THE TEMPLE OF LOVE. A Masque. Presented by the queen's Majesty, and her Ladies, at Whitehall on Shrove-Tuesday, 1634. By Inigo jones, Surveyor of his Maties .Works, and William Davenant, her Maties. Servant.  
LONDON: Printed for Thomas Walkley, and are to be sold at his Shop near Whitehall. 1634.   

The Argument.  
DIvine Poesy (the Secretary of Nature) is sent by Fate to Indamora, Queen of Narsinga, to signify the time prefixed was come, when by the influence of her beauty (attended with those lesser lights, her Contributary Ladies) the Temple of Chaste Love should be re-established in this Island; which Temple being long sought for by certain Magicians (enemies to chaste Love) intending to use it to their intemperate ends, was by Divine Poesy hidden in mists and clouds; so as the Magicians being frustrate of their hopes, sought by enchantments to hinder all others from finding it; and by this imposture many Noble Knights and Ladies had been tempted and misled. The fame of this Temple of Love being quickly spread over all the Eastern world, inflamed a company of noble Persian youths, borderers on India to travel in quest of it; who arriving, were by the illusions of the Magicians, and their spirits of several Regions, almost seduced, as others had been: But Divine Poesy appearing, discovered unto them some part of the Temple unshadowed, and prophesied of the time when Indamora and her train should arrive to effect this miracle; which though it seems somewhat hard Doctrine to most young men, yet these being spirits of the highest rank, forsaking the false Magicians and their allurements, were resolved to entertain themselves to contemplate on this Apparition until the coming of the glorious Indian Queen. At whose sight they being inspired with chaste flames might be permitted by their faithful observance and legitimate affections to enter and enjoy the privileges of that sacred Temple. Then Divine Poesy sends Orpheus her chief Priest in a Bark (assisted by the Brachmant and Priests of the Temple, who meet him on the shores) to calm the Seas with his Harp, that a maritime Chariot prepared by the Indian Seagods, might safer, and more swiftly convey them to achieve this Noble adventure; after whose landing having paid their Ceremonies by moving in harmonical and numerous figures, Sunesis and Thelema (which intimate the understanding and the will) joining together, the true Temple appears, and Chaste Love descends to invoke the last and living Hero (Indamora's royal Lover) that he may help and witness the Consecration of it.   

THE TEMPLE OF LOVE.  
AT the lower end of the Banqueting-house, opposite to the State, was a Stage of six foot high, and on that was raised an Ornament of a new Invention agreeable to the Subject; consisting of Indian Trophies: on the one side upon a basement sat a naked Indian on a whitish Elephant, his legs shortening towards the neck of the beast, his tire and bases of several coloured feathers, representing the Indian Monarchy: On the other side an Asiatic in the habit of an Indian borderer, riding on a Camel; his turban and Coat differing from that of the Turks, figured for the Asian Monarchy: over these hung shield like Compartments: In that over the Indian was painted a Sun rising, and in the other an half Moon; these had for finishing the Capital of a great pilaster, which served as a ground to stick them of, and bore up a large freeze or border with a Coronice. In this over the Indian lay the figure of an old man, with a long white hair and beard, representing the flood Tigris; on his head a wreath of Canes and Siege, and leaning upon a great Urn, out of which run water, by him in an extravagant posture stood a Tiger.  
At the other end of this freeze lay another naked man, representing Meander, the famous River of Asia, who likewise had a great silver urn, and by him lay an Unicorn.  
In the midst of this border was fixed a rich Compartment, behind which was a crimson Drapery part of it borne up by naked Children tacked up in several pleats, and the rest was at each end of the Freeze tied with a great knot, and from thence hung down in folds to the bottom of the pedestals: In the midst of this Compartment in an oval was written templum AMORIS: all these figures were in their natural colours bigger than the life, and the Compartments of Gold.  
A Curtain flying up the first Scene was discovered, in which appeared a spacious grove of shady trees; and afar off on a mount with a winding way to the top was seated a pleasant bower environed with young trees, and in the lower part walks planted with Cypress, representing the place where the Souls of the Ancient Poets are feigned to reside: the delight of this prospect was quickly diverted to the fight of a more strange apparition; for, out of the heaven by little and little broke forth a great Cloud of a Rosy Colour, which being come down some little way began to open, and in it was seen sitting a beautiful woman; her garment was Sky-colour set all with Stars of gold, her head was crowned with Laurel, with a spangled veil hanging down behind, and her hair in artificial curls graciously dressed, representing Divine Poesy, and by her a milk white Swan, as she descends singing out of those venerable shades came forth a company of ancient Greek Poets, as Demodicus, Foemius, Homer, Hesiod, Terpander, and Sapho a Poetess in habits varied and of several colours, with laurel wreaths on their heads. Divine Poesy sung this:  Divine Poesy. 

(1.)  
AS cheerful as the Morning's light,  
Comes Indamora from above,  
To guide those Lovers that want sight,  
To see and know what they should love.   

(2.)  
Her beams into each breast will steal,  
And search what every Heart doth mean,  
The sadly wounded she will heal,  
And make the foully tainted clean.   

(3.)  
Rise you, from your dark shades below,  
That first gave words an harmony,  
And made false Love in Numbers flow,  
Till vice became a mystery.   

(4.)  
And when I've purified that Air  
To which Death turned you long ago,  
Help with your voices to declare  
What Indamora comes to show.   The Poets. 

Soul of our Science! how inspired we come?  
By thee restored to voices that lay dumb,  
Awed lost in many a forgotten Tomb.   D. Poesy. 

Y'are spirits all; and have so long  
From flesh, and frailty absent been,  
That sure though Love should fill your song,  
It could not relish now of sin.   The Poets. 

Vex not our sad remembrance with our shame!  
We have been punished for ill-gotten fame,  
For each loose verse, tormented with a flame.   D. Poesy. 

Descend then, and become with me,  
The happy Organs to make known  
In an harmonious Embassy,  
Our great affair to yonder Throne.   
she being descended to the ground in a Majestic pace, goes up to the State, attended by the forenamed Poets; and the Cloud that brought her down, closeth as it ascends.  D. Poesy. 

Thou Monarch of men's hearts rejoice!  
So much thou art beloved in heaven,  
That Fate hath made thy reign her choice,  
In which Love's blessings shall be given.   The Poets. 

Truth shall appear, and rule till she resists  
Those subtle charms, and melts those darker mists,  
In which Love's Temple's hid from Exorcists.   

(Whom forsooth Divine Poesy they style)  
This morn proclaimed it from a falling Cloud.   (2.) 
Who? Divine Poesy?  (3.) 

I know her well.  
she's one that makes the holy jigs,  
And sacred Catches for the gods, when they  
Are merry with mistakes of men, and laugh  
To see us careless of their punishment.   (1.) 
But who shall bring this mischief to our Art?  (3.) 

Indamora, the delight of Destiny!  
she, and the beauties of her Train: who sure  
Though they discover Summer in their looks,  
Still carry frozen Winter in their blood.  
They raise strange doctrines, and new sects of Love:  
Which must not woo or court the Person, but  
The Mind; and practise generation not  
Of Bodies but of Souls.   (2.) 

Believe me, my Magical friends,  
They must bring bodies with 'em that worship  
In our pleasant Temple: I have an odd  
Fantastic faith persuades me there will be  
Little pastime upon earth without Bodies.  
Your Spirit's a cold Companion at midnight.   (1.) 

Have we so long misled and entertained  
The youthful of the world, (I mean their bodies)  
And now do they betake themselves unto  
The dull imaginary pleasures of  
Their souls? This humour cannot last.   (2.) 

If it should, we may rid our Temple  
Of all our Persian Quilts, embroidered Couches,  
And our standing Beds; these (I take it) are  
Bodily implements; our souls need 'em not.  
But where shall this new Sect be planted first?   (3.) 
In a dull Northern I'll, they call Britain.  (2.) 

Indeed 'tis a cold Northerly opinion;  
And I'll lay my life begot since their late  
Great Frosts. It will be long enough ere it  
Shall spread, and prosper in the South! Or if  
The Spaniard or Italian ever be  
Persuaded out of the use of their bodies,  
I'll give mine to a Raven for his Supper.   (3.) 

The Miracle is more increased, in that  
It first takes birth and nourishment in Court.   (2.) 

But my good damned friend tell me? Is there not  
One Courtier will resent the cause, and give  
Some countenance to the affairs of the body?   (3) 

Certain young Lords at first disliked the Philosophy  
As most uncomfortable, sad, and new;  
But soon inclined to a superior vote,  
And are grown as good Platonical Lovers  
As are to be found in an Hermitage, where he  
That was borne last, reckons above fourscore.   
To these come forth in haste another Magician, in shape and habit differing from the other, and spoke as followeth.  (1.) 
Here comes a brother of our mystic Tribe!  (3.) 

He knows th'occasion of our grief, and by  
His haste imports discoveries more strange!   (4.) 

News! news! my sad companions of the shade!  
There's lately landed on our fatal shore  
Nine Persian youths, their habit and their looks  
So smooth, that from the pleasures i'th' Elysian fields  
Each female ghost will come, and enter in  
Their flesh again, to make embraces warm.   (2.) 

I hope these are no Platonical Lovers,  
No such Carthusian Poets as do write  
Madrigals to the mind? more of thy news!   (4.) 

The rest infers small joy, and little hope:  
For though at first their youth and eager thoughts  
Directed them where our gay Altar stood,  
And they were ready too for sacrifice,  
I cannot tell what luckless light informed  
Their eyes, but Loves true Temple straight they spied  
Through the ascending mists, and would have entered it  
To read grave frosty Homilies,  
And Antic saws of Chastity, but that  
(As my swift Spirit brought me word) a voice  
Sent from within bade them with reverence  
Desist till Indamora did appear, for then  
The gates would open, and the mists dry up  
That thus concealed it from the general view,  
Which now their expectation doth attend.   (3.) 

'Tis time to wake our drowsy Art, and try  
If we have power to hinder Destiny.  
Mount! mount! our charms! fetch me, whilst you aspire,  
A Spirit of the Element of fire!   (2.) 
Me one of Air!  (1.) 
The water me supplies!  (4.) 
Mine from the centre of the earth shall rise!  (3.) 
These shall infuse their several qualities  
In men; if not t'uphold the faction of  
The flesh, yet to infect the queasy age  
With blacker sins: If we (now we have joined  
The force of all the Elements t'assist  
The horror of our will) shall not prevail  
Against this humorous virtue of the Time,  
Nature, our weakness must be thought thy crime.  
From Persian Princes too, and each as fierce  
A Lover, as did ever sigh in verse!  
Give audience then, you Ladies of this I'll!  
Lord how you lift your fans up now, and smile!  
To think (forsooth) they are so fond to take  
So long a journey for your beauty's sake!  
For know, theyare come! but sure, ere they return,  
Will give your femaleships some cause to mourn!  
For I must tell you, that about them all  
There's not one grain, but what's Platonical!  
So bashful that I think they might be drawn  
(Like you) to wear close Hoods, or veils of Lawn.  
My Master is the chief that doth protect,  
Or (as some say) mislead this precise sect:  
One heretofore that wisely could confute  
A Lady at her window with his Lute.  
There devoutly in a cold morning stand  
Two hours, praising the snow of her white hand,  
So long, till's words were frozen 'tween his lips,  
And's Lute-strings learned their quavering from his hips.  
And when he could not rule her to's intent,  
Like Tarquin he would proffer ravishment.  
But now, no fear of Rapes, until he find  
A maidenhead belonging to the mind.  
The rest are all so modest too, and pure,  
So virginly, so coy, and so demure,  
That they retreat at kissing, and but name  
Hymen, or Love, they blush for very shame!  
Ladies! I must needs laugh! you'll give me leave  
I hope; and 'tis to think how you deceive  
yourselves with all this precious art, and care  
ta'en in your glass to dress your looks, and hair!  
When (in good faith!) they heed no outward merit,  
But fervently resolve to woo the Spirit!  
Hah! do you all look melancholy vow?  
And cast a Cloud of anger o'er the brow?  
'Tis time to fly, and my best swiftness use,  
Lest killed with pins, and Bodkins for my news.  
The Page retires, and the Noble Persian youths make their entry, apparelled in Asian Coats of Seagreen embroidered that reached down above their knees, with buttons and loops before and cut up square to their hips, and returned down with two short skirts; the sleeves of this Coat were large without seam, and cut short to the bending of the Arm, and hanging down long behind, trimmed with buttons as those of the breast; out of this came a sleeve of white Satin embroidered, and the Basis answerable to the sleeve, hung down in gathering underneath the shortest part of their Coat; on their heads they wore Persian Turbans silvered underneath, and wound about with white Cypress, and one fall of a white feather before.  
Their Dance ended, the mist and Clouds at an instant disappear, and the Scene is all changed into a Sea somewhat calm, where the billows moving sometimes whole, and sometimes breaking, beat gently on the land, which represented a new and strange prospect; the nearest part was broken grounds and Rocks, with a mountainous Country, but of a pleasant Aspect, in which were trees of strange form and Colour, and here and there were placed in the bottom several Arbours like Cottages, and strange beasts and birds, far unlike the Country of these parts, expressing an Indian Landscape: In the Sea were several I-  
Indamora Queen of Narsinga sat enthroned in the highest part of this Chariot, in a rich seat, the back of which was a great Scallop Shell. The habit of the Masquers was of Isabella Colour, and Watchet, with Bases in large pains cut through, all over richly embroidered with silver, and the dressing of their heads was of silver, with small falls of white feathers tipped with Watchet. This sight thus moving on the water, was accompanied with the music and voices of the Chorus.  


(1.)  
SHe comes! each Princess in her train hath all  
That wise enamoured Poets, beauty call!  
So fit and ready to subdue:  
That had they not kind hearts which take a care  
To free, and counsel, whom their eyes ensnare,  
Poor Lovers would have cause to rue.   

(2.)  
More welcome than the wandering seaman's star,  
When in the Night the Winds make causeless war,  
Until his Bark so long is tossed,  
That's sails to rags are blown, the Mainyard bears  
Not sheet enough to wipe, and dry those tears  
He shed to see his Rudder lost.    
The Song ended, all the forepart of the Sea was in an instant turned to dry land, and Indamora with her Contributary Ladies descended into the room, and made their entry. Then for enter medium the Music began again, and sung this Song.  

The Song.  

(1.)  
THe Planets though they move so fast,  
Have power to make their swiftness last,  
But see, your strength is quickly gone!  
Yet move by sense and rules of Art,  
And each hath an immortal part,  
Which cannot tire, but they have none:   

(2.)  
Let then your soft, and nimble feet  
Lead and in various figures meet  
Those stranger Knights, who though they came  
Seduced at first by false desire,  
You'll kindle in their breasts a fire  
Shall keep Love warm, yet not inflame.   

(3.)  
At first they were your beauty's prize,  
Now offer willing sacrifice  
Unto the Virtues of the mind,  
And each shall wear when they depart,  
A lawful though a loving heart,  
And wish you still both strict and kind.    
The Masquers having a while reposed, danced their second Dance, which ended, and the Queen being seated under the State by the King, the Scene was changed into the true Temple of Chaste Love; this Temple instead of Columns had terms of young Satyrs bearing up the returns of Architrave Freeze and Coronice, all enriched of goldsmith's work, the further part of the Temple running far from the eye was designed of another kind of Architecture, with Pilasters, niches, and Statues; and in the midst a stately gate adorned with Columns and their Ornaments, and a frontispiece on the top, all which seemed to be of burnished gold. Into this Temple enters Sunesis and Thelema; Sunesis a man of a noble Aspect, and richly attired; his garment of Cloth of gold reaching down below his knees, and girt with a tuck at the waist, with wide sleeves turned up; his mantle of Watchet fastened on both shoulders, and hanging down long behind, a garland of Sinope on his head, with a flame of fire issuing out of it, his Buskins were yellow, wrought with gold. Thelema a young woman in a Robe of changeable silk girt with several tucks, under her breast, and beneath her waist, and great leaves of silver about her shoulders hanging down to the midst of her Arm; upon her head a garland of great Marigolds, and puffs of silvered Lawn between. And at her shoulders were Angels wings, these sung this Dialogue, assisted by the Chori.  

The Song.  Sunesis and Thelema. Sunesis. 
COme melt thy soul in mine, that when unite,  
We may become one virtuous appetite.  Thelema. 
First breath thine into me, thine is the part  
More heavenly, and doth more adorn the heart.  Both. 
Thus mixed, our love will ever be discreet,  
And all our thoughts and actions pure,  
When perfect Will, and strengthened Reason meet,  
Then Love's created to endure.  Chorus. 
Were Heaven more distant from us, we would strive  
To reach't with Prayers to make this Union thrive.   
Whilst this Song continued, there came softly down from the highest part of the heaven a bright and transparent Cloud, which being come to the middle part of the Air it opened, and out of it came Amianteros, or Chaste Love flying down, clad all in Carnation and White, and two garlands of Laurel in one hand, and crowned with another of the same; whilst he descended the Cloud closeth again and returns upwards, and is hidden in the heavens; Chaste Love being come down to the earth, was accompanied by Sunesis and Thelema, Divine Poesy, Orpheus, and the rest of the Poets up to the State, the great Chorus following at a distance, where they sung this Song.  

The Song.  Amianteros, or Chaste Love. 

(1.)  
whilst by a mixture thus made one,  
Y'are th' Emblem of my Deity,  
And now you may in yonder Throne,  
The pattern of your Union see.   

(2.)  
Softly as fruitful showers I fall,  
And th'undiscerned increase I bring,  
Is of more precious worth than all  
A plenteous Summer pays a Spring.   

(3.)  
The benefit it doth impart,  
Will not the barren earth improve,  
But fructify each barren heart,  
And give eternal growth to Love.   Sunesis. 
To CHARLES the mightiest and the best,  
And to the Darling of his breast,  
(Who rule b' example as by power)  
May youthful blessings still increase,  
And in their Offspring never cease,  
Till Time's too old to last an hour.  Chorus. 
These wishes are so well deserved by thee,  
And thought so modest too by Destiny,  
That heaven hath sealed the grant as a Decree.   
After which they all retire to the Scene, and Indamora and her Ladies begin the Revels with the King and the Lords, which continue the most part of the night. Thus ended this Masque which for the newness of the invention, variety of Scenes, Apparitions, and richness of habits was generally approved to be one of the most magnificent that hath been done in England.   

The Masquers Names.  

The queen's Majesty.  
Lady Marquess Hamilton.  
Lady Mary Herbert.  
Countess of Oxford.  
Countess of Berkshire.  
Countess of Carnarvan.  
Countess of Newport.  
Lady Herbert.  
Lady Katherine Howard  
Lady Anne Carre.  
Lady Elizabeth Fielding  
Lady Thimbleby.  
Mistress Dorothy Savage.  
Mistress Victory Carry.  
Mistress Nevill.   

The Lords and others that presented the Noble Persian Youths.  
The Duke of Lenox.  
Earl of Newport.  
Earl of Desmond.  
Viscount Grandeson.  
Lord Russell.  
Lord Doncaster.  
Master Thomas Weston.  
Master George Goring.  
Master Henry Murrey.   
FINIS.