Selected quad for the lemma: city_n
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A13846
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Albions triumph Personated in a maske at court. By the Kings Maiestie and his lords. The Sunday after Twelfe Night. 1631
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Townshend, Aurelian, fl. 1601-1643.
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1632
(1632)
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STC 24155; ESTC S121944
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7,459
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26
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ALBIONS TRIVMPH PERSONATED IN A Maske at Court By the Kings Maiestie and his Lords The Sunday after Twelfe Night 1631 LONDON Printed by Aug: Mathewes for Robert Allet at the Blacke Beare in Pauls Churchyard 1631 ALBIONS TRIVMPH THe King and Queenes Maiesty having signified their pleasure to haue a new Maske this New yeare Master Inigo Iones and I were employed in the Invention And we agreed the subiect of it should be a Triumphe in ALBIPOLIS the chiefe City of ALBION The Triumpher ALBANACTVS And ALBA this Ilands Goddesse Names not improper eyther for the Place or for the Persons ALBION being as it once was taken for England ALBANACTVS for the King Quasi in Albania natus Borne in Scotland And ALBA for the Queene whose native Beauties have a great affinity with all Purity and Whitenesse The Kings devoting himselfe to this Goddesse is but the seeking of that happy Vnion which was preordeyned by the greatest of the Gods IOVE therefore sends downe MERCVRY to ALBA to acquaint her that he had decreed a Tryumph which a farre of she might behold Concealing his further Councells vntill ALBANACTVS were subdued to Love and Chastity by CVPID and DIANA who descend and having conquerd the Conquerer They shew him the Queene The King yeilds And presents himselfe a Suppliant to the Goddesse ALBA She embraces him And makes him Copartner of her Deity The Description of the SCENE The first thing that presented it selfe to the eye was the Ornament that went about the Scene in the middest of which was placed a great Armes of the Kings with Angels holding an Emperiall Crowne from which hung a Drapery of crimson Velvet fringed with gold tackt in severall knotts that on each-side with many folds was wound about a Pillaster in the freeze were festones of severall fruites in their naturall colours on which in gratious postures lay Children sleeping at each end was a double sheild with a Gorgons head and at the foot of the pillasters on each side stood two Women the one young in a watchet Robe looking vpwards and on her head a paire of Compasses of gold the poynts standing towards Heaven the other more ancient and of a venerable aspect apparreled in tawney looking downewards in the one hand a long ruler and in the other a great paire of iron Compasses one poynt whereof stood on the ground and the other touched part of the ruler Above their heads were fixt compertiments of a new composition and in that over the first was written Theorica and over the second Practica shewing that by these two all works of Architecture and Ingining have their perfection The Curtaine being suddenly drawne vp the first Sceane appeared which represented a Romane Atrium with high Collombs of white Marble and ornaments of Architecture of a composed maner of great proiecture enricht with carving and betweene every retorne of these Collombs stood Statues of gold on round pedestalls and beyond these were other peeces of Architecture of a Pallace royall Over all was a serene skie out of which a cloude began to breake foorth and as it discended a person was discovered sitting in it which by his Petasus and Caduceus was knowne to be Mercury the messenger of Iove The first Song Behold I come not from above To hyde or hunt out wanton Love Or doe what Man can doe But to spred all my nimble wings And like a God doe Godlike things Gratefull and Gratious too Obserue But see ye be not nyce Prepare to give and take advice As wise-Men ought to doe Lest when your subtile witts haue done Your Notes like Motes thought in the Sunne Proove farre beneath vs too Admyre but censure not their Powers That sinke not with Times sandy howres As mortall Creatures doe And since the Shaft that is adrest At Heaven may hurt the Shooters breast Be pleas'd and please vs too Orpheus Amphion Arion and three old Poets and Musicians more rayled by his Charming Rod reply from Earth The first Chorus Happy thrice happy is that houre Wherein a God descends Eyther in person or in powre And Mans poore state befriends MERCVRY descend to Earth and attended by Orpheus and the rest walkes vp and drawing neere the person of the Goddesse ALBA to a soft sweete Musicke that playes hehind him In voce Recitativa he declares the substance of his Commission The second Song Olimpian IOVE to the bright ALBA sends No vulgar God to beare his deare Commends And with pure eyes and a paternall hand This Vniverse having survey'd and span'd In Councell with himselfe he hath decreed From fayre ALBIPOLIS shall soone proceede A Triumph Mighty as the Man design'd To weare those Bayes Heroicke as his mind Iust as his actions Glorious as his Reigne And like his Vertues Infinite in Treyne Th' Immortall Swannes contending for his Name Shall beare it singing to the House of Fame And though at distance yet High IOVE is pleas'd Your laboring eyes shall with his sight be eas'd This from a God vnto a Goddesse sent A God Relates that could vse Complement But when such States negotiate by such meanes We speake in Acts and scorne words trifling Scenes Having delivered his Embassage MERCVRY gently retiring Orpheus and his Poetick Quire Inspir'd with Divination sing The second Chorus Ye Powers Divine make roome prepare a Seate On the Northside for ALBANACT the Great Earth is not fruitless nor your nombers full Ther 's One to come will make some Starrs looke dull Arrived at the Scene againe and meaning to reascend MERCVRY finding some impediment by the way of question adresses himselfe to the Company The third Song MERCVRY What mak's me so vnnimbly ryse That did descend so fleete There is no vp-hill in the skyes Clouds stay not feathered feete CHORVS Thy wings are sing'd and thou canst fly But slowly now swift MERCVRY MERCVRY Some Lady heere is sure too blame That from Loves starry skyes Hath shot some Beame or sent some flame Like Lightning from her Eyes CHORVS Taxe not the Starrs with what the Sunne Too neere aproch't insens't hath done MERCVRY I 'le rowle me in Auroras Dew Or lye in Tethis bed Or from coole Iris begge a few Pure Opale shewrs new shed CHORVS Nor Dew nor shewers nor sea can slake Thy quenchlesse heate but Lethes lake When MERCVRY is Re-assum'd into Heaven in Pompe Here the Scene is changed into the Forum of the City of Albipolis and Albanactus triumphing attended like a Roman Emperor is seene a farre off to passe in pomp The Scene is turned into an Amphitheater with people sitting in it a Patritian and a Plebeian come forth c. Enter Platonicus and Publius Pub. Though I have earn'd it with the sweat of my browes in Ianuary yet I am glad I saw it for there never was such a sight seene Pla. What sight Publius Pub. The Triumph Pla. Whose Tryumph Pub. The Triumph of ALBANACTVS Pla. Didst thou see it Pub See it yes and feele it too Every one there I can assure you