Classic Poem

Wake Hercules , awake; but heave up thy blacke eye,
'Tis onely ask'd from thee to looke, and these will die,
Or flie:
Already they are fled,
Whom scorne had else left dead.
At which Mercury descended from the hill, with a garland of Poplar to crowne him

MERCURY

Rest still thou active friend of vertue; These
Should not disturbe the peace of Hercules .
Earths wormes, and Honors dwarfes (at too great ods)
Prove, or provoke the issue of the gods.
See, here a Crowne the aged Hill hath sent thee,
My Grand-sire Atlas , he that did present thee
With the best sheepe that in his fold were found,
Or golden fruit in the Hesperian ground,
For rescuing his faire Daughters, then the prey
Of a rude Pirate as thou cam'st this way;
And taught thee all the learning of the Sphere,
And how like him thou might'st the heavens up-beare;
As that thy labours vertuous recompence
He, though a Mountaine now, hath yet the sence
Of thanking thee for more, thou being still
Constant to goodnesse, guardian of the hill;
Antaeus by thee suffocated here,
And the voluptuous Comus god of cheere
Beate from his Grove, and that defac'd, but now
The time's arriv'd that Atlas told thee of, how
B'unalterd law, and working of the Stars,
There should be a cessation of all jars,
Twixt Vertue and her noted opposite
Pleasure; that both should meet here in the sight
Of Hesperus , the glory of the West,
The brightest starre that from his burning crest
Lights all on this side the Atlanticke-Seas ,
As farre as to thy Pillars, Hercules ,
See where he shines, Justice , and Wisedome plac'd
About his throne, and those with honour grac'd
Beauty , and Love: It is not with his Brother
Bearing the world, but ruling such another
Is his renowne. Pleasure , for his delight
Is reconcil'd to Vertue , and this night
Vertue brings forth, twelve Princes have beene bred
In this rough mountaine, and neere Atlas head
The hill of knowledge; one, and chiefe of whom
Of the bright race of Hesperus is come,
Who shall in time, the same that he is be,
And now is onely a lesse light then he;
These now she trusts with Pleasure , and to these
She gives an entrance to the Hesperides
Faire beauties garden; neither can she feare
They should grow soft, or waxe effeminate here;
Since in her fight, and by her charge all's done,
Pleasure the servant, Vertue looking on.
Here the whole Quire of Musicke call'd the twelve Maskers forth from the lap of the Mountaine, which then opened with this