THE TRIUMPHS

OF

HEALTH AND PROSPERITY.

The Trivmphs of Health and Prosperity. A noble Solemnity performed through the City, at the sole Cost and Charges of the Honorable Fraternity of Drapers, at the Inauguration of their most Worthy Brother, the Right Honorable, Cuthbert Hacket, Lord Major of the Famous City of London. By Tho. Middleton Gent. Imprinted at London by Nicholas Okes, dwelling in Foster lane. MDCXXVI. 4to.

To the honour of him to whom the noble Fraternity of Drapers, his worthy brothers, have consecrated their loves in magnificent Triumphs, the Right Honourable Cuthbert Hacket, Lord Mayor of the City of London.

The city’s choice, thy Company’s free love,
This day’s unlook’d-for Triumph, all three prove
The happiness of thy life to be most great;
Add to these justice, and thou art complete.
At your Lordship’s command,
Thomas Middleton.
THE TRIUMPHS
OF
HEALTH AND PROSPERITY.

If you should search all chronicles, histories, records, in what language or letter soever; if the inquisitive man should waste the dear treasure of his time and eyesight, he shall conclude his life only with this certainty, that there is no subject upon earth received into the place of his government with the like state and magnificence as is his Majesty’s great substitute into his honourable charge, the city of London, bearing the inscription of the Chamber Royal; which, that it may now appear to the world no less illustrated with brotherly affection than former triumphal times have been partakers of, this takes delight to present itself.

And first to enter the worthy love of his honourable Society for his lordship’s return from Westminster, having received some service by water, by the triumphant Chariot of Honour, the first that attends his lordship’s most wished arrival bears the title of the Beautiful Hill or Fragrant Garden, with flowery banks, near to which lambs and sheep are a-grazing. This platform, so cast into a hill, is adorned and garnished with all variety of odoriferous flowers; on the top, arched with an artificial and curious rainbow, which both shews the antiquity of colours, the diversity and nobleness, and how much the more glorious and highly to be esteemed, they being presented in that blessed covenant of mercy, the bow in the clouds; the work itself encompassed with all various fruits, and bears the name of the most pleasant garden of England, the noble city of London, the flowers intimating the sweet odours of their virtue and goodnesses, and the fruits of their works of justice and charity, which have been both honourable brothers and bounteous benefactors of this ancient fraternity, who are presented in a device following under the types and figures of their virtues in their life-time, which made them famous then and memorable for ever. And since we are yet amongst the woolly creatures, that graze on the beauty of this beautiful platform, come we to the modern use of this noble mystery of ancient drapery, and we shall find the whole livery of this renowned and famous city furnished by it; it clothes the honourable senators in their highest and chiefest wearing, all courts of justice, magistrates, and judges of the land. But for the better expression of the purpose in hand, a speaker gives life to these following words:

The speech in the Hill where the rainbow appears.
A cloud of grief hath shower’d upon the face
Of this sad city, and usurp’d the place
Of joy and cheerfulness, wearing the form
Of a long black eclipse in a rough storm;
With showers[364] of tears this garden was o’erflown,
Till mercy was, like the blest rainbow, shewn:
Behold what figure now the city bears!
Like gems unvalued,[365] her best joys she wears,
Glad as a faithful handmaid to obey,
And wait upon the honour of this day,
Fix’d in the king’s great substitute: delight,
Triumph, and pomp, had almost lost their right:
The garden springs again; the violet-beds,
The lofty flowers, bear up their fragrant heads;
Fruit overlade their trees, barns crack with store;
And yet how much the heavens wept before,
Threatening a second mourning! Who so dull,
But must acknowledge mercy was at full
In these two mighty blessings? what’s requir’d?
That which in conscience ought to be desir’d;
Care and uprightness in the magistrate’s place,
And in all men obedience, truth, and grace.

After this, awaits his lordship’s approach a masterpiece of triumph, called the Sanctuary of Prosperity; on the top arch of which hangs the Golden Fleece; which raises the worthy memory of that most famous and renowned brother of this Company, Sir Francis Drake, who in two years and ten months did encompass the whole world, deserving an eminent remembrance in this Sanctuary, who never returned to his country without the golden fleece of honour and victory: the four fair Corinthian columns or pillars imply the four principal virtues, Wisdom, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance, the especial upholders of kingdoms, cities, and honourable societies.

The speech in the Sanctuary upon the Fleece.
If Jason, with the noble hopes of Greece,
Who did from Colchis fetch the golden fleece,
Deserve a story of immortal fame,
That both the Asias celebrate his name;
What honour, celebration, and renown,
In virtue’s right, ought justly to be shewn
To the fair memory of Sir Francis Drake,
England’s true Jason, who did boldly make
So many rare adventures, which were held
For worth unmatch’d, danger unparallel’d;
Never returning to his country’s eye
Without the golden fleece of victory!
The world’s a sea, and every magistrate
Takes a year’s voyage when he takes this state:
Nor on these seas are there less dangers found
Than those on which the bold adventurer’s bound;
For rocks, gulfs, quicksands, here is malice, spite,
Envy, detraction of all noble right;
Vessels of honour those do threaten more
Than any ruin between sea and shore.
Sail, then, by the compass of a virtuous name,
And, spite of spites, thou bring’st the fleece of fame.

Passing from this, and more to encourage the noble endeavours of the magistrate, his lordship and the worthy Company are[366] gracefully conducted towards the Chariot of Honour. On the most eminent seat thereof is Government illustrated, it being the proper virtue by which we raise the noble memory of Sir Henry Fitz-Alwin, who held the seat of magistracy in this city twenty-four years together, a most renowned brother of this Company: in like manner, the worthy Sir John Norman, [that] first rowed in barge to Westminster with silver oars, under the person of Munificence: Sir Simon Eyre, that built Leadenhall, a granary for the poor, under the type of Piety; et sic de ceteris: this Chariot drawn by two golden-pelleted lions, being the proper supporters of the Company’s arms; those two that have their seats upon the lions presenting Power and Honour, the one in a little streamer or banneret bearing the arms of the present lord mayor, the other of the late, the truly generous and worthy Sir Allen Cotton, Knight, a bounteous and a noble housekeeper, one that hath spent the year of his magistracy to the great honour of the city, and by the sweetness of his disposition, and the uprightness of his justice and government, hath raised up a fair lasting memory to himself and his posterity for ever; at whose happy inauguration, though triumph was not then in season—Death’s pageants[367] being only advanced upon the shoulders of men—his noble deservings were not thereby any way eclipsed:

Est virtus sibi marmor, et integritate triumphat.
The speech of Government.
With just propriety does this city stand,
As fix’d by fate, i’ the middle of the land;
It has, as in the body, the heart’s place,
Fit for her works of piety and grace;
The head her sovereign, unto whom she sends
All duties that just service comprehends;
The eyes may be compar’d, at wisdom’s rate,
To the illustrious councillors of state,
Set in that orb of royalty, to give light
To noble actions, stars of truth and right;
The lips the reverend clergy, judges, all
That pronounce laws divine or temporal;
The arms to the defensive part of men:
So I descend unto the heart agen,[368]
The place where now you are; witness the love
True brotherhood’s cost and triumph, all which move
In this most grave solemnity; and in this
The city’s general love abstracted is:
And as the heart, in its meridian seat,
Is styl’d the fountain of the body’s heat,
The first thing receives life, the last that dies,
Those properties experience well applies
To this most loyal city, that hath been
In former ages, as in these times, seen
The fountain of affection, duty, zeal,
And taught all cities through the commonweal;
The first that receives quickening life and spirit
From the king’s grace, which still she strives t’ inherit,
And, like the heart, will be the last that dies
In any duty toward good supplies.
What can express affection’s nobler fruit,
Both to the king, and you his substitute?

At the close of this speech, this Chariot of Honour and Sanctuary of Prosperity, with all her graceful concomitants, and the two other parts of Triumph, take leave of his lordship for that time, and rest from service till the great feast at Guildhall be ended; after which the whole fabric of the Triumph attends upon his honour both towards St. Paul’s and homeward, his lordship accompanied with the grave and honourable senators of the city, amongst whom the two worthy shrieves, his lordship’s grave assistants for the year, the worshipful and generous master Richard Fen and master Edward Brumfield, ought not to pass of my respect unremembered, whose bounty and nobleness for the year will no doubt give the best expression to their own worthiness. Between the Cross and the entrance of Wood Street, that part of Triumph being planted—being the Fragrant Garden of England with the Rainbow—to which the concluding speech hath chiefly reference, there takes its farewell of his lordship, accompanied with the Fountain of Virtue, being the fourth part of the Triumph.

The last speech.
Mercy’s fair object, the celestial bow,
As in the morning it began to shew,
It closes up this great triumphal day,
And by example shews the year the way,
Which if power worthily and rightly spend,
It must with mercy both begin and end.
It is a year that crowns the life of man,
Brings him to peace with honour, and what can
Be more desir’d? ’tis virtue’s harvest-time,
When gravity and judgment’s in their prime:
To speak more happily, ’tis a time given
To treasure up good actions fit for heaven.
To a brotherhood of honour thou art fixt,
That has stood long fair in just virtue’s eye;
For within twelve years’ space thou art the sixt
That has been lord mayor of this Company.
This is no usual grace: being now the last,
Close the work nobly up, that what is past,
And known to be good in the former five,
May in thy present care be kept alive:
Then is thy brotherhood for their love and cost
Requited amply, but thy own soul most.
Health and a happy peace fill all thy days!
When thy year ends, may then begin thy praise!

For the fabric or structure of the whole Triumph, in so short a time so gracefully performed, the commendation of that the industry of master Garret Crismas[369] may justly challenge; a man not only excellent in his art, but faithful in his undertakings.