The Third Song

By the Chorus going up to the Queen.

Whilst thus the darlings of the gods
From Honour's temple, to the shrine
Of Beauty, and these sweet abodes
Of Love, we guide, let thy divine
Aspects, bright Deity! with fair
And halcyon beams becalm the air.

We bring Prince Arthur, or the brave
St. George himself, great Queen, to you:
You'll soon discern him; and we have
A Guy, a Bevis, or some true
Round-Table knight, as ever fought
For lady, to each beauty brought.

Plant in their martial hands, war's seat,
Your peaceful pledges of warm snow,
And, if a speaking touch, repeat
In Love's known language tales of woe,
Say, in soft whispers of the palm,
As eyes shoot darts, so lips shed balm.

For though you seem, like captives, led
In triumph by the foe away,
Yet on the conqueror's neck you tread,
And the fierce victor proves your prey;
What heart is then secure from you,
That can, though vanquish'd, yet subdue? The song done, they retire, and the masquers dance the revels with the ladies, which continued a great part of the night. The revels being past, and the King's Majesty seated under the State by the Queen, for conclusion to this masque there appears coming forth from one of the sides, as moving by a gentle wind, a great cloud, which, arriving at the middle of the heaven, stayeth; this was of several colours, and so great, that it covered the whole scene. Out of the further part of the heaven, begins to break forth two other clouds, differing in colour and shape; and being fully discovered, there appeared sitting in one of them Religion, Truth, and Wisdom. Religion was apparelled in white, and part of her face was covered with a light veil, in one hand a book, and in the other a flame of fire: Truth in a watchet robe, a sun upon her fore-head, and bearing in her hand a palm; Wisdom in a mantle wrought with eyes and hands, golden rays about her head, and Apollo's cithara in her hand. In the other cloud sate Concord, Government, and Reputation. The habit of Concord was carnation, bearing in her hand a little faggot of sticks bound together, and on the top of it a heart, and a garland of corn on her head. Government was figured in a coat of armour, bearing a shield, and on it a Medusa's head; upon her head a plumed helm, and in her right hand a lance. Reputation, a young man in purple robe wrought with gold, and wearing a laurel wreath on his head. These being come down in an equal distance to the middle part of the air, the great cloud began to break open, out of which struck beams of light; in the midst, suspended in the air, sat Eternity on a globe; his garment was long, of a light blue, wrought all over with stars of gold, and bearing in his hand a serpent bent into a circle, with his tail in his mouth. In the firmament about him was a troop of fifteen stars, expressing the stellifying of our British heroes; but one more great and eminent than the rest, which was over his head, figured his Majesty. And in the lower part was seen, afar off, the prospect of Windsor Castle, the famous seat of the most honourable Order of the Garter.
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