To keep your own states even ? Since he begins to threat her: The EVILS enter for the Antimasque and DANCE to two drums, trumpets, and a confusion of martial music. At the end of which PALLAS re-appears, shewing her shield. The EVILS are turned to Statues. Pal. So change, and perish, scarcely knowing how, That 'gainst the gods do take so vain a Cho. Let narrow natures, how they will, mistake, The great should still be good for their own sake. [They come forward. Pal. Welcome to earth, and reign. Ast. G. Age. But how, without a train Shall we our state sustain ? Pal. Leave that to Jove: therein you That justice dare defend, and will the age sustain. Cho. Awake, awake, for whom these times were kept, O wake, wake, wake, as you had never slept ! Make haste and put on air, to be their guard, Whom once but to defend, is still reward. Pal. Thus Pallas throws a lightning from her shield. [The scene of light discovered. Cho. To which let all that doubtful darkness yield. Ast. Now Peace. G. Age. And Love. Ast. Faith. G. Age. Joys. Ast. G. Age. All, all increase. [A pause. Pal. No tumour of an iron vein. Cho. But, as of old, all now be gold. Move, move then to these sounds; And do not only walk your solemn rounds, But give those light and airy bounds, That fit the Genii of these gladder grounds. The first DANCE. Pal. Already do not all things smile? And every look a plant doth spring, And every breath a flower: Pal. Then earth unploughed shall yield her crop, Pure honey from the oak shall drop, The fountain shall run milk: The thistle shall the lily bear, And every bramble roses wear, And every worm make silk. Cho. The very shrub shall balsam sweat, And nectar melt the rock with heat, Till earth have drunk her fill: Here the main DANCE. After which: Pal. But here's not all: you must do more, Or else you do but half restore The Age's liberty. Poe. The male and female used to And into all delight did coin Then Feature did to Form advance, It was a time of no distrust, Cho. Each touch and kiss was so well placed, They were as sweet as they were chaste, Here they dance with the Ladies. Ast. What change is here? I had not more Desire to leave the earth before Than I have now to stay; My silver feet, like roots, are wreathed Of all there seems a second birth, And Jove is present here. I feel the god-head; nor will doubt This, this, and only such as this, Where she would pray to live, Here they dance the Galliards and Pallas [ascending and calling the Poets.] And as his bounty gives you cause To shew the world your fire. Like lights about Astræa's throne, 1 They lived with open vow.] Aperto vivere voto. PERS. 1 And, you sustaining her, may know The Age still by her name. Who vows, against or heat or cold, To spin your garments of her gold, That want may touch you never; And making garlands ev'ry hour, 1 It is with regret I inform the reader that the excellent old folio here deserts us. I am not quite sure that the concluding pages enjoyed the benefit of Jonson's superintendence; but as by far the greatest portion of the volume undoubtedly did, it is come down to us one of the correctest works that ever issued from the English press. To write your names in some new flower, That you may live for ever. Cho. To Jove, to Jove, be all the honour given, That thankful hearts can raise from earth to heaven.1 from 1630 to 1641, has no such advantages. No part of it, I am well persuaded, was seen by Jonson; as, exclusive of the press-errors, which are very numerous, there is a confusion in the names of the speakers which he could not have overlooked. I have revised it with all imaginable care, and endeavoured to preserve that uniformity of arrangement of which he was ap The second folio, which has a medley of dates | parently so solicitous. Christmas his Masque : AS IT WAS PRESENTED AT COURT, 1616. CHRISTMAS HIS MASQUE.] Not dated in the second folio; but probably printed after the author's death. It is a humorous trifle, calculated for the season, and merely intended to excite an hour's merriment, as introductory perhaps to some entertainment of a higher kind. Granger, in his Biographical Dictionary, vol. ii. p. 296, 8vo, after bestowing just praise on Milton's admirable Masque, very gravely adds, "but the generality of these compositions are trifling and perplexed allegories. Ben Jonson (poor Ben is always the foil) in his Masque of Christmas, has introduced Minced Pie,' and 'Babie Cake,' who act their parts in the drama. But the most wretched of these performances could please by the help of music, machinery, and dancing." The masque before us had not the advantage of much machinery, I suspect. But could Granger find nothing in Jonson to oppose to Comus, but this magnificent drama," as he is pleased to call it ! an innocent Christmas gambol, written with no higher end in view than producing a hearty laugh from the good-natured James, and the holyday spectators of the show. But such is the mode in which Jonson is constantly treated; and yet the critics who institute these parallels (not exactly "after the manner of Plutarch," it must be granted) are astonished at being told that they always want candour, and not seldom common sense. Granger's ridiculous parade of "perplexed allegories," &c., is worse than useless here. They might indeed perplex him; but he should have recollected that Minced Pie and Babie Cake were sufficiently familiar to those who witnessed their appearance; and that ignorance is the worst of all possible pleas for the contemptuous sneer of criticism. The Court being seated, Enter CHRISTMAS, with two or three of the guard. He is attired in round hose, long stockings, a close doublet, a high-crowned hat, with a brooch, a long thin beard, a truncheon, little ruffs, white shoes, his scarfs and garters tied cross, and his drum beaten before him. Why, gentlemen, do you know what you do? ha! would you have kept me out? CHRISTMAS, old Christmas, Christmas of London, and Captain Christmas? Pray you let me be brought before my Lord Chamberlain, I'll not be answered else 'Tis merry in hall, when beards wag all. I have seen the time you have wished for me, for a merry Christmas; and now you Old Gregory Christmas.] An allusion to Pope Gregory's alteration of the Calendar, not long before the accession of James, have me, they would not let me in. I must come another time! a good jest, as if I could come more than once a year. Why, I am no dangerous person, and so I told my friends of the guard. I am old Gregory Christmas still, and though I come out of Pope's-head alley, as good a Protestant as any in my parish. The truth is, I have brought a Masque here out o' the city, of my own making, and do Present it by a set of my sons, that come out of the lanes of London, good dancing boys all. It was intended, I confess, for has been open, and the Livery were not Curriers-Hall; but because the weather at leisure to see it till a frost came, that they cannot work, I thought it convenient, of the Revels' hand to't, to fit it for a higher with some little alterations, and the Groom place; which I have done, and though I say it, another manner of device than your New-year's-night. Bones o' bread, the King (seeing James) Son Rowland ! son lem! be ready there in a trice: quick, Your highness small, with my good lords boys! Enter his SONS and DAUGHTERS (ten in number led in, in a string, by CUPID, who is attired in a flat cap and a prentice's coat, with wings at his shoulders. MISRULE, in a velvet cap, with a sprig, a short cloak, great yellow ruff, like a reveller, his torch-bearer bearing a rope, a cheese, and a basket. CAROL, a long tawney coat, with a red cap, and a flute at his girdle, his torchhearer carrying a song-book open. MINCE-PIE, like a fine cook's wife, drest neat; her man carrying a pie, dish, and spoons. GAMBOL, like a tumbler, with a hoop and bells; his torch-bearer armed with a colt-staff, and a blinding cloth. POST AND PAIR, with a pair-royal of aces in his hat; his garment all done over with pairs and purs; his squire carrying a box, cards, and counters. NEW-YEAR'S-GIFT, in a blue coat, servingman like, with an orange, and a sprig of rosemary gilt on his head, his hat full of brooches, with a collar of gingerbread, his torch-bearer carrying a marchpane with a bottle of wine on either arm. MUMMING, in a masquing pied suit, with a visor, his torch-bearer carrying the box, and ringing it. WASSEL, like a neat sempster and songster; her page bearing a brown bowl, drest with ribands, and rosemary before her. OFFERING, in a short gown, with a porter's staff in his hand, a wyth borne before him, and a bason by his torch-bearer. BABY-CAKE, drest like a boy in a fine long coat, biggin, bib, muckender, and a little dagger: his usher bearing a great cake, with a bean and a pease. They enter singing. Gi' all, And ladies, how do you do there? me leave to ask, for I bring you a Gam. Nobody out o' Friday-street, nor the two Fish-streets there, do you hear? Car. Shall John Butter o' Milk-street come in? ask him? Gam. Yes, he may slip in for a torchbearer, so he melt not too fast, that he will last till the masque be done. Chris. Right, son. Our dance's freight is a matter of eight, Which some would say are torches ; To bring them here, and to lead them there, And home again to their own porches. Now their intent Serve the King !" they may serve the cobbler well enough, some of 'em, for any courtesy they have, I wisse; they have need o' mending: unrude people they are, Now God preserve, as you well do your courtiers; here was thrust upon deserve, Your majesties all, two there; 1 Who is attired in a flat cap, with wings at his shoulders.] This Cupid is worthy of Bunbury himself, But the whole is a whimsical burlesque. An additional proof of the judgment of Granger in selecting it to oppose to Comus ! thrust indeed! was it ever so hard to get in before, trow? 2 This tire woman is the prototype of the Deaf Lover. The author, however, must be acquitted of any depredations on Jonson, of whose works he probably never heard. |