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 Vow, And think to equal with your mortal dates, Their lives that are obnoxious to nó fates.'Twas time t'appear, and let their folly see 'Gainst whom they fought, and with what destiny Die all that can remain of you but stone, And that be seen awhile, and then be none ! Now, now descend, you both beloved of Jove, And of the good on earth no less the love; [The scene changes; and she calls ASTRAA and the GOLDEN AGE. Descend, you long, long wished and wanted pair, And as your softer times divide the air, So shake all clouds off with your golden You far-famed spirits of this happy isle, That for your sacred songs have gained the style Of Phoebus' sons, whose notes the air aspire Of th' old Egyptian or the Thracian lyre, That CHAUCER, GOWER, LIDGATE, ŠPENSER, hight, Put on your better flames and larger light, To wait upon the Age that shall your names new nourish, Since Virtue pressed shall grow, and buried Is that which Pallas doth inspire. [They descend. Pal. Then see you yonder souls, set far within the shade, That in Elysian bowers the blessed seats do keep, That for their living good now semi-gods are made, And went away from earth, as if but tamed with sleep.1 These we must join to wake; for these are of the strain tion of the Golden Age, copied Hesiod, has neglected to take notice of so beautiful a circum. stance. WHAL. Put on air, is also from Hesiod: nepa eσoaμevol. Or else you do but half restore The Age's liberty. Poe. The male and female used to join, And into all delight did coin Then Feature did to Form advance, It was a time of no distrust, They lived with open vow.! 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 Into the ground, my wings are sheathed, And I cannot away. 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.] To shew the world your fire. 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 amiliar 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 1 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. 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 Curriers-Hall; but because the weather boys all. confess, for has been open, and the Livery were not It was intended, at leisure to see it till a frost came, that they cannot work, I thought it convenient, with some little alterations, and the Groom of the Revels' hand to't, to fit it for a higher 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.1 MISRULE, in a velvet cap, with a sprig, a CAROL, a long tawney coat, with a red GAMBOL, like a tumbler, with a hoop and POST AND PAIR, with a pair-royal of aces WASSEL, like a neat sempster and songster; They enter singing. Gi' all, And ladies, how do you do there? me leave to ask, for I bring you a masque From little, little, little, little London; Which say the King likes, I ha' passed the pikes, If not, old Christmas is undone. [Noise without. Chris. Ha, peace! what's the matter there? Gam. Here's one o' Friday-street would come in. Chris. By no means, nor out of neither of the Fish-streets, admit not a man ; they are not Christmas creatures: fish and 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 torch- 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 Enter VENUS, a deaf tire-woman.2 Ven. Now, all the lords bless me! "Serve the King!" they may serve the where am I, trow? where is Cupid? 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 acquitt ed of any depredations on Jonson, of whose work. he probably never heard. |