" The Daunce ended, the lowd musicke sounded. The Trauers being drawne, was seen a garden of a glorious and strange beauty, cast into foure quarters, with a crosse walke and allies compassing each quarter. In the middle of the crosse walke stood a goodly Fountaine, raised on foure colli nines of Silver. On the toppes whereof strode foure statues of silver, which supported a bole in circuite containing foure and twenty foote, and was raysed from the ground nine foot in height, in the middle whereof upon scrowles of silver and gold, was placed a globe garnished with 4 golden maske heads out of the which issued water into the bole, aboue stood a golden Neptune in height 3 foote holding in his hand a Trident. The garden walls were of brick artificially painted in Perspective, all along which were placed fruite trees with artificiall leaues and fruite. The garden within the wall was rayled about with rayles of three foote high, adorned with Ballesters of Siluer, between which were placed pedestalls beautified with transparent lights of variable colours, vpon the Pedestalls stood siluer columnes, upon the toppes whereof were personages of golde, Lions of golde and Vnicornes of silver. Every personage and beast did hold a torchet burning that gaue light and lustre to the whole fabrique. Euery quarter of the garden was finely hedged about with a lowe hedge of Cipresse and Juniper; the knottes within set with artificiall flowers. In the two first quarters, were two Piramides, garnished with golde and siluer, and glistening with transparent lights, resembling carbuncles, saphires, and rubies. In every corner of each quarter were great pottes of gilliflowers, which shadowed certaine lights placed behind them, and made resplendent and admirable lustre. The two further quarters were beautified with Tulipaes of diuers colours, and in the middle, and in the corners of the said quarters, were set great tufts of seuerall kindes of flowers receiving lustre from secret lights placed behind them. At the farther end of the garden was a mount raised by degrees, resembling bankes of earth, couered with grasse ; on the top of the mount stood a goodly arbour substantially made, and couered with artificiall trees, and with arbour flowers, as eglantine, honnysuckles, and the like. The arbour was in length three and thirtie foot, in height one and twenty, supported with termes of gold and silver. It was diuided into sixe double arches and three doores answerable to the three walks of the garden. In the middle part of the arbour rose a goodly large turret, and at either end a smaller. Vpon the toppe of the mount, on the front thereof, was a banke of flowers, curiously painted behind, while within the arches the maskers sate vnseene. Behind the garden, ouer the toppe of the arbour, were set artificiall trees, appearing like an orchard ioyning to the garden, and ouer all was drawne in perspective a fermament like the skies in a cleere night. Vpon a grassy seate under the arbor, sate the garden gods, in number twelue, apparrelled in long roabes of greene rich taffata cappes on their heads, and chaplets of flowers. In the midst of them sat Primaura, at whose intreaty they descended to the stage, and marching up to the king, sung to lutes and theorboes".

* This Maske was printed in 1614 by N. D. for Robert Wilson. It is extremely rare, the quotation is made from a perfect copy belonging to Mrs. Rowley Smith, Plawhatch, Bishop's Stortford.

" Fresh shadows fit to shroud from sunny ray:

Fair lawns, to take the sun in season due; Sweet springs, in which a thousand nymphs did play ;

Soft-running brooks, that gentle slumber drew ; High-reared mounts, the lands about to view;

Low-looking dales, disloign'd* from common gaze; Delightful bow'rs, to solace lovers true ;

False labyrinths, fond runner's eyes to daze. All which by Nature made did Nature 'self amaze,

And all without were walks and alleys dight, With divers trees enranged in even ranks ;

And here and there were pleasant arbours pight, And shady seats, and sundry flow'ring banks,

To sit and rest the walker's weary shanks."†

* = remote from.

† Faerie Queene. Book IV., c. x., 24.