THE MASQVE OF QVEENES Celebrated From the House of famed: By the most absolute in all State, And Titles. ANNE queen of Great britain, &c. With her Honourable Ladies. At White Hall, Febr. 2. 1609. Written by BEN: jonson. Et memorem famam, quae been gessit, habet. LONDON, Printed by N. oars. for R. Bon●an and H. Wally, and are to be sold at the spread Eagle in Poules Church-yard. 1609. To her sacred majesty. Most excellent of queens, The same zeal, that studied to make this Invention worthy of your Maiestyes Name, hath since been careful to give it life, and authority: that, what could then be objected to sight but of a few, might not be defrauded of the applause due to it from all. And, because Princes( out of a religious respect to their modesty) may wiselye refuse to be the public patrons of their own actions; I choose him, that is the next your sacred Person, and might the worthiest of Mankind give it proper, and natural defence. The rather since it was his Highnesse command, to haue me add this second labour of annotation to my first of Invention: and both to the honor of your majesty. Wherein a hearty desire to please deserves not to offend. By the most loyal, and zealous, to your Maties service, Ben Jonson To the Glory of our own, and grief of other Nations. My Lord HENRY Prince of great britain, &c. SIR, WHEN it hath been my happiness( as would it were more frequent) but to see your face, and, as passing by, to consider you; I haue with as much ioy, as I am now far from flattery in professing it, called to mind that doctrine of some great Inquisitors in Nature, who hold every royal& heroic form to partake and draw much to it of the heavenly virtue. For, whether it be that a divine soul, being to come into a body, first chooseth a palace for itself; or, being come, doth make it so; or that Nature be ambitious to haue her work equal; I know not: But what is lawful for me to understand,& speak, that I dare; which is, that both your virtue& your For me did deserve your Fortune. The one claimed that you should bee born a Prince, the other makes that you do become it. And when Necessity( excellent Lord) the mother of the Fates, hath so provided, that your form should not more insinuate you to the eyes of men, then your virtue to their mindes: it comes near a wonder to think how sweetly that habit flows in you, and with so hourly testimonies, which to all posterity might hold the dignity of examples. Amongst the rest, your favour to letters, and these gentler studies, that go under the title of humanity, is not the least honor of your wreathe. For, if once the worthy Prosessors of these learnings shall come( as heretofore they were) to be the care of Princes, the Crownes, their Soueraignes wear, will not more adorn their temples; nor their stamps live longer in their Medals, then in such subiects labours. Poetry, my Lord, is not born with every man; nor every day: And in her general right, it is now my minute to thank your Highnesse, who not only do honor her with your ear, but are curious to examine her with your eye, and inquire into her beauties, and strengths. Where though it hath proved a work of some difficulty to me, to retrine the particular Authorities( according to your gracious command, and a desire born out of iudgement) to those things, which I writ out of fullness, and memory of my former readings: yet, now I haue overcome it, the reward, that meets me, is double to one act: which is, that thereby your excellent understanding will not onely justify me to your own knowledge, but decline the stiffness of others original ignorance, already armed to censure. For, which singular bounty, if my Fate( most excellent Prince, and onely Delicacy of Man-kind) shall reserve me to the Age of your Actions, whether in the camp, or the councel-chamber, that I may writ, at nights, the deeds of your dayes: I will then labour to bring forth some work as worthy of your famed, as my ambition therein is of your pardon. By the most true admirer of your Highnesse virtues, And most hearty Celebrater of them, BEN: jonson. THE MASQVE OF QVEENES. IT increasing, now, to the third time of my being used in these services to her majesties personal presentations, with the ladies whom she pleaseth to honor; it was my first& special regard, to see that the Nobility of the invention should bee answerable to the dignity of their persons, For which reason I choose the argument, to be, A celebration of honourable, and true famed, bread out of virtue: observing that rule of the Hor. in Art. Poetic. best Artist, to suffer no object of delight to pass without his mixture of profit& example. And because her majesty( best knowing, that a principal part of life, in these Spectacles, lay in their variety) had commanded me to think on some Dance or show, that might praecede hers,& haue the place of a foil or false mask; I was careful to decline, not only from others, but mine own steps in that kind, since the In the Masqu● at my L. Hadding. wedding. last year, I had an Anti-masque of Boyes: and therfore now, devised, that twelve Women, in the habit of Hags, or Witches, sustaining the persons of Ignorance, suspicion, Credulity. &c. the opposites to good famed, should fill that part; not as a mask, but a Spectacle of strangeness, producing multiplicity of gesture, and not unaptly sorting with the current, and whole fall of the devise. His majesty, then, being set, and the whole company in full expectation, the part of the Scene which first presented itself was an ugly Hell: which flaming beneath, smoked unto the top of the roof. And in respect all evils are, morally, said to come from Hell; as also from that observation of Torrentius vpon Horace his Canidia, Vid. Laeuin. for. Comment. in Hor. Epod. lib. Oae. 5. quae tot instruct a venenis, ex Orci faucibus profecta videri posset: These Witches, with a kind of hollow and infernal music, came forth from thence. First one, then two, and three, and more, till their number increased to eleven; all differently attired: some with Rats on their heads; some on their shoulders; others with ointment pots at their girdles; All with spindles, timbrels, rattles, or other venefical instruments, making a confused noise, with strange gestures. The devise of their attire was Mr. jones his, with the invention,& Architecture of the whole Scene,& Machine. Onely, I prescribed them their Properties of Vipers, Snakes, Bones, herbs, roots, and other ensigns of their magic, out of the authority of ancient and late schoolmasters, wherein the faults are mine, if there bee any found; and for that cause I confess them. These eleven Witches beginning to dance( which is an usual See the Kings Maiest●es book,( our sovereign) of Damonologie. Bodin. Remig. Delr●o. Mal: Maleft. And a world of others, in the general: But let us follow particulars. Ceremony at their convents, or meetings, where sometimes also they are vizarded, and masqu'd) on the sudden, one of them missed their chief, and interrupted the rest, with this speech. SIsters, stay, we want our Amongst our vulgar Witches, the honor of Dame( for so I translate it) is given with a kind of pre-eminence to some special one at their meetings: which Delrio insinuates, Disquis. Mag. Lib. 2. Qu. 9. quoting that of Apuleius. Lib. de Asin. anreo. de quadam taupena, Regina Sagarum. And adds, vt scias etiam tum quasdam ab iis hoc ti●ulo honorata●. Which title M. philip Ludwigus Elich. Damonomagia. Quest. 10. doth also remember. Dame; Call vpon her by her name, And the charm we use to say, That she quickly When they are to bee transported from place to place, they use to anoint themselves, and sometimes, the things they ride on. Beside Apule. testimony, See these later. Remig, Demonolatria. lib. 1. Cap. 14. Delrio. Disquis. Mag. lib. 2. Quest. 16. B●din. Damonoman, lib. 2. Cap. 4. Barthol. de spina. quest. de Strigib, Philiope Ludovigus Elich. Quest. 10. Paracelsus in magn.& ●●cul● Philosophia, teacheth the confection. Vnguantum 〈◇〉 carne recent natorum infantium, in prelmenti forma coctum,& cum herbit semniseri●, qu●les sunt Papauer, Solanmn, Cicuta, &c. And Ioa. Bapti. Porta. lib. 2. Mag. Natur. Cap. 26. anoint, and come away. 1 charm. DAme, Dame, the Watch is set: Quickly come, we all are met. These places in their own nature dire, and disinall, are reckoned up, as the sittest from whence such persons should come: and were notably observed by that excellent Lucan, in the description of his Ericth●; lib. 6. To which wee may add this corollary out of Agrip. de o●cult. philosop. lib. ●. cap. 48, Saturne conrrespendent loca quanis f●●tida, tenebrosa, subterranea, religiosa& fanesta, vt eamiteria, busta,& hominibus deserta habitacula,& veteslate ●aduca, loca obscura,& horrenda,& sol tarta antrae, cauerna, putei; Praeterea piscina, stagna, paludes,& eiusmodi. And in lib. 3. cap. 42. speaking of the like and in lib. 4. about the end, Aptis●ma sunt loca plurimum expirtentia visionum, nocturnarumque in cursionum& constimilium phantasmaet●m, vt camiteria,& in quibus fieri solent executio& criminalis judicij, in quibut recentibus annis publicae strages factae sunt, vel ubi occisor●m 〈◇〉 dauera, necedum expiata, nec ritè sepulta recentioribus annis subnumata sunt. From the lakes, and from the fens, From the recks, and from the dens, From the woods, and from the caues, From the church-yeards, from the graues, From the dungeon, from the three That they die on, here are we. Comes she not yet? Strike another heat. 2 charm. THe weather is faire, the wind is good, up Dame, o'your Delrio. Disq. Mag. lib. 2. Quest. 6. has a sto●y out of Triezius of this horse of wood: but that which out Witches call so, is sometimes a broome-staffe, sometime à reede sometime a distaff. See Rom●g. Daemonol. lib. ●● cap. 14. Bodin liv. 2. cap. 4. &c. horse of wood: Or else, tuck up your gray frock, And saddle your The Goat is the devil himself vpon whom they ●ide often to their sole●mities, as ap● pea●es by their confessions in Rem. and Bodin. ibid. His majesty also remembers the story of the divels appearance to those of C●licut, in that form. Damenol. lib. 2. cap. 3. Goat, or your green Of the green Cock, we haue no other ground( to confess ingenuously) than a vulgar fable of a Witch, that with a Cock of that colour, and a bottom of blew thread, would transport herself through ●●aire; and so escaped( at the time of her being brought to execution) from the hand of Iustice. It was a tale when I went to school, And somewhat there is like it, in Mar. Delr. Disqu●. Mag. lib. 2. Quast 6. of one Zijto, a Bohemian, that, among other his dexterities, aliquoties equis rhedarijs vectum, gallis gallinaceis ad ●p●nkedium sisum alligatis, subsequebatur. Cock, And make his bridle a bottom of thrid, To role up how many miles you haue rid. Quickly come away; For we, all, stay. Nor yet? Nay, then, we'll try her again. 3. charm. THe owl is abroad, the Bat, and the Toad, And so is the Cat-a-mountaine; The Ant, and the Mole sit both in a hole, And frog peeps out o'the fountain; The Dogges, they do bay, and the Timbrels play, The All this is but a Per●phrasis of the might, in their charm, and their applying themselves to it with their i● struments, whereof the Spindle in An tiquitie, was the chief; and beside the testimony of Theocritus, in Pharmaceutria,( who onely used it in amorous affairs) was of special act to the troubling of the moon. To which Martiall alludes, lib. 9 ept. 30. Q●anunc Thess●l●●o lunam deducere rhombo, &c. And lib. 12. Epig. 57. Cum secta Colcke Luna vapalat rhom●●. Spindle is now a turning; The moon it is read, and the stars are fled, But all the Sky is a burning: The This rate also of making a d●tch with their nailes, is frequent with our witches●… whereof see Bodin. Remig. Delrio. Malleus Mal. Godelmā●… lib. 2. de lamijs, as also the antiquity of it most vively expressed by Horac. Satir. 8. lib. 1. where he mentions the pictures, and the blood of a black Lamb; All which are yet in use with our modern witchcraft. Scalpere terram( speaking of Canidia,& Sagana) Vnguibus,& pullam duellere mordicus agnam Coeperunt: Cruor in fossam confusus, vt ind Maneis elicerent animas responsa daturas. Lanea& effig●es erat, altera cerea; &c. And then, by and by, Serpentesatque videres Infernas errare caneis, Lunamque rubentem, Ne foret his testis, post magna lerere se pulchra. Of this ditch Homer makes mention in Circes speech to Vlysses: Odiss K. about the end. {αβγδ}. &c. And ovid, Metam. lib. 7 in Medeas magic hand procul egestâ scrobibus tellure duabus Sacra facit, cultrosque in gut ture velleris atri Conijcit,& patulas perfundit sanguine fessas. And of the waxen Images, in Hypsipyles epistle to Iason, where he expresseth that mischief also of the needles Deuouet absentes, simulocraque cerea fingit, Et mise●… rum tenues in iecur urget acus. Bodin. Daemon. lib. 2. cap. 8. hath( beside the known story of King Duffe ou●… of Hector Boetius) much of the witches later practise in that kind, and reports a relation of a Frent 〈…〉 ambassadors, out of England, of certain pictures of wax found in a dungh●ll, near Isl●ngton, of our lat●… queens, which rumour I myself( being then very young) can yet remember to haue been ●●trent. Ditch is made, and our nails the spade, With pictures full, of wax, and of wool; Their livers I stick, with needles quick; There lacks but the blood, to make up the flood. Quickly Dame, then, bring your part in, spur. spur, vpon little Their little Martin is be that calls them to their conventicles, which is done in a human voice bu●… coming forth, they find him in the shape of a great Back●goat, vpon whom they ●●●e to their meetings Delrto. Disquis. Mag. Quast, 16. lib. 2. And Bod. Demonom. lib. 2 cap. 4. haue both the same relation from Paulus Grillandus, of a hodge-podge. Adueniente nocte,& horà euocabatur vo●e quadam velut humana abipso Do●… mone, quem non vocant Daemonem, said Magisterulum, alia Magistrum Martinettum siue Martinellis●. Quae sic euocata●… mox sumebat pyxidem unctionis,& liniebat corpus suum in qu●●usdam partibus& membris, queen limto exibet ex dom●…& inuenrebat Magisterulum suum in forma hircr illam expectantem apnd ostium, supper quo mulier equi●abat,& appl●… care solebat fortiter manus ad arineis,& station hircus ille adscendebat per aërem,& breuissimo tempore defereb at ip●… sam, &c. Martin, Merely, merely, make him sail, A worm in his mouth, and a thorn in's tail, Fire above, and fire below, With a whip i'your hand, to make him go. O, Now shee's come! Let all be dumb. AT this, the This Dame make to bear t●… person of Are, 〈…〉 mischief( for 〈…〉 I interpret it) o●… of Homers descri●… tion of her Ilia●… I. where h●… makes her sw●… to hurt Mankin●… strong, and sou●… of her feet, a●… Iliad. T. walki●… vpon mens hea●… in both places using one, and the same phrase to signify her power, {αβγδ} Ladens home●es. I present her ●are footed, and he fr●●k ruck'd, to make her seem more expedite, by Horace his anthotity. Set. 8. lib. 1. Succinct●m vadere palla Canidiam pedib●s nudis, p●ssoque capillo. But for her hair, I rather respect another place of his, Epod. lib. Ode. 5, where she appears Canidia breuibus imp'icata viperis Crineis, et incomptum caput. And that of Lucan. lib. 6. Speaking of Erictho's attire. discolour,& vario Fur●ialis cultas amictu Induitur, vultus què aperitur crine remoto, Et coma vipereu substringitur horrida sertis. For her Torch, See Remig. lib. 2, cap. 3. Dame entered to them, naked-arm'd, barefooted, her frock tucked, her hair knotted, and folded with Vipers; In her hand a Torch made of a dead mans arm, lighted; girded with a Snake. To whom they all did reverence, and she spake, uttering, by way of question, the end wherefore they came: which if it had been done either before, or otherwise, had not been so natural. For, to haue made themselves, their own decipherers, and each one to haue told, vpon their entrance, what they were, and whether they would, had been a most piteous hearing, and utterly unworthy any quality of a poem: wherein a Writer should always trust somewhat to the capacity of the Spectator, especially, at these Spectacles; where men, beside enquiring eyes, are understood to bring quick ears, and not those sluggish ones of Porters, and mechanics, that must be bored through, at every act, with narrations. DAME. hags. WEll done, my hags. And, come we fraught with spite, To overthrow the glory of this night? Holds our great purpose? HAG. Yes. DAM But wants there none Of our just number? HAG. Call us one, by one, And then our Dame shall see. DAM. In the chayn●… g of these vices make, as if one ●… ke produced a●… other, and the ●… ame were born ●… ut of them all; 〈…〉, as they might ●… y to her, Sola to 〈…〉 scelerum, quic●… d possed●mus om●…. Nor will it ●… pear much vi●… ac'd, if their Series be considered, when the opposition to all virtue begins out of Ignorance. That Ignorance beget 〈◇〉 suspicion( for knowledge is ever open, and charitable) That suspicion Cred●lity, as it is a vicetor being a virtue, and free, it is opposite to it: but such as are jealous of then selves do easily credit any thing of others whom they hate. Out of this Credulity springs falsehood, which begets murmur; and that murmur presently grows Malice, which b●gets Impudence; and that Impudence Slander; that Slander Execration: Execration bitterness; bitterness Fury; and Fury mischief. Now, for the personal presentation of them, the Authority in Poetry is universal. But in the absolute Claudian, there is a particular and eminent place, where the Poet not onely produceth such persons but almost to a like purpose. in Ruf. Lib. 1, where allecto, envious of the times, infernas ad li●●ina totra sorores, Concilium deform vocat, glomerantur in vnum I ●numeraepstes Erebi, quascunque s●●● stro next genu● f●●●u: nutrix Discordia belly, Imperiosa Fames, leto vicina Senectus, Impatiensque sui Merbus, L●●que secundu Aum●●& scisso moerens velamine Luctus, Et Timor,& caeco precept Aadacia vultu; with many others, fit to disturb the world, as ours the night. First, then, advance My drowsy seruant, stupid Ignorance, known by thy scaly vesture; and bring on Thy fearful Sister, wild suspicion, Whose eyes do never sleep; Let her knit hands With quick Credulity, that next her stands, Who hath but one ear, and that always ope, Two-faced falsehood, follow, in the rope; And led on murmur, with the cheeks deep hung; She Malice, whetting of her forked tongue; And Malice Impudence, whose forhead's lost; Let Impudence led Slander on, to boast Her obliqne look; and to her subtle side Thou, black-mouthed Execration, stand applied; Draw to thee bitterness, whose pores sweat gull; She flame-eyd Rage, Rage Mischief. HAG. Here we, are all. DAM. Here again, by way of irritation I make the Dame pursue the purpose of their coming, and discover their natures more largely: which had been nothing, if not done as doing another thing, but Moratio circa vilen pat●lu●que ●rborn. Then which the Peet cannot know a greater 'vice; he being that kind of Artific●●, to whose work is required so much exactness, as Indifferency is not tolerable. join now our hearts, we faithful Opposite● To famed, and Glory. Let not these bright nights Of Honour blaze, thus, to offend our eyes. show ourselves truly envious, and let rise Our wonted rages. Do what may be seem Such names, and Natures. virtue, else, will deem Our powers decreast, and think us banished earth, No less then heaven. All her antic birth, As Iustice, Faith, she will restore; and bold Vpon our sloth, retriue her Age of Gold. We must not let our native manners, thus, Corrupt with ease. Ill lives not, but in vs. I Hate to see these fruits of a soft Peace, And curse the piety gives it such increase. Let us disturb it then, These powers of troubling Nature, are frequently ascribed to Witches,& chaleng'd by themselves, where ever they are induced, by Homer, ovid, Tibullus, Pet: Arbiter, Seneca, Lucan, Claudian. to whose authorities I shall refer more anon. For the present, hear Socrat. in Apul. de Asin. aures. lib. 1. describing Meroe the hodge-podge. Saga,& Diuinipotens coelim deponere, terram suspendere, fontes durare, monteis diluere, Manes sublimare, Deos infimare, Sydera extinguere, Tartarum ipsum illuminare. And lib. 2. Byrrhena to Lurius, of Pamphile. Maga primi nominis,& omnis carminis sepulcral● Magistra creditur, quae surcul●& lapillu,& id genus friuolis inhalatis omnem istam lucem mundi syderalis, imis Tartari,& in vetustum Chaos mergit. As also this latter of Remigiut, in his most elegant Arguments, before his Damonolatria▪ Qu● possint euertere fundit●●t orbem, Et Maneis superis miscere, has unica cura est. And Lucan. Quarum, quicquid non creditur, a●● of. and blast the light; mix Hell with heaven, and make Nature fight Within herself; loose the whole hinge of Things; And cause the Ends run back, into their Springs. HAG. What our Dame bids us do We are ready for. DAM. Then fall too. This is also solemn in their witchcraft, to be examined, either by the divell or their Dame, at their meetings, of what mischief they haue done; and what they can confer to a future hurt. See M. Philippo-Ludwigus Elich. Damonomagia lib. Quast. 10. But Remigius, in the very form. Lib. 1. Demonolat. Cap, 22. Quemadmodum solent Heri in ●●lli. is procuratoribus, cum corum rationes expendunt, segnitiem negligentiamque durius cast●gare; Ita Daemon, in suis co●●●ijs, quod tempus examinandis c●iusque rebus atque actiontbus ipse constituit, eos pessimè habere consuent●, qui nihil afferunt, quo se nequiores ac flagitijs cumulatiores doceant. Nec cuiquam adeo impune est, si à superiore conuentu nullo ●se scelere novo obstr●●ern●t; said semper op●rtet, qui gratus esse volet, in alium, nouum aliquod fa●inus fecisse. And this doth exceedingly solicue them all, at such times, lest they should come unprepared. But wee apply this examination of ours to the particular use; whereby, also, we take occasion, not alone to express the Things( as vapours, liquours, herbs, Bones, Flesh, Blood, Fat, and such like, which are called Media magica) but the Rites of gathering them, and from what places, reconciling( as near as we can) the practise of Antiquity, to the Neotericke, and making it familiar with our popular engraffed. But first relate me, what you haue sought, Where you haue been, and what you haue brought. hags. 1. 1 For the gathering pieces of dead flesh. Cor. Agrip. deoccul. Philosop. lib. 3. Cap. 42. and Lib. 4. Cap. ult. observes that the use was to call up Ghost● and Spirits, with a sumigation made of that(& bones of carcases) which I make my hodge-podge, here, not to cut herself, but to watch the raven, as Lucan's Erichthe. Lib. 6. Et quodcunqué iapet nuda tellure cad aver, Ante feras volucresque sedet: nec carpere membra Vult ferro manibusque suis, morsusque luporum Expectat siccis raptura à sau●ibus artus. As if that piece were sweeter which the villeinage had bitten, or the raven had picked, and more effectuous: And to do it, at her turning to the South, as with the repetition of a storm. Which, though they be but minutes in Ceremony, being observed, make the act more dark and full of horror. I Haue been, all day, looking after A raven, feeding vpon a quarter; And, soon as she turned her beak to the South, Isnatch'd this morsel out of her mouth. 2. 2 Spuma Canum●… Lupi crines, nodus Hyena, ocult Draconum, Serpen●… tis membrana, Aspidis aures are a●… mentioned by th●… ancients, in witc●… craft. And Luc●… particularly ● li●… 6. Huc quicqui●… foetu genuit Natu●… finistro Miscetur, non spuma canum, quibus unda timoriest, Viscera non Lyncis; non durae nodus Hyenae Defuit: &c. A●… ovid. Metamorphos. lib. 7. reckons up others. But for the spurging of the eyes, let us return to Lucan, in th●… same book, which piece( as all the rest) is written with an admirable height. Ast ubi seruantur saxu, quib●… intimus humour Ducitur,& tracta durescunt tabe medullae Corpora, tunc omneis auide desanit in artus, Immersitque m●… nus oculis, gaudet queen gelat●s Effodisse orbeis,& sicca pallida rodit Excrementa man●●. I Haue been gathering wolves hairs, The mad Dogges foam, and the Adderseares; The spurging of a dead Mans eyes, And all since the evening star did rise. 3. 3 Plinle writing of the Mandrake, Nat. Hist. lib. 25. cap. 13. and of the digging it up, hath this ceremony, Cauent effossur● contrarium ventum,& tribus cir●ulis antè glad●●●rcumscribunt, postea fodiunt ad occasum spectantes. But we haue later tradition, that the forcing of it up is so fatally dangerous, as the groan kills, and therefore they do it with Dogs, which I think but borrowed from Iosephus his report of the root Baaras. lib. 7. de Bel. judaic. Hows●euer, it being so principal an ingredient in their magic, it was fit she should boast to be the plucker up of it herself. And, that the Cook did crow, asludes to a prime circumstance in their work: For they all confess that nothing is so cross, or baleful to them, in their nights, as that the Cock should crow before they haue done. Which makes that their little Masters, or Martinets, of whom I haue mentioned before, use this form in dismissing their conventions. Eia, facessite proper● hinc omnes, nam iam galli canere incipus●t. Which I interpret to be, because that bide is the messenger of light, and so, contrary to their acts of darkness. See Remig. Demonolat. lib. 1. cap. 4. where he quotes that of Appollonius. de vmbra Achillu, Philostr. lib. 4. cap. 5. And Eus●●. Casariens. 〈◇〉 confutat. contra Hierecl. 4. de Gallicinio. I, Last night, lay all alone O the ground, to hear the Mandrake groan; And plucked him up, though he grew full low, And, as I had done, the cock did crow. 4. 4 I haue touched at this before, in my none vpon the first, of the use of gathering Flesh, Bone●, and skulls: to which I now bring that piece of Apuleius. lib. 3. de Asino aurto. of Pamphile. Priusque apparatu solito instruxit feralem officinam, omne ge●●●●r omatis.& ignorab●●●iter laminis literat●●,& infoelicium n●tuium durantibus clavis defletorum, sepultorum etiam, cadauerum expositis ●●●ltis ad●●odum membru, me nares,& digiti, illic carn●si claut pendentium, alibi trucidatorum seruatus cr●or,& ex●orta dentibus serarum trunca caluarta. And, for such places, Lucan makes his hodge-podge to inhabit them. Lib. 6. Deserta queen busta Incolit,& tu●m●l●s expulsis obtines ●●brts. ANd, I ha'been choosing out this skull, From charnel houses, that were full; From private Grots, and public Pits, And frighted a Sexten, out of his wits. 5. 5 For this rite, see Barthel. de spina. Quaest. de Strigibus. cap. 8. Mall. Mallesica. Tom. 2. where he disputes at large the transformation of Witches to cats, and their sucking both their spirits, and the blood, calling them Striget: which Goldelman: lib. de Lamijs. would haue á stridore,& auibus fadissimis eiusdem nominis, which I the rather incline to out of Ouid's authority. Fast. lib. 6. where the Peet ascribes, to those birds, the same almost that these do to the Witches. Nocte volant, pucrosque potunt nutricis egenteis, Et vitiant cunis corpora rapta suis: Carpere dicuntur lactentia viscera rostris, Et plenum pote sanguine guttur habent. under a cradle I did creep, By day; and, when the child was asleep, At night, I suckd the breath: and rose, And pluckd the nodding Nurse by the nose. 6. 6. Their killing of infants is common, both for confection of their ointment( whereto one Ingredient is the fat boylde, as I haue shew'd before out of Paracelsus,& Porta) as also out of a lust to do murder. Sprenger in Mall. Malesic. reports that a Witch, a Midwife in the Diocoese of Basil, confessed to haue killed above forty infants( ever as they were new born, with pricking them in the brain with a needle) which she had offered to the devill. See the story of the three Witches in Rem. Daemonola lib. cap. 3. about the end of the chapter. And M. Philippo-Ludwigus Elich. Quaestio. 8. And, that it is no new rite, read the practise of Can●dia. Epod. Horat. lib. Ode 5. and Eucan. lib. 6. whose admirable verses I can never bee deanery to transcribe. Noc cessant à cade manus, si sanguine ●viu● Est opus, erumpat inguloqui primus aperto. Nec refugitcades, vinum s●saer ●cr●o●em Extaque funerea poscunt trepidantia mensa. Vulnere si ventris, non qua Natura vocabat Extrahitur part●● calides pone●●lus in aris; Et qu●tiet sa●i● opus est 〈…〉 Ipsafanit Man●●. 〈…〉 om●is in vsu est. I Had a dagger: What did I with that? killed an infant, to haue his fat. A Piper it got at a Church-ale, I bad him, again blow wind i'the tail. 7. 7. The abuse o● dead bodies in their witch-craf●, both porphyry, and Ps●llus are grave Authors of. The one Lib. de sacrif ca● de vere cultu. The other h●●de d●m●. which Apuleius toucheth too, lib. 2. de Asin. a●reo. But Remigius, who deals with later persons, and out of their own mouths Damonola. lib. 2. Cap. 3. affirms. Hec& nostra a●atismaleficis hominibus moris est facere, prasertim si cuius supplicio affecti cadaver example d●tumest, et in crucem sublatum. Nam non solum ind sortilegijs suis materiam mutuantur: said et ab ipsis carnisocinae instrumentit, rest, vinc●lis, palo, ferramentis. Siqwdem iis vulgs etiam opinione inesse ad i●cantationes magi●as vim quandam at potestatem. And, to this place, I dare ●●t, out of Religion to the dinine Lucan, but bring his verses from the same book. Laqueum, nodosque nocenteit Ore suo rupir, pendentia corpora carpsit, Abrasit queen cruies, percussaque viscera n●mbis Vulsit, et incoctas admisso sole medullas. Insertum manibus chalibe● nigramque per artus Stillantis tabs sani●●, virusque coa●tum Sust●●it,& ner●o morsut retine●●● perpen●●t. A Murderer, yonder, was hung in chains, The sun, and the wind had shrunk his vaine●; I bit of a sinew, I clipped his hair, I brought of his rags, that danced i'the air. 8. 8 These are Cani●●as furniture in Hora. Epoa. lib. Ode. 5. Etvncta turpis ●●a rana sanguine, Plumamque nocturnae strigis And part of Medeas confection in ovid. Metamorp. lib. 7. Strigis infamet, ipsis cum carnibus, alas. That of the skin( to make a purse for her Fly) was meant ridi●●lo●s, to mock the keeping of their Familiars. THe Scrich-owles eggs, and the feathers black, The blood of the frog, and the bone in his back I haue been getting; and made of his skin A purset, to keep Sir Cranion in. 9. 9. 〈◇〉, Hyos●y ●●us, Ophi●gloss●n, Sol●●um, Martagon, Dor●nicum, Aconitum are the common ve●eficall ingredi●nts, remembered by Par●c●lsus, Pert●, Agrippa,& others; which I make her to ha●e gathered, as about a Costle, Church, or some rast building( kept by Dogges) among ruins, and wild heaps. ANd Iha' been plucking( plants among) Hemlock, Henbane, Adders-tongue, Night-shade, Moonewort, Libbards-hane, And twice, by the Dogges, was like to be tane. 10. 10. Ossa abere rapta ieiuna canis Horace gives Canidia, in the place before quoted. which ieiuna I rather change to Gard'nets, as imagining such persons, to keep Mastifes for the defence of their grounds, whether this hag might go also for simple●: where meeting with the bones, and, not content with them, shee would yet do a domestic hurt, in getting the Catt's braices; which is another special Ingredient, and of so much more efficacy, by how much blacker the cat is. If you will credit Agrip. cap. de suffitibus. I, From the jaws of a Gardiners Bitch, Did snatch these bones, and then leaped the ditch, Yet went I back to the house again, killed the black Cat, and here's the brain. 11. 11. These also, both by the confessions of Witches, and testimony of schoolmasters, are of principal use in their Witchcraft. The Toad● mentioned in Virg. Geo. lib. 1. In● neutusque ca●i● Bufo. Which by Plinie is called Rubeta. Natu. Histo. lib. 32. cap. 5. and there celebrated for the force in magic. funeral touch ●th at it twice, within my memory. Satir. 1.& 6. And of the owls eyes, see Cor. Agrip. de occult. Philos. lib. 1. Cap. 15. As of the Bats blood, and wings, there: and in the 25. chapter. with Bapt. Porta. lib. 2. cap. 26. I Went to the Toad breeds under the wall, Icharm'd him out, and he came at my call; I scratchd out the eyes of the owl, before, I tore the bats wing; what would you haue more? 12. 12. After all their boasted labours, and plenty of materials( as they imagine) I make the Dame not only to add more, but stranger, and out of their means to get,( except the ●●●st Papauer cornutum, which I haue touched at in the cousection) as Sepulchris caprificos erutas,& cupressos funebreis, as Horace calls them, where he arms Canidia. Epod. lib. Ode. 5. Then Aguricum Laruis of which, see Porta. lib. 2. de Nat. Magi. against Plinie. And B●silist●, quem& Saturni sangui em vocant venefi●i, tantasque vires habere ferunt. Cor. Agrip. de occult. Philos. lib. 1 Cap. 42. With the viper, remembered by Lucan. lib. 6. and the skim of Serpents. Innataque rúbris Aequori●●● custos pretiosae viperae conchae. Aut viuentis adhuc Lybicae membrana cerasta. And ovid. lib. 7. Nec defuit illis Squamea Cimphei tenuis membrana chelidri. YEs, I haue brought( to help our vows) Horned Poppy, cypress boughs, The Fig-tree wild, that grows on tombs, And juice, that from the Larch-tree comes, The Basiliskes blood, and the Vipers skin: And, now, our Orgies let's begin. DAME. HEre, the Dame put herself in the midst of them, and began her following invocation; wherein she took occasion to boast all the power attributed to Witches, by the ancients: of which every Poet( or the most) do give some. Homer to Circe, in the Odyss. Theocritus to Simatha, in Pharmaceutria. Virgil to Alphesiboeus, in his. ovid to Dipsas, in Amor. to Medea, and Circe, in Metamorph. Tibullus to Saga. Horace to Canidia, Sagana, Veta, Folia. Seneca to Medea, and the Nurse, in Herc. O eat. Petr. Arbiter to his Saga, in Frag. and Claudian to Megaera. Lib. 1. in Rufinum; who takes the habit of a Witch, as these do, and supplies that historical part in the poem, beside her moral person of a Fury: Confirming the same drift, in ours. These invocations are solemn with them, whereof we may see the forms, in ovid. Meta. lib. 7. in Sen. Trag. Med. in luke. lib. 6. which of all is the boldest& most horrid: beginning Eumemdes, Stigiumque nefas, paenaeque nocentum, &c. YOu fiends, and Furies( if yet any bee Worse then ourselves) you, that haue quaked to see These The vntying of their knots is, when they are going to some fatal business, as Sagana is presented by Horace. Exp●dita, per totam domum Spargent Auernaleis aquas, H●rre● capillis, vt marinus asperis, Echinus, a●● curren● Aper. knots untied;& shrunk when we haue charmed. You, that( to arm us) haue yourselves disarmed, And to our powers, resigned your whips and brands, When we went forth the scourge of Men, and Lands. You, that haue seen me ride, when Hecate Durst not take chariot; when the boisterous sea, Without a breath of wind, hath knocked the sky; And that hath thundered, jove not knowing why: When we haue set the Elements at warres, Made Midnight see the sun, and Day the stars; When the winged Lightning, in the course, hath stayed; And swiftest Riuers haue run back, afraid, To see the corn remove, the groves to range, Whole Places alter, and the Seasons change. When the pale moon, at the first voice, down fell poisoned, and durst not stay the second Spell. You, that haue oft, been conscious of these sights; And thou Hecate, who is called Triuia,& Triformis, of whom Virgil. Aeneid. lib. 4. Tergeminamque Hecaten. tria vergi nis ora Diana. She was believed to govern in witchcraft; and is remembered in 〈◇〉 their invocations See Theoc. in Pharmaceut. {αβγδ} & Medea in Sene Meis vo●ata sacrnoctium sidus veni. Pessimos induta vultus: Front● novna minax. And, ● richt. in luke. Pers●phone, nostraque He catis part vltima &c. three-formed star, that, on these nights Art onely powerful, to whose triple Name Thus we incline; Once, twice, and thrice the same; If now with rites profane, and foul enough, We do invoke thee; darken all this roof, With present fogs: Exhale earths rott'nest vapours, And strike a blindness through these blazing tapers. Come, let a murmuring charm resound, The whilst we This Rite, o●… burying their Materials, is ofte●… confessed in Remig●… and described amply in Hor. Sat 8 lib. 1. Utque Lupibar bam var●a cundente colubrae Abdiderint furtim terris &c, bury all, i'the ground. But first, see every The Ceremony also, of bearing their feet, is expressed by ovid. Metamorph. lib. 7. as of their hair. Egro ditur tectis vestes induta recinctas, Nuda pedem, nudos humeris infusa capillos. And Horac. ibidem. Pedibus nud passoque capillo. And Senec, in Tragad. Med. Tibi more Gentis, vinculo soluens comam Secrota nud● nemora ●●stra●●ped. foot be bare; And every knee. HAG. yes, Dame, they are. 4. charm. deep, here they sreake as if they were creating some new feature, which the divell persuades them to bee able to do, often, by the pronouncing of Words, and powring out of liquours, on the Earth. hear what Agrip. says, De oceul. Phil. lib. 4 near the end. In ●●●tation: bus vmbrarum furnigam●●● cum senguine recenti, cum ossibus more tuorum,& carne, cum onis, lact, w●elle, olee,& simito li●us, quae aptun inedi●● tribnunt animabus, ad secunda corpora; and a little before, Namque anima cognitis medijs, per quae quondam corporthus su●● coniungebantur, per similes vapores, liquores, nidere, ● facile alliciuntur. which doctrine he had from Apuleius, without all doubt, or question, who in lib. 3. de Asin, aure●. publisheth the same. Tune decantatis spirantibus fibris ●●at vario latice, nunc roar fontane, nunc laecte vaccine, nunc mill montano, libat& mulsâ Sicilles capillos in ●n●tuo● nexue obditor, atque nodatos, cum multis ●doribus das vivis carbonribus adolendos. Tunc protinus inexpugnabili Magica Disciplmas potestate,& caca numinum coactorum violentia, illa corpora quorum fumabant-stridentes capills spiritum mutuentor humanum,& sentiunt,& audiunt,& ambulant. Et qui nidor suarum ducebat exuuiarum veni●●ns. All which are mere arts of satan, when either himself will delude them with a false form, or troubling a dead body makes them imagine these vanities the means: as in the ridiculous circumstances that follow, he doth daily. O deep, we lay thee to sleep; We leave thee drink by, if thou chance to be dry; Both milk, and blood, the due, and the flood. We breath in thy bed, at the foot, and the head; We cover thee warm, that thou take no harm: And when thou dost wake, Dame Earth shall quake, And the houses shake, And her belly shall ache, As her back were broke, Such a birth to make, As is the blew Drake: Whose form thou shalt take. DAME. never a star yet shot? Where be the Ashes? HAG. Here's the pot. DAM. This throwing up of ashes, and sand, with the fline ston, cross sticks, and burying of sage &c. are al used( and bele●'d by them) to the railing of storm. and tempost. See Remig. lib. r. daemon cap. 25. Nider. F●rmaen● ri. cap. 4. Bodin. Damon. lib 2 cap. 8. And hear Godchmanilib. 2. cap. 6. Nam quando damoni grandines ciends potestatem facit Deus, tum Maloficas inst, vit, vt quandeque filices post tergum in occidentem versme proijciant, a liquande vt arenam aqua terrent is in acrem concijcoant. plerumque scopas in aqu●● intingant, cal●mque versús spargant, vel fossulâ factâ& lotie infuso, vel aqu● digi●●● moneant: sub●ndà in ella percorum pelos bulliant, nonunnquam trabes vel ligna in ritâ transnerse collocent,& alia id ge●●s delmamenta effi●●●. And when they see the succesie, they are more confirmed, as if the enent followed their working. The like illusion is of their phantasy, in sailing in Egg. shells, creeping through Augur. holes, and such like, so valg or in their confessions. Cast them up; and the Flint ston over the left shoulder bone: Into the west. HAG. It will bee best. 5. charm. THE Sticks are a cross, there can be no loss, The Sage is rotten, the Sulphur is gotten up to the sky, that was t'the ground. Follow it then, with our rattles, round; under the bramble, over the brier, A little more heat will set it on fire: Put it in mind, to do it kind, Flow water, and blow wind. Rouncy is over, Robble is under, A flash of light, and a clap of thunder, A storm of rain, another of hail. We all must home, i'the Egg-shell sail; The mast is made of a great pin, The tackle of c●bweb, the sail as thin, And if we go through and not fall in— DAME. Th●s stop, or interruption shew'd the better, by cansing that general silence, which made al the following noises enforced in the next charm, more direful, first imitating that of Lucan. Maratur Erichtho Hayfain licuisse meras; irataque morti Verberat immotum vivo serpent cadaver, and then their barking, howling, hissing, and confusion of noise expressed by the same Author, in the same person. Tune vox Lethaeos cunctis pollentior herbis Excantare deos, confodit murmura prim●●m Disson a 〈◇〉 human a multum discordia lingua. Latratus habet illa camim, gemitusque luporum, Quod repidus bubo, quod strin nocturna queruntur, Quod strident vlulantque ferae, quod sibilat anguis Exprimit, et planctus illisae cautibus unda, Silnarumque sonum, frastaque tonitrua nubis, Tot rerum vox vnafuit, See Renig. too, Damon●lat. lib. 1. cap. 19. Stay. All our charms do nothing win Vpon the night; Our labour dies! Magick-feature will not rise; Nor yet the storm! We must repeat More direful voices far, and beate The ground with Vipers, till it sweat. 6. charm. bark Dogges, wolves howl, Seas roar, Woods role, clouds crack, all be black, But the light our charms do make. DAME. NOt yet? My rage begins to swell; darkness, devils, Night, and Hell, Do not thus delay my Spell. I call you once, and I call you twice; I beat you again, if you stay my thrice: through these cranyes, where I peep, This is one of their common menaces, when tho●● magic recoiues the least st●ppe. hear Erichtho again, thiddibi pessime mundi Arbiter immittam rupt's Titana cauernis Etsubito feriere die. And a little before to Proserpina, Eloquar immenso terta sub pordere qua t●… Coutmeant, Enuaea●… dapet, &c. I'll let in the light to see your sleep. And all the secrets of your sway Shall lye as open to the day, As unto me. Still are you deaf? Reach me a Bough, That withered streight, as it sho● out, which is called Ramus feralu, by some, and n●istu, by Senec. Trag Med. that nere bare leaf, To strike the air; and A deadly poisonous heat be feigned by ovid. Metamo, lib. 7. to spring out of Corberus hi● foam. Plinie gives it another beginning of name. Nat. H●st. lib. 27. cap. 3. Nascitur in nudis cautibus, quas aconas vocant,& ind aconitum dixere, un●●o iuxtâ ne pulvere quidem nutriente. howsoever the juice of it is like that liquour which the divell gives Witches to sprinkle abroad& do hurt, in the opinion of all the Magick-masters. Aconite, To hurl vpon this glaring light; A rusty knife I rather give her, then any other, as firtest for such a devilish Ceremony, which Seneca might mean by sacre cultro in the Tragedy, where he arms Medea, to the like rite,( for any thing I know) Tibi nudatopectere M●nas, sacro ferians Brachia cultro: Manet noster sang●u ad arras. A rusty knife, to wound mine arm; And, as it drops, I'll speak a charm, Shall cleave the ground, as low as lies Old Shrunk-vp Chaos, and let rise, once more, his dark, and reeking head, To strike the World, and Nature dead, until my magic birth be bread. 7. charm. black go in, and blacker come out; At thy going down, we give thee a shout. These shouts and clamours, as also the voice Har, Har, are very particular with them by the testimony of Bodin. Remig. Delrio and M Phil. Ludwig us. Elich, who out of them reports it, thus. Toru turbā co●●nuies{que}ue pessimo-feseannines in homer●m Damen●w cautat absaniss mes: Haocasit Has. Har. Illa. Diabole, Diclo le, salta huc, salta illue; Aliera, lude hic, bade illic; Alie, Sabaath, Sabaath. &c. 〈…〉, sibilo, vlulations, popysmis, furit, ac debec hatur: puluer 〈◇〉, ●el veaenis accepto qu● hominil as, peoudibusque spargart. ho! At thy rising again, thou shalt haue two, And if thou dost what, we would haue thee do, Thou shalt haue three, thou shalt haue four, Thou shalt haue ten, thou shalt haue a score. ho. Har. Har. ho! 8 charm. ACloud of pitch, a spur, and a Switch, To hast him away, and a whirl wind play, Before, and after, with thander for laughter, And storms for ioy, of the roaring Boy; His head of a Drake, his tail of a ●nake. 9. charm. About, about, and about, Till the mist arise, and the lights fly out, The Images neither be seen, nor felt; The wollen burn, and the waxed melt; Sprinkle your liquours vpon the ground, And into the air; around, around. Around, around, Around, around, Nor do they want Musiqu●●,& in strange manner given them by the devil, if we credit their confessions in Rovig. Daem. lib. 1. cap. 19. Such as the Sy●benan Quires were, which Athenaeus remembers out of Clearchus, Deipnos. lib. 15. where every one sung what he would, without hearkeing to his fellow; like the noise of diverse oars, falling in the water. But be patient of Remigius relation. Miris modu illie miscentur, ac●urbanture omnia, nec vlla oratione satis expr●●i queat, quam strepant sonis inconditu, absurdis, as discrepaniobus. Canit hic Damon ad tibiam, vel verties ad contuns, out baculam aliqu●●, quod fertè humire● pertum bucca ceu tibiam admouct. Ille pro lyra equi caluariam pussat, ac digitis conerepat. Alius fuste vel clauâgra miore quercum ●undat, vnde exauditur sonus, ac boaties veluts tymp●ntrum vehementius pulsatorum. Intercinunt ran●●de,& composite ad litui morem clangore daemons; ipsumque coelnm fragosa aridaque voes feri●n. Till a music sound, And the pace be found, To which we may dance, And our charms advance. AT which, with a strange,& sudden music they fell into a The manner also of their Dancing is confessed in ●●●m. lib. 2. cap. 4. And Remig. lib. 1. cap. 17. and 18. The Sum of which M. Philippo. lord. Elich relates thus, in his Damonom. Quast. 10. Tripisdijs interdum inter satit sacie liborâ& apertâ, interdum obducta laru. i, linteo, ●ortice, reticulo, poplo vel alio velamine, ant fa●●●nari● excermculo inuolieta. And a little after. Omnta fiunt ritu absurdissin●o,& ab ●mni consisetudine hominum alienissimo, do●sis inus cem abuersis,& in orbem iunctis n●anibus, saitando circumeant, perinde sua iactantes capita, vt qui oestro agitantur. Remigiu● adds out of the confession of Sibilla Morelia, Gyrum semper in laeuam progreds. which Plinte obsernes in the Priests of Cybele, Nas. Hist. lib. 28. cap. 2. and to be done with great religion. Bodm adds, that they use brooms in their hands, with which we armed our Witches; and here we leave them. Magical dance, full of preposterous change, and gesticulation, but most applying to their property: who at their meetings, do all things contrary to the custom of Men, dancing back to back, and hip to hip, their hands ioin'd, and making their circles backward, to the left hand, with strange fantastic motions of their heads, and bodies. All which were excellently imitated by the maker of the dance, M. jerome hernia, whose right it is here to be name. IN the heat of their dance, on the sudden, was heard a sound of loud music, as if many instruments had made one blast; with which, not onely the hags themselves, but the Hell, into which they ran, quiter vanished, and the whole face of the Scene altered, scarce suffering the memory of such a thing: But in the place of it, appeared a glorious, and magnificent Building, figuring the House of famed, in the top of which, were discovered the twelve maskers, sitting vpon a Throne triumphal, erected in form of a pyramid, and circled with all store of light. From whom a Person, by this time descended, in the furniture of Perseus, and, expressing herotque, and masculine virtue, began to speak. HEROIQVE virtue. SO should, at FAMES loud sound, and VERTVES sight, All dark, and envious Witcheraft fly the light. The ancient, expressed a ●raue and mastuline Vertus in three figures( Of ●ercules, Perseus,& Beilerophon,) Of which wee choose hat of Perseus, armed as wee haue describ●d him, out of Hestod. Soute. Here See Appo●l●. dor, the Gramma. ●●an. lib. 2. de Persee. I did not borrow Hermes wings, nor ask His crooked sword, nor put on Pluto's cask, Nor on mine arm, advanced wise Pallas shield, ( By which, my face auers'd, in open field I slay the Gorgon) for an empty name: When virtue cut off Terror, he got famed. And, if when famed was gotten, Terror died, What black Erynnis, or more Hellish pride, Durst arm these Hags, now she is grown, and great, To think they could her glories once defeat? I was her Parent, and I am her Strength. heroic virtue sinks not under length Of Yeares, or Ages; but is still the same, While he preserves, as when he got good famed. My Daughter, then, whose glorious House you see Built all of sounding brass, whose columns bee Men-making Poets, and those well made Men, Whose strife it was, to haue the happiest pen renown them to an after-life, and not With pride, to seorne the Muse, and die forgot; She, that inqu●reth into all the world, And loath, about her vaulted Palace, hoorld All rumors and reports, or true, or vain, What utmost Lands, or deepest Seas contain; ( But onely hangs great actions on her file) She, to this lesser world, and greatest Ile, To night sounds Honor which she would haue seen In yond' bright Beuie, each of them a queen. eleven of them are of times, long gone. Penthesilea, the brave Amazon, Swift-foote Camilla, queen of Volscia, Victorious Thomyris of Scythia, Chast Artemifia the Carian Dame, And faire-hayr'd Beronice, Aegypts famed. Hypsicratea, glory of Asia, Candace, pride of Aethiopia. The Brittanne honor, Voadicea, The virtuous Palmyrene, Zenobia, The wise, and warlike Goth, Amalafunta, And bold Valasca, of Bohemia. These, in their lives, as fortunes, crowned the choice Of Woman-kind, and 'gainst all opposite voice Made good to Time, had after death, the claim To live aeternis'd in the House of famed. Where hourly hearing( as, what there is old?) The glories of BEL-ANNA so well told, queen of the Ocean; How, that she alone possessed all virtues, for which One by One They were so famed; And, wanting then a head To form that sweet, and gracious Pyramede Wherein they sit, it being the sovereign place Of all that Palace, and reserved to grace The worthtest queen: These, without envy', on her, In life, desired that honor to confer, Which, with their death, no other should enjoy. She this embracing with a virtuous ioy, far from self-love, as humbling all her worth, To him that gave it, hath again brought forth Their Names to memory; and means, this night, To make them once more visible to light: And to that light, from whence her truth of Spirit Confesseth all the lustre of her merit. To you, most royal, and most happy King, Of whom, Fames house, in every part, doth ring For every virtue; But can give no' increase: Not, though her loudest Trumpet blaze your Peace. To you, that cherish every great Example Contracted in yourself; and being so ample A field of Henor, cannot but embrace A Spectacle, so full of love, and grace unto your Court: where every Princely Dame Contends to be as bounteous of her famed To others, as her Life was good to her. For, by their lives, they onely did confer Good on themselves; but, by their famed, to yours, And every Age, the benefit endures. HEre, the Throne wherein they sate, being Machina versatilis, suddenly changed; and in the place of it appeared Fama Bona, as she is described( in Iconolog. di Cesare Ripa) attired in white, with white wings, having a collar of gold about her neck, and a heart hanging at it: which Orus Apollo, in his Hierogl. interprets the note of a good famed. In her right hand, she bore a trumpet, in her left an olive branch: And for her State, it was, as Aeneid. 4. Virgil describes her, at the full, her feet on the ground, and her head in the clouds. She, after the music had done, which waited on the turning of the Machine, called from thence, to virtue, and spake this following speech. famed. VIrtue, my Father, and my Honor; Thou That mad'st me good, as great; And darest avow No famed, for thine, but what is perfect: aid, To night, the triumphs of thy white-wing'd maid. Do those renowned queens all vimost rites Their States can ask. This is a Night of nights. In mine own Chariots let them, crwoned, ride; And mine own Birds, and beasts in geeres appli de To draw them forth. unto the first car tie Farre-sighted Eagles, to note Fames sharp eye. unto the second; Griffons, that design swiftness and Strength, two other gifts of mine. unto the last, our lions, that implye The top of graces, State, and majesty. And let those hags be lead as captives, bound Before their wheels, whilst I my trumpet sound. AT which, the loud music sounded, as before; to give the maskers time of descending. And here, wee cannot but take the opportunity, to make some more particular description of their Scene, as also of the Persons they presented; which, though they were disposed rather by chance, then election, yet is it my part to justify them all: And then, the Lady that will own her Presentation may. To follow, therefore the, rule of chronology, which I haue observed in my verse, the most upward in time was PENTHESILEA. She was queen of the Amazons,& succeeded Otrera, or( as some will) Orithya; she lived, and was present, at the war of Troy on their part, against the Greekes, and( as justine gives her testimony) Inter fortissimos viros, magna eius virtutis documenta extitere. She is no where named, but with the preface of honor, and virtue; and is always advanced in the head of the worthiest Women. Hist. lib. 2. D●odorus Sculus makes her the Daughter of Mars. She was honoured in her death to haue it the act of Achilles. Of which Lib. 3. Eleg. 10. Propertius sings this Triumph to her beauty. Aureacui postquam nudauit cassida frontem, Vicit victorem candida forma virum. Next, follows CAMILLA, queen of the Volscians, celebrated by Aen●d. Lib. 7. Virgil, then whose verses nothing can bee imagined more exquisite, or more honouring the person they describe. They are these, where he reckons up those, that came on Turnus his part, against Aeneas. Hos supper aduenit Volsca de gente Camilla, Agmen agens equitum,& florenteis aere cateruas, Bellatrix. Non illa colo, calathisue Mineruae Femineas assueta manus, said praelia virgo Dura pati, cursuque pedum praeuertere ventos. Illa vel intactae segetis per summa volaret Gramina, nec teneras cursu laesisset aristas: Vel mere per medium. fluctu suspensa tumenti, Ferretiter, celereis nec tingeret aequore plantas. And afterward tells her attire. and arms, with the admiration, that the Spectators had of her. All which if the Poet created out of himself, without Nature, he he did but show, how much so divine a soul could exceed her. The third lived in the age of Cyrus, the great Persian Monarch; and made him leave to live. THOMYRIS, queen of the Scythians, or Massagets. A Hero●ne of a most invincible,& unbroken fortitude. Who, when Cyrus had invaded her, and, taking her onely son( rather by treachery, then war, as shee objected) had slain him; not touched with the grief of so great a loss, in the juster comfort shee took of a greater reuenge, pursued not onely the occasion, and honour of conquering so potent an Enemy, with whom fell two hundred thousand Souldiers: but( what was right memorable in her victory) left not a Messenger deceiving, of his side to report the massacre. She is remembered both by In Cho. Herodotus and Epit. lib. 1. justine, to the great renown, and glory of her kind: with this elegy. Quod potentissimo Perforum Monarchae bello congressa est, ipsamque& vita& eastris spoli●uit, ad iustè vlciscendam filii eius indignissimam mortem. The fourth was honer'd to life in the time of Xerxes, and present at his great expedition into Greece; ARTRMISIA, the queen of Caria: whose virtue In Poly●●. Herodotus, not without some wonder, records. That, a Woman, a queen, without a husband, her son a ward, and shee administering the government, occasioned by no necessity, but a mere excellence of spirit, should embaique herself for such a war; and there, so to behave her, as Xerxes beholding her fight, should say: Herod. is urania. Viri quidem extiterunt 〈◇〉 feminae, feminae autem vtri. She is no less renowned for her chastity, and love to her Husband, Mausolus, Val. Max. lib. 4. cap. 6. and A G.l. ●●b. 10. cap. 18. whose bones( after he was dead) shee preserved in ashes, and drunk in wine making herself his tomb: and, yet, built to his memory a Monument, deserving a place among the seven wonders of the World, which could not be done by less then a wonder of Women. The fifth was the faire-hair'd daughter of Ptolomaeus Philadelphus, by the elder Arsinoe; who, married to her brother Ptol●maeus, surnamed evergetes, was after queen of Egypt. I find her written both BERONICE,& BERENICE. This Lady, vpon an expedition of her new wedded Lord into Assyria, vowed to Venus, if he return'd safe, and conqueror, the offering of her hair; which vow of hers( exacted by the success) she afterward performed: But, her Father missing it, and therewith displeased, Conon, a Mathematician, who was then in household with Ptolomaee, and knew well to flatter him, persuaded the king that it was ta'en up to heaven, and made a Constellation; showing him those seven stars, ad caudam Leonis, which are since called Coma Beronices. Which story, then presently celebrated by Callimachus, in a most elegant poem, Catullus more elegantly converted; wherein they call her the Magnanimous, even from a Virgin: alluding( as Astrono●. lib. 2. in lo. Hyginus says) to a rescue she made of her Father in his flight, and restoring the courage and honour of his army, even to a victory. Their words are Catul. de Coma Ber●ni●. Cognoram à parua virgin magnanimam. The sixth, that famous wife of Mithridates, and queen of Pontus, HYPSICRATEA, no less an example of virtue then the rest; who so loved her husband, as shee was assistant to him in all labours, and hazards of the war, in a Masculine habit. For which cause( as Lib 4. cap. 6. de Amor. conug. Valerius Maximus observes) shee departed with a chief ornament of her beauty. Tonsis enim capillis, equo se et armis assuefecit, quo facilius laboribus& periculis eius interesset. And, afterward, in his flight from Pompey, accompanied his misfortune, with a mind, and body equally unwearied. She is solemnly registered, by that grave Author, as a notable president of Mariageloyaltie, and love: virtues, that might raise a mean person to equality with a queen; but a queen to the state, and honour of a Deity. The seventh, that renown of Aethiopia, CANDACE: from whose excellency, the succeeding queens of that Nation were ambitious to be called so. A woman, of a most haughty spirit against Enemies, and a singular affection to her Subiects. I find her celebrated by Hist. Rom. lib. 54. Dion, and Nat. Hist. lib. 6. cap. 29. Plinie, invading Egypt in the time of Augustus; who, though she were enforced to a peace by his Lieutenant Petronius, doth not the less worthily hold her place here; when, every where, this elegy remaines of her famed: That she was Maximi animi multer, tantique in suos meriti, vt omnes deinceps Aethiopum reginae eius nomine fuerint appellatae. She governed in Meroe. The eight, our own honor, VOADICEA, or BOODICEA; By some BVNDVICA, and BVNDVCA: queen of the Iceni. Ap●ople, that inhabited that part of our island which was called East-anglia, and comprehended, suffolk, norfolk, Cambridge, and huntingdon Shires. Since she was born here at home, we will first honor her with a home born testemony; from the grave and diligent Reu●no of Time. Spenser. — Bundoca Britonesse, Bunduca, that victorius Conqueresse, That, lifting up her brave heroic thought Boue womans weakness, with the Romans sought; Fought, and in field against them thrice preuaild: &c. To which, see her Orations in story, made by Annal. lib 14. Tacitus, and Ey● lo●●. Xiph● 〈◇〉. in Nor. Dion: wherein is expressed all magnitude of a spirit, breathing to the liberty and redemption of her Country. The later of whom, doth honest her beside, with a particular description. Bunduica, Britanica femina, or ta stirpe regia, quae non solum eis cum magna dignitate praefuit, said etiam bellum omne administrauit; cuius aninius virilis, potius quam muliebris crat. And afterwards, Femina, forma honestissima, vuliu severo, &c. All which doth weigh the more to her true praise, in coming from the mouths of romans, and Enemies. Shee lived in the time of Nero. The ninth, in time, but equal in same, and( the cause of it) virtue, was the chast ZENOEIA, queen of the Palmyrenes, who, after the death of her husband Odenatus, had the name to be reckoned among the xxx. that usurped the roman Empire, from Galienus. She continued along and brave war, against several chiefs; and was at length triumphed on by Aurelian: but, easpecie, vt nihil pompabilius. P. Rom. videretur. Her Chas●ity was such, Vt ne virum suum quidem sciret, nisi tentatis conceptionibus She lived in a most royal manner, and was adored to the custom of the Persians. When she made Orations to her souldiers, she had always her cask on A woman of a most divine spirit, and incredible beauty. In In trigin, Tyrann. Trebellius Pollio, read the most noble description of a queen, and her; that can be vtter'd, with the dignity of an Historian. The renth, succeeding, was that learned, and Her●ique AMALASVNTA, queen of the Ostrogothes, Daughter to theodoric, that obtained the principality of Rauenna and almost all Italy. She drove the Burgundians, and almains out of Liguria, and appeared in her government rather an Example, then a Second. She was the most eloquent of her Age, and cunning in all Languages, of any Nation that had commerce with the roman Emptre. M. Amon. Coo● Sabel.( out of Ca 〈…〉 sied) Enmad, 7. 〈◇〉 ●. It is recorded of her, that, sine veneratione eam viderit nemo, pro miraculo fuerit ipsam audire bequentem. Tantaque ill● in decernendo gravitas, vt ●rim●nis conuicti, cum plecterentur, nihil sibi acerbum pati viderentur. The eleventh was that brave Bohemian queen, VALASCA, who for her courage, had the surname of bold: That to redeem herself and her sex, from the tyranny o● men, which they lived in, under Primislans, on a night,& at an hour appointed, lead on the women to the slaughter of their barbarous Husbands, and Lords. And, possessing themselves of their Horses, arms, Treasure, and places of Strength, not onely ruled the rest, but lived many yeares after, with the liberty, and fortitude of Amazons. Celebrate a by In Geograp. lib. 7. Raphael Volaterranus, and in an elegant tract of an Italians Forcia. Qua●●● in latin,( who names himself Philalethe●, Polytopiensis civis) inter prastantissimas faminas. The twelu'th, and worthy sovereign of all I make BEL-ANNA, royal queen of the Ocean; of whose dignity, and person the whole Scope of the invention doth speak throughout: which, to offer you again here, might but prove offence to that sacred Modesty, which hears any testimony of others iterated, with more delight, then her own praise. She being placed above the need of such ceremony,& safe in her Princely virtue, against the good, or ill, of any witness. The Name of BEL-ANNA I devised, to honor hers proper by; as adding to it, the attribute of Fatre: And is kept by me, in all my poems, wherein I mention her majesty with any shadow, or figure. Of which, some may come forth with a longer destiny, then this Age, commonly, gives to the best Births, if but helped to light by her gracious, and ripening favour. But, here, I discern a possible objection, arising against me; to which I must turn: As, How I can bring Persons of so different Ages, to appear properly togethers or, why( which is more unnatural) with Virgil's Mezentius, I join the living with the dead? I answer to both these, at once. Nothing is more proper; Nothing more natural. For these all live; and together, in their famed:& so I present them. Besides, if I would fly to the all-daring power of Poetry, where could I not take Sanctuary? or in whose poem? For other objections, let the looks and noses of Iudges hover thick; so they bring the brains: or if they do not, I care not. When I suffered it to go abroad, I departed with my right: And now, so secure an Interpreter I am of my chance, that neither praise, nor dispraise shal affect me. There rests, only, that we give the description( we promised) of the Scene, which was the House of famed. The Structure, and Ornament of which( as is professed before) was entirely Mr. jones his invention, and design. First, for the lower columns, he choose the Statues of the most excellent Poets, as Homer, Virgil, Lucan, &c. as being the substantial supporters of famed. For the vpper, Achilles, Aeneas, Caesar, and those great Heroes, which these Poets had celebrated. All which stood, as in massy gold. between the Pillars, underneath, were figured Land-battayles, Sea-fights, Triumphs, Loues, Sacrifices, and all magnificent subiects of honor: in brass, and heightened with silver. In which, he professed to follow that noble description, made by Chaucer, of the place. above were sited the maskers, over whose heads he devised two eminent Figures of Honor,& virtue, for the Arch. The Freezes, both below,& above, were filled with seueral-color'd lights, like Emeralds, Rubies, Saphyres, Carbuncles, &c. the reflex of which, with other lights, placed in the concave, vpon the maskers habits, was full of glory. These habits had in them the excellency of all device, and riches; and were worthily varied by his invention, to the Nations, whereof they were queens. Nor are these, alone, his due; but diuers other accessions to the strangeness, and beauty of the Spectacle: as the Hell, the going about of the Chariots, the binding the Witches, the turning Machine, with the presentation of famed. All which I willingly aclowledge for him: since it is a virtue, planted in good natures, that what respects they wish to obtain fruitfully from others, they will give ingenuously themselves. By this time, imagine the maskers descended; and again mounted into three triumphant Chariots, ready to come forth. The first four were drawn with Eagles,( whereof I gave the reason, as of the rest, in Fames speech) their four Torchbearers, attending on the Chariot sides, and four of the hags, bound before them. Then followed the second, drawn by Griffons, with their Torch-bearers, and four other hags. Then the last, which was drawn by lions, and more eminent;( wherein her majesty was) and had six Torch-bearers more,( peculiar to her) with the like number of hags. After which, a full triumphant music, singing this Song, while they road, in State, about the stage. SONG. H●lpe, help all tongues, to celebrate this wonder: The voice of famed should be as l●●d as thunder. Her House is all of echo made, Where never dyes the sound; And, as her brows the clouds invade, Her feet do strike the ground. Sing then good famed, that's out of virtue born: For, who doth famed neglect, doth virtue sco●ne. Here they lighted from their Chari●ts, and daunc'd forth their first dance; then a second, immediately following it: both right curious, and full of subtle and excellent changes, and seemed performed with no less spirits, then of those they personated. The first was to the Cornets, the second to the Vyolenes. After which, they took out the men, and daunc'd the Measures; entertaining the time, almost to the space of an hour, with singular variety: when, to give them rest, from the music which attended the Chariots, by that most excellent tenor voice, and exact singer( her majesties seruant, M. jo. Allin) this Ditty was song. SONG. WHen all the Ages of the earth Were crowned, but in this famous Birth; And that, when they would boast their store Of worthy queens, they knew no more: How happier is that Age, can give A queen, in whom all they do live! After it, succeeded their third dance; then which, a more numerous composition could not be seen: Graphically disposed into Letters,& honouring the Name of the most sweet and ingenious Prince, Charles, Duke of york. Wherein, beside that principal grace of perspicuity, the Motions were so even and apt, and their expression so just; as if Mathematicians had lost Proportion, they might there haue found it. The Author was M. Tho. Giles. After this, they daunc'd Galliards, and Corrantos. And then their last dance, no less elegant( in the place) then the rest. with which they took their Chariots again, and triumphing about the Stage, had their return to the House of famed celebrated with this last Song; whose Notes( as the former) were the work, and honor of my excellent friend, Alfonso ●errabosco. SONG. WHo, Virtue, can thy power forget, That sees these live, and triumph yet? Th' Assyrian pomp, the Persian pride, Greekes glory, and the Romans died: And who yet imitate Their noises, tarry the same fate. Force greatness ad the glorious ways You can, it soon decays; But so good famed shall never: Her Triumphs, as their causes, are for ever. To conclude which, I know no worthier way of Epilogue, then the celebration of who were the Celebraters. The QVEENES majesty. The Co. of ARVNDELL. The Co. of DERBY. The Co. of HVNTINGTON. The Co. of BEDFORD. The Co. of ESSEX. The Co. of MONTGOMERY. The Vico. CRANBORNE. The La. EL. GVILFORD. The La. ANNE WINTER. The La. windsor. The La. ANNE CLIFFORD. The end.