THE IRISH MASQUE.] From the folio, 1616. It has no date. James had great merit in the whole of his conduct with respect to Ireland, which he governed with extraordinary care, and reduced from the state of distraction in which the late Queen had left it, to a degree of tranquillity which it has not often experienced. This little piece is meant to compliment the country on its loyalty and attachment. THE IRISH MASQUE. The King being set in expectation, out ran a fellow attired like a citizen: after him, three or four footmen, DENNISE, DONNELL, DERMOCK, and PATRICK. PATRICK. OR chreeshes sayk, phair ish te king? phich ish he, ant be? show me te shweet faish, quickly. By got, o' my conshence, tish ish he! ant tou be king Yamish, me name is Dennish, I sherve ti majesties owne cashtermonger, be me trote; and cry peepsh, and pomwatersh in ti mayesties shervice, 'tis five year now. Ant tou vilt not trush me now, call up ti clarke o' ti kitchen, be ant be, shall give hish wort, upon hish book, ish true. Don. Ish it te fashion, to beate te imbasheters, here, and knocke 'hem o'te heads phit te phoit stick? Der. Ant make ter meshage run out a ter mouthsh, before tey shpeake vit te king? Den. Peash Dermock, here ish te king. Don. Phich ish te king? Den. Tat ish te king. Der. Ish tat te king? Got blesh him! Den. Peash, and take heet, vat tou shaysht, man. Der. Creesh blesh him, I shay. Phat reason I tayk heet, for tat? Don. Creesh blesh ti shweet faish, king Yamish; and my mistresh faish too: pre te, hear me now. I am come a great vay of miles to she te now, by my fayt and trote, and graish o' got. Den. Phat ish te meaning o' tish, Donnell? didsh tou not shay, a gotsh name, I should tell ty tale for tee? ant entrayt me come to te court, and leave me vare at shiede, and seven? by got, ish true now. Don. Yesh. But I thanke But I thanke got I can tell my tayle my shelfe, now I be here, I warrant tee: pre de hear me, king Yamish. Den. Pree dee heare me, king Yamish: I can tell tee better ten he. Pat. Pree dee heare neder noder on 'hem : here'sh Dermock will shpeake better ten eder oder on 'hem. Der. No fayt, shweet hart, tow lyesht. Patrick here ish te vesht man of hish tongue, of all de foure; pre tee now heare him. Pat. By chreesh shave me, tow lyesht. I have te vorsht tongue in de company at thy shervish. Vill shome body shpeak? Don. By my fayt, I vill not. Der. By my goship's hand, I vill not. Den. If I speake, te divell tayke me. I vill give tee leave to cram my mouth phit shamrokes and butter, and vater creeshes instead of pearsh and peepsh. Pat. If no body will shpeake, I vill shpeake. Pleash ty shweet faish, we come from Ireland. Der. We be Irish men, an't pleash tee. Don. Ty good shubshects of Ireland, and pleash ty mayesty. Den. Of Connough, Leymster, Ulster, Munster. I mine one shelfe vash born in the English payle' and pleash ty mayesty. 1 I mine one shelfe vash born in the English payle.] The English pale was those parts of Ireland extended about Dublin, Pat. Sacrament o' chreesh, tell ty tale ty shelfe, and be all tree. Den. And pleash ty graish I vill tell tee, tere vash a great newesh in Ireland of a great brideal of one o' ty lords here ant be. Pat. Ty man Robyne, tey shay." Don. Mary ty man Toumaish, his daughter, tey shay. Der. Ay, ty good man, Toumaish o' Shuffolke. Don. He knoke ush o'te payt here, ash we come by, by a good token. Der. I' fayt, tere ish very much phoyt stick here stirring to-night. He takes ush for no shquires I tinke. But tish marriage Pat. No, he tinksh not ve be imbasheters. Don. No fayt, I tinke sho too. bring over a doshen of our besht mayshters, to be which in the reign of Henry II. were possessed by the English. This district was sometimes larger, and sometimes less in different ages, as the English or Irish power prevailed. But the counties of Louth, Dublin, Meath, Kildare, and Carlow, being for the most part obedient to the English laws, went under the more immediate denomination of the Pale. WHAL. : 2 Ty man Robyne.] This alludes to the marriage of the favourite, Robert Carr, earl of Somerset, with the daughter of Thomas, earl of Suffolk. This too celebrated lady was the divorced wife of lord Essex and the "brideal" of which Dennis speaks, took place on the fifth of December, 1613, so that the date of this Masque may be safely referred to the succeeding festival, or the commencement of the new year. In March 1613 too, James had completed his plans for the pacification of Ireland; so that the appearance of the "imbasheters" was not ill-timed. The young countess of Essex had already made the first step in her career of blood; but no murmur of it had yet reached the ear of James; and, as Wilson tells us, "all the splendid equipage, and magnificent preparation that could either fill a court with delight or a people with admiration, were not wanting for the marriage." Other poets were however called in upon the occasion; and the only notice which Jonson appears to have taken of this ill-omened match, is contained in the simple mention of the parties' names in the text. |
