Descensus Astraeae. THE DEVICE of a l'ageant, borne before M. William Web, Lord Maior of the City of London on the day he took his oath, being the 29. of October. 1591. Whereunto is annexed A Speech delivered by one clad like a Sea Nymph, who presented a Pinnace on the water bravely rigged and manned, to the Lord Maior, at the time he took Barge to go to Westminster.  
Done by G. Peele Master of Arts in Oxford.  
 
Printed for William Wright.   
The Presenters Speech. 

SEE lovely Lords, and you my Lord behold  
How Time hath turned his restless wheel about  
And made the silver moon: & heavens bright eye  
Gallop the Zodiac and end the year  
Whose revolution now begets anew  
The days that have created and confirmed  
A worthy Governor for London's good,  
To underbear under his sovereign's sway  
Unpartial justice beam, and weaved a Web  
For your content, and her command in all,  
You Citizens of this Metapolis  
Whose honour and whose oath to gratulate  
Lordings behold what Emblem I present.   

Astraea daughter of the immortal jove,  
Great jove defender of this ancient town,  
Descended of the Trojan Brutus' line:  
Offspring of that courageous conquering king.  
Whose pure renown, hath pierced the world's large ears,  
In golden scrolls, rolling about the heavens  
Celestial sacred Nymph, that tends her flock  
With watchful eyes, and keep this fount in peace:  
Guarded with Graces, and with gracious trains,  
virtues divine, and gifts incomparable.   

Nor lets blind superstitious ignorance,  
Corrupt so pure a spring: O happy times  
That do beget such calm and quiet days,  
Where sheep & shepherd breath in such content.   

Honour attends her throne, in her bright eyes  
Sits Majesty: Virtue, and Steadfastness  
Possess her heart, sweet mercy sways her sword.  
Her champion armed with resolution,  
Sits at her feet to chastise malcontents,  
That threat her honours wrack. And Time & Kind  
Produce her years to make them numberless  
While Fortune for her service and her sake,  
With golden hands doth strengthen and enrich  
The Web that they for fair Astraea weave.  
Long may she live, long may she govern us  
In peace triumphant, fortunate in wars  
Our fair Astraea, our Pandora fair,  
Our fair Eliza, or Zabeta fair.   

Sweet Cynthia's darling, beauteous Cypria's peer  
As dear to England and true English hearts,  
As Pompey to the Citizens of Rome:  
As merciful as Caesar in his might.  
As mighty as the Macedonian king,  
Or Trojan Hector, terror to the Greeks.   

Goddess live long, whose honours we advance,  
Strengthen thy neighbours, propagate thine own:  
Guide well thy helm, lay thine anointed hand  
To build the temple of triumphant Truth,  
That while thy subjects draw their peace from thee,  
Thy friends with aid of arms may succoured be.   Astraea with her sheephook on the top of the pageant. 

Feed on my flock among the gladsome green  
Where heavenly Nectar flows above the banks.  
Such pastures are not common to be seen,  
Pay to immortal jove immortal thanks:  
For what is good fro heavens high throne doth fall.  
And heavens great Architect be praised for all.   Superstition. A Friar sitting by the fountain. 

Stir Priest, and with thy beads poison this spring,  
I tell thee all is baneful that I bring.   Ignorance. A Priest. 

It is in vain her eye keeps me in awe,  
Whose heart is purely fixed on the law:  
The holy law, and bootless we contend,  
While this chaste nymph, this fountain doth defend,   Euphrosyne. 

Whilom when Saturn's golden reign did cease,  
and iron age had kindled cruel wars:  
Envy in wrath, perturbing common peace,  
engendering cankered hate and bloody jars:  
Lo than Olympus king, the thundering jove,  
raught hence this gracious nymph Astraea fair,  
Now once again he sends her from above,  
descended through the sweet transparent air:  
And here she sits in beauty fresh and sheen,  
Shadowing the person of a peerless Queen.   Aglaia. 

A peerless Queen, a Royal princely dame,  
Enrolled in register of eternal fame.   Thalia. 

The Graces through their balm about her sacred head,  
Whose government her realms true happiness hath bred.   Charity. 

That happiness continue in her land,  
Great Israel's God, spring of all heavenly peace:  
And let thine angels in her rescue stand,  
With her lives wane done England's joys decrease  
O let her princely days never have fine,  
Whose virtues are immortal and divine.   Hope. 

Such virtues as her throne do beautify,  
And make her honours mount and scale the sky.   Faith. 

Where hope of her eternal bliss doth rest,  
Conceived in her sweet & sacred breast.   Honor. 

With radiant beams, reflecting on the earth,  
Even from the snowy brows of Albion,  
Beyond the utmost verge of Christendom,  
As bright as is the burning lamp of heaven,  
Shineth my mistress honour, in whose fame  
The heathen carols sing and all admire,  
From Icy Tanais to the sevenfold Nile,  
Her glory that commands this Western I'll.   Champion. 

In whose defence my colours I advance,  
And girt me with my sword, and shake my lance:  
These British Lions rampant in this field,  
That never learned in battles rage to yield:  
Breath terror to the proud aspiring foe,  
Ranging the world commanding where they go.  
Therefore in vain this misproud Malcontent,  
Threatens her state whose harms the heavens prevent  
Sit safe sweet Nymph among thy harmless sheep,  
Thy sacred person angels have in keep.   1. Malcontent. 

What meaneth this, I strive and cannot strike,  
She is preserved by miracle belike:  
If so then, wherefore threaten we in vain,  
That Queen, whose cause the gracious heavens maintain.   2. Malcontent. 

No marvel then although we faint and quail,  
For mighty is the truth and will prevail.   In the hinder part of the Pageant did sit a Child, representing Nature, holding in her hand a distaff, & spinning a Web, which passed through the hand of Fortune and was wheeled up by Time, who spoke as followeth. Time. 

Thus while my wheel with ever turning gyres,  
At heavens high hest serves earthly men's desires,  
I wind the Web that kind so well begins:  
While Fortune doth enrich what Nature spins.   

A speech on the water delivered in the morning at my Lord Majors going to Westminster.  
List gentle Lords, and bubbling stream be still  
And whistling winds your angry murmur cease  
Let Thetis Nymph unfold the goddess hest:  
Behold embarked thus bravely as you see,  
Laden with treasure and with precious ore  
From where in Tellus veins the parching sun,  
Doth gold and glittering murals create,  
Are come these strangers lovingly inflamed  
To gratulate to you my lovely Lord.  
This gladsome day wherein your honours spring.  
And by the bar that thwarts this silver stream,  
Even to the beauteous verge of Troynovant  
That decks this Thamesis on either side,  
Thus far these friends have pierced, & all by me;  
Salute your honour and your company.  
Thrice worthy Praetor of this ancient town.  
The mortar of these walls tempered in peace,  
Yet holds the building sure, as are the sprigs  
Woven from the spreading root in knotty box.  
Labour fair Lord as other Majors of yore  
To beautify this city with deserts.  
So wish these friendly strangers, man by man  
Pass with advisement to receive thy oath:  
Keep it inviolate for thy sovereign's hope,  
Virtues pure mirror, London's great mistress,  
unsheath the sword committed to thy sway,  
With merciful regard of every cause.  
So go in peace happy by sea and land,  
Guided by grace, and heavens immortal hand.  
FINIS.