Pros. Look thou be true; do not give dalliance Too much the rein: the strongest oaths are straw To the fire i' the blood: be more abstemious,* Or else, good-night your vow!

"Amour de feme feu d'essoupe."-Promus No. 1521.
Fer.
I warrant you, sir;

The white cold virgin snow upon my heart
Abates the ardour of my liver.*

*Cf. "Love's Labor Lost" :—

"This is the liver-vein, which makes flesh a deity."

-IV., 3.

—II., 1.

Also "The Merry Wives of Windsor":—
"Ford (referring to Falstaff). Love my wife!
With liver burning hot."

Bacon: "Plato's opinion, who located sensuality in the liver, is not to be despised."—Advancement of Learn

ing.

Pros.

Well.

Now come, my Ariel! bring a corollary,*

Rather than want a spirit: appear, and pertly!

No tongue! all eyes! be silent.

(Soft music.

*From Lat. corolla, a small wreath, used to indicate an overplus, or more than sufficient.

Enter IRIS.

Iris. Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats and pease; Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep, And flat meads thatch'd with stover, them to keep; Thy banks with pinioned and twilled brims,* Which spongy April at thy hest betrims,

To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy broom-groves

Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves,
Being lass-lorn; thy pole-clipt vineyard;

And thy sea-marge, sterile and rocky-hard,

Where thou thyself dost air;-the queen o' the sky,
Whose watery arch and messenger am I,

Bids thee leave these, and with her sovereign grace,
Here on this grass-plot, in this very place,
To come and sport: her peacocks fly amain:

Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.

*Aquatic plants found in the margins of streams.

Enter CERES.

Cer. Hail, many-colour'd messenger, that ne'er Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter;

Who with thy saffron wings upon my flowers
Diffusest honey-drops,* refreshing showers,
And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown
My bosky acres and my unshrubb'd down,
Rich scarf to my proud earth; why hath thy queen
Summon'd me hither, to this short-grass'd green?

*The dramatist calls Iris, as Homer does, the personification of the rainbow. He also gives expression to a belief of the ancients, that where the ends of the rainbow touch the earth, they sweeten it.

Cf. Bacon: "It hath been observed by the ancients that where a rainbow seemeth to hang over or to touch, there breathed forth a sweet smell . and the like do soft showers, for they also make the ground sweet. But none are so delicate as the dew of the rainbow, where it falleth."-Natural History.

"Showers and the earth's rich scarf' diffuse honeydrops."-Shake-speare.

"Showers and the rainbow make the ground sweet."Bacon.

Iris. A contract of true love to celebrate; And some donation freely to estate

On the blest lovers.

Cer.

Tell me, heavenly bow,

If Venus or her son, as thou dost know,

Do now attend the queen? Since they did plot
The means that dusky Dis my daughter got,*
Her and her blind boy's scandal'd company

I have forsworn.

*Cf. Bacon: "Prosperina, daughter of Ceres, a fair virgin, was gathering flowers of Narcissus in the Sicillian meadows, when Pluto rushed suddenly upon her and carried her off in his chariot to the subterranean regions. Great reverence was paid to her there, so much that she was even called the Queen of Dis."-Wisdom of the Ancients.

Cutting the clouds towards Paphos and her son Dove-drawn with her. Here thought they to have done

Some wanton charm upon this man and maid,
Whose vows are, that no bed-right shall be paid
Till Hymen's torch be lighted: but in vain;
Mars's hot minion is returned again;

Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows,
Swears he will shoot no more but play with spar-

rows

And be a boy right out.

Cer.

High'st queen of state,

Great Juno, comes; I know her by her gait.

Enter JUNO.

Juno. How does my bounteous sister? Go with me
To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be
And honour'd in their issue.
(They sing:

Juno. Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,
Long continuance, and increasing,
Hourly joys be still upon you!
Juno sings her blessings on you.
Cer. Earth's increase, foison plenty,
Barns and garners never empty,
Vines with clustering bunches growing,
Plants with goodly burthen bowing;
Spring come to you at the farthest
In the very end of harvest!

Scarcity and want shall shun you;
Ceres' blessing so is on you.

Fer. This is a most majestic vision, and
Harmonious charmingly. May I be bold
To think these spirits?

Pros.

Spirits, which by mine art

I have from their confines call'd to enact
My present fancies.

Fer.

Let me live here ever;

So rare a wonder'd father and a wife

Makes this place Paradise.

(Juno and Ceres whisper, and send Iris on employment.