[]

THE FAIRY FAVOUR.

A MASQUE.

VADE, SED INCULTUS. OVID.

LONDON: PRINTED BY JOSEPH COOPER, IN KING-STREET, DRURY-LANE.

MDCCLXVI.

[PRICE ONE SHILLING.]

[][]

THE AUTHOR OF THE FOLLOWING SCENES PRESUMES HE NEED NOT INFORM HIS COUNTRYMEN FROM WHAT MOTIVE THEY WERE WRITTEN, NOR TO WHOM THEY ARE, WITH HUMBLEST DUTY, DEDICATED.

PROLOGUE.

[]
By a FAIRY.
FAVOUR'D mortals! ye, whoſe eyes
Pervade our nightly myſteries,
Would ye taſte the ſimple ſcene,
"Be ſure your boſoms be ſerene;"
Let not cruel frown, or ſneer,
Come the fairy-revels near!
Hear, and obey our great command,
Or look and dread this magic wand!
The mighty pow'r, herein contain'd,
Poets, of old, have well explain'd.
Thus I charm box, gall'ry, pit! *
Patient and attentive ſit:
Be to our errors very blind,
To our endeavours very kind,
Or all our fancies diſappear,
Untimely loſt in empty air.

CHARACTERS.

[]
  • OBERON, the King.
  • PUCK, or ROBIN GOODFELLOW.
  • Attendant FAIRIES.
  • TITANIA, the Queen.
  • GOSS'MOUR, Firſt Maid of Honour.
  • MILKAH, Second Maid of Honour.
  • Attendant FAIRIES.

SCENE, KENNA.

ERRATA.

[]
  • P. 6. L. 13. For lily, read lilly.
  • P. 14. L. 17. For ſtream. read wave.
  • P. 15. L. 2. For pendant, read laden.
  • P. 16. L. 2. Take out the comma after temples.

THE FAIRY FAVOUR.

[]
A GROVE.
GOSS'MOUR and MILKAH, lying on banks in mournful attitudes.

SONG.

GOSS'MOUR.
FROM KENNA's groves, ah! ſee,
How faſt the beauties flee,
While we our fav'rite moan;
No more ſhall moon-light ſport
Revive the Fairy-court —
Alas! our ORIEL's gone!
[2]
Shall our peerleſs queen remain
Still oppreſs'd with doubt and pain?
She, whoſe viſage, pure and bright,
Emulates the ſnow-drop white;
She, whom, trim in regal ſtate,
The daiſy fails to imitate;
She, whoſe dancing on the green
With ſuch wonder has been ſeen,
That her graceful revelry
Peering Morn unwillingly
Hath interrupted — Oh! ſhall ſhe.
Sunken deep in miſery,
Never learn what is become
Of her boy of roſy bloom,
Her much-lov'd ORIEL, lawful heir
To KENNA's grove and regal chair?
MILKAH.
Soon may OBERON untie
The twiſted knot of witchery,
Which TITANIA's ſenſe hath bound,
So many moon [...], in ſleep profound!
[3] Wond'rous means! which, for her ſake,
The monarch was compell'd to take,
To calm the outrage of her grief,
And give her wounded mind relief;
So frantic were her cries, ſo wild,
When firſt ſhe miſs'd her lovely child.
GOSS'MOUR.
This night, ſoon as in floods of ſleep
Mortals 'gan their ſenſes ſteep,
Our little fav'rite, gentle PUCK,
Frequent herald of good luck,
Wander'd forth, in duteous love,
To ſearch the mazes of our grove;
Ne'er to return, but to relate
Some tidings of our ORIEL's fate.
MILKAH.
Or I miſtake, or PUCK and you,
My GOSS'MOUR, if report ſay true,
Have ſometime paſs'd the ſummer-day,
On beds of flow'rs, in am'rous play.
GOSS'MOUR.
[4]
Oft beneath the primroſe ſhade
Softly-ſighing hath he ſtray'd,
Breathing ſuch ſweet vows of love,
As fill'd with incenſe KENNA's grove;
Hence is ROBIN well inclin'd
To ſoothe and pleaſe his GOSS'MOUR's mind;
And ſure his errand well hath ſped,
For here he ſcuds with nimble tread.
Enter PUCK.

SONG.

PUCK.
Quick, and light as the air,
In and out, here and there,
Have I tript, till I'm weary to death;
Lend, lend me your hand,
For I hardly can ſtand —
Lack-a-day! I am quite out of breath.
GOSS'MOUR.
[5]
My gentle ROBIN, I am griev'd—
Here reſt thy head till thou'rt reliev'd.
Has aught, beſide the length of way,
Which thou to-night haſt meaſur'd, ſay,
Alarm'd thee, or thy ſteps miſled,
Or caus'd thy foot awry to tread?
Or pois'nous thing, or peſt unclear,
Tainted KENNA's wholeſome air?—
Truſt me, I joy to ſee thee ſafe—
PUCK.
Ha! ha!—I cannot chuſe but laugh—
How credulous and blind you are!
Mortals in love ſcarce blinder are:
So oft, as, through the live-long night,
Thou'ſt known me range in airy flight,
Or DIAN's ſtated circle run,
Ere forty minutes well were done,
By 'heſt of royal OBERON:
Or, for thy ſake, in blaze of day,
The butterfly, with amorous play,
[6] In many a various-winding-ring,
Have chac'd to ſteal his painted wing,
Of new device, and beauty rare,
To form a robe for GOSS'MOUR fair—
By loyalty or love inſpir'd,
When haſt thou known thy ROBIN tir'd?
Or when did any pois'nous thing,
Or noiſome peſt, on vapour's wing,
Wafted through theſe windings clear,
Come the fairy-eſſence near?
GOSS'MOUR.
Miſchievous elf! no more ſhalt thou
To GOSS'MOUR breathe thy faithleſs vow;
No more, in lily-perſum'd vale,
Repeat thy ſoft deceitful tale.
Can mortals more perfidious prove?
To win, then mock a maiden's love!
Away.—
PUCK.
[7]
—I'm gone—elſewhere to tell
What I have learn'd of ORIEL.
[Going.
MILKAH.
You ſhall not think to cheat us ſo—
This moment tell us all you know.
[Running after him.
PUCK.
Liſt then!—Such wonders ſhall ye hear,
As never enter'd fairy-ear.—
Through all this flow'r-embroider'd grove,
Where elves and fays delight to rove,
Through buſh, through brake, through lowly dale,
Through dank, through dry, o'er ſtream, through vale;
By ev'ry odour-breathing bed,
Where violets nod the purple head;
[8] By ev'ry bank of gurgling rill,
Embelliſh'd with the daffodil;
Ev'ry mead, and every mound,
Where cowſlips, harebells, paint the ground;
Ev'ry bower, where jeſs'mines fair
Softly ſcent the ambient air,
Or luſcious woodbine, or fluſh'd roſe,
Round a laviſh fragrance throws—
Nay, ev'n each narrow crankling nook,
Where playful trills the ſcantieſt brook,
And ev'ry ſhrub, where rude miſhap
In tender rind hath made a gap—
MILKAH.
Thou haſt explor'd?—
PUCK.
—All theſe throughout—
Your ROBIN has not ſet a foot.
[9]

SONG.

GOSS'MOUR.
Faithleſs!—through ſome diſtant grove
Then thy ſteps have ſtray'd;
Thou haſt breath'd thy vows of love
To ſome happier maid:
Henceforth in my boſom's grace
Never ſhalt thou find a place.
PUCK.
Sweeteſt!—through no diſtant grove
Have my footſteps ſtray'd;
No, nor have my vows of love
Tempted other maid:
In thy ROBIN's love and grace
Thou alone ſhalt find a place.
Together.
GOSS'MOUR.
In thy GOSS'MOUR's love and grace, &c.
PUCK.
In thy ROBIN's love and grace, &c.
GOSS'MOUR.
[10]
O forgive if jealous fear
Finds an eaſy paſſage here.
PUCK.
Come, a ſweet amends I'll make:
Our ROYAL MISTRESS is awake.—
The cauſe of all your grief and care,
Where ORIEL is, why fled from here,
She knows, and all will ſoon approve.
Attentive now in duteous order move,
While I with magic ſounds awake the grove!

SONG.

I.
Elves, elphins, fairies, ſayes,
Where'er, in ſportive maze,
Ye haunt the winding ſtream,
And paint the poet's dream;
Quick to OBERON reſort,
Speed ye to the fairy-court.
[11] CHORUS.
Quick to OBERON, &c.
II.
And ye, from violet blue
Who ſteal the ſilver dew,
With which, like di'monds ſheen,
Ye deck your light-rob'd queen;
Quick to OBERON reſort;
Speed ye to the fairy-court.
CHORUS.
Quick to OBERON, &c.
III.
Ye too, who, light and trim,
O'er air's ſoft boſom ſkim,
And point the moon's keen rays,
The hooting owl to daze;
Quick to OBERON reſort,
Speed ye to the fairy-court.
CHORUS.
Quick to OBERON, &c.
[Exeunt.
[12] SCENE changes to the FAIRY-BOWER.
OBERON and TITANIA diſcovered.
OBERON.
Let me now hope, my beauteous queen, thy ſoul Is ſooth'd to reſt.
TITANIA.
— My royal lord, no more
I murmur at thy will. The pleaſing dreams
(Children of gentle ſleep) wherewith my mind
Was pregnant, and thy reaſons ſince, have eas'd
My doubts, my terrors. O! conſider, ſir,
They were a mother's feelings, and forgive 'em.
OBERON.
Nor deem ſo lightly of a father's love,
As to ſuppoſe, a ſlaviſh race of men,
Or tributary thrones, had gain'd my boy —
[13] No — To our matchleſs iſland, gorgeous
In victory's rich trappings, and a people
Endow'd with birth-right freedom, is he yielded;
And ev'ry bliſs attend it!
(The laſt CHORUS repeated within.)
CHORUS.
Quick to OBERON reſort,
Speed we to the fairy-court.
OBERON.
— See my people!
Whoſe happineſs, no leſs than intereſt,
I value as my own, with anxious looks,
Enquire of ORIEL's fate. Approach, my ſubjects;
Ye props and glories of our mighty throne!
Attend your monarch's words. — Your ORIEL
Is not for ever loſt—An age, or ſo,
(Small ſpace in fairy-life!) he ſpends with man;
To glad a glorious nation; to procure
Love, honour, and eſteem, by virtuous deeds;
And bleſſing others, to be bleſt himſelf.
[14] For this dear purpoſe, ORIEL foregoes
The ſweets of KENNA's grove, whilom the ſeat
Of purpled majeſty, and, thence, belov'd
Of fairy-foot. — My truſty PUCK, thy looks
Seem big with new enquiry — Is there aught
Thou wiſheſt yet to know, that may to thee
Give eaſe, and glad my people?—Speak undaunted.
PUCK.
High monarch of our happy race,
Do us yet the mighty grace,
To ſay, in what part of this iſle,
Deſerv'dly honour'd with thy ſmile,
In what rich grove, or flow'ry way,
Does our much-lov'd ORIEL ſtray?
OBERON.
Not weſtward far of this our KENNA's court
(Short trip to fairy-foot) a ſeat appears,
Cloſe by whoſe verdant verge, THAMESIS fair,
Checking his ſilver ſtream, with tardy pace
Glides ling'ring on, enamour'd of the ſcene.
From flow'r-enamell'd banks ſoft Zephyr ſteals
[15] The fragrant ſweets; and ev'ry bluſhing bough
Hangs pendant with POMONA's choiceſt ſtore.
Groves, grottos, temples, lawns, promiſcuous riſe,
As art with nature vied to deck the ſcene,
Deſtin'd to ſoothe a monarch's patriot cares,
When empire's fate, and proud parade of courts,
Yield to the comforts of domeſtic eaſe,
And ſocial ſolace of connubial joy.
Amid theſe ſcenes (by HYMEN ever bleſs'd)
Your ORIEL, clad in guiſe of mortal prince,
Crowns the fond wiſhes of a happy pair;
Pleas'd in his inſant mind to ſee the bud
Of ev'ry grace that dignifies a throne
Give early promiſe of a people's love.
PUCK.
Thanks, gracious OBERON!—yet deign
Certain means, and marks to ſhew,
How, in mortal dreſs, and mien,
We may our darling ORIEL know.
[16]

SONG.

OBERON.
I.
By the amber-locks, that flow
Down his temples, white as ſnow;
By the dimples in his cheek,
Temper ſweet that ſweetly ſpeak;
By the lips of rip'ning red,
Rivals of the muſk-roſe bed;
By the thouſand ſmiles that dance
In his blooming countenance!
Where ye ſee ſuch beauties blow,
There ſhall ye your darling know.
II.
By truth's ray, that, even now,
Dawns upon his infant brow;
By the look erect and clear,
Honour's early harbinger;
By the melting of the eyne,
Mercy's ſweet unerring ſign;
[17] By the glow of conſcious grace,
Fluſhing quick o'er all the face;
Where ye ſee ſuch beauties blow,
There ſhall ye your darling know.
PUCK.
Happy youth! and happy pair!
Who our ORIEL make their care!
OBERON.
Begin we now the mighty charm! the ſong,
That pierces ev'ry fairy-bow'r, unlocks
Each ſtore of choiceſt gifts, and on the head
Of ſome high-favour'd mortal heaps them all!

SONG.

OBERON.
I.
Ye fairies, who in youth delight,
And mark each dawning ray,
O ſoothe with gentle dreams his night,
And cheer his op'ning day!
[18] For ORIEL all your care employ,
Strew all his paths with love and joy!
CHORUS.
For ORIEL all your care, &c.
OBERON.
II.
Ye too, who manhood's nervous page,
And wiſdom's records scan,
Confirm ye his maturer age,
And bleſs the ripen'd man!
Succeſs attend each virtuous deed,
And deathleſs glory be the meed!
CHORUS.
Succeſs attend, &c.
OBERON.
III.
Ye ſprites ſelect, who ſilver'd age
With rev'rend love regard,
Let peace endear his life's laſt ſtage,
And gen'ral praiſe reward!
[19] Thus full of bleſſings, late, oh! late,
May ORIEL leave his mortal ſtate!
CHORUS.
Thus full of bleſſings, &c.
A DANCE of FAIRIES.
FINIS.
Notes
*
Waves a wand.
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Citation Suggestion for this Object
TextGrid Repository (2020). TEI. 4538 The fairy favour A masque. University of Oxford Text Archive. . https://hdl.handle.net/21.T11991/0000-001A-58FF-3