"When the Dance ended, the loud music sounded. The curtains being
drawn was seen a Garden of a glorious and strange beauty, cast into
four Quarters with a cross-walk and alleys compassing each Quarter. In
the middle of the cross-walk stood a goodly Fountain, raised on four
columns of silver. On the tops whereof strode four statues of silver
which supported a bowl in circuit containing four and twenty foot and
was raised from the ground nine foot in height, in the middle whereof,
upon scrolls of silver and gold, was placed a globe garnished with four
golden mask heads, out of which issued water into the bowl; above stood
a golden Neptune, in height three foot, holding in his hand a trident.
"The Garden walls were of brick, artificially painted in perspective,
all along which were placed fruit-trees with artificial leaves and
fruits. The Garden within the walls was railed about with rails of
three foot high, adorned with balusters of silver, between which
were placed pedestals beautified with transparent lights of variable
colors. Upon the pedestals stood silver columns, upon the tops whereof
were personages of gold, lions of gold and unicorns of silver. Every
personage and beast did hold a torchet burning, that gave light and
luster to the whole fabric.
"Every Quarter of the Garden was finely hedged about with a low hedge
of cypress and juniper; the Knots within set with artificial flowers.
In the two first Quarters were two Pyramids, garnished with gold and
silver and glittering with transparent lights resembling carbuncles,
sapphires and rubies.
"In every corner of each Quarter were great pots of gilliflowers which
shadowed certain lights placed behind them and made resplendent and
admirable luster. The two farther Quarters were beautified with tulips
of divers colors, and in the middle and in the corners of the said
Quarters were set great tufts of several kinds of flowers receiving
luster from secret lights placed behind them.
"At the farther end of the Garden was a Mount, raised by degrees
resembling banks of earth covered with grass. On the top of the Mount
stood a goodly Arbor, substantially made and covered with artificial
trees and with arbor flowers such as eglantine, honeysuckles and the
like. The Arbor was in length three and thirty foot, in height one and
twenty, supported with termes of gold and silver. It was divided into
six arches and three doors answerable to the three walks of the Garden.
"In the middle of the Arbor rose a goodly large turret and at either
end a smaller. Upon the top of the Mount in the front thereof was a
bank of flowers, curiously painted behind, while within the arches the
maskers sat unseen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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