Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

ZEPHYRUS

in The Masque at Lord Hay's Marriage (Apollo's Knights) — Campion, Thomas

Metadata

PlayThe Masque at Lord Hay's Marriage (Apollo's Knights)
AuthorCampion, Thomas
Year (catalogued)1607
First performance1607
Decade1600s
GenreMasque
Play typeOccasional
Theaterbefore the Court;Whitehall;
Speech prefix(es)Zeph. | Zep. | Ze.
Words214
Characters1172
Typicality0.41 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA17871
BritDrama no.1526
ClusterCluster 12 — Wooers, gallants & courtly love-talk

Important excerpts

No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).

Full speech

FOr ever endless may this nights joy prove, Zephyrus. The western wind, of all the most mild, and pleasant, who with Venus the Queen of love is said to bring in the spring, when natural heat and appetite reviveth & the glad earth be begins to be beau tified with flowers, So eccocs Zephyrus the friend of love. Whose aid Venus implores when she does bring Into the naked world the green leaved spring. When of the Suns warm beams the Nets we weave That can the stubbornest heart with love deceive. That Queen of beauty, and desire by me Breathes gently forth this Bridal prophecy. Faithful and fruitful shall these Bedmates prove, Blessed in their Fortune's, honoured in their love. CAn Cynthia one kind virgins lose bemoan? How if perhaps she brings her ten for one? Or can she miss one in so full a train? Your Goddess does of too much store complain. If all her Nymph's would ask advise of me There should be fewer virgins then there be. Nature ordained not Men to live alone, Where there are two, a Woman should be one. Dance Goddess? how? Pity grows only from celestial seed. Who should grace mirth, & revels but the night, Next love she should be goddess of delight.

Plot summary

Plot — The Masque at Lord Hay's Marriage (Apollo's Knights)
Flora and Zephyrus strew flowers over the dancing area in honour of the bride and groom. Two sylvans debate in song the relative virtues of maid and wife. Night appears and upbraids Flora for colluding with Hymen in his theft of one of Diana’s nymphs (that is, the bride). She introduces Apollo’s knights, whom Diana has transformed into trees for attempting to seduce her nymphs. Hesperus brings news that Apollo has pacified Diana, and relays her command that Night change the trees back into men. She does, but makes them dance first. After their metamorphosis, they dance again. Night’s servants pull off the leafy camouflage robes in which the knights came wooing, and more dancing follows. It is getting late, and since the happy couple undoubtedly want to go to bed, Night calls an end to the masque; it concludes with another dance and a song. ===== PAGE 358 =====