The Works of Thomas Middleton

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE TRIUMPHS HONOUR AND INDUSTRY. It hath been twice my fortune in short time to have employment for this noble Society, where I have always met with men of much understanding, and no less bounty; to whom cost appears but as a shadow, so there be fulness of content in the performance of the solemnity; which that the world may judge of, for whose pleasure and satisfaction custom hath yearly framed it, but chiefly for the honour of the City, it begins to present itself, not without form and order, which is required in the meanest employment. The first invention. A company of Indians, attired according to the true nature of their country, seeming for the most part naked, are set at work in an Island of growing spices; some planting nutmeg-trees, some other spice-trees ofall kinds; some gathering the fruits, some making up bags of pepper; every one severally employed. These Indians are all active youths, who, ceasing in their labours, dance about the trees, both to give content to themselves and the spectators. After this show of dancing Indians in the Island, follows triumphantly a rich personage presenting India, the seat of merchandise. This India sits on the top of an illustrious chariot; on the one side of her sits Traffic or Merchandise, on the other side Industry, both fitted and adorned according to the property of their natures; Industry holding a golden ball in her hand, upon which stands a Cupid, signifying that industry gets both wealth and love, and, with her associate. Traffic or Merchandise, who holds a globe in her hand, knits love and peace amongst all nations: to the better expressing of which, if you give attention to Industry that now sets forward to speak, it will be yours more exactly. The speech of Industry in the Chariot. I was jealous of...