"Amazonian habit of carnation, embroidered with silver, with a plumed Helme and a Bandricke with an antique Sword hanging by her side, all as rich as might be." Her attendant ladies were similarly dressed, and it is perhaps not surprising that the strangeness of these habits was even more admired than their beauty. The theme was designed, in reference to recent public events, to flatter the King, who played the part of Philogenes triumphing over Discord, which, "a malicious Fury, appears in a storme, and by the Invocation of malignant spirits proper to her evill use, having already put most of the world into discord, endeavours to disturb these parts, envying the blessings and Tranquillity we have long enjoyed." "How am I griev'd," she cries out, "The world should everywhere Be vext into a storme save only here, Thou over-lucky, too much happy Ile! Grow more desirous of this flatt'ring style In thy long health can never alter'd be But by thy surfets on Felicitie."[221] After these words, which surely might have been spoken by the lying spirit in the mouth of the prophets of Ahab, the Queen came forward to be greeted by an outburst of triumphant loyalty:-- "But what is she that rules the night That kindles Ladies with her light And gives to Men the power of sight? All those that can her Virtue doubt Her mind will in her face advise, For through the Casements of her Eyes Her Soule is ever looking out. "And with its beames, she doth survay Our growth in Virtue or decay, Still lighting us in Honours way! All that are good she did inspire! Lovers are chaste, because they know It is her will they should be so, The valiant take from her their Fire!" The masque "was generally approved of, specially by all strangers that were present, to be the noblest and most ingenious that hath been done heere in that kind." When, in future days, some of the company looked back upon that evening, its festivities must have seemed to them as one of the jests of him whom Heine called the Aristophanes of Heaven. But these revels were only an interlude; Charles was not a man to fiddle while Rome was burning, and he turned to grapple as best he could with the problem before him. The country was rushing on to meet its fate: the topic of the hour was that of the Parliament, to the holding of which the King was finally persuaded by a new counsellor; Strafford[222] had crossed St. George's Channel and had entered on the last and most remarkable stage of his career.