PART OF THE ENTERTAINMENT
TO KING JAMES,
&c.

The Magnificent Entertainment: Giuen to King James, Queene Anne his wife, and Henry Frederick the Prince, vpon the day of his Maiesties Tryumphant Passage (from the Tower) through his Honourable Citie (and Chamber) of London, being the 15. of March. 1603. As well by the English as by the Strangers: With the speeches and Songes, deliuered in the seuerall Pageants. Mart. Templa Deis, mores populis dedit, otia ferro,

Astra suis, Cælo sydera, serta Joui.
Tho. Dekker.

Imprinted at London by T. C. for Tho. Man the yonger. 1604. 4to.

Of this pageant (which is reprinted in Nichols’s Prog. of King James, vol. i. p. 337,) Middleton wrote only the speech of Zeal (see p. 210); but in order to make that speech intelligible, I have given a portion of the prose description which precedes it.

PART OF THE
ENTERTAINMENT TO KING JAMES,
&c.

Our next arch of triumph was erected above the Conduit in Fleet Street, into which, as into the long and beauteous gallery of the city, his Majesty being entered, afar off—as if it had been some swelling promontory, or rather, some enchanted castle guarded by ten thousand harmless spirits—did his eye encounter another tower of pleasure

Presenting itself,

Fourscore and ten foot in height, and fifty in breadth; the gate twenty foot in the perpendicular line, and fourteen in the ground line: the two posterns were answerable to these that are set down before: over the posterns, viz. up in proportionable measures, two turrets with battlements on the tops. The middest of the building was laid open to the world, and great reason it should be so, for the Globe of the world was there seen to move, being filled with all the degrees and states that are in the land; and these were the mechanical and dead limbs of this carved body. As touching those that had the use of motion in it, and for a mind durst have spoken, but that there was no stuff fit for their mouths.mouths.

The principal and worthiest was Astræa (Justice), sitting aloft, as being newly descended from heaven, gloriously attired, all her garments being thickly strewed with stars; a crown of stars on her head, a silver veil covering her eyes. Having told you that her name was Justice, I hope you will not put me to describe what properties[273] she held in her hands, sithence[274] every painted cloth[275] can inform you.

Directly under her, in a cant[276] by herself, was Arete (Virtue), enthroned, her garments white, her head crowned; and under her, Fortuna, her foot treading on the Globe that moved beneath her, intimating that his Majesty’s fortune was above the world, but his virtues above his fortune.

Invidia,

Envy, unhandsomely attired all in black, her hair of the same colour, filleted about with snakes, stood in a dark and obscure place by herself, near unto Virtue, but making shew of a fearfulness to approach her and the light, yet still and anon casting her eyes sometimes to the one side beneath, where, on several greeces,[277] sat the Four Cardinal Virtues,

Viz. bracket Justitia,
Fortitudo,
Temperantia,
Prudentia, bracket In habiliments fitting
to their natures;

and sometimes throwing a distorted and repining countenance to the other opposite seat, on which his Majesty’s Four Kingdoms were advanced,

Viz. bracket England,
Scotland,
France,
Ireland, bracket

all of them in rich robes and mantles; crowns on their heads, and sceptres with penciled[278] scutcheons in their hands, lined with the coats of the particular kingdoms. For very madness that she beheld these glorious objects, she stood feeding on the heads of adders.

The Four Elements, in proper shapes,[279] artificially and aptly expressing their qualities, upon the approach of his Majesty went round in a proportionable and even circle, touching that cantle[280] of the Globe (which was open) to the full view of his Majesty: which being done, they bestowed themselves in such comely order, and stood so as if the eronie[281] had been held up on the tops of their fingers.

Upon distinct ascensions, neatly raised within the hollow womb of the Globe, were placed all the states of the land, from the nobleman to the ploughman, among whom there was not one word to be heard, for you must imagine, as Virgil saith,

Egl. iv.
Astrræa. } Magnus ab integro seclorum nascitur ordo,
Jam redit et virgo, redeunt Saturnia regna,

that it was now the golden world, in which there were few parts.

All the tongues that went in this place was the tongue of Zeal, whose personage was put on by W. Bourne, one of the servants to the young Prince;

And thus went his Speech.
The populous globe of this our English isle
Seem’d to move backward at the funeral pile
Of her dead female majesty; all states,
From nobles down to spirits of meaner fates,
Mov’d opposite to nature and to peace,
As if these men had been th’ Antipodes:
But see the virtue of a regal eye,
Th’ attractive wonder of man’s majesty!
Our Globe is drawn in a right line agen,[282]
And now appear new faces and new men.
The Elements, Earth, Water, Air, and Fire,
Which ever clipt[283] a natural desire
To combat each with other, being at first
Created enemies to fight their worst,
See, at the peaceful presence of their King,
How quietly they mov’d without their sting!
Earth not devouring, Fire not defacing,
Water not drowning, and the Air not chasing,
But propping the quaint fabric that here stands,
Without the violence of their wrathful hands.
Mirror of times, lo, where thy Fortune sits,
Above the world and all our human wits,
But thy high Virtue above that! what pen,
Or art, or brain, can reach thy virtue then?
At whose immortal brightness and true light
Envy’s infectious eyes have lost their sight;
Her snakes, not daring to shoot forth their stings
’Gainst such a glorious object, down she flings
Their forks of venom into her own maw,
Whilst her rank teeth the glittering poisons chaw;
For ’tis the property of Envy’s blood
To dry away at every kingdom’s good,
Especially when she had eyes to view
These four main virtues figur’d all in you,—
Justice in causes, Fortitude ’gainst foes,
Temperance in spleen, and Prudence in all those:
And then so rich an empire, whose fair breast
Contains four kingdoms, by your entrance blest;
By Brute divided, but by you alone
All are again united and made one;
Whose fruitful glories shine so far and even,
They touch not only earth, but they kiss heaven,
From whence Astræa is descended hither,
Who with our last queen’s spirit fled up thither,
Foreknowing on the earth she could not rest,
Till you had lock’d her in your rightful breast:
And therefore all estates, whose proper arts
Live by the breath of majesty, had hearts
Burning in holy zeal’s immaculate fires,
With quenchless ardours and unstain’d desires,
To see what they now see, your powerful grace
Reflecting joys on every subject’s face;
These painted flames and yellow burning stripes
Upon this robe, being but as shows and types
Of that great zeal: and therefore, in the name
Of this glad city, whither no prince e’er came
More lov’d, more long’d for, lowly I entreat,
You’d be to her as gracious as you’re great:
So with reverberate shouts our Globe shall ring,
The music’s close being thus—God save our King!

If there be any glory to be won by writing these lines, I do freely bestow it, as his due, on Tho. Middleton, in whose brain they were begotten, though they were delivered here: quæ nos non fecimus ipsi, vix ea nostra voco.