Cynthia's Revels Part 32

CUP. How might I revenge myself on this insulting Mercury?

there's Crites, his minion, he has not tasted of this water?

[WAVES HIS ARROW AT CRITES.] It shall be so. Is Crites turn'd dotard on himself too?

MER. That follows not, because the venom of your shafts cannot pierce him, Cupid.

CUP. As though there were one antidote for these, and another for him?

MER. As though there were not; or, as if one effect might not arise of diverse causes? What say you to Cynthia, Arete, Phronesis, Time, and others there?

CUP. They are divine.

MER. And Crites aspires to be so.

[MUSIC; THEY BEGIN THE THIRD DANCE.]

CUP. But that shall not serve him.

MER. 'Tis like to do it, at this time. But Cupid is grown too covetous, that will not spare one of a mult.i.tude.

CUP. One is more than a mult.i.tude.

MER. Arete's favour makes any one shot-proof against thee, Cupid.

I pray thee, light honey-bee, remember thou art not now in Adonis'

garden, but in Cynthia's presence, where thorns lie in garrison about the roses. Soft, Cynthia speaks.

CYN. Ladies and gallants of our court, to end, And give a timely period to our sports, Let us conclude them, with declining night; Our empire is but of the darker half.

And if you judge it any recompence For your faire pains, t' have earn'd Diana's thanks, Diana grants them, and bestows their crown To gratify your acceptable zeal.

For you are they, that not, as some have done, Do censure us, as too severe and sour, But as, more rightly, gracious to the good; Although we not deny, unto the proud, Or the profane, perhaps indeed austere: For so Actaeon, by presuming far, Did, to our grief, incur a fatal doom; And so, swoln Niobe, comparing more Than he presumed, was trophaeed into stone.

But are we therefore judged too extreme?

Seems it no crime to enter sacred bowers, And hallowed places, with impure aspect, Most lewdly to pollute? Seems it no crime To brave a deity? Let mortals learn To make religion of offending heaven.

And not at all to censure powers divine.

To men this argument should stand for firm, A G.o.ddess did it, therefore it was good: We are not cruel, nor delight in blood.-- But what have serious repet.i.tions To do with revels, and the sports of court?

We not intend to sour your late delights With harsh expostulation. Let it suffice That we take notice, and can take revenge Of these calumnious and lewd blasphemies.

For we are no less Cynthia than we were, Nor is our power, but as ourself, the same: Though we have now put on no tire of shine, But mortal eyes undazzled may endure.

Years are beneath the spheres, and time makes weak Things under heaven, not powers which govern heaven.

And though ourself be in ourself secure, Yet let not mortals challenge to themselves Immunity from thence. Lo, this is all: Honour hath store of spleen, but wanteth gall.

Once more we cast the slumber of our thanks On your ta'en toil, which here let take an end: And that we not mistake your several worths, Nor you our favour, from yourselves remove What makes you not yourselves, those clouds of masque Particular pains particular thanks do ask.

[THE DANCERS UNMASK.]

How! let me view you. Ha! are we contemn'd?

Is there so little awe of our disdain, That any (under trust of their disguise) Should mix themselves with others of the court, And, without forehead, boldly press so far, As farther none? How apt is lenity To be abused! severity to be loath'd!

And yet, how much more doth the seeming face Of neighbour virtues, and their borrow'd names, Add of lewd boldness to loose vanities!

Who would have thought that Philautia durst Or have usurped n.o.ble Storge's name, Or with that theft have ventured on our eyes?

Who would have thought, that all of them should hope So much of our connivence, as to come To grace themselves with t.i.tles not their own?

Instead of med'cines, have we maladies?

And such imposthumes as Phantaste is Grow in our palace? We must lance these sores, Or all will putrify. Nor are these all, For we suspect a farther fraud than this: Take off our veil, that shadows many depart, And shapes appear, beloved Arete--So, Another face of things presents itself, Than did of late. What! feather'd Cupid masqued, And masked like Anteros? And stay! more strange!

Dear Mercury, our brother, like a page, To countenance the ambush of the boy!

Nor endeth our discovery as yet: Gelaia, like a nymph, that, but erewhile, In male attire, did serve Anaides?-- Cupid came hither to find sport and game, Who heretofore hath been too conversant Among our train, but never felt revenge: And Mercury bare Cupid company.

Cupid, we must confess, this time of mirth, Proclaim'd by us, gave opportunity To thy attempts, although no privilege: Tempt us no farther; we cannot endure Thy presence longer; vanish hence, away!

[EXIT CUPID.]

You Mercury, we must entreat to stay, And hear what we determine of the rest; For in this plot we well perceive your hand.

But, (for we mean not a censorian task, And yet to lance these ulcers grown so ripe,) Dear Arete, and Crites, to you two We give the charge; impose what pains you please: Th' incurable cut off, the rest reform, Remembering ever what we first decreed, Since revels were proclaim'd, let now none bleed.

ARE. How well Diana can distinguish times, And sort her censures, keeping to herself The doom of G.o.ds, leaving the rest to us!

Come, cite them, Crites, first, and then proceed.

CRI. First, Philautia, for she was the first, Then light Gelaia in Aglaia's name, Thirdly, Phantaste, and Moria next, Main Follies all, and of the female crew: Amorphus, or Eucosmos' counterfeit, Voluptuous Hedon ta'en for Eupathes, Brazen Anaides, and Asotus last, With his two pages, Morus, and Prosaites; And thou, the traveller's evil, Cos, approach, Impostors all, and male deformities--

ARE. Nay, forward, for I delegate my power.

And will that at thy mercy they do stand, Whom they so oft, so plainly scorn'd before.

'Tis virtue which they want, and wanting it, Honour no garment to their backs can fit.

Then, Crites, practise thy discretion.

CRI. Adored Cynthia, and bright Arete, Another might seem fitter for this task, Than Crites far, but that you judge not so: For I (not to appear vindicative, Or mindful of contempts, which I contemn'd, As done of impotence) must be remiss: Who, as I was the author, in some sort, To work their knowledge into Cynthia's sight, So should be much severer to revenge The indignity hence issuing to her name: But there's not one of these who are unpain'd, Or by themselves unpunished; for vice Is like a fury to the vicious mind, And turns delight itself to punishment.

But we must forward, to define their doom.

You are offenders, that must be confess'd; Do you confess it?

ALL. We do.

CRI. And that you merit sharp correction?

ALL. Yes.

CRI. Then we (reserving unto Delia's grace Her farther pleasure, and to Arete What Delia granteth) thus do sentence you: That from this place (for penance known of all, Since you have drunk so deeply of Self-love) You, two and two, singing a Palinode, March to your several homes by Niobe's stone, And offer up two tears a-piece thereon, That it may change the name, as you must change, And of a stone be called Weeping-cross: Because it standeth cross of Cynthia's way, One of whose names is sacred Trivia.

And after penance thus perform'd you pa.s.s In like set order, not as Midas did, To wash his gold off into Tagus' stream; But to the Well of knowledge, Helicon; Where, purged of your present maladies, Which are not few, nor slender, you become Such as you fain would seem, and then return, Offering your service to great Cynthia.

This is your sentence, if the G.o.ddess please To ratify it with her high consent; The scope of wise mirth unto fruit is bent.

CYN. We do approve thy censure belov'd Crites; Which Mercury, thy true propitious friend, (A deity next Jove beloved of us,) Will undertake to see exactly done.

And for this service of discovery, Perform'd by thee, in honour of our name, We vow to guerdon it with such due grace As shall become our bounty, and thy place.

Princes that would their people should do well, Must at themselves begin, as at the head; For men, by their example, pattern out Their imitations, and regard of laws: A virtuous court, a world to virtue draws.

[EXEUNT CYNTHIA AND HER NYMPHS, FOLLOWED BY ARETE AND CRITES:-- AMORPHUS, PHANTASTE, ETC., GO OFF THE STAGE IN PAIRS, SINGING THE FOLLOWING]

PALINODE.

AMO. From Spanish shrugs, French faces, smirks, irpes, and all affected humours,

CHORUS. Good Mercury defend us.

PHA. From secret friends, sweet servants, loves, doves, and such fantastic humours,

CHORUS. Good Mercury defend us.

AMO. From stabbing of arms, flap-dragons, healths, whiffs, and all such swaggering humours,

CHORUS. Good Mercury defend us.