The Masque of Blackness (The Twelfth Night's Revels) · chunk 2 of 3
Jonson, Ben · published 1608 · first performed or written 1605 [Jan 6] (Annals) masque · before the Court T12 Olympian gods: Jupiter, Juno, Venus and typicality 0.74 · 497 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T12: iupiter, saturn, iuno, venus, gods, mars, earth, titan, love, fair.
Possessed them whole; yea, and believing p them, They wept such ceaseless tears, into my stream, That it hath, thus far, overflowed his shore To seek them patience: who have since, ere more As the Sun riseth, q charged his burning throne With volleys of revilings; cause he shone On their scorched cheeks, with such intemperate fires, And other Dames, made Queens of all desires. To frustrate which strange error, oft, I sought, (Though most in vain, against a settled thought As women's are) till they confirmed at length By miracle, what I, with so much strength Of argument resisted; else they feigned: For in the Lake, where their first spring they gained, As they sat, cooling their soft Limbs, one night, Appeared a Face, all circumfused with light; (And sure they saw't, for Aethiopes r never dream) Wherein they might decipher through the stream, These words. That they a Land must forthwith seek, Whose termination (of the Greek) Sounds TANIA; where bright Sol, that heat Their bloods, doth never s rise, or set, But in his journey passeth by, And leaves that climate of the sky, To comfort of a greater Light, Who forms all beauty, with his sight. In search of this, have we three Princedoms past, That speak out Tania, in their accents last; Black Mauritania, first; and secondly, Swarth Lusitania; next, we did descry Rich Aquitania: and, yet, cannot find The place unto these longing Nymphs designed. Instruct, and aid me, great OCEANUS, What Land is this, that now appears to us? This Land, that lifts into the temperate Air His snowy cliff, is t Albion the fair; So called of u Neptune's Son, who ruleth here: For whose dear guard, myself, (four thousand year) Since old Deucalion's days, have walked the round About his Empire, proud, to see him crowned Above my waves. O see, our silver Star! Whose pure, auspicious light greets us, thus far! Great Aethiopia, Goddess of our shore, Since, with particular worship we adore Thy general brightness, let particular grace Shine on my zealous Daughters: Show the place, Which, long, their Longings urged their eyes to see. Beautify them, which long have Deified thee. NIGER, be glad: Resume thy native cheer. Thy daughter's labours have their period here, And so thy errors. I was that bright Face Reflected by the Lake, in which thy Race Read mystic lines; (which skill Pythagoras First taught to men, by a reverberate glass) This blessed Isle doth with that TANIA end, Which there they saw inscribed, and shall extend Wished satisfaction to their best desires. Britannia, which the triple world admires, This Isle hath now recovered for her name; Where reign those Beauties, that with so much fame The sacred MUSES Sons have honoured, And from bright HESPERUS to EOUS spread. With that great name Britannia, this blessed Isle Hath won her ancient dignity, and style, A World, divided from the world: and tried The abstract of it, in his general pride.
seed 43: T53 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Posess'd them whole; yea, and beleeuing them, They wept such ceasles teares, into my streame, That it hath, thus far, ouerflow'd his shore To seeke them patience: who haue since, ere more As the Sunne riseth, chardg'd his burning throne With volleys of reuilings; cause he shone On their scorch'd cheekes, with such intemperate fires, And other Dames, made Queenes of all desires. To frustrate which strange error, oft, I sought, (Though most in vaine, against a setled thought As womens are) till they confirm'd at length By miracle, what I, with so much strength Of argument resisted; els they fain'd: For in the Lake, where their first spring they gain'd, As they sate, cooling their soft Limmes, one night, Appear'd a Face, all circumfus'd with light; (And sure they saw't, for Aethiopes neuer dreame) Wherein they might decipher through the streame, These words. That they a Land must forthwith seeke, Whose termination (of the Greeke) Sounds TANIA; where bright Sol, that heat Their blouds, doth neuer rise, or set, But in his Iourney passeth by, And leaues that Clymat of the sky, To comfort of a greater Light, Who formes all beauty, with his sight. In search of this, haue we three Princedomes past, That speake out Tania, in their accents last; Blacke Mauritania, first; and secondly, Swarth Lusitania; next, we did descry Rich Aquitania: and, yet, cannot find The place vnto these longing Nymphes design'd. Instruct, and ayde me, great OCEANVS, What Land is this, that now appeares to vs? This Land, that lifts into the temperate Ayre His snowy cliffe, is Albion the fayre; So call'd of Neptunes Son, who ruleth here: For whose deare guard, my selfe, (foure thousand yeare) Since old Deucalion's daies, haue walk'd the round About his Empire, proud, to see him crown'd Aboue my waues. — O see, our siluer Starre! Whose pure, auspicious light greetes vs, thus farre! Great Aethiopia, Goddesse of our shore, Since, with particular worshippe we adore Thy generall brightnesse, let particular grace Shyne on my zealous Daughters: Shew the place, Which, long, their Longings vrdg'd their eyes to see. Beautifie them, which long haue Deified thee. NIGER, be glad: Resume thy natiue cheare. Thy Daughters labors haue their period here, And so thy errors. I was that bright Face Reflected by the Lake, in which thy Race Read mysticke lines; (which skill PITHAGORAS First taught to men, by a reuerberate glasse) This blessed Isle doth with that TANIA end, Which there they saw inscrib'd, and shall extend Wish'd satisfaction to their best desires. BRITANIA, which the triple world admires, This Isle hath now recouered for her name; Where raigne those Beauties, that with so much fame The sacred MVSES Sonnes haue honored, And from bright HESPERVS to EOVS spred. With that great name BRITANIA, this blest Isle Hath wonne her ancient dignitie, and stile, A World, diuided from the world: and tri'd The abstract of it, in his generall pride.