your self torment Peleus Chiron How shall I find content Chiron Pursue your hopes and onward go Peleus Is' t possible I should do so When on my heart a beauty lies That is descended from the Skies A beauty that 's all moving and immense That hath o're me such an omnipotence Moreover I two Rivals have No less then Gods who me outbrave For Neptune with his Trident and great Jove Are my competitors for Thetis love Chiron Peleus Why do you thus your self torment Peleus Chiron Where is it I should find content Chiron Then follow your fair hopes and onward go Peleus How is it possible I should do so Chiron Listen to me gray hairs do but in vain Attempt young beauties they will them disdain Though they be Gods Neptune is rich in yeers As well as Treasure Thetis will him jeer For Jove besides his age his rapes and wiles How he so many Ladies did beguile Will make her shun him but if you desire To compass your designes and quench your fire Behold those Magies that with charmed flight Will guide you safely to Prometheus sight Who being bold and wise is th' only man Who in this Enterprise you pleasure can He is no friend to Jove who him torments With such eternal pangs therefore he will To help you exercise his utmost skil Wherefore take my advice and hence away To India through the air cut out your way Delay is alwayes dangerous to Lovers He ne're obtain'd his ends who hums and hovers Peleus This Aiery journey I will undertake But though herein Fortune my friend I make Yet are my hopes but smal I have a hint That Thetis's cruel and her heart is flint Chiron When modest beauties to excuses fall You must not presently it rigor call The heart oft-times desires what lips deny For a huge distance doth betwixt them lye Peleus Could it unto my Love-sick thoughts appear That what you say hereto is true and clear Those pangs I suffer in my brest Would turn to case delight and rest But fall what will my fate portends I still will glory in my ends Which an unmeasurable joy distils And my so high-swoln heart with comfort fils Chiron Peleus Let a true Lover never lose His hope or courage when he wooes The more his suff'rance is the more Sweetness is kept for him in store In Cupids gentle kingdom nothing is Impossible but one may gain his wish Chiron Go on then happily for who doth know But that your constancy may tell you so Peleus On on then to my Magies I will go The Second Scene Thetis Neptune a Quire of Tritons and Meremaids with a Quire of Corral-Fishers The Quire of Tritons and Meremaids At such a splendid glorious show What heart but would turn fire and tow A Pomp so rare a sight so fair Is able to perfume the air Nor Morn nor Sun did ever view So bright and ravishing a hue At such a splendid glorious show What heart but would turn fire and tow Neptune There is no fence I find Love will invade my mind In these moist fields my Rivers run in vain To quench my fire or tepifie my pain Though I in midst of waters lye Yet do I melt dissolve and fry But Thetis you at last will find it true To be more fool unto your self then you Are cruel unto me Will you refuse The richest of the Gods Him who doth use To give those gems that beauties do adorn Thence where the Queen of Love her self was born Thetis Aurora commonly doth rise Cheerful and smiling to our eyes But suddenly we oftentimes do see She fals a weeping upon flower and tree If you desire the cause I should unfold It is because her Consort is so old Neptune Thetis Be not deceiv'd though I be gray My waters still are green and so they may Be wholsomer then Springs which by and by ' Pon the least drowth grow shallower and dry Youth is unstable heady rash but age Is constant cautious provident and sage Thetis I do confess that you discourse and reason Like a quaint Amorist although the season Of Love in you be past It was for Love The Heavens made Youth for which the Gods above Have journeyed down to earth no other age Is fit a Female beauty to engage Neptune Perfidious thing I plainly now do find Thou art unto another more inclin'd Come winds and tempests and with my lament Your blasts unite Come come incontinent Let hispid blust'ring Boreas from the North Bring all the Haracanes and Whirlwinds forth Blow off and banish from my Kingdom quite This impious Girle so full of hate and spite Revenge the quarrel of your King And with your vengeance Justice bring Shall she in my Dominions dwel Who hath inflam'd my heart with fire from hel Chorus Ingrateful rash and foolish Nymph canst thou Slight thus the greatest of the gods below The grief will be thine own When thou art wiser growne Neglected Amorists may learn from hence Against blind Cupids arrowes a true fence Disdain of beauty a revenge may be Though not of love th' expected remedy The third Scene Thetis Juno Jupiter A Quire of the furies of Jealousie Thetis Now that the fury of the wind Hath left so sweet a calm behind Now that the storm is gone I pray let me alone To vent unto my self my moan Oh me I find that ambushes are laid To take me and entrap poor silly maid What will become of thee my heart Th' art like to suffer many a smart Oh me Oh me Poor heart what will become of thee Thy chastity Love studies to surprize He 's sly and cunning though not alwayes wise He Armour hath of every sort For to assault a female Fort He prayes complains and pines He menaceth and whines Now if another God should joyn With him who can me then essoyn Oh me Oh me Poor heart what will become of thee Jupiter What can blest heaven me avail If still of my desire I fail Celestial joies if they to sorrow turne Far worse then all Tartarean tortures burn O Thetis thou alone Hast made me quit my Throne Thou giv'st him law Who Gods doth awâ— It is my destiny and luck By thee for to be deadly struck And that which is the greatest wonder Thy beauti 's stronger then my thunder But come O come my Fair increase my blisse And let 's cohabit both in Pardise Thetis O no Not so Jupiter Come and be partner of my Throne Which Hymen offers thee alone That Empire Love hath thee design'd Come come my Fair be not unkind Thetis O no Not so The heavens forbid I should be said Poor innocent and silly maid For to be such a Rebel as to wrong Her bed who train'd me all along From my first cradle I had rather dy A thousand deaths and scorch in Tartary Jupiter If you will use such slight Apologies To him who can command both lair and Skies To cleer your error and my pain asswage I
must use force my Dear but far from rage Cloud gently take her up Thetis Oh me Jupiter What ails my soul Thetis Aime who helps me Jupiter What mortal Creature 's hee Can thee reprize from me Juno Disloyal Jove is it my hapless fate Thou should'st so oft thy Faith thus violate But since in Heaven no Justice can be found Or Piety among the Stars the ground Shall ope and styx shall belch forth furies fell Come then appear ye gastly dames of Hell And help to vindicate The justness of my fate Jupiter Farewel my Thetis so enchanting bright But know I do not thee abandon quite Thetis to Juno Great Goddesse I no pardon crave of thee But pity though infortunate I be Yet I am guiltless and from foulnesse free Juno Such hazzards to escape is no offence Much less misfortune or incontinence Thetis and Juno Sweet gratitude doth alwayes rest In a' well born gentle brest The Gods desire no more For those blessings in such store Which on us Mortals ev'ry hour They in silver showres do pour ACT II. SCENE I. Peleus Promethus A Quire of dumb men and savage women Peleus INfortunate Prometheus how thine Eternal torments are like mine Prometheus Ah who is he Thus speaks to me Peleus T is Peleus King of Thessaly Who may thy mate for torture be Prometheus I from the body of the Sun Stole fire e're scarce the world begun Peleus And I some fiery glances took From Thetis all inchanting look Prometheus Jove chastneth my temerity By this voracious bird you see Peleus Prometheus it is Jove the very same Torments likewise with jealousie my flame Prometheus But yours one day May find allay Peleus But when and how Prometheus Ah ah my torments grow Peleus O cruel pangs some truce and respit give Prometheus may with counsel me relieve Prometheus I have receiv'd advice from Mercury The Thunderer will Thetis fly And his Ambition place as you shal prove Before her Beauty or his flames of love To credit this you may be bold For by the Oracle it is foretold Peleus If it be true what issues from that vioce My soul shal carols sing my heart rejoice There never was so coy and cruel she But only sought by one may conquered be Prometheus Go go return where thou didst leave thy heart Thou shalt find ease for thy corroding smart In the vast sea of Love who e're doth sail Must lose no wind and then he may prevail Peleus For this sweet counsel thou hast given me May heaven O Prometheus set thee free Prometheus The Thunderer may be Lesse cruel unto me Prometheus Peleus O dear and solacing sweet blissful Hope How comforting art Thou to those who cope With rigid beauties thou dost periods put To black despair the Gods did justly shut Thee out of Hell Thy breath though ne're so small Would ease the damned souls in Pluto's Hall Peleus to the Savages And you my faithful guides unto this place Enjoy the comforts also I embrace Be all partakers of my hopes and share Some of my joyes which past expressions are The Second Scene Jupiter Mercury A Quire of dumb Dryads or woo'd Nymphs Jupiter Well What did the Oracle at Delphos say Touching my love to Thetis tell me pray Mercury Apollo from the Tripod did pronounce The Son of Thetis all will see Shall greater then his Father be Jupiter How can that be unless the fates renew In me my Sire's example and make 't true Mercury That which Prometheus told me also is No less infallible and true then this Jupiter Then I do find that it doth me behove To leave commanding Heaven or not to love Mercury Which do you most desire To serve or domineer Jupiter I hold Love's golden fetter Then any Empire better The one doth thousand sweets instil Th' other the brain with cumbers fill Mercury Permit me mighty Jove to tell you 't is Folly of a Mortal still to wish Under the vail of good to meet the bad Which goes in Vertues habit often clad But you which o're the Spheers do sway And such coruscant beams display Can you be so transported as endure That a blind lying Boy should you allure Who will vapour every where That he did fetter Jupiter Thetis suppose an idle wench should prove Have you not Goddesses enough above If you Olympus loose where will you find Throughout the world a Kingdom of that kind Jupiter In your Discourse you go so strongly on That makes me half of your opinion Mercury Nor can you any true content obtain Whilst you are compast with a double pain Juno pursues you with her Furies here And Thetis may perhaps flye from you there The one is doubtful th' other is jealous still Both may confederate to crosse your will Jupiter 'T is true that Juno me pursues And raiseth furies by whole crews Mercury She every where doth stir and wheel about She doth disturb all Heaven to find you out Jupiter Then Mercury go and proclaime From Pole to Pole that I disclaim Thetis and will no more my Honour maim Go speedily Mercury Jove I wil fly Jove Fair Wood Nymphs let this day be Festival That I my wonted freedom did recal Which impious fate and beauty did conspire To captivate with false and fatuous fire Fair Wood Nymphs let this day by all Be kept hereafter Festival The Third Scene A Quire of Priests a dumb Quire of Cavaliers at Barriers The Quire of Priests Great God of War the prop defence and stay Of Empires intercede that Peleus may By favor of that Goddesse whom alone Thou do'st adore and art to serve so prone Return to sway again fair Thessaly Behold that amourous Warrier with mild eye And you brave Champions propitious make Our vowes and Altars let the welkin quake With the high clashings of your Barriers Peleus at his return will pay you your Arrears One of the Priests But stay a little stay Our Oracle will something say The Oracle At last the King of Thessaly Shall home return with mirth and glee The Quire of Priests O newes more rare Then Indian Pearle and sweeter far Then that Hyblean juice the Attic Bee Stov'd in her cell for Joves Nativity And will King Peleus come agen Then Thessaly shall swarm with men O newes more rare Then Indian pearle and richer far ACT III. SCENE I. Peleus Chiron A dumb Quire of Chirons Academists or Disciples Peleus FOR him who parts from his delight Time makes too quick and rapid flight But who is travelling to see his Love Each moment unto him an age doth prove Hope still with doubts fruition with fear Is commonly attended every where Chiron I with my companions here Did think to find you full of cheer Now that you are a Champion o're the Gods Of whom for Faith and Love you have such odds Why do you thus afflict your self with pain Faint heart did ne're a Ladies favour gain Chiron Sometimes my spirits are
Brancas Madamoiselle de Mancini Madamoiselle de Mortsmart Madamoiselle de la Riviere Bonnevill Madamoiselle de Fovilloux Madomoiselle Destree Madamoiselle de la loupe Madam Brancas represents Geometry I trace the earth all over by account As farre as Pindus or Parnassus Mount I Corinth view where every one Cannot arrive 't is I alone Who can by Land-skips Mapps and Instruments Measure all Regions and their vast extents Madamoiselle Mancini representing Musique In me a comely spritfull grace Makes Vnisons throughout my face A charming harmony Moves betwixt lips and eye Sometimes I melt bring sadnesses and smarts Which shews I am not welcome to all hearts Madamoiselle de mortmart representing Logique My youth my hue my eyes do prove The strongest Reason in the School of Love Is Beauty 't will convince the most austere And make a Fool of a Philosopher I pray let this serve for an argument I merit on Parnassus Hill a Tent. Madamoiselle d' Estre representing Astronomy My mind is not so mussled 'mong the clouds But I can know the causes which by crouds Puzzle us here below the starres when I Was born did smile at my Nativity The Heavens did powre their graces in such store That ever since it makes me them adore Madamoiselle delle Rivere Bonnevill represents Grammar Though young and innocent I have some fitts Of the Green sicknesse yet I well may sit Among these sisters to my A. B. C. Ther 's not an Art but 't is an obligee The ground-work I do lay cut out and trace Therefore on Phocis Hill let me have place Madam de Fovilloux representing Rhetorick I usefull am at Court Hearts will not yield I snatch away and so do winne the field I conquer with my tongue which I do file When I a charming beauty would beguile Madamoiselle de la Loupe representing Arithmetick My youthfull charms make many hearts With grones and sighes and sobs to smart Beyond computing yet could I To number them my selfe apply But that thereof I make a smal account They to so many Cyphers do amount Madam de Commenge representing Iuno Having immortall beauty in my face Where roses bloom and Lillies still have place What reason is there I should jealous be Poor Mortalls be not so deceiv'd in me I jealousie do scorn with foul disdain I 'le neither give nor take it 't is a grain Of cursed seed that naturally doth bear A dry black leaf which will the heart strings teare Hymen represented by the Duke of Ioyeuse I am as serious as Cupid is a sot I turn his flames to vertue every jot Madam de Puy knowes well no Blonden is So frequent with chast maids though full of wish The Duke Damville representing Hercules In the behalf of Love whose pleasing bait Have done me such good offices and bad I must begin my Labours and go clad On Venus shrine and Altars for to wait I find my veines and passions all as hot My heart as vigorous as 't was at first Ther 's nothing in me that 's decay'd a jot For glory also I ne're more did thirst Only my feet are not so quick as when I deceive did my host and may agen The Mechanique Arts. The King represents represents Warre The Count St. Aignan represents Agriculture De Verpre represents Navigation De Lorges represents Hunting Le Vacher represents a Goldsmith Beauchamp represents a Painter D' olivet represents Chirurgery The King representing Warre Peace sure thou 'lt come at last so much desir'd Who hast to heaven thy self so long retir'd And we must be Thankfull to Warre for thee Behold she comes and she to me is sent To make me have a timely sentiment Of Europes dolefull case lo she doth bring Lawrels palms fit presents for a King Ye charming Femals from your eyes It is that warrs and tumults rise You dart the thunderbolts of strife You have your trumpets drum and fife Venus we know is Mars his wife The Count Saint Aignan represents Agriculture or Husbandry By toyling much both night and day In Mars his field Venus dales I glory have obtain'd they say Having still propitious gales I have got Laurells but the bloom Is pass'd the fruit is not yet come A Quire of Loves The Duke of Anjou the Kings brother the Count of Guiche the Marquis of Villeroy the little Count of Saint Aignan little Rassent page of the Chamber Laleu Donart and Aubry For Mounsieur representing the first love Ladies from this tender spray There may some danger come one day Ye with caresses flatter him he you Ye kiss hugg him but you 'l find it true It is a Lions cubb which yon do stroke Who with his paw in time may make you smoke He sports with you he smiles and mocks Playes with your jewells fancies locks But take yee heed for he at length Will gather more encrease of strength Yet I foresee he will wean quite Himself from all such soft delight And marching in the steps of his great sires Make Glory the sole Queen of his desires The Count of Guyche representing another love All those Loves I do behold Brighter then the burnish'd gold Are nothing if compar'd with me Whether Fire or Light they be I do discover in effect I am all love when I reflect upon my self The Marquis of Villeroy representing another Love I peep to hear what lovers say When they whisper sport or play And sometimes lay Traps in their way For the little Count of Saint Aignan representing another Love If hee be as discreet as is his mother He will neglect the love of any other But if the father he be like unto He mistresses will have Beauties wooe For litle Rassent representing another Love Our talents are diversified Each one hath his perfections aside For me Till I have wings 't is meet I fence my self with feet FINIS THE NUPTIALS OF PELEUS AND THETIS A NEW ITALIAN COMEDY Whence the preceding MASK was extracted Made English by a nearer adherence to the Original then to the French TRANSLATION Non seria semper London Printed for Henry Herringman at the Anchor The PROLOGUE Apollo and the Muses upon the Pierian Mount Quires of Water-Nymphs upon the Banks of Epidano and Onochono Rivers of Thessaly The NYMPHS to APOLLO O Living Treasure of the glorious Sky Who by thy piercing all surveying eye Dost in thy golden Armor conquer Night And so in triumph usher'st in the Light Among the glittering Stars thou dost not shine With greater Lustre then amongst the nine Aonian Sisters O descend and daign Great God leaving a while Olympian Raign To feast with us a joyful Augury Vouchsafe to Peleus passions whose pure brest May justly merit Hymen for his guest To the eternal Lawes of Love The highest Gods and Saints above Are Subject Monarchies and Scepters yield To Love and crown him Victor in the field ACT I. SCENE I. Chiron Peleus A Quire of dumb Magicians Chiron WHy do you thus
alert and high Then they begin to languish presently Because I fear that Thetis heart May Marble prove hence comes my smart Chiron You are deceiv'd when Thetis knowledg had You left fair Greece and undertook so bad And hazardous a journey to find ease The fury of your passion to appease She with a pitying paleness then was struck And sighing said The Stars send him good luck Go lay close siege and let her see You are resolv'd for Battery The Female who believes she's truly lov'd Need not by too long Prayers to be mov'd Peleus Your counsel 's good now with alacrity I will both Love and Fortune try And of the business you shall quickly see I 'l make a shaft or bolt But where is she Chiron I 'l go in quest of her In the mean time let my Disciples dance We will be fortunate in spite of chance The second Scene Thetis Peleus A Quire of Peleus Courtiers Thetis Love if you will enter like a friend Lay down your Armes let peace attend Your purposes and so you may Be welcome and so win the day If boisterously you me assault Come not neer me but make a halt Be sure not to torment my heart Or with your passions make it smart Peleus O Thetis you desire to shun That which your self to me have done Thetis Ohime Peleus My Dear What do you fear Thetis Ohime when you were far from hence Love did do much for you but now You are so neer I fear with violence He will assault me with his bow I pray retire Peleus Will you with such a heart of flint and steel Convert those pleasing passions which I feel To pangs Shall he still languish With tears with doubtfulness and anguish Who loves your eyes More then the Stars or Skies Thetis These words an amorous pleasure do instil Into my brest my thoughts with fancies swill Fool that I am I who have made a vow To any Love enchantments ne're to bow I who two Gods for marriage did refuse Shall I yeild now And love-sick grow I pray retire Peleus From those fair eyes I will not part Who have infus'd into my heart Grief and content with constancy All Trophies of your chastity And of my Faith where ere you go I will adore your shadow too and fro Thetis to her self ' Gainst such a charming violence If I can find no guard or fence I 'l have recourse for quenching of this fire Unto the Arts of Proteus my great Sire Peleus will then desist unless he fall In love with Lions Monsters Rocks and all Peleus Dear What 's that you whisper Thetis May your laments Find their contents Peleus Oh pleasing accents Thetis But Peleus now I wil you disabuse They are fain'd fancies which you thus amuse When you made me the object of your mind You took me for a Nymph but you shall find I am a ravenous Lion a hard Rock A Monster that wears clouds in lieu of smock Peleus My sweetest friend What do you now intend Thetis I 'l wrap my self within that cloud Peleus Do not do so for I shall cry aloud O heaven bless me what do I see Can such a beauteous Creature turn to be A beast of such immane ferocity You cannot fright me or make an escape My Thetis I 'l pursue in any shape What do I see This shape becomes you well And shewes that you are cruel fierce and fell But all this cunning will not serve your turn The more you horrid are the more I burn A Sacrifice of sighes and groans I 'l offer though you change to stones Dear take your shape again And ease me of this pungent pain Thetis O God The more I monstrous make my self in show The more my spirits melt and gentle grow I am almost in Love Peleus Almost That word my panting brest doth pierce And shewes you still are cruel fell and fierce In lieu of solacing my love-swoln mind It leaves a double agony behind Ohime what Lions Monsters thus oppose My vertuous Love and make themselvs my foes Thetis to her self I know not where to turne my spirits are in such a strange confusion yet I dare Not say I love as yet my hot desire I will suppress and quench this raging fire The tongue shall give my heart the ly I 'l make no haste Though I must yeild at last There is no remedy Peleus Dear Thetis cast on him a pitying eye Whose brest for thee with candent coles doth fry Thetis to her self Distracted soul 't is too too true I must bid now Virginity adieu But sure my lips and faltring tongue doth err Oh did my heart do so I must prefer The heart before the tongue because the last Less noble is i' th Heart Dame Nature plac'd The pure arterial and illustrious blood I fear that I am too well understood By Peleus Ohime by soft degrees I find That cunning little God though blind Doth make his way into my brest Maugre my self I must make him my guest Yet I must try once more this Boy to mock And turn my self into a senseless Rock Peleus Have I again lost Thetis is she gone Must I to stones and rocks make now my moan O precious cristal Rock thou now dost hold A gem more rich then Diamond or Gold I fear that at the foot of this hard Rock My Hope will shipwrack by a fatal shock But for strong water made of Mercury I 'l try with tears this Rock to mollifie My heat is such 't will me to ashes turn Then will I make this precious Rock my Urne The Rock vanisheth whereupon Thetis resumes her shape and speaks Love Lo I yield I can no more resist Thy all subduing power or persist In my first purposes thy dart Hath split in two my tender heart Who have no hearts at all are only fit To cope with thee and fence away thy hit Lo Peleus I am thine Peleus in a kind of rapture Hold heart do not too wide thy self dilate Lest by excess of joy I draw my fate Too soon upon me and so dye Ere I make use of Victory And you my faithful followers rejoice And cleave the air with your triumphing voice You have been sharers of my misery Now you shall share of my prosperity The last Scene Thetis Peleus Prometheus a Quire of Deities Hercules Juno Hymen with the Liberal and Servile Arts. Thetis and Peleus Now our Desires Do flame with equal fires And there doth nothing want but constancy For to complete both our Felicity Peleus Thetis Thou art my chiefest good Thetis And you my heart and precious bloud Thetis and Peleus Behold the Gods are come to be our Guests And learn of us what it is to be blest Prometheus Peleus We now are both from tortures free You Hymen help'd and Hercules help'd mee And to oblige us further they are here To mingle joy with us and make good cheer The Quire of Deities To them who languish In pain and anguish Love gives at last A sweet repast Thetis Peleus Prometheus Just heaven ne're fails and Powers above To recompence a vertuous constant Love Grief cares and pain Turn all at last to gain By this we find adversity to be The surest road to true Felicity FINIS * King * Titan. * Juno A cloud appears Juno with the help of the fishers and furies redeem her * A Vultur preying upon his heart which still renewes * Jove * Achilles * Saturn thrust out of 〈◊〉 by Jupiter his son * Venus A cloud appears wherein Thetis enters The Cloud vanishes and Thetis turns her self into a Lion She transforms her self into a Monster Thetis resumes her self Thetis doth metamorphose her self into a Rock He embraceth the Rock and weeps upon it The Courtiers sing * Who had freed Prometheus