Macrob. in Som. Scip. lib. i.

Inform yourselves, with safer reverence,
To these mysterious rites, whose mystic sense,
Reason, which all things, but itself, confounds,
Shall clear unto you from the authentic grounds.

At this the Humours and Affections sheathed their swords, and retired amazed to the side of the stage, while HYMEN began to rank the persons, and order the ceremonies: and REASON proceeded to speak.

Rea. The pair, which do each other side, Though yet some space doth them divide, This happy night must both make one; Blest sacrifice to Union.

Nor is this altar but a sign

Of one more soft, and more divine.
The genial bed," where Hymen keeps
The solemn orgies, void of sleeps:
And wildest Cupid, waking, hovers
With adoration 'twixt the lovers.
The tead of white and blooming thorn,
In token of increase, is born :
As also, with the ominous light,P
To fright all malice from the night.
Like are the fire and water set ;9
That, ev'n as moisture, mixt with heat,
Helps every natural birth to life :
So, for their race, join man and wife.
The blushing veil shews shamefac'dness
Th' ingenuous virgin should profess

Properly that which was made ready for the new-married bride, and was called Genialis, à generandis liberis. Serv. in vi. Æn. P See Ovid. Fast. lib. vi.

Sic fatus spinam, quâ tristes pellere posset

A foribus noxas, hæc erat alba, dedit.

• Plutar. in Quæst. Rom. and Var. lib. iv. de ling. Lat. Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. xxi. cap. 8.

At meeting with the man; her hair,
That flows so liberal," and so fair,
Is shed with gray, to intimate,
She entereth to a matron's state,
For which those utensils are born.
And, that she should not labour scorn,
Herself a snowy fleece" doth wear,
And these her rock and spindle bear,*
To shew, that nothing which is good
Gives check unto the highest blood.
The zone of wool' about her waist,
Which, in contrary circles cast,

Doth meet in one strong knot," that binds,
Tells you, so should all married minds.
And lastly, these five waxen lights,

Imply perfection in the rites:

For five the special number is,

Whence hallow'd Union claims her bliss.
As being all the sum that grows
From the united strength of those
Which male and female numbers we'
Do style, and are first two and three.
Which, joined thus, you cannot sever
In equal parts, but one will ever
Remain as common; so we see
The binding force of Unity :

8

Pomp. Fest. Briss. Hotto. de Rit. Nup.

Var. lib. vi. de ling. Lat. and Fest. in Frag.

u Fest. ib.

* Plutar. in Quæst. Rom. et in Romul.

Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. viii. cap. 48.

That was Nodus Herculeanus, which the husband at night untied, in sign of good fortune, that he might be happy in propagation of issue, as Hercules was, who left seventy children. See Fest. in voc. Cingul.

a Plutarch. in Quæst. Rom.

See Mart. Capel. lib. vi. de Nupt. Phil. et Mor. în numero Pentade.

For which alone the peaceful gods
In number always love the odds;
And even parts as much despise,
Since out of them all discords rise.

Here the upper part of the scene, which was all of clouds, and made artificially to swell, and ride like the rack, began to open; and the air clearing, in the top thereof was discovered Juno, sitting in a throne, supported by two beautiful peacocks; her attire rich, and like a queen, a white diadem' on her head, from whence descended a veil, and that bound with a fascia of several colour'd silks, set with all sorts of jewels, and raised in the top with lilies and roses in her right hand she held a sceptre, in the other a timbrel, at her golden feet the hide of a lion was placed:

• With the Greeks, Juno was interpreted to be the air itself. And so Macr. de Som. Scipio. lib. i. cap. 17, calls her. Mar. Cap. surnames her Aeria, of reigning there.

d They were sacred to Juno, in respect of their colours and temper, so like the air. Ovid. de Arte Amand. Laudatas ostendit aves Junonia pennas: and Met. lib. ii.

Habili Saturnia curru

Ingreditur liquidum pavonibus Æthera pictis.

• She was called Regina Juno with the Latins, because she was soror et conjux Jovis, deorum et hominum regis.

'Read Apul. describing her, in his 10th of the Ass.

After the manner of the antique bend, the varied colours implying the several mutations of the air, as showers, dews, serenity, force of winds, clouds, tempests, snow, hail, lightning, thunder, all which had their noises signified in her timbrel: the faculty of causing these being ascribed to her by Virg. Æneid. lib. iv., where he makes her say,

His ego nigrantem commista grandine nimbum

Desuper infundam, et tonitru cælum omne ciebo.

↳ Lilies were sacred to Juno, as being made white with her milk that fell upon the earth, when Jove took Hercules away, whom by stealth he had laid to her breast: the rose was also called Junonia.

i So she was figured at Argos, as a step-mother, insulting on the spoils of her two privigni, Bacchus and Hercules.

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