His headpiece was2 of prudence, where3 his eye
Of judgment4 dangers and5 mistakes did6 spy;
His breast-plate made of courage, to7 keep out
Bullets of fear, and8 blows of timorous doubt.
The gauntlets on his hands were9 active skill, 5
Wherewith he held a poleaxe of good will.
His sword was strong, and a stiff metal10 blade,
For it was all of pure bright honor made.
A scarf, which Fortune gave, his waist did tie,
Embroidered thick with stars11 of purple dye. 10
A plume of valor on his headpiece waved;12
A cloak of merit all his body saved.13
His spurs, rowelled with hope, did pierce14 the side
Of strong ambition, whereon he did ride.
Thus was he15 armed, and for great fame did fight. 15
She was his mistress, he her champion knight.
Her hair with lovers’ hopes curled in long rings,
Her braids hard plaited16 with his protestings,
Yet oftentimes those curlèd hairs went out17
With lovers’ windy fears, and damps of doubt.18
Strings of threaded tears about her neck she wore,19 5
Which, dropped from th’lover’s eyes, his20 image bore.
His sighs, as pendants, did hang at each21 ear,
Sometime were troublesome, if22 heavy were.
Her gown was made of admiration,23
Embroideries of praises placed thereon;24 10
Ribbons of verses love hung25 here and there,
According as the several fancies were.
With some she tied her looking-glass of pride,
And fan of good opinion by her side.
Sometimes Love pleasure took a veil to place, 15
Of glances, which did cover all her face.
26
Then this same27 ship another voyage went;
Balanced it was with spice of sweet content.
The mast was merit, sails28 of love tied thereon,29
Which sails by virtue’s zephyrs were blown.30
On the great31 sea of honor did it go;32 5
Fame was the land which it33 did traffic to.34
At last a storm of poverty did rise,
And showers of miseries fell from the skies,
And thund’ring creditors a noise did make
With threat’ning bills, as if the ship they’d35 break, 10
Forced it towards the northern pole, where cold36
And icy wants did of37 this ship take hold.
At last38 the sun of charity did melt
Those icy wants, so liberty she39 felt,
And40 oars of honest industry did row, 15
Till41 gentle gales of friendship made it go.
But when the storms of dangers all were past,
Upon the coast of Flanders42 it was cast.
But this ship was43 so tottered, torn, and rent,
That none but gods her44 ruin could prevent. 20
A ship of youth in the46 world’s sea was sent;
Balanced with self-conceit and pride it went.
And large sails of ambition set thereon,47
Hung to48 a tall mast of good opinion.
And on the waves of plenty did it49 ride, 5
With winds of praise and beauty’s flowing tide.
Unto the land of riches it was bound,
To see if golden fame might there be found,
And thus it swam in a sweet calm of peace;50
No boisterous storm of war did on it seize.51 10
But when that she had passed nineteen degrees,52
The land of happiness she no longer sees,53
For then rebellious clouds foul54 black did grow,
And showers of blood into those55 seas did throw,
And56 vapors of sad sighs full thick did rise 15
From grief of57 hearts, which in the bottom lies.
Then fears like to58 the northern winds blew high,
And stars of hopes were clouded in the sky.
Down went the sun59 of all prosperity,
Reeled in the60 troubled seas of misery. 20
On sorrow’s billows high this ship was tossed;
The card of mirth and mark of joy was lost.
The point of comfort could not be found out;
Her sides did beat upon the sands of doubt.
Prudence was pilot, and61 with much ado 25
A haven of great France she got into.
Glad was this ship that she62 safe harbor got,63
Then on the river of Loire she straight swam up.64
For on this river she65 no tempest feared,66
But directly her course to Paris steered,67 30
And in that place she did some time68 remain
To mend this torn and tattered69 bark again.
New sails she made, and all her tacklings fit,
Trimmed70 herself fine and gay, respect to get.
At last71 a noble lord this ship did buy, 35
Who was resolved with it72 to live and die.
Great King, we here present a masque at56 night
To Judgment’s view, and for the mind’s delight.
If it be good set lights of praise about;
If it be bad then put those torches out.
First is presented a dumb show, as a young lady in a ship, swimming over the scene in various weather. Afterwards this ship comes74 back again, having then a75 commander of war as its76 owner. In various weather, this ship77 being in great distress, Jupiter relieves it.
Then appear78 six masquers in several dresses, as dressed by Love, Valor, Honor, Youth, Age, Vanity. Vanity signifies the world, and Age mortality.
Then there is79 presented in a show80 the nine Muses, who dance a measure in four and twenty figures,81 and nine musical instruments made of goose-quills, playing several tunes as they dance.
The bride and bridegroom going to the temple: Fancy speaks the prologue to Judgment as king. Vanity speaks an epilogue to the Thoughts, which are spectators; Honor speaks another.
A marginal note in Cavendish’s 1653 text reads, “2 Masquer.” This note does not appear in the 1664 or 1668 editions.
His headpiece was] A Head-peece made 1653
where] where’s 1653
judgment] Judgements 1653
and] or 1653
did] to 1653
to] did 1664, 1668
and] or 1653
The gauntlets on his hands were] And on his Hands Gauntlets of 1653
strong, and a stiff metal] a strong, and stiff-mettell’d 1653
stars] Scars 1664; Scarrs 1668
valor on his headpiece waved;] valiant Thoughts did on his Head-peece tosse, 1653
A cloak of merit all his body saved.] A Leaguer Cloake of Merit about him was. 1653
did pierce] which peirc’d 1653
was he] he was 1653
A marginal note in Cavendish’s 1653 text reads, “1 Masquer.” This note does not appear in the 1664 or 1668 editions.
hard plaited] plaited hard 1653
Yet oftentimes those curlèd hairs went out] But often with her Lover’s Damps of Doubt, 1664; But often, with her Lover’s Damps of Doubts, 1668
With lovers’ windy fears, and damps of doubt.] And windy Fears, these Curled Rings went out; 1664; And windy Fears, these Curled Rings went out. 1668
of threaded tears about her neck she wore,] round her Neck of threaded Tears she wore, 1664; round her Neck, of threaded Tears she wore, 1668
Which dropped from th’lover’s eyes, his] Dropt from her Lovers Eyes, whose 1653
did hang at each] hung at either 1653
Sometime were troublesome, if] Which did much Troubl’her when they 1664; Which did much troubl’her, when they 1668
Her gown was made of admiration,] Of Admiration was her Gowne made on, 1653
Embroideries of praises placed thereon;] Where Praises high imbroyder’d were upon. 1653
of verses love hung] hung of Love-Verses 1664; hung, of Love-Verses, 1668
Another Voyage of the Same Ship] The Ship. 1653
Then this same] After this 1653
sails] where Sailes 1653
thereon,] on, 1653
Which sails by virtue’s zephyrs were blown.] By virtuous Zephyrus those Sailes were blowne. 1653. In Cavendish’s text the word is spelled “Zephyrus”; by modernizing the spelling we have altered the meter.
On the great] And on the 1653
go;] swim, 1653
Fame was the land which it] And to the Land of Fame 1653
to.] in. 1653
they’d] would 1653
Forced it towards the northern pole, where cold] This Ship was forc’d towards the Northern Pole; 1653
And icy wants did of] There Icy Wants did on 1653
At last] Untill 1664; Until 1668
so liberty she] then Liberty it 1664; then Liberty it 1668
And] The 1664, 1668
Till] And 1664, 1668
of Flanders] of ——— 1653 (1653 has a long bar rather than a word)
But this ship was] Yet was this Ship 1653
her] the 1653; its 1664, 1668
The Voyage of a Ship, under which the Fortune of a Young Lady is Expressed] Similizing a young Lady to a Ship. 1653
in the] into th’ 1664, 1668
And large sails of ambition set thereon,] Large Sails there hung of high Ambition, 1664; Large Sails there hung, of high Ambition, 1668
Hung to] To 1664, 1668
did it] it did 1668
thus it swam in a sweet calm of peace;] in a Calme of Peace she swims along, 1653
boisterous storm of war did on it seize.] Stormes of War at that time thought upon. 1653
that she had passed nineteen degrees,] nineteen Degrees it had but past, 1664; Nineteen Degrees it had but past, 1668
The land of happiness she no longer sees,] Its Sight the Land of Happiness had lost; 1664; It’s Sight the Land of Happiness had lost: 1668
foul] all 1664, 1668
those] these 1664, 1668
And] The 1664, 1668
grief of] grieved 1653
Then fears like to] Fears like unto 1664; Fears, like unto 1668
Down went the sun] The Sun went downe 1653
Reeled in the] And Reel’d i’th’ 1664; And reel’d i’ th’ 1668
and] she 1653
that she] of its 1664, 1668
got,] there, 1664, 1668
Then on the river of Loire she straight swam up.] And then did Swim up the River of Loire: 1664; And then did swim up the River of Loire: 1668
she] it 1664, 1668
feared,] feares, 1653
But directly her course to Paris steered,] Directly to faire Paris this Barque steers. 1653; But directly its Course to Paris steer’d, 1664; But directly its course to Paris steer’d; 1668
And in that place she did some time] Where it some time intended to 1664, 1668
this torn and tattered] her totter’d, and torne 1653; this Torn and Totter’d 1664
Trimmed] Made 1653
At last] Where there 1653
Who was resolved with it] And with this Ship he meanes 1653
at] to 1653
Both Grant and Whitaker read the whole of this Clasp biographically: “Margaret also told her own storm-tossed life history in the sort of biographical allegory that Flecknoe had created for the duchess of Lorraine at Beersel”; see Mad Madge, 147. However, as I argue in the editorial introduction, it possibly also invites other readings as well (e.g., even if it is a narration of her journey, why frame it with “Fancy’s Prologue to Judgment”?
comes] came 1653
then a] a 1664, 1668
its] the 1653
this ship] it 1664, 1668
appear] appeared 1653; appears 1668
is] are 1664, 1668
a show] Shew 1653
A marginal note in Cavendish’s text reads, “Which are the 24 letters of the alphabet.”