Tumble and toss the restless married pair, Each oft offended with the other's air? From whence springs all-devouring avarice, But from the cares which out of wedlock rise? And where there is in life's best-tempered fires An end set in itself to all desires, A settled quiet, freedom never checked; How far are married lives from this effect? Euripus, that bears ships in all their pride 'Gainst roughest winds with violence of his tide, And ebbs and flows seven times in every day, Toils not more turbulent or fierce than they. And then what rules husbands prescribe their wives! In their eyes circles they must bound their lives. The moon, when farthest from the sun she shines, Is most refulgent, nearest, most declines: But your poor wives far off must never roam, But waste their beauties near their lords at home: "Twixt him and all wants with her silver | And when their lords range out, at home hand. In her soft locks his tender feet are tied; Of man or woman should not rule in them, But each with other wear the anadem.1 Mirrors, though decked with diamants, are nought worth, If the like forms of things they set not forth; So men or women are worth nothing neither, If either's eyes and hearts present not either. Opin. Untouched Virginity, laugh out; to see Freedom in fetters placed, and urged 'gainst thee. What griefs lie groaning on the nuptial bed? What dull society? in what sheets of lead 1 The anadem.] The crown or wreath. The word has frequently occurred before. must hide, Like to begged monopólies, all their pride. When their lords list to feed a serious fit, They must be serious; when to shew their wit In jests and laughter, they must laugh and jest; When they wake, wake; and when they rest, must rest. And to their wives men give such narrow scopes, As if they meant to make them walk on ropes: No tumblers bide more peril of their necks In all their tricks, than wives in husbands' checks. Where virgins in their sweet and peaceful state, Have all things perfect; spin their own free fate; Depend on no proud second; are their Own Centre and circle; now and always one. To whose example we do still hear named One God, one nature, and but one world framed, *A narrow sea between Aulis, a port of Boeotia, and the isle Euboea. See Pomp. Mela lib. 2. One sun, one moon, one element of fire, Truth. And where is marriage more Is there a band more strict than that doth tie In the one's obedience and the other's Believe it, marriage suffers no compare Would longer stay a virgin than to bring Opin. How she doth err, and the whole heaven mistake! Look, how a flower that close in closes grows, 1 Hid from rude cattle, bruised with no ploughs, Which th' air doth stroke, sun strengthen, showers shoot higher, It many youths and many maids desire; The same when cropt by cruel hand is withered, No youths at all, no maidens have desired: So a virgin, while untouched she doth remain, Is dear to hers; but when with body's stain Her chaster flower is lost, she leaves to appear Or sweet to young men, or to maidens dear. 1 Look, how a flower that close in closes grows, That conquest then may crown me in this war, Virgins, O virgins, fly from Hymen far. Truth. Virgins, O virgins, to sweet For as a lone vine in a naked field wears Her tender body, and her highest sproot But if by fortune she be married well men And many youths inhabit by her then: Opin. These are but words; hast thou a By stroke of arms the simple verity? Truth. To that high proof I would have dared thee. I'll straight fetch champions for the bride and me. Opin. The like will I do for virginity. Here they both descended the hail, where at the lower end, a march being sounded with drums and fifes, there entered (led 2 Which the air doth stroke.] i.e., soothe, encourage, flatter, &c. Jonson frequently uses Hid from rude cattle, bruised with no this word as the translation of mulceo. These ploughs.] Catullus has again furnished our speeches, it should be observed, are merely inpoet with this and the following speech. I troductory to the Tilting: and seem to aim at could wish he had consulted the ear a little nothing more than maintaining a plain contest more in the flow of his numbers, that the trans-in plain language. As one of the opponents is lation, if possible, might have equalled the delicacy and sweetness of the original: but the closeness of the version must atone for the want of grace. Ut flos in septis secretus nascitur hortis, Truth, and the other pretends to be Truth, Jonson evidently thought it consistent with the character of the speakers to forego all the graces of invention, and all the ornaments of poetry. It is fit to observe (to the credit of Hurd's deavours to sacrifice the reputation of Jonson candour), that in his feeble and parasitical ento Milton, Pope, and every poet who happens to come in his way, he has produced the specimen of his most elaborate attempts at speech of Opinion just noticed, as a general translation! "It is (he says) but one instance of a thousand;" and he appears to enjoy by anticipation the marvellous "entertainment," which he supposes the quotation will afford his friend Mason. D forth by the Earl of Nottingham, who was Lord High Constable for that night, and the Earl of Worcester, Earl Marshal) sixteen knights armed with pikes and swords; their plumes and colours carnation and white; all richly accoutred, and making their honours to the state, as they marched by in pairs, were all ranked on one side of the hall. They placed sixteen others like accoutred for riches and arms, only that their colours were varied to watchet and white; who were by the same earls led up, and passing in like manner by the state, placed on the opposite side.2 By this time, the BAR being brought up, TRUTH proceeded. Truth. Now join; and if this varied trial fail, To make my truth in wedlock's praise prevail, I will retire, and in more power appear, clear. three to three: and performed it with that alacrity and vigour as if Mars himself had been to triumph before Venus, and invented a new masque. When on a sudden (the last six having scarcely ended) a striking light seemed to fill all the hall, and out of it an ANGEL or messenger of glory appearing. Angel. Princes, attend a tale of height and wonder, Truth is descended in a second thunder, And now will greet you with judicial state, To grace the nuptial part in this debate; And end with reconciled hands these wars. Upon her head she wears a crown of 8 Her right hand holds a sun, &c.] Milton is greatly indebted to this magnificent portraiture of Truth, although his commentators cannot find it out. The purblind Mr. Bowle runs to a Spanish proverb, and Mr. Warton to Dante. These precious discoveries are carefully treasured up in every edition of this great poet. But indeed nothing can be more amusing than the mode in which Jonson is treated in general. The Arcades, with the exception of three trifling songs, is made up of the speech of the Genius. Upon which Warton remarks that, in the King's Entertainment, the Genius speaks somewhat in Milton's manner," &c. In Milton's manner! If the reader will turn to the Wood-passage (vol. ii. p. 559) he will find that Jonson Sir Carey Reynolds. Sir Richard Houghton Sir William Constable. Sir Thomas Gerrard. Sir Robert Killegrew. Sir Thomas Badger. Sir Thomas Dutton. Master Digbie.” speaks in his own manner. In whose manner Milton (who was not then born) speaks, is another question. And Mr. Todd "has been induced (he says) to make large extracts from a MS. Masque by Marston, that the reader may comprehend the nature of those entertainments. (Arcades, 132.) This is the more kind and considerate, as nothing on this head to be found elsewhere. On her coach-wheels Hypocrisy lies racked; And squint-eyed Slander with Vainglory backed Her bright eyes burn to dust, in which shines Fate: An angel ushers her triumphant gait, Whilst with her fingers fans of stars she twists, And with them beats back Error, clad in mists. Eternal Unity behind her shines, That fire and water, earth and air combines. Her voice is like a trumpet loud and shrill, Which bids all sounds in earth and heaven be still. Her gaudy colours, pieced with many folds, Shew what uncertainties she ever holds : Vanish, adulterate Truth! and never dare With proud maids' praise to press where nuptials are. And, champions, since you see the Truth I held, To sacred Hymen, reconciled, yield: Nor (so to yield) think it the least despight: "It is a conquest to submit to right." This royal judge of our contention Will prop, I know, what I have undergone; To whose right sacred highness I resign, Low at his feet, this starry crown of mine, To shew his rule and judgment is divine ; These doves to him I consecrate withal, And see! descended from her chariot now, To note his innocence, without spot, or In this related pomp she visits you. Enter Truth. Truth. Honour to all that honour nuptials, To whose fair lot, in justice now it falls, That this my counterfeit be here disclosed, Who for virginity hath herself opposed. Nor though my brightness do undo her charms, Let these her knights think, that their equal arms Are wronged therein. For valure wins applause, That dares but to maintain the weaker cause. And princes, see, 'tis mere Opinion That in Truth's forced robe, for Truth hath gone! gall; These serpents, for his wisdom: and these rays, To shew his piercing splendor: these bright keys Designing power to ope the ported skies, And speak their glories to his subjects' eyes. Lastly, this heart, with which all hearts be true: And Truth in him make treason ever rue. With this they were led forth, hand in hand, reconciled, as in triumph. And thus the solemnities ended. Vivite concordes, et nostrum discite munus. The Hue and Cry after Cupid. THE HUE AND CRY, &C.-This Masque, which I have called The Hue and Cry after Cupid, bears the following title in the folio, 1616. The Description of the Masque with the Nuptial Songs, at the Lord Viscount Haddington's Marriage at Court, on the Shrove-Tuesday at Night, 1608. The 4to, 1608, adds after Nuptial Songs—“ celebrating the happy marriage of John Lord Ramsey, Viscount Hadington, with the Lady Elizabeth Ratcliffe, daughter to the Right Honourable Robert Earl of Sussex." With this motto: Acceleret partu decimum bona Cynthia mensem.' " This Masque was celebrated with the utmost magnificence. Rowland White, a courtier, and a very intelligent correspondent of the Earl of Shrewsbury, thus writes from Whitehall. "The K. is newlie gon to Tibballes for 6 daies. The Spanish Embassador hath invited the 15 ladies that were of the Qs. maske (the Masque of Beauty, see p. 41), to dinner upon Thursday next, and they are to bring with them whom they please, without limitacion. The great Maske intended for my L. Haddington's marriage is now the only thing thought upon at Court, by 5 English; L. Arundel, L. Pemb. L. Montgomery, L. Theoph. Howard, and Sir Robt. Rich; and by 7 Scottes; D. Lenox, D'Aubigny, Hay, Mr. of Mar, young Erskine, Sankier, and Kenedie: Yt will cost them about 300l. a man."-Lodge's Illustrations, vol. iii. p. 343. John Lord Ramsey, the bridegroom, was one of the persons present at the assault upon James, Aug. 3, 1600, at Perth, when he killed the Earl of Gowrie with his own hand, and was rewarded with a pension and the title of Viscount Haddington. He was greatly beloved by the king, of which he continued to receive many substantial proofs, till having, in March, 1612, struck another favourite, Philip, Earl of Montgomery, on the race-course at Croydon, he was forbid the Court. James recalled him some time afterwards, and in 1620 created him Baron of Kingston-upon-Thames and Earl of Holderness. [He died, 1625, s.p., when these honours became extinct.-F. C.] The bride, whom Arthur Wilson calls "one of the prime beauties of the kingdom," did not live to enjoy this last honour. She died of the small-pox, and Bishop Corbet wrote an "Elegia on the occasion, strangely compounded, as the fashion then was, of wit and woe. She was "" 'girl'd and boy'd," he says; but none of her offspring seem to have long survived her. The worthy custom of honouring worthy tion I intended honourably fit: and though it hath laboured since under censure, I, that know truth to be always of one stature, and so like a rule, as who bends it the least way must needs do an injury to the right, cannot but smile at their tyrannous ignorance that will offer to slight me (in these things being an artificer) and give themselves a peremptory licence to judge who have never touched so much as to the bark, or utter shell of any knowledge. But their daring dwell with them. They have found a place to pour out their follies; and I a seat to sleep out the passage. The scene to this Masque was a high, |
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