The workes of Beniamin Ionson

An Entertainment of King IAMES and Queene ANNE, at THEOBALDS, When the House was deliuered vp, with the possession, to the QVEENE, by the Earle of SALISBVRIE, 22. of MAY, 1607.

The Prince IANVILE, brother to the Duke of GVISE, being then present.

THe King, and Queene, with the Princes of Wales, and Lorraine, and the Nobilitie, being entred into the gallerie, after dinner; there was seene nothing but a trauerse of white, acrosse the roome: which sodainely drawne, was discouered a gloomie obscure place, hung all with black silkes, and in it only one light, which the GE∣NIVS of the house held, sadly attir'd; his Cornucopia readie to fall out of his hand, his gyrland drooping on his head, his eyes fixed on the ground; when, out of this pensiue posture, after some little pause, he brake, and began.

GENIVS.

LEt not your glories darken, to behold The place, and me, her GENIVS here, so sad; Who, by bold Rumor, haue beene lately told, That I must change the loued Lord, I had. And he, now, in the twy-light of sere age, Begin to seeke a habitation new;

And all his fortunes, and himselfe engage Vnto a seat, his fathers neuer knew. And I, vncertaine what I must endure, Since all the ends of dest'ny' are obscure.

Here a voice was heard, from behind the darknesse, which bade him,

MERCVRIE.

Despaire not, GENIVS, thou shalt know thy fate.

And withall, the black vanishing, was discouered a glorious place, figuring the Lararium, or seat of the household-gods, where both the Lares, and Penates, were painted, in copper colours; erected with Columnes and Architrabe, Freeze, and Coronice, in which were placed diuers Diaphanall glasses, fill'd with seuerall waters, that shew'd like so many stones, of orient and transparent hiewes. Within, as farder off, in Landtschap, were seene clouds riding, and in one corner, a boy figu∣ring Good Euent, attyred in white, houering in the' ayre, with wings displayed, hauing nothing seene to sustaine him by, all the time the Shew lasted: At the other corner, a MERCVRIE descended, in a flying posture, with his Caduceus on his hand, who spake to the three PARCAE, that sate low in a grate, with an yron roofe, the one holding the rocke, the other the spindle, and the third the sheeres, with a booke of Adamant lying open befor•• them. But first, the GENIVS sur∣priz'dly wonder, vrg'd this doubt, by question.

GENIVS.

WHat sight is this, so strange! and full of state! The sonne of MAIA, making his descent Vnto the fates, and met with good Euent.

MERCVRIE.

Daughters of night, and secrecie, attend; You, that draw out the chayne of Destinie, Vpon whose threds, both liues and times depend, And all the periods of mortalitie. The will of IOVE is, that you streight doe looke The change, and fate vnto this house decreed, And speaking from your Adamantine booke, Vnto the GENIVS of the place it read; That he may know, and knowing, blesse his lot, That such a grace, beyond his hopes, hath got.

CLOTHO.

When, vnderneath thy roofe, is seene The greatest King, and fairest Queene, With Princes an vnmatched payre, One, hope of all the earth, their heyre; The other styled of Lorraine, Their bloud; and sprung from CHARLEMAINE:

When all these Glories iointly shine, And fill thee with a heat diuine, And these reflected, doe beget And splendent Sunne, shall neuer set, But here shine fixed, to affright All after-hopes of following night, Then, GENIVS, is thy period come, To change thy Lord: Thus, Fates doe doome.

GENIVS.

But is my Patron with this lot content, So to forsake his fathers moniment? Or, is it gaine, or else necessitie, Or will to raise a house of better frame, That makes him shut forth his posteritie Out of his patrimonie, with his name?

MERCVRIE.

Nor gaine, nor need; much lesse a vaine desire, To frame new roofes, or build his dwelling higher; He hath, with mortar, busied beene too much, That his affections should continue such.

GENIVS.

Doe men take ioy in labors, not t'enioy? Or doth their businesse all their likings spend? Haue they more pleasure in a tedious way, Then to repose them at their iourneys end?

MERCVRIE.

GENIVS, obey, and not expostulate; It is your vertue: and such powers as you, Should make religion of offending fate, Whose doomes are iust, and whose designes are true.

LACHESIS.

The person, for whose royall sake, Thou must a change so happie make, Is he, that gouernes with his smile, This lesser world, this greatest Isle. His Ladies seruant thou must be; Whose second would great NATVRE see, Or FORTVNE, after all their paine, They might despaire to make againe.

ATROPOS.

She is the grace of all, that are: And as ELISA, now a starre,

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