II^ Night : The Masque

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By a secret foreknowledge of a Maske , with which Soranso, Bargetto, Ismarito, and others purposed to honour Segnioe philoxenus and his companie, supper wae hastened and soone ended: and after the one had salutated the other with an accustomed reverence, while the rest of the Gntlemen entertained Time, with dauncing or deuising with their mistresses, the Maskers withdrew themselves, and about nineof the clock n this disguise peresentes themselves agayne.

A consort of swéete Musicke, sounded the knowledge of their comming: the Musicians, in Gyppons and Venetians of Russet and Black Taffata, bended with Murrey, and thereon imbrodered this Poesie. Spero, Timeo, Taceo: expressing thereby the sundry passions of Loue: and before them, two torchbearers, apparelled in yellow taffata Sarcenet: the generall apparell of the maskers was shorte Millaine Clokes, Dublet Hose of Gréene Satten bordered with Silue Gréene silke stockes, White Scarpines, White Feathers. Thei agreed to be thus attired, to showe themselves free in the eye of the world, and covertly bound unto their mistresses.

Ismarito for courtesie sake, because he was a straunger, and withal, in that his Mistres was the most honourable, had the elading of his Maske, who lighted with a torch, by his Page, apparelled in Blew, Carnation and White Taffata, the colours of his Mistres, entered with a Ventoy in his hand, made like an Ashe tree: wrethed about with iuy: expressing this poesie The stante virebo: with which, ipon sit oppotunitie, he presented Quéene Aurelia, hid Mistresse: within which were (covertly hid) these verses in English Italian

Two Soueraigne Dames, Beauty and honestie, Long mortal foes, accorded are of late: And now the one owels in my Mistresse eye. And in her heart the other keepes her state.

Where both to shew the vertue of this peace, To gamish her, make ryot of their Grace; In her fayre eye, Dame Beauty doth increase, A thousand Gleames that doe become her face.

And with her heart thus doth the other deale, She lowly seemes, and mounts through chast disdayne, So that her thrals doo serue with honest zeale, Or fearing blame, doe yeelde unto their paine.

The heauenely soules envies the earths renowne: Such giftes divine in humaine shape to see, And Iove still moues, a Goddesse her to crowne: Which is decreed, when nature shall agree. Thus happy I (in Fortunes frownes long whirld) A Goddesse serue, and Soueraigne of the world..

Bargetto Bargetto lighted by a Page, apparelled in his Mistresse colours, Greene, Carnation and White, followed Ismarito, having the mouth of his Maske closed with a small Golden Lock as a witnesse of the true execution of his Mistress commandement: and upon his fitt he carried a Parrate to prattle to his Mistress, upon pausing betwéen every solemne Almaine, and covertly under the Parrates wing was was hidden this passion.

Hence burning sighes, which sparkle from desire, To pitty melt my Mistresse frozen Hart: Her frozen hart, that Fancy cannot fire, Nor true intent, perswage to run my smart. Haste, haste, I pray, the I eye passage breake, And bleade for him that is forbid to speake.

What though at first, you faile to calme her rage, Yet as the Sunne from earth doth draw the Raayne, Your vertues so, the stormes of scorne may swage, Of fedde Desire, with showers of disdaine. For even as drinke doth make the Dropsie drie, So colde disdaine compels Desire to frie.

Her will be done; but I haue sworne to loue, And with this vow, will nourishe my delight: Her scorne, my woe, nay, time may not remoue, A faithful zeale out of my troubled spright. Yea more then al, Ile Sacrifice my blood. And fire my bones, to doe my Mistresse Good.

Soranso, lìghted by a Page, in Orange Tawny, Watched and Greene, was the next that presented hinselfe: who upon his left side had a Hart of Crimson Granado Silke so artificially made and fastened his dublet, as if his body had opened, and his heart appeared, which felldowne at his Mistresse féete, upon such a Fortune as shée was bound to take it up, which opened, she might holde the pleasure of herself, readind this submission

Even as the Hart deadly wound that hath, Retyres himselfe, with sighes to solace griefe: And with warme teares his gored sides doth bath, But finding mone to render smal reliefe: Impatient beast, he giues a heauy bray, And hastes the Death, that many would delay.

So I whose Loue. beyond my hap doth mount, Whose thoughts as Thornes, yet prick me with Desire: Whose sute and zeale returns with no accompt: Whose hope is drye, set in a harte of Fire: Holde this for ease, foorthwith to spoyle the eye, That lookte and lou'de then in desoayre to dye.

A happy Doome, if for law might stand, But me condemned, themselves may not dispatch: Thei lives and deathes, are in their Soueraigne hand. So mine in hers whose Lookes did me, attach: And therefore I, to pardon or to kill, Must yeeld my selfe, the Prisoner of her will L'ENVOY.

Then Lady fayre, receiue what longes to thee, A fettered thrall, attyred with disgrace, And at thy feete, his wounded heart here see, And in the same, the Iamge of thy face? Which bleeding fresh, with throbs throwes forth his mone

Rueth, rueth, deare Dame, for that I am your owne.

Dondolo lighted by his Page, apparelled in Tawny, Blew and Black Taffata was the fourth: who upon his Breast bare a Myrrour, set the outside inward, and yet fastened so hope as it might receine light, with an imagination thae shewed hid Heart, tha Beauty of his Mistresse, and in the thought, we wrote upon the outside: Basta che spero : within which glasse, this Sonet was runningly conueyed: which upon a fit oportunitie he resented unto his Mstresse, Lucia Bella

From shore to sea, from dales to mountaines hie, From meddowes fayre, amid the craggie rocke, Loue doth me leade, I know not whither I, But evermore a passage doth unlocke. Now doe I sight, now weepe, now death I feare, In all these stormes, yet loue healme doth steare.

In desart woods I wander too and fro, Where I wilde beastes, and firie Serpents meete. Yet safe I passe, Loue doth direct me so. In tempests rough, my barke doth alwayes flecte, Yea, when Sun, Moone, and starres forsake the skie, Loue giues me light, from my faire Mistresse eye.

I mount heaven, I know not with what winges, I sinke to hell, yet drowne not in distresse: Twixt Ice and flame; Loue me in safety bringes, But to what end? in sooth I cannot gesse: Yet hap what shall, Loue giueth me this scope, In dangers mouth, to liue alwayes in hope.

Faliero lightet by a Page, attired in Peach Color, yellow, and popeniay gréene Taffata was the fifth and last that entered: who (as if she were climing up his Arme) carried a White Turtle, so artificially made, as it deceived no lesse, thane Parrhasius painted Table Cloth: In whose Beake, were finely trowled the Verses

If on firme fayth, one Hart uncharg'd with fraud, One langour sweete, one wish desire doth moue: If honest Zeale, a gentle brest doth lawde, If wandering long, in the Lab'rinth of Loue, If wan pale cheekes, are witnesses of woe, If reaking sighs throwne from a burning heart: If all these, and thousand sorrowes moe, Faire Mistresse, looke but in my Meagre face, And you shall reade, that I have neede of Grace. (…)