The Floating Island, Title page – Dramatis personae
THE FLOATING ISLAND: A TRAGI-COMEDY, Acted before his Majeſty at OXFORD, Aug. 29. 1636. By the Students of CHRIST-CHURCH.
Written by WILLIAM STRODE, late Orator of the Univerſity of OXFORD.
The Aires and Songs ſet by Mr. HENRY LAVVES, ſervant to his late Majeſty in his publick and private Muſick.
LONDON, Printed by T. C. for H. Twiford in Vine-court Middle-Temple, N. Brooke at the Angel in Cornhill, and J. Place at Furnivals-Inne-gate. 1655.
To the Reader.
BEfore you read ſo farre as the Prologue, be pleaſed to conſider this Tragi-comedy was both written and preſented above eighteen years ſince; and if now it ſeem (in Language or Plot) to fit theſe times, it muſt be by Propheſie, the Author alſo himſelfe having been long dead. He wrote it at the inſtance of thoſe who might command him; elſe he had ſcarce condeſcended to a Play, his ſerious thoughts being fill'd with notions of deeper conſideration. 'Tis ſufficient for its worth that the beſt lik'd it beſt; the reſt (eſpecially thoſe great ones of the weaker Sect) ſhould claim no lawful Judicature over it, ſince it was not written for them, though they thought themſelves too ſeverely dealt with, which yet was an injury to the Author as well as his Poem. Were this tranſlated into Latin or Italian, it would be grateful to foraign Wits; and if at home it finde leſſe welcome, 'tis becauſe there is not ſo much true wit among us as was or ought to be. It is not now inſcribed to any for Protection, but left dedicated (as it was by the Author when it was firſt born) to the Authors noble Patron. If you bid this welcome, you'l be gainers by it; for then you'l encourage us to publiſh other Pieces of this Authors, which (we dare ſay) will convince you to ſay (what the beſt and moſt knowing of this Nation have confeſſed) that our Author was one of the … judicious wits of England. Farewell.
To my moſt Honoured Patron, Sir JOHN HELE, Knight.
THis Draft at once cry'd Up and Down amain
By divers men, up by the ſame again
At divers times, hath planely found thereby
That it hath cenſur'd been Tumultuouſly.
Twixt Actors and Spectators did appear
Small difference; and through a Jealous fear
The Scaffold play'd the Stage; to ſay't I'm loth,
Affection againſt Reaſon play'd in both.
Yet Reaſon at a neerer view gain'd ſway,
The Cenſure ended juſt as doth the Play.
After this various Fate, becauſe indeed
Of pleaſing more then Four there was ſmall heed,
From Court and Oxford home it comes to you,
Secure of Reaſon and Affection too.
You lent the Author; and tis therefore juſt
The work ſhould yeeld you Tribute for your Truſt:
If Friends make wits, and wit-wrights Poets be,
Then This is His, and He your Poetry.
Your moſt Humble and moſt affectionate Servant, WILLIAM STRODE.
Authori Illuſtri.
MIlle modis ſuperare Tibi conceditur aſtra,
Quae ſolùm caelo ſplendida ſunt nitido:
Dum Tua lux tenebras, et opaca nube receſſus
Invenit umbroſos, et ſine ſole vias.
Gemmula nocte micans non eſt vulgar bus apta
Auribus, aſpectum Principis illa decet.
Haud minus iſta Tui Comaedia Principe digna,
Nec niſi Regali conſpicienda foro,
Tranſtulit in Scenam quae res penetralibus imi
Pectoris incluſas, implicitum que nefas.
Ipſe oculus mundi noſtris valedicit ocellis,
Cum ſemel occiduos aequore merſit equos:
Ter ſex (STRODE) tuus ſolares ſplendor in annos
Fulſit, et in dubio lumine fulget adhuc.
Tu tamen ecclipſin pateris, ſignum que futuri
Deliquium noſtri funeris illud erat.
J. D.
After the Appearance of a FLOATING ISLAND, Enter the Prologue, as coming out of the Sea. To the King and Queenes Majeſty.
WHatever Element we light upon,
(Great Monarch & bright Queen) 'tis yours alone.
Shook from my ſtation on that giddy Shore,
That flotes in Seas, in wretchedneſſe much more,
I hardly ſcap'd to tell what ſtormes ariſe
Through rage of the Inhabitants: mine eyes
Behold a wonder; Bluſtring Tempeſts there,
Yet Sun and Moon fair ſhining both ſo neer.
Should your Land ſtagger thus, I wiſh the Age,
Might end ſuch acting ſooner then the Stage:
Yet in theſe Tumults you ſhall onelyonly ſee
A tottring Throne held firme by Majeſtie.
To the Ʋniverſity,
Before whom it was afterwards acted.
WHich is more waving, yonder Sea, or Land,
Or Paſſions dwelling there, we doubt; but ſtand
Here firm and ſafe; for bluſtring Tempeſts there
We ſee in every eye, fair clearneſſe here.
The Sun and Moon, more out of ſight then minde,
Have for our comfort left theſe Stars behinde.
We hope to finde Spectatours, and we may,
For you'l not act the Humours of the Play;
Or fret at Paſſions e're you read them calm'd
In the next word. Your ſtomacks feele no Qualm
Riſing through ſmell of rude Philoſophy:
Nor ſhall you finde much more then to deſcry
An Academick Birth. The Royal race
Of Auſtria thinks the ſwelling lip a grace,
And would not loſe that mark by which 'tis known;
Men love the Blot which proves the Childe their own.
Whether you come to ſee a Play or hear,
Whether your cenſure ſit in th' Eye or Eare,
Phancy or Judgement, Careleſſe of Event
We aime at Service; cannot miſſe th' Intent.
The Perſons.
Prudentius the King depos'd.
Intellectus Agens his Counſellour.
Sir Amorous a Courtly Knight.
Hilario his Son a merry jovial Gent.
Malevolo a Malicious contriver.
Melancholico a Malecontent turn'd Puritan.
Irato an Angry Lord.
Audax a bold Captain.
Sir Timerous-Fearall a Cowardly Knight.
Livebyhope a Favourite
Deſperato a deſperate Soldier turn'd Phyſitian.
Memor a Lawyer and Recorder.
Phancy the new inſtated Queen.
Concupiſcence the luſtful daughter of Amorous:
Fuga the coy daughter of Malevolo.
Morphe the beautous Miſtreſs of Amorous.
Morpheus the God of Dreames.
6 Dreaming Maſquers
Groome of the Chamber.
Ovidian a Poet.
Model a Tireman.
Painter
Muſitian
Hilario's boy, and Atendants.