The King and Court being seated, and in expectation,

Enter MASQUERADO.

    I would  I could  make  them  a  show  myself !
In troth, ladies, I pity you all.   You are here in ex-
pectation  of  a  device  tonight,  and  I  am  afraid
you  can  do  little  else  but  expect  it.   Though I
dare  not  show  my  face, I can speak truth under
a vizard.  Good  faith,  an't  please  your  majesty,
your   Masquers  are   all  at  a  stand ;   I  cannot
think  your  majesty  will  see  any  show  to-night,
at  least  worth your patience.   Some  two  hours
since, we  were  in  that  forwardness, our dances
learned, our  masquing  attire on  and  attired.   A
pretty  fine speech was taken up of  the poet too,
which  if  he  never  be paid  for now, it's  no mat-
ter :   his  wit  costs   him   nothing.      Unless  we
should come in like a morrice-dance, and  whistle
our   ballad  ourselves,   I   know   not   what  we
should  do :  we  have  neither  musician  to  play
our  tunes  but   the  wild   music  here ;  and  the
rogue   play-boy,   that   acts  Cupid,   is   got  so
hoarse,  your majesty  cannot  hear  him  half  the
breadth  of  your  chair.

Enter  PLUTUS, as  CUPID.

See,   they   have  thrust   him  out,  at  adventure.
We  humbly  beseech your majesty  to  bear with
us.     We had  both  hope and  purpose it should
have been better, howsoever we are lost in it.

   Plu.  What  makes  this  light,  feather'd  vanity
here ?  away,  impertinent  folly !   Infect  not this
assembly.

   Masq.  How, boy!

   Plu.   Thou  common  corruption  of   all  man-
ners  and  places  that admit thee.

   Masq.  Have   you   recovered  your  voice  to
rail at me?

   Plu.   No,  vizarded  impudence.   I am neither
player nor masquer : but the god  himself, whose
deity  is  here  profaned  by  thee.  Thou, and thy
like  think  yourselves  authorized   in   this  place
to all  license of  surquedry.   But  you  shall  find
custom  hath  not  so grafted you  here,  but  you
may be rent up, and  thrown out  as  unprofitable
evils.  I  tell  thee, I will have no more masquing ;
I  will  not  buy  a  false  and   fleeting  delight  so
dear :  the  merry madness of  one hour shall not
cost me the repentance of an age.

Enter ROBIN GOODFELLOW.

   Rob.  How !  no masque, no masque ?  I  pray
you say, are you sure on't ?  No masque, indeed !
What do I here then ? Can you tell ?

   Masq.  No, faith.

   Rob.  Slight,  I'll  be  gone  again,  and  there be
no masque ;  there's a jest.   Pray you resolve me.
Is there any ? or no ?  a masque ?

   Plu.  Who are you ?

   Rob.  Nay,  I'll  tell you  that  when I can. Does
anybody  know  themselves  here,  think  you ?  I
would fain know if there be a masque or no.

   Plu.   There  is  none,  nor  shall  be,  sir ;  does
that satisfy you ?

   Rob.  Slight, a fine trick !  a  piece of  England's
Joy, this !   Are these your  court sports ?  would
I  had  kept  me  to  my   gambols o'  the country
still,   selling  of  fish,   short  service,  shoeing  the
wild mare, or  roasting of  robin-redbreast. These
were better,  than, after all  this time, no masque :
you  look at me.   I  have recovered  myself  now
for  you,   I  am  the   honest   plain  country spirit
and harmless ; Robin Goodfellow, he that sweeps
the  hearth   and   the   house   clean,   riddles  for
the   country   maids,  and   does   all   their  other
drudgery   while  they  are  at  hot  cockles ;   one
that  has  discoursed  with  your  court  spirits  ere
now,   but  was  fain  tonight  to  run  a  thousand
hazards to arrive at this place :  never  poor gob-
lin was so put  to his shifts  to get  in, to see noth-
ing.  So  many  thorny  difficulties  as  I have past,
deserved  the  best  masque ;  the  whole shop of
the  revels.   I  would  you  would  admit some of
my  feats,  but  I  have  little  hope of  that, i' faith,
you let me in so hardly.

   Plu.   Sir,  here's  no  place  for them  nor  you.
Your   rude   good-fellowship   must  seek  some
other sphere for your admitty.

   Rob.  Nay, so your  stiff-necked porter told me
at the gate,  but not  in so good words.  His  staff
spoke somewhat to that  boisterous sense :  I am
sure   he  concluded   all   in   a  non-entry, which
made  me  e'en  climb  over  the  wall,  and  in by
the  wood-yard,  so to  the  terrace,  where when
I came,  I  found  the oaks of  the guard more un-
moved,  and  one  of  them,   upon whose  arm  I
hung,  shoved  me  off  o'  the ladder, and  dropt
me  down  like an acorn.   'Twas well  there was
not a sow in the verge,  I had  been eaten up else.
Then  I  heard some talk of  the carpenters' way,
and   I   attempted   that ;  but there  the wooden
rogues  let a huge  trap-door fall  on my head.  If
I  had  not  been a  spirit, I  had been  mazarded.
Though  I  confess  I   am   none of   those subtle
ones,  that  can  creep through at  a  key-hole, or
the  cracked  pane  of  a window.   I  must come
in  at  a  door,  which  made  me once  think of a
trunk ;  but  that  I  would  not imitate so catholic
a  coxcomb as Coryat.  Therefore I took another
course.    I  watched  what  kind  of  persons the
door  most opened to, and one of  their  shapes I
would  belie  to  get  in  with.   First  I  came with
authority,  and  said,  I was an engineer,  and be-
longed to the motions.   They asked me if  I were
the  fighting  bear  of  last  year,  and  laughed me
out  of  that, and  said  the motions  were ceased.
Then I took another figure, of an old tire-woman ;
but tired under that too, for none of  the masquers
would  take note of  me, the mark was out of my
mouth.    Then   I   pretended  to  be  a  musician,
marry,   I  could  not  shew mine  instrument, and
that  bred  a  discord.   Now  there  was  nothing
left  for me  that  I  could presently think on, but a
feather-maker  of  Blackfriars, and  in  that shape
I  told  them,   Surely  I  must  come  in,   let  it be
opened  unto  me ;  but  they  all  made as light of
me,  as  of  my  feathers ;  and wondered  how  I
could  be  a  Puritan,  being of so vain a vocation.
I  answered,   We  are  all masquers  sometimes :
with  which  they  knock'd Hypocrisy o' the pate,
and   made   room   for   a  bombard  man,   that
brought  bouge  for  a country  lady  or two,  that
fainted,   he  said,  with  fasting  for  the fine  sight
since  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning.  O  how  it
grieved me,  that  I was prevented of  that shape,
and  had  not  touched on  it  in  time,  it  liked me
so  well ;  but  I  thought  I  would offer at  it  yet.
Marry,  before  I  could  procure  my  properties,
alarum   came   that  some  of  the  whimlens  had
too  much ;  and  one  shew'd  how fruitfully  they
had  watered  his  head,   as  he stood  under  the
grices ;  and  another  came out, complaining of a
cataract  shot  into his eyes by a planet, as he was
star-gazing.     There  was  that  device defeated !
By  this  time  I saw  a  fine  citizen's  wife or  two
let in ;  and  that  figure provoked me exceedingly
to  take  it ;   which  I  had  no  sooner  done, but
one  of   the  black-guard   had   his  hand  in  my
vestry,  and   was   groping  of  me as  nimbly  as
the  Christmas  cut-purse.   He thought  he  might
be  bold  with  me,  because  I had not a husband
in  sight  to  squeak  to.   I was glad to forego my
form,  to  be  rid  of  his  hot steeming affection, it
so  smelt  of  the  boiling  house.   Forty other de-
vices  I  had  of  wiremen  and  the chandrie, and
I  know not  what else :  but all succeeded  alike.
I  offered   money   too,   but  that  could  not  be
done  so  privately,  as  it  durst be  taken, for the
danger  of  an example.   At last a troop of stran-
gers came to the door, with whom I made myself
sure to enter : but  before  I could mix, they were
all  let  in,  and I  left  alone  without,  for want of
an  interpreter.   Which,  when  I  was  fain  to be
to myself, a  Colossus [of]  the company told me,
I   had   English  enough   to  carry   me  to  bed ;
with which  all  the other statues of  flesh laughed.
Never   till   then   did  I  know   the  want  of  an
hook  and  a  piece of  beef,  to have baited three
or  four  of  those  goodly wide mouths  with.   In
this  despair,  when  all  invention  and  translation
too failed me,  I e'en went back, and stuck to this
shape  you  see  me  in  of  mine  own,   with  my
broom and my candles, and came on confidently,
giving  out,   I   was  a  part  of   the  Device ;  at
which,  though   they  had   little  to  do  with  wit,
yet, because  some  on't  might  be used  here to-
night, contrary  to  their  knowledge, they thought
it  fit,  way  should  be  made  for  me ;  and  as it
falls out, to small purpose.

   Plu.   Just  as much as  you are  fit  for.  Away,
idle  spirit ;  and  thou  the  idle  cause of  his  ad-
venturing   hither,   vanish   with   him.  'Tis  thou,
that  art  not  only  the sower of  vanities in  these
high places, but  the  call of  all other  light  follies
to fall, and feed on them.   I will endure thy prod-
igality  nor  riots  no  more ;  they  are the ruin of
states.    Nor  shall   the  tyranny  of  these  nights
hereafter  impose a necessity  upon  me  of enter-
taining  thee.     Let   them  embrace  more frugal
pastimes.     Why   should   not    the   thrifty and
right  worshipful   game of  Post and Pair content
them ;   or   the   witty  invention  of  Noddy,  for
counters ;   or   God  make   them   rich,   at  the
tables ?  but   masquing   and  revelling !    Were
not   these  ladies  and   their  gentlewomen more
house-wifely    employed,  a  dozen  of   them  to
a  light,   or   twenty  ( the  more  the  merrier ) to
save  charges,  in  their  chambers  at  home, and
their  old   night-gowns,  at draw-gloves, riddles,
dreams,  and  other  pretty purposes,  rather than
to  wake  here,  in  their flaunting  wires and tires,
laced  gowns, embroidered  petticoats, and other
taken up braveries ?   Away,  I  will  no  more of
these   superfluous   excesses.     They  are these
make  me  hear  so ill, both in town  and country,
as  I  do ;  which  if  they continue, I shall  be the
first shall leave them.

   Masq.  Either I am very stupid, or this a re-
formed Cupid.

   Rob. How ! does any take this for Cupid ? the
Love in court ?

   Masq.  Yes, is't not he ?

   Rob.  Nay,  then we spirits,  I  see,  are  subtler
yet,  and somewhat  better discoverers.   No ;  it
is not he,  nor  his  brother  Anti-Cupid,  the  love
of  virtue,   though   he  pretend   to  it   with   his
phrase and  face :  'tis  that  impostor  Plutus,  the
god  of  money,  who has stolen  Love's ensigns ;
and  in  his belied  figure  rules the world, making
friendships, contracts, marriages, and  almost  re-
ligion ;   begetting,   breeding,   and   holding  the
nearest  respects  of  mankind :  and  usurping all
those  offices  in  this  age  of  gold,  which  Love
himself  performed  in  the  golden  age.   'Tis  he
that  pretends  to  tie  kingdoms,  maintain  com-
merce, dispose of  honors, make  all  places and
dignities  arbitrary  from  him,  even  to  the  very
country,  where  Love's  name  cannot  be  razed
out,   he  has  yet  gained  there  upon  him  by  a
proverb,  Not  for Love or Money.  There Love
lives  confined,  by  his  tyranny, to a cold region,
wrapt up  in  furs  like  a  Muscovite, and  almost
frozen  to death ;  while he, in his inforced shape,
and  with  his ravished arms, walks as if  he were
to set  bounds  and  give  laws  to  destiny.    'Tis
you,  mortals,  that are fools ;  and  worthy to be
such, that worship  him :  for if  you had wisdom,
he  had  no  godhead.    He  should  stink  in  the
grave with those wretches, whose slave he was ;
contemn him, and he is one.    Come,  follow me.
I'll  bring  you  where  you  shall  find  Love, and
by  the virtue of  this  majesty, who projecteth so
powerful  beams of  light  and  heat  through  this
hemisphere, thaw  his icy fetters, and  scatter the
darkness  that  obscures him.    Then, in despight
of  this  insolent  and  barbarous  Mammon, your
sports may proceed,  and  the solemnities of  the
night   be  complete,   without  depending  on  so
earthly  an  idol.

   Plu.   Ay, do ; attempt it : 'tis like to find most
necessary and fortunate event,  whatsoever is en-
terprised  without  my aids.    Alas,  how  bitterly
the  spirit  of  poverty  spouts  itself   against  my
weal  and  felicity !  but  I  feel  it  not.   I cherish
and  make  much  of  myself,  flow  forth  in ease
and delicacy, while that murmurs and starves.

Enter CUPID  in his chariot, guarded with the
Masquers, in number ten.

Cup.  I have my spirits again, and feel my limbs.
            Away with this cold cloud, that dims
            My light !  lie there, my furs and charms,
            Love feels a heat, that inward warms,
            And guards him naked, in these places,
            As at his birth, or 'mongst the Graces.
            Impostor Mammon, come, resign
            This bow and quiver ; they are mine.
            Thou hast too long usurp'd my rites,
            I now am lord of mine own nights.
            Be gone, whilst yet I give thee leave.
            When thus the world thou wilt deceive,
            Thou canst in youth and beauty shine,
            Belie a godhead's form divine,
            Scatter thy gifts, and fly to those
            Where thine own honor may dispose ;
            But when to good men thou art sent,
            By Jove's direct commandment,
            Thou then art aged, lame, and blind,
            And canst nor path nor persons find.
            Go, honest spirit, chase him hence,
            To his caves ; and there let him dispense
            For murders, treasons, rapes, his bribes
            Unto the discontented tribes ;
            Where let his heaps grow daily less,
            And he and they still want success.
            The majesty that here doth move ,
            Shall triumph, more secured by Love,
            Than all his earth ; and never crave
            His aids, but force him as a slave.
            To those bright beams I owe my life,
            And I will pay it in the strife
            Of duty back.    See, here are ten,
            The spirits of courts, and flower of men,
            Led on by me, with flam'd intents,
            To figure the ten ornaments
            That do each courtly presence grace.
            Nor will they rudely strife for place,
            One to precede the other ; but
            As music them in form shall put,
            So will they keep their measures true,
            And make still their proportions new,
            Till all become one harmony,
            Of honor, and of courtesy,
            True valor and urbanity,
            Of confidence, alacrity,
            Of promptness, and of industry,
            Hability, reality.
            Nor shall those graces ever quit your court,
            Or I be wanting to supply their sport.

HERE THE FIRST DANCE.

            This motion was of Love begot,
                 It was so airy, light, and good,
            His wings into their feet he shot,
                 Or else himself into their blood.
            But ask not how : the end will prove,
            That Love's in them, or they're in Love.

            Have men beheld the Graces dance,
                 Or seen the upper orbs to move ?
            So these did turn, return, advance,
                 Drawn back by Doubt, put on by Love.
            And now like earth, themselves they fix,
            Till greater pow'rs vouchsafe to mix
            Their motions with them.    Do not fear,
            You brighter planets of  the sphere :
            Not one male heart you see,
                 But rather to his female eyes
                 Would die a destin'd sacrifice,
            Than live at home, and free.

            Give end unto thy pastimes, Love,
                 Before they labors prove :
            A little rest between,
            Will make thy next shows better seen.
                 Now let them close their eyes, and see
                 If they can dream of thee,
            Since morning hastes to come in view ;
            And all the morning dreams are true.