Act 1 — [Scene II.][3319]

Mel. Yes, sir. I thank you.—My Lord Calianax, well met.65 Your causeless hate to me I hope is buried. Cal. Yes, I do service for your sister here, That brings my own poor child to timeless death. She loves your friend Amintor; such another False-hearted lord as you. Mel. You do me wrong,70 A most unmanly one, and I am slow In taking vengeance: but be well advis’d. Cal. It may be so.—Who plac’d the lady there So near the presence of the King? Mel. I did. Cal. My lord, she must not sit there. Mel. Why?75 Cal. The place is kept for women of more worth. Mel. More worth than she! It misbecomes your age And place to be thus womanish: forbear! What you have spoke, I am content to think The palsy shook your tongue to. Cal. Why, ’t is well,80 If I stand here to place men’s wenches. Mel. I Shall quite forget this place, thy age, my safety, And, through all, cut that poor sickly week Thou hast to live away from thee. Cal. Nay. I know you can fight for your whore.85 Mel. Bate me the King, and, be he flesh and blood, He lies that says it! Thy mother at fifteen Was black and sinful to her. Diag. Good my lord— Mel. Some god pluck threescore years from that fond[3324] man,89 That I may kill him, and not stain mine honour! It is the curse of soldiers, that in peace They shall be brav’d by such ignoble men As, if the land were troubled, would with tears And knees beg succour from ’em. Would that blood, That sea of blood, that I have lost in fight,95 Were running in thy veins, that it might make thee Apt to say less, or able to maintain, Should’st thou say more! This Rhodes, I see, is nought But a place privileg’d to do men wrong. Cal. Ay, you may say your pleasure.

Amin. What vile injury100 Has stirr’d my worthy friend, who is as slow To fight with words as he is quick of hand? Mel. That heap of age, which I should reverence If it were temperate, but testy years Are most contemptible. Amin. Good sir, forbear.105 Cal. There is just such another as yourself. Amin. He will wrong you, or me, or any man, And talk as if he had no life to lose, Since this our match. The King is coming in; I would not for more wealth than I enjoy110 He should perceive you raging. He did hear You were at difference now, which hast’ned him. Hautboys play within. Cal. Make room there!

King. Melantius, thou art welcome, and my love Is with thee still; but this is not a place115 To brabble[3325] in.—Calianax, join hands. Cal. He shall not have mine hand. King. This is no time To force you to ’t. I do love you both:— Calianax, you look well to your office;— And you, Melantius, are welcome home.120 Begin the masque. Mel. Sister, I joy to see you and your choice; You lookt with my eyes when you took that man. Be happy in him! Recorders[3326] [play]. Evad. O, my dearest brother, Your presence is more joyful than this day125 Can be unto me.

Night. Our reign is come; for in the raging[3327] sea The sun is drown’d, and with him fell the Day. Bright Cynthia, hear my voice! I am the Night, For whom thou bear’st about thy borrowed light. Appear! no longer thy pale visage shroud,5 But strike thy silver horns quite through a cloud, And send a beam upon my swarthy face, By which I may discover all the place And persons, and how many longing eyes Are come to wait on our solemnities.10 Enter Cynthia. How dull and black am I! I could not find This beauty[3328] without thee, I am so blind: Methinks they show like to those eastern streaks, That warn us hence before the morning breaks. Back, my pale servant! for these eyes know how15 To shoot far more and quicker rays than thou. Cynth. Great queen, they be a troop for whom alone One of my clearest moons I have put on; A troop, that looks as if thyself and I Had pluckt our reins in and our whips laid by,20 To gaze upon these mortals, that appear Brighter than we. Night. Then let us keep ’em here, And never more our chariots drive away, But hold our places and outshine the Day. Cynth. Great queen of shadows, you are pleas’d to speak25 Of more than may be done. We may not break The gods’ decrees; but, when our time is come, Must drive away, and give the Day our room. Yet, while our reign lasts, let us stretch our power To give our servants one contented hour,30 With such unwonted solemn grace and state, As may forever after force them hate Our brother’s glorious beams, and wish the Night Crown’d with a thousand stars and our cold light: For almost all the world their service bend35 To Phoebus, and in vain my light I lend, Gaz’d on unto my setting from my rise Almost of none but of unquiet eyes. Night. Then shine at full, fair queen, and by thy power Produce a birth, to crown this happy hour,40 Of nymphs and shepherds; let their songs discover, Easy and sweet, who is a happy lover; Or, if thou woo[3329] ’t, then call thine own Endymion From the sweet flow’ry bed he lies upon, On Latmus’ top, thy pale beams drawn away,45 And of his long night let him make a day. Cynth. Thou dream’st, dark queen; that fair boy was not mine. Nor went I down to kiss him. Ease and wine Have bred these bold tales: poets, when they rage, Turn gods to men, and make an hour an age,50 But I will give a greater state and glory, And raise to time a nobler memory Of what these lovers are.—Rise, rise, I say, Thou power of deeps, thy surges laid away, Neptune, great king of waters, and by me,55 Be proud to be commanded!

Nept. Cynthia, see Thy word hath fetcht me hither: let me know Why I ascend. Cynth. Doth this majestic show Give thee no knowledge yet? Nept. Yes, now I see Something intended, Cynthia, worthy thee.60 Go on; I’ll be a helper. Cynth. Hie thee, then, And charge the Wind fly from his rocky den, Let loose his subjects; only Boreas, Too foul for our intentions as he was, Still keep him fast chain’d: we must have none here65 But vernal blasts and gentle winds appear, Such as blow flowers, and through the glad boughs sing Many soft welcomes to the lusty spring; These are our music. Next, thy wat’ry race Bring on in couples (we are pleas’d to grace70 This noble night), each in their richest things Your own deeps or the broken vessel brings. Be prodigal, and I shall be as kind And shine at full upon you. Nept. Oh, the Wind! Commanding Aeolus!

Aeol. Great Neptune! Nept. He.75 Aeol. What is thy will? Nept. We do command thee free Favonius and thy milder winds, to wait Upon our Cynthia; but tie Boreas strait, He’s too rebellious. Aeol. I shall do it. [Exit Aeolus.] Nept. Do. Aeol. [within.] Great master of the flood and all below,80 Thy full command has taken.—Oh, the Main! Neptune! Nept. Here.

Aeol. Boreas has broken his chain, And, struggling with the rest, has got away. Nept. Let him alone, I’ll take him up at sea; I will not long be thence. Go once again,85 And call out of the bottoms of the main Blue Proteus and the rest; charge them put on Their greatest pearls, and the most sparkling stone The beaten[3330] rock breeds; tell this night is done By me a solemn honour to the Moon:90 Fly, like a full sail. Aeol. I am gone. [Exit.] Cynth. Dark Night, Strike a full silence, do a thorough right To this great chorus, that our music may Touch high as Heaven, and make the east break day At midnight.95 Music.

Cynthia, to thy power and thee We obey. Joy to this great company! And no day Come to steal this night away,100 Till the rites of love are ended, And the lusty bridegroom say, Welcome, light, of all befriended! Pace out, you watery powers below; Let your feet,105 Like the galleys when they row, Even beat. Let your unknown measures, set To the still winds, tell to all, That gods are come, immortal, great,110 To honour this great nuptial. The Measure.

Hold back thy hours, dark Night, till we have done; The Day will come too soon: Young maids will curse thee, if thou steal’st away, And leav’st their losses open to the day:115 Stay, stay, and hide The blushes of the bride. Stay, gentle Night, and with thy darkness cover The kisses of her lover; Stay, and confound her tears and her shrill cryings, Her weak denials, vows, and often-dyings;121 Stay, and hide all: But help not, though she call.

Nept. Great queen of us and Heaven, hear what I bring To make this hour a full one.[3331] Cynth. Speak, sea’s king.125 Nept. The tunes my Amphitrite joys to have, When she will dance upon the rising wave, And court me as she sails. My Tritons, play Music to lay a storm! I’ll lead the way. A Measure, Neptune leads it.

To bed, to bed! Come, Hymen, lead the bride,130 And lay her by her husband’s side; Bring in the virgins every one, That grieve to lie alone, That they may kiss while they may say a maid; To-morrow ’t will be other kist and said.135 Hesperus, be long a-shining, Whilst these lovers are a-twining.

Aeol. [within.] Ho, Neptune! Nept. Aeolus!

Aeol. The sea goes high, Boreas hath rais’d a storm: go and apply Thy trident; else, I prophesy, ere day140 Many a tall ship will be cast away. Descend with all the gods and all their power, To strike a calm. Cynth. [We thank you for this hour: My favour to you all.][3332] To gratulate145 So great a service, done at my desire, Ye shall have many floods, fuller and higher Than you have wisht for; and no ebb shall dare To let the Day see where your dwellings are. Now back unto your governments in haste,150 Lest your proud charge should swell above the waste, And win upon the island. Nept. We obey. Neptune descends and the Sea-Gods. [Exeunt Favonius and other Winds.] Cynth. Hold up thy head, dead Night; see’st thou not Day? The east begins to lighten. I must down. And give my brother place. Night. Oh, I could frown155 To see the Day, the Day that flings his light Upon my kingdom and contemns old Night! Let him go on and flame! I hope to see Another wild-fire in his axle-tree, And all fall drencht. But I forget;—speak, queen:160 The Day grows on; I must no more be seen. Cynth. Heave up thy drowsy head and see A greater light, a greater majesty, Between our set[3333] and us! Whip up the team: The Day breaks here, and yon same flashing stream[3334]165 Shot from the south. Say, which way wilt thou go? Night. I’ll vanish into mists. Cynth. I into Day. Exeunt Night and Cynthia.

King. Take lights there!—Ladies, get the bride to bed.— We will not see you laid; good night, Amintor: We ’ll ease you of that tedious ceremony.170 Were it my case, I should think time run slow. If thou be’st noble, youth, get me a boy, That may defend my kingdoms from my foes. Amin. All happiness to you! King. Good night, Melantius. Exeunt.