Rhodon and Iris· A pastorall, as it vvas presented at the florists feast in Norwich, May 3. 1631.

RHODON AND IRIS. (Book 1)

ACT. 1. SCEN. 1.

Poneria, Agnostus.

Ag.

TS the worlds eye not yet asleepe?

Po.

Hath love not yet put on his starry night-cap? No; nor Iuno her spangl'd smocke?

Ag.

What, hath Hesperus forgot tolight heavens tapers up?

Or be the Charret wheeles of Night o're loaden with the leaden waights of sleepe,

That she delayes to throw her misty veyle upon the face of things?

Po.

Blind Ignorance that grop'st in Cymerian darknesse, That lyest invelop'd in the shads of everlasting night, That want'st those glorious spectacles of Nature, Those Chrystalline spheres that should illumine Thy Microcosmus, Why dost thou thus maligne the guiltlesse light, She being the fairest Creature that Nature ever made?

Ag.

I hate her because she is light: I say she is The Mistris of disquiet and unrest, and breeds More troubles in the world then one of my young

Hungry Lawyers doth in a Common-wealth,

Or a schismatical selfeconceited Coxcombe in an antient Corporation.

Oh that I could Vlysses-like burne out the eye Of that Celestiall Polypheme; Or raise dull Chaos from Demogorgons Cell To quench the worlds unnecessary luminaries.

Po.

Bold Ignorance, thou Idoll of these times That o're a woollen wit, oft wear'st a sattin Cap: And sometimes at our Bacchanalian feasts Appear'st as brave as a Canonicall Saint In a Kalender: I hug thy resolution, stupid divell, That dost with generous malice amply supply What is defective in thy intellect: But if thou'lt give my faithfull Counsell leave For to divert the torrent of thy wrath, Then lend a facile eare to my advice: Bend not thy bootlesse hate against that Orbe of light, Whose mighty flames will scorch the impious wings Of those Nocturnall birds, that shall attempt With talons most prophane, to injure his bright beauty. A meaner object than this, shall satisfie Thy wrath, and my displeasure. This is the day whereon the new society of Florists, have determined to keepe their annual festivals: Whose pompous Celebration hath wont to eclipse All feasts besides: th'Olympian games, And Isthmian playes, with all those Ludicrous And Ludibrious Combats, are but meere Puppet playes To this grand feast, for Art and nature both have try'd To make this Feast surpasse all feasts beside. Vnite thy force with mine, then ten to one

We shall disturbe their mirth, e're we have done.

Ag.

Then mischiefe lend me all thy guilty nerves: Let flames of boundlesse fury quite dispell Lethaean dulnesse from my Clouded braine. Assist our great designe, ye subterraneous powers, That utterly abhorre to view the glaring light: Let not the weakenesse of my Craz'd intellectuals, Nor yet this loath'd deficience of my sense, Be prejudiciall to the bent of our designe: Poneria, act thy part, for I am thine.

Exeunt.

ACT. 1. SCEN. 2.

Rhodon, Acanthus.

Aga.

(RHodon) my honor'd, soule-united friend, Cast oft that dusky melancholy veyle. Too vile a robe for thy majesticke brow, Blast not the pride of Hyblas happinesse With thy offensive passion.

Rho.

Nay, good Acanthus, did love ere offend any?

Aca.

And art not thou the map of loves calamity? Witnesse those cristall bowles of thy bright eyne, Which I have seene sweld up with brinish teares, Prepar'd for sorrowes bitter beverage: Witnesse those frequent tempests of thy sighes, Which made thy brest a fiery fea of dolour: Witn esse those palled cheekes, whose glorious hue Aurora late envy'd, and quite despairing

To reach thy beauties height, with Cupid treated, And him suborn'd to wound thy generous heart, (Which no base passion ever durst assault) That now like pale Narcissus on the brinke Of the beguilding streame, thou lyest a dying.

Rho.

I tell thee (brazen Colosse) marble statue, Whose heart loues darts could never penetrate; Love is the Prince of all affections, And like the element of fire transcends His brothers in activity and splendour.

Aca.

It is a fire indeed, that doth consume All vertuous actions; that feeds upon mens soules Like the fiend Eurynomus upon dead carkases; That makes the microcosmus a meere Chaos. It is the Remora of all noble enterprises, And the Lernaean fenne which breeds a Hydra, Crested with a thousand inconueniences. Let me nere inherit more then my Fathers hempland, Or nere be owner of more wit then some elder brothers, If I thinke not Cupid the most pernicious deity Among all the Olympian Senators. Oh that I had but Stentors lungs, To thunder out the vanity of that idoll.

Rho.

Now I hope you have rail'd your self out of breath, And therefore I may now have time to speake: Thus 'tis, deare friend Acanthus, I confesse That once I lov'd the Lady Eglantine, Whose rare endowments both of art and nature, Well corresponding with high birth and fortune, Did moderately attract my sincere love, Which love conspiring with a strong desire, To see the Customes of some forraine Nations,

And know the manners of people farre remote, Made me to greet the Princely Dame With a personall visitation. Then my indulgent starres did me advise, For to suspend my suit: whose Counsell I obey'd. But trust me, friend, thou wert too much mistaken, To thinke that love had scorch'd or sing'd so much The wings of reason; that I must needs fall, And perish in the fornace of despaire. Thou art a bad constructer of my thoughts, If that thou think'st 'tis love which makes me sad: Yea, thou, oft-times, dost take thy marks amisse, To thinke me sad; perhaps, when as my minde (Uprais'd above the sphere of terrene things) Is ravish'd with Celestiall Contemplation; For earthly passion hath no power at all To worke upon an elevated soule. Passions are starres to lower orbs confin'd; Scorching an earthly, not a heavenly mind. Yet am I not so much a Stoicke, or a Stocke, To plume the pinions of th'immortall soule, Who while she's Cloyster'd in this Cell of Clay, Moves with the wings of the affections: But lest she, like to heedlesse Icarus, Should soare too high a pitch; or like young Phaeton, Should shape her Course too low, Iove hath appointed Wise Vertue for to regulate her flight. Of these affections, love the Empresse is; Who, while she stands submisse to reasons lore, Doth keepe the Fabricke of the little world in frame. Love is the geniall goddesse, the Lucina Which doth produce each honourable atchievement,

Which this true axiome evidently proves, Nobilitas sub amore iacet. Had not the spritefull flames of love, egg'd on That Thehan Kilcrow mighty Hercules, To brave adventures; he, perhaps, had dy'd As much inglorious as did base Thersites. Had not the faire Andromache beheld, From Troian Towers, Hectors valiant acts Among the Greeks, amid the Phrygian fields; The gallant Dames of Troy then might, perchance, Most justly have preferr'd Achilles farre before him. Tis this heroicall passion that incends The sparkes of honour in each noble minde; Making dull sluggards study industry; And animating each unlearned head To toyle in Arts and liberall Sciences, Even to the high degree of rare proficience. Then cease Acanthus with thy lawlesse tongue, True loves Condition to maligne or wrong.

Ac.

Thou zealous patron of the winged Boy, Well hast thou pleaded thy blind Archers Case; Pray Iove thou maist deserve a lusty fee For this Herculean labour of thy tongue.

Rho.

Surcease these malapert invectives, friend, Cupid is arm'd with fire and arrowes keene, To be avenc'd on those that shall him spleene.

Ac.

When Sol shall make the Easterne Seas his bed, When Wolves and Sheepe shall be together fed; When Starres shall fall, and planets cease to wander, When Iuno proves a Bawd, and Iupiter a Pander; When Venus shalturn Chast, and Bacchus become sober, When fruit in April's ripe, that blossom'd in October;

When Prodigals shall money lend on use, And Vsurers prove lavish and profuse; When Art shal be esteem'd, and golden pelfe laid down, When Fame shal tel all truth, & Fortune cease to frown, To Cupids yoke then I my necke will bow; Till then, I will not feare loves fatall blow.

Rho.

Wert thou a meere spirit, then I confesse, And thinke, this resolution might endure; But so long as thy soule weares robes of earth, Lac'd all with veynes, that o're a Crimson deepe, Set forth an Azure bright; needs must thy heart Yeeld to the force of Cupids golden dart.

ACT. 1. SCEN. 3.

Clematis, Eglantine.

Cle.

OH impotent desires, allay the sad consort Of a sublime Fortune, whose most ambitious flames Disdaine to burne in simple Cottages, Loathing a hard unpolish'd bed; But Coveting to shine beneath a Canopy Of rich Sydonian purple; all imbroider'd With purest gold, and orientall Pearles; In tesselated pavements, and guilded roofes, Supported by proud artificiall Columnes, Of polish'd Ivory and Marble; doth love delight There; doth he, like a mighty Tyrant, rage, Subverting the whole edifice of reason With his impetuous conflagration: That this is true, the gentle Shepheardesse

Faire Eglantine doth evidently shew: For she, a sister to the great Cynosbatus, Was Courted lately by the Shepheard Rhodon: Whose suit she entertain'd with due respect, Requiting love with love: but Fate (it seemes) Not condescending that great Hymen should Accomplish their desires; forbade the Banes, And Rhodon hath relinquished his suit; And is return'd to Hybla sweet; whose flowry vales Began to droope, and wither in his absence. But Eglantine remaines disconsolate; Like to a Turtle that hath lost her mate. See where she comes, expressing in her face A perfect Map of mellancholy: I will retire, because I well desery, Shee's out of love with all society.

Enter Eglant. with her Lute.

Eg.

Addresse thy selfe sweet warbling Instrument, My sorrowes sad Companion; to tune forth Thy melancholly notes; somewhat to slake Those furious flames that scorch my tender heart.

She sings and playes upon the Lute.

Vpon the blacke Rocke of despaire My youthfull ioyes are perish'd quite, My hopes are vanish'd into ayre, My day is turn'd to gloomy night: For since my Rhodon deare is gone, Hope, light, nor comfort, have I none.

A Cell, where griefe the Landlord is, Shall be my palace of delight;

Where I will wooe with votes and sighes, Sweet death to end my sorrowes quite; Since I have lost my Rhodon deare, Deaths fleshlesse armes why should I feare?

Enter Cle.

Cle.

What time shal end thy sorrowes, sweetest Eglantine?

Egl.

Such griefe as mine cannot be cur'd by time. But when the gentle fates shall disembogue My weary soule, and that Celestiall substance free From irkesome manacles of clay; then may I finde, If not a sweet repose in blest Elysium, Yet some refrigeration in those shades, Where Dido and Hypsiphile do wander.

Exit Egl.

Cle.

Thou gentle goddesse of the woods & mountains, That in the woods and mountaines art ador'd, The Maiden patronesse of chaste desires, Who art for chastity renowned most, Tresgrand Diana, who hast power to cure The rankling wounds of Cupids golden arrowes; Thy precious balsome deigne thou to apply, Vnto the heart of wofull Eglantine; Then we thy gracious favour will requite With a yong Kid, than new falne snow more white.

exit.

ACT. 1. SCEN. 4.

Cynosbatus, Martagon.

Cy.

MY honor'd friend, most noble Martagon, Who whilom didst with thy imperiall power Command the mountaines proud, and humble plaines

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Of happy Thessaly: who hath eclips'd The splendour of thy light, and clipp'd those wings That did ore-shade these fields from East to West. Each Shepheard that was wont to feed his flocks Vpon these fertile meads, was wont whilere To pay the tribute of his primest lambs. But now as one coup'd in an angle up, Thou art compell'd to satisfie thy selfe, With a small portion of that soveraignty Which thou didst earst enioy.

Ma.

Deare friend Cynosbatus, if that the world Had bin compos'd in a cubicke forme And not orbicular; or if this globe Were destin'd to be ought else then fortunes ball, By alterations racket banded to and fro; Then iustly might'st thou wonder to behold My present state, so short of my precedent height. Nor doth this monster, Change, beare sway alone, Ore elements, men, beasts, and plants, But those celestiall bodies that are fram'd Of purer constitutions, are compell'd To be obedient to her awfull doome. Reare up thy eyes unto the spangl'd cope, And there behold Ioves starre-enchased belt, The glittering Zodiacke wonderfully chang'd In a few thousand yeares: For those fixt stars, which like a Diamond cleare, Adorne the baudricke of the Thunderer, Have wander'd from their former stations. Witnesse the golden Ram who now is gone astray, And shoulder'd hath the Cretian Bull; and he Those twins of Iove so sore hath butted,

That they have crush'd the Crab, and thrust him quite Into the den of the Nemaean Lyon. Thus by the change of these superiour bodies, Strange alterations in the world are wrought, Great Empires maim'd, & Kingdoms brought to naught. And that auspicious lampe, who freely lends His light to lesser fires, the prince of generation, Even Sol himselfe, is five degrees declin'd, Since learned Ptolome did take his height. But if Egyptian wisards we may trust, Who in Astrologie wont to excell; By them tis told, that foure times they have seene That glorious Charrioter flit from his place: Twice hath he rose (they say) where now he sets, And twice declined where he now doth rise. If these Celestiall powers, whose influence Commands terrestriall substances, Be object to mutation, then needs must Sublunar things, submit themselues to change. Then wonder not good friend Cynosbatus, To see my state and power diminish'd thus.

Cy.

Tis true deare Martagon, experience showes That alteration every day brings forth A new birth of effects.

Ma.

But I prethe friend, satisfie me in one thing.

Cy.

My bosome's yours, take from that Cabinet The choisest secret that can pleasure you: Tell me in what your will's to be resolu'd.

Ma.

There is a rumour spred through Thessaly, That your faire sister, Madame Eglantine, Shall be espoused to the Shepheard Rhodon, The prince of all the Swaines that dwell on Hybla.

Cy.

From no ill grounds this rumor sprang, thou•••• The Fates did crosse what was by us intended.

Na.

Then there's no expectation of my Nuptial rite

Cy.

No; all's dissolv'd.

Na.

I thanke my Starres for that.

Cy.

Your reason, Noble friend.

Ma.

A kin he is to that male spirited Dame, That stout Virago, that proud Shepheardesse Call'd Violetta: who complaines of wrongs Late suffer'd at my hands: And hee's the man by whom she hopes To be aveng'd on me, for this pretended injury; And had he matcht your sister, sweet Eglantine, Then might I have had cause for to suspect Your love not to be sound, since you accepted So great a soe of mine, for your neere friend.

Cy.

Then I am glad the Fates would not agree That I should lose so true a friend as thee.

Exeunt.

ACT. 1. SCEN. 3.

Rhodon. Anthophotus. Acanthus. Iris. Panace.

An.

Never till now, did my Hymettus flourish: More blest effects hath thy sweet presence wrought, (Honour'd Rhodon) then could have beene produc'd By moist-wing'd Zephyrus, or Favonius, Who fanns our flowers with his gentle breath.

Rho.

Thankes, good Anthophotus:

An.

Nor doth our sister Iris hold her selfe

Meanely engag'd to you, for this your gracious visit.

Rho.

To be the meanest servant of so sweet a saint, Is the full height and scope of my ambition.

Ir.

Faire S^r. I wish you would be pleas'd t'imploy Your service on an object of more worth.

Rho.

Dissemble not, admired Shepheardesse; For thou art she, that art as farre beyond That light peece of beauty, Hellen of Greece,

In outward perfections; as shee was short of thee in inward graces.

Yea, had those fifty Kings that did for her Engage themselves in a long tedious warre, Seene but the Modell of thy rare beauty, Drawne by the hand of but a rude painter, Doubtlesse, they had their honours forfeited, And broke that sacred oath which they had tane. Their worke in hand they had relinquish'd quite, And left the walls of wretched Troy untoucht; For each attracted with thy beauties splendor, No Seas nor perils would have left unpast, To finde thee in the furthest angle of the world.

Ir.

Could my perfections, valu'd at the highest rate, But countervaile a dramme of your great worth, Then should I thinke my selfe borne under starres Most happy and auspicious.

An.

Surcease your Complements, deare Rhodon, Let empty Caskes, and hollow Cymbals speake That ayrie language, which unworthy is Of your reallities.

Rho.

Pardon me, gentle Sir: this radiant starre, My judgements feeble eyes did dazle so, That I was forc'd to speak what passion did informe me.

Enter a Messenger.

Messen.

Which is the Shepheard Rhodon?

Rho.

I am the man.

Messen.

Then you are he whom Violetta greets.

Rho.

How fares my sister?

Messen.

This letter shall relate what I can never utter.

Exit Messen.

Rho,

Pray Iove we have good newes, me thinks I saw A pallid horrour setl'd in the face Of the sad Messenger: be't good or ill, We are resolu'd to see it, come what will.

He opens and reads the Letter.

I Violetta much distrest By Martagon my mortall foe, Your succour humbly doe request, To set me free frrm servile woe. Our flowers he hath trampled on, Our Gardens turn'd to thickets wilde; Our fields and Meads he hath ore-run, That we are forc'd to live exil'd. We therefore doe your aide implore, Vs to our freedome to restore.

Your distressed sister, Violetta, Violetta.

'Twas for no good, that the late shag hair'd Comet With his erected staring lookes, did over-looke Our frighted flocks, who all amaz'd poore wretches At such a horrid unexpected sight, Ere Hesperus gan from the west to peepe,

Halfe empty, did retire unto their folds againe: Nor were those idle fires which late we saw, Hang like a flaming canopie above us, When we did walke the round about our folds, To keepe the warwolfe from our Lambs by night. But is't possible that man should be so savage, To vent his rage upon a silly woman?

An.

It is no wonder gentle sir at all: For when Prometheus form'd his man of clay, Tis said that he did to his stomacke adde, The raging fury of a Lyon fierce.

Rho.

Tis true: but histories report that a Lyon did, The suppliant Getulian virgin spare; Scorning to make so innocent a creature His pray or quarry.

An.

Foule shame and infamy it is, god wot, That manly might should women weake oppose, Whom they by right for life ought to defend.

Acan.

(Rhodon) doe thou but say Amen: and I will in An instant raise our spritefull youth, And lead them on with such a vigorous force Against the most unhumane Martagon; That we will pull the Craven from his nest, Disrobing him of all his borrowed plumes, And repossessing Violetta of her owne.

Rho.

In actions of such consequence as this, We must not be too precipicious, Mature deliberation must conclude What shall be done in such a maine designe: The stately Steed that with a full careere Attempts to mount the brow of the steepe hill, Oft breaks his winde, ere he can reach the height.

But the slow snayle without or harme, or perill, In time ascends unto the mountaines top, For that true love we owe to Thessaly, In which affection all we are ingag'd; We by a friendly treaty will endevour To bring th' usurper to a restitution. But if the Olive branch will doe no good, Then let the scourge of warre it selfe disclose; They that our friendship scorne, must be our foes.

An.

And if my right hand faile to second thee, Then for a Peasant let me counted be.

Exeunt Rho. Antho. Iris.

Banace offers to goe out, and is stayed by Acanthus.

Ac.

Nay, stay faire Nimph, I would request A private Conference with you.

Pa.

If that I could with my affaires dispense, I gladly should imbrace your Conference: But my occasions bid mee hast away; Sweet S^r, adieu; I can no longer stay.

Exit Pa.

Ac.

I that of late was made of Scythian snow, And Hyperborean ice, am now quite thaw'd In the uncessant flames of hot desire. A new Vesuvius burnes within my brest, But shall I overturne those noble trophies Which I most firmely have on vertue sounded; Or shall I singe the wings of reason so, In the outragious flames of passion; That I must needs fall downe and perish quite In the blacke hideous gulfe of deepe despaire, No: no: I will not, Of this I am resolv'd whatso're befall, Or not to love too much, or not at all.

Exit.