A Relation Of The Late Royal Entertainment Given By The Right Honorable The Lord Knowles, At Cawsome-House neere Redding: to our most Gracious Queene, Queene Anne, in her Progresse toward the Bathe, vpon the seuen and eight and twentie dayes of Aprill, 1613. Whereunto is annexed the Description, Speeches, and Songs of the Lords Maske, presented in the Banqueting-house on the Mariage night of the High and Mightie, Count Palatine, and the Royally descended the Ladie Elizabeth. Written by Thomas Campion.1 London, printed for Iohn Budge, and are to be sold at his Shop at the South-doore of S. Pauls, and at Britaines Bursse. 1613. 4to. 1 In some copies the name is "Campian." Sir William Knollys, second son of Sir Francis Knollys, was created Baron Knollys of Greys in Oxfordshire, by King James in the first year of his reign, Viscount Wallingford in 1616, and Earl of Banbury in 1626. He died 25 May, 1632, at the age of 88. It was his second wife, Elizabeth, daughter of the Earl of Suffolk, who received Queen Anne on her progress towards Bath. The Relation is reprinted in the second volume of Nichols' "Progresses of King James." A RELATION OF THE LATE ROYAL ENTERTAIN MENT GIVEN BY THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE Forasmuchas this late Entertainment hath been much desired in writing, both of such as were present at the performance thereof, as also of many which are yet strangers both to the business and place, it shall be convenient, in this general publication, a little to touch at the description and situation of Cawsome seat. The house is fairly built of brick, mounted on the hillside of a park, within view of Reading, they being severed about the space of two miles. Before the parkgate, directly opposite to the house, a new passage was forced through earable land, that was lately paled in, it being from the park about two flight-shots in length; at the further end whereof, upon the Queen's approach, a Cynic appeared out of a bower, drest in a skin-coat, with bases, of green calico, set thick with leaves and boughs: his nakedness being also artificially shadowed with leaves; on his head he wore a false hair, black and disordered, stuck carelessly with flowers. The speech of the Cynic to the Queen and her Train. Cynic. Stay; whether you human be or divine, here is no passage; see you not the earth furrowed? the region solitary? Cities and Courts fit tumultuous multitudes: this is a place of silence; here a kingdom I enjoy without people; myself commands, myself obeys; host, cook, and guest myself; I reap without sowing, owe all to Nature, to none other beholding : my skin is my coat, my ornaments these boughs and flowers, this bower my house, the earth my bed, herbs my food, water my drink; I want no sleep, nor health; I envy none, nor am envied, neither fear I nor hope, nor joy, nor grieve: if this be happiness, I have it; which you all that depend on others' service, or command, want: will you be happy? be private, turn palaces to hermitages, noises to silence, outward felicity to inward content. A stranger on horse-back was purposely thrust into the troupe disguised, and wrapt in a cloak that he might pass unknown, who at the conclusion of this speech began to discover himself as a fantastic Traveller in a silken suit of strange checker-work, made up after the Italian cut, with an Italian hat, and a band of gold and silk, answering the colours of his suit, with a courtly feather, long gilt spurs, and all things answerable. The Traveller's speech on horse-back. Travell. Whither travels thy tongue, ill nurtured man? thy manners shew madness, thy nakedness poverty, thy resolution folly. Since none will undertake thy presumption, let me descend, that I may make thy ignorance know how much it hath injured sacred ears. The Traveller then dismounts and gives his cloak and horse to his foot-man: in the meantime the Cynic speaks. Cyn. Naked I am, and so is truth; plain, and so is honesty; I fear no man's encounter, since my cause deserves neither excuse, nor blame. Trav. Shall I now chide or pity thee? thou art as miserable in life, as foolish in thy opinion. Answer me? dost thou think that all happiness consists in solitariness? Cyn. I do. Trav. And are they unhappy that abide in society? Cyn. They are. Trav. Dost thou esteem it a good thing to live? Cyn. The best of things. Trav. Hadst thou not a father and mother? Cyn. Yes. Trav. Did they not live in society? Cyn. They did. Trav. And wert not thou one of their society when they bred thee, instructing thee to go and speak? Cyn. True. Trav. Thy birth then and speech in spite of thy spleen make thee sociable; go, thou art but a vainglorious counterfeit, and wanting that which should make thee happy, contemnest the means. View but the heavens: is there not above us a sun and moon, giving and receiving light? are there not millions of stars that participate their glorious beams? is there any element simple? is there not a mixture of all |