The Irish Masque at Court,

BY GENTLEMEN, THE KING’S SERVANTS.

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 King being set in expectation, out ran Den. Phat ish ti meaning o'tish,

a fellow attired like a citizen : after Donnell ? didsh tou not shay, a gotsh him three or four footmen, DENNISE, name, I should tell ty tale for tee? ant DONNELL, DERMOCK, and PATRICK. entrayt me come to te court, and leave

me vare at shixe ant seven? by got, ish Pat. For chreeshes sayk, phair ish te true now. king? phich ish he, ant be ? show me te Don. Yesh. But I tanke got I can tell shweet' faish, quickly. By got, o' my my tayle my shelfe, now I be here, I conshence, tish ish he ! ant tou be King varrant tee : pre dee hear me, King Yamish, me name is Dennish, I sherve ti | Yamish. majesties ownecashtermonger, be me trote ; Den. Pre dee heare me, King Yamish : and cry peepsh, and pomwatersh in ti I can tell tee better ten he. mayesties shervice, 'tis five year now. Ant Pat. Pre dee heare neder noder on tou vilt not trush me now, call up ti clarke 'hem: here'sh Dermock vill shpeake o ti kitchen, be and be, shall give hish better ten eder oder on 'hem. wort, upon bish book, ish true.

Der. No, fayt, shweet hart, tow lyesht. Don. Ish it te fashion to beate te im- Patrick here ish te vesht man of hish basheters here, and knoke 'hem o' te tongue, of all de foure; pre tee now heare heads phit te phoit stick?

him. Der. Ant make ter meshage run out at Pat. By chreesh shave me, tow lyesht. ter mouthsh, before tey spheake vit te I have te vorsht tongue in te company at king?

thy shervish. Vill shome body shpeake? Den. Peash, Dermock, here ish te Don. By my fayt, I vill not. king.

Der. By my goship's hand, I vill not. Der. Phair ish te king?

Pat. Speake Dennish ten. Don. Phich ish te king?

Den. If I speake, te divell tayke me. I Den. Tat ish te king.

vill give tee leave to cram my mout phit Der. Ish tat te king? Got blesh him! shamrokes and butter and vayter creshes

Den. Peash, and take heet vat tou instead of pearsh and peepsh. shaysht, man.

Pat. If nobody vill shpeake, I vill Der. Creesh blesh him, I shay. Phat shpeake. Pleash ty shweet faish, wee come reason I tayk heet for tat ?

from Ireland. Don. Creesh blesh ti shweet faish, King Der. Wee be Irish men, an't pleash Yamish ; and my mistresh faish too : pre tee. te, hear me now. I am come a great vay Don. Ty good shubshects of Ireland, and of miles to shee te now, by my fayt and pleash ty mayesty. trote, and graish o' got.

Den. 'Of Connough, Leymster, Ulster

Munster. I mine one shelfe vash born Den. But tey vere leeke to daunsh in te English payle, and pleash ty naked, ant pleash ty mayesty ; for te vilmayesty.

lanous vild Irish sheas have casht away all Pat. Sacrament o' chreesh, tell ty tale ter fine cloysh, as many ash cosht a towty shelfe, and be all tree.

sand cowes and garraves, I varrant tee. Den. And pleash ty graish I vill tell tee, Der. And te prishe of a cashtell or two tere vash a great newesh in Ireland of a upon teyr backs. great brideal of one o' ty lords here ant be. Don. And tey tell ty mayesty tey have

Pat. Ty man Robyne, tey shay.2 ner a great fish now, nor a shea moynshter

Don. Mary ty man Toumaish, hish to shave teyr cloysh alive now. daughter, tey shay.

Pat. Nor a devoish vit a clowd to fesh Der. Ay, ty good man, Toumaish o''hem out o' te bottom o' te vayter. Shuffolke.

Der. But tey musht eene come and Don. He knoke ush o'te payt here, ash daunsh in teyr mantles now; and show tee we come by, by a good token.

how teye can foot te fading and te fadow, Der. I' fayt, tere ish very mush phoyt and te phip a' Dunboyne, I trow. stick here stirring to-njght. He takes ush Don. pre dee now let not ty sweet for no shquires I tinke.

faysht ladies, make a mock on 'hem and Pat. No, he tinksh not ve be imbasheters. scorn to daunsh vit 'hem now, becash tey

Don. No, fayt, I tinke sho too. But tish be poor. marriage bring over a doshen of our besht Pat. Tey drink no bonny clabbe, i' fayt, mayshters, to be merry perht tee shweet now. faish, an't be ; and daunsh a fading: at te Don. It ish better ten usquebagh4 to vedding.

daunsh vit, Patrick,

"I mine own shelfe vash born in the English name to a dance frequently noticed by our old payle.) The English pale was those parts of dramatists. Both the song and the dance Ireland extended about Dublin, which in the appear to have been of a licentious kind, and reign of Henry II. were possessed by the merit no farther elucidation. English. This district was sometimes larger and sometimes less, in different ages, as the mention of this word brings to my mind a pas

* It ish better ten usquebagh, &c.) The English or Irish power prevailed. But the counties of Louth, Dublin, Meath, Kildare, and sage in the Devil's an Ass: Carlow, being for the most part obedient to the

“Chimney-sweepers English laws, went under the more immediate To their tobacco and strong waters, Hum, denomination of the Pale.-WHAL.

Meath, and Obarni.” * Ty man Robyne.] This alludes to the marriage of the favourite, Robert Carr, Earl of

The last of these (Obarni) I had supposed to Somerset, with the daughter of Thomas, Earl of be a preparation of usquebagh: (see vol. ii. Suffolk. This too celebrated lady was the 0.2166); whereas it appears to be a preparation divorced wife of Lord Essex : and the

of Meath. For this information I am indebted “brideal” of which Dennis speaks, took place to the following extract from an old poem, called on the 5th of December, 1613, so that the

date Pimlyco or Runne Red-Cap, 1609, kindly transof this Masque may be safely referred to the mitted to me by my friend Mr. Boswell : succeeding festival, or the commencement of

“Nor all those drinkes of northern climes the new year. In March, 1613, too, James had

Whose brewings shall fill up our rimes completed his plans for the pacification of

Brant Rensque and the cleere Romayne Ireland ; so that the appearance of the im

The Belo Crasno and Patisane, basheters” was not ill-timed.

Peeva (to them is as our Beere) The young Countess of Essex had already With spiced Meades (wholesome but deer) made the first step in her career of blood ; but As Meade Obarne and Meade Cherunk no murmur of it had yet reached the ear of

And the base Quasse by Pesants drunk.” James; and, as Wilson tells us, "all the splendid equipage,

and magnificent preparation Now I am on the subject, I will subjoin a that could either fill a Court with delight or a passage which has just occurred to me, and people with admiration, were not wanting for which gives a better explanation of Hum than the marriage.” Other poets were, however, will be found in the passage already quoted : called in upon the occasion; and the only “Notwithstanding the multiplicity of wines, notice which Jonson appears to have taken of yet there be stills and limbecks going, swetting this ill-omened match is contained in the simple out aquavitæ and strong waters, deriving their mention of the parties' names in the text.

names from cinnamon, balm, and aniseed, such 3 And dance a fading.) This word, which as stomach-water, humm, &c.Heywood's was the burden of a popular Irish song, gave Drunkard, p. 48.

a

very vell.

Pat. By my fater's hand, tey vill daunsh Don. Tey shit like poore men i' te porsh

yonder. Der. Ay, by St. Patrick vill tey ; for tey Pat. Shtay, te peepe ish come! (Bagbe nimble men.

pipe, &c. enter.] Harke, harke ! Den. And vill leap ash light, be creesh Der. Let ush daunsh ten. Daunsh, Densave me, ash he tat veares te biggest fether nish. in ty couri, King Yamish.

Den. By creesh sa' me, I ha' forgot. Der. For all tey have no good vindsh to Don. A little till our mayshtersh be blow tem heter, nor elementsh to presherve ready. 'hem.

Don. Nor all te four cornersh o' te world, Here the Footmen had a DANCE, being to creep out on.

six men and six boys, to the bagpipe and Pat. But tine own kingdomes.

other rude music; after which they had Don. Tey be honesht men.

a SONG, and then they cried, Pat. And goot men : tine own shubshects.

Peash! Peash! Now room for our Der. Tou hasht very good shubshects in mayshters ! Room for our mayshters ! Ireland.

Den. A great goot many, o' great goot Then the GENTLEMEN dance forth a dance shubshects.

in their Irish mantles, to a solemn music Don. Tat love ty mayesty heartily,

of harps: which done, the Footmen fall Den. And vill run t'rough fire and vater to speak again. for tee, over te bog and te bannoke, be te graish o' got, and graish o' king.

Der. How like tou tish, Yamish? and Der, By got, tey vill fight for tee, King tey had fine cloyshs now, and liveries, like

tine own men ant be ! Yamish, and for my mistresh tere. Den. And my little maishter.]

Don. But te rugs make t'em shrug a

little. Pat. And te vfrow, ty daughter, tat is in Tuchland.

Der. Tey have shit a great phoyle i' te Don. Tey vill spend ter heart in ter

cold, ant be. belly for tee, as vell as ter legs in ter

Don. Isht not pity te cloysh be drowned heelsh.

now? Der. By creesh, tey vill shpend all teyr

Pat. Pre tee shee anoter daunsh, and

be not veary. cowesh for tee.

Den. Pre tee make mush on t'em.
Pat. Pre tee, sweet faysh, do.

Here they were interrupted by a civil GEN

TLEMAN of the nation, who brought in a Don. Be not angry vit te honesh men,

BARD. for te few rebelsh and knavesh.

Pat. Nor beleeve no tayles, King Ya- Gent. He may be of your rudeness. Hold mish.

your tongues, Der. For, by got, tey love tee in Ire- And let your coarser manners seek some land.

place Don. Pray tee, bid 'em welcome, and got Fit for their wildness : this is none; be make 'em rish for tee.

Der. They vill make tem shelves ho- Advance, immortal Bard, come up and nesht.

view Den. Tou hasht not a hundret tousand The gladding face of that great king in sush men, by my trote.

whom Pat. No, nor forty, by my hant.

So many prophecies of thine are knit. Don. By Justish Deloune's hant, not This is that James of which long since thou twenty.

sung'st, Der. By my lord Deputish hant, not ten Should end our countries most unnatural in all ti great Britayne. Shall I call hem

broils ; to tee?

And her ear, then deafened with the

drum, 1 And my little maisther.) Charles; te

Would stoop but to the music of his yfrow, tat is in Tuchland, is the Princess peace, Elizabeth, who was married to the Palsgrave in She need not with the spheres change harFebruary, 1613.

mony.

gone !

This is the man thou promis'dst should re- It is but standing in his eye, deem,

You'll feel yourselves changed by and If she would love his counsels as his laws,

by. Her head from servitude, her feet from Few live that know how quick a spring fall,

Works in the presence of a king : Her fame from barbarism, her state from 'Tis done by this ; your slough let fall, want,

And come forth new-born creatures And in her all the fruits of blessing plant.

all. Sing then some charm, made from his present looks,

During this Song the Masquers let fall

their mantles and discover their masThat may assure thy former prophecies, And firm the hopes of these obedient quing apparel. Then they dance forth. spirits,

After the dance the Bard sings this Whose love no less than duty hath called forth

SONG. Their willing powers : who if they had so breaks the sun earth's rugged chains, much more,

Wherein rude winter bound her veins; Would do their all, and think they could So grows both stream and source of not move

price, Enough to honour that which he doth love.

That lately fettered were with ice.
Here the BARD sings to two harps.

So naked trees get crisped heads,

And coloured coats the roughest meads,

And all get vigour, youth, and spright, SONG.

That are but looked on by his light. Bow both your heads at once, and hearts; Obedience doth not well in parts.

Thus it ended.

66

[So carelessly is this Masque printed in the "shiede and seven” for “ shire and seven," and nine-volume edition that I have had to make no sweet faysh ladies” for “sweet faysht ladies,” fewer than thirty alterations in the text. All and many others, which are interesting as showthese errors are slavishly copied in the one ing the Irish mode of pronunciation temp. Jac. I. volume edition of Messrs. Moxon and Routledge, -F. C.) although they include such palpable blunders as

Mercury Vindicated from the Alchemists

at Court.

BY GENTLEMEN, THE KING'S SERVANTS.

MERCURY VINDICATED.] From the folio, 1616. This is a very ingenious and pleasant little piece, but the author gives neither the date nor the occasion on which it was written. If he paid any attention to time in the arrangement of his Masques, the present must have been produced subsequently to the comedy of the Alchemist.

Loud music. After which the Scene is dis- forth our philosophers. He will be gone.

covered; being a LaboratoryorAlchemist's He will evaporate. Dear Mercury! help. work-house : Vulcan looking to the re- He flies. He is scaped. Precious golden gisters, while a CYCLOPE, tending the Mercury, be fixt; be not so volatile ! Will fire, to the cornets began to sing. none of the Sons of Art appear? Cyc. Soft, subtile fire, thou soul of art, in which time MERCURY, having run once Now do thy part

or twice about the room, takes breath, and On weaker nature, that through age is

speaks. lamed.

Mer. Now the place and goodness of it Take but thy time now she is old,

protect me. One tender-hearted creature And the sun her friend grown cold,

or other, save Mercury, and free him. She will no more in strife with thee be Ne'er an old gentlewoman in the house named,

that has a wrinkle about her to hide me

in? I could run into a serving-woman's Look but how few confess her now, pocket now; her glove, any little hole. In cheek or brow!

Some merciful vardingale among so many, From every head almost, how she is be bounteous and undertake me. I will frighted !

stand close up anywhere to escape this The very age abhors her so,

polt-footed philosopher, - old Smug here of That it learns to speak and go, Lemnos, and his smoky family. Has he As if by art alone it could be righted. given me time to breathe? O the variety

of torment that I have endured in the reign The Song ended, Mercury appeared, thrust- of the Cyclops, beyond the most exquisite ing out his head, and afterward his body, wit of tyrants! The whole household of at the tunnel of the middle furnace : them are become Alchemists, since their which VULCAN espying, cried out to the trade of armour-making failed them, only CYCLOPE.

to keep themselves in fire, for this winter;

for the mischief a secret that they know, Vul. Stay, see ! our Mercury is coming above the consuming of coals, and drawing forth; art and all the elements assist ! Call of usquebagh! howsoever they may pre

1 This polt-footed philosopher.) Splay, or had reason to put him in mind in one of his rather club-footed. In the Poetaster (vol. i. letters, that the burning of his study was a mere P. 245 a), Jonson calls this poor “old Smug of act of retaliation on the part of Vulcan.

a polt-footed stinkard : so that Howel

Lemnos