THE MASQUE OF CHRISTMAS AS IT WAS PRESENTED AT COURT, 1616. The Court being seated, Enter CERISTMAS, with two or three of the guard, 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 wish'd for me, for a merry Christmas; and now you 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 CurriersHall; but because the weather has been open, and the Livery were not 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 Clem! be ready there in a trice: quick, 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 torch-bearer carrying a song-book open. MINCED-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 arm'd with a colt-staff, and a binding 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, serving-man like, with an orange, and a sprig of rosemary gil on his head, his hat full of brooches, with a collar of ginger-bread, his torch-bearer carrying o march-pane with a bottle of wine on either arm. MUMMING, in a masquing pied suit, with a vizard, 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 born 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. Now God preserve, as you do well deserve, Your highness small, with my good lords all, Give me leave to ask, for I bring you a masque 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 fasting days, foh! Sons, said I well? look to't. Gam. No body 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-bearer, 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, Each hath his knight for to carry his light, Enter VENUS, a deaf tire-woman. Ven. Now, all the lords bless me! where an I, trow? where is Cupid? "Serve the king!' they may serve the cobler well enough, some of 'em, for any courtesy they have, I wisse; they have need o' mending: unrude people they are, your courtiers; here was thrust upon thrust indeed was it ever so hard to get in before, trow ? Chris. How now? what's the matter? Ven. A place, forsooth, I do want a place : I would have a good place, to see my child act in before the king and queen's majesties, God bless 'em! to-night. Chris. Why, here is no place for you. Ven. Right, forsooth, I am Cupid's mother, Cupid's own mother, forsooth; yes, forsooth: I dwell in Pudding-lane: — ay, forsooth, he is Chris. Let him hold his peace, and his disgrace will be the less: what! shall we proclaim where we were furnish'd? Mum! mum! a' peace! be ready, good boys. Now their intent is above to present, prentice in Love-lane, with a bugle maker, Here the drum, and fife sounds, and they_march that makes of your bobs, and bird-bolts for ladies. Chris. Good lady Venus of Pudding-lane, you must go out for all this. Ven. Yes, forsooth, I can sit any where, so I may see Cupid act: he is a pretty child, though I say it, that perhaps should not, you will say. I had him by my first husband, he was a smith, forsooth, we dwelt in Do-little-lane then he came a month before his time, and that may make him somewhat imperfect; but I was a fishmonger's daughter. Chris. No matter for your pedigree, your house: good Venus, will you depart? Ven. Ay, forsooth, he'll say his part, I warrant him, as well as e'er a play-boy of 'em all: I could have had money enough for him, an I would have been tempted, and have let him out by the week to the king's players. Master Burbage has been about and about with me, and so has old master Hemings too, they have need of him: where is he, trow, ha! I would fain see him pray God they have given him some drink since he came. Strike up, Chris. Are you ready, boys! nothing will drown this noise but a drum: a' peace, yet! I have not done. Sing Now their intent is above to present Car. Why, here be half of the properties forgotten, father. Offer. Post and Pair wants his pur-chops, and his pur dogs. Car. Have you ne'er a son at the groom porter's, to beg or borrow a pair of cards quickly? Gam. It shall not need, here's your son Cheater without, has cards in his pocket. Offer. Ods so! speak to the guards to let him in, under the name of a property. Gam. And here's New-year's-gift has an orange and rosemary, but not a clove to stick in't. New-Year. Why let one go to the spicery. Chris. Fy, fy, fy! it's naught, it's naught, boys! Ven. Why, I have cloves, if it be cloves you want, I have cloves in my purse, I never go without one in my mouth. Car. And Mumming has not his vizard nei ther. Chris. No matter! his own face shall serve, for a punishment, and 'tis bad enough; has Wassel her bowl, and Minced-pie her spoons ? Offer. Ay, ay: but Misrule doth not like his suit: he says, the players have lent him one too little, on purpose to disgrace him. about once. In the second coming up, CHRISTMAS proceeds in his SONG. Hum drum, sauce for a coney; No more of your martial music; And now to ye, who in place are to see I pray you know, though he want his bow, He might go back, for to cry What you lack? His cap and coat are enough to note, That he is the love o' the city. Which you may know, by the very show, For there you may see, what his ensigns be, And he dwells in the lane called Fill-pot. But who is this? O, my daughter Cis, On pain o' your life: she's an honest cook's wife Next in the trace, comes Gambol in place; Now Post and Pair, old Christmas's heir, Next in a trice, with his box and his dice, But New-year's-gift, of himself makes shift, This, I tell you, is our jolly Wassel, And for Twelfth-night more meet too Is by my son, young Little-worth, done, Is child Rowlan, and a straight young man. knights, Or queen and ladies bright: Ven. "Tis a good child, speak out; hold up your head, Love. Cup. And which Cupid—and which Cupid — Ven. Do not shake so, Robin; if thou be'st a-cold, I have some warm waters for thee here. Chris. Come, you put Robin Cupid out with your waters, and your fisling; will you be gone? Ven. Ay, forsooth, he's a child, you must conceive, and must be used tenderly; he was never in such an assembly before, forsooth, but once at the Warmoll Quest, forsooth, where he said grace as prettily as any of the sheriff's hinch-boys, forsooth. Chris. Will you peace, forsooth? Cup. And which Cupid — and which Cupid, Ven. Ay, that's a good boy, speak plain, Robin: how does his majesty like him, I pray? will he give eight-pence a day, think you Speak out, Robin. Chris. Nay, he is out enough, you may take him away, and begin your dance: this it is to have speeches. Ven. You wrong the child, you do wrong the infant; I'peal to his majesty. Here they dance. Chris Well done, boys, my fine boys, my bully boys! THE EPILOGUE. Sings. Nor do you think that their legs is all And march as fine, as the Muses nine, And in their brave tires, to give their false fires Now if the lanes and the allies afford Such an ac-ativity as this; At Christmas next, if they keep their word, Their very gold lace, with their silk, would 'em Having so many knights o' the shop. But were I so wise, I might seem to advise They should, sir, I tell ye, spare't out of their belly, Ay, and come to the court, for to make you some At the least once every year. As Christmas hath done, with his seventh or eighth son, And his couple of daughters dear AND THUS IT ENDEN A MASQUE, PRESENTED IN THE HOUSE OF THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LORD HAY BY DIVERS OF NOBLE QUALITY HIS FRIENDS, FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT OF MONSIEUR LE BARON DE TOUR, EXTRAORDINARY AMBASSADOR FOR THE FRENCH KING, The SCENE discovered, is, on the one side, the head of a boat, and in it CHARON putting off from the shore, having landed certain imagined ghosts, whom MERCURY there receives, and encourageth to come on towards the river LETHE, who appears lying in the person of an old man. The FATES sitting by him on his bank; a grove of myrtles behind them, presented in perspective, and growing thicker to the outer-side of the scene. Mercury, perceiving them to faint, calls them on, and shews them his golden rod. Mer. Nay, faint not now, so near the fields of rest. Here no more Furies, no more torments dwell, Than each hath felt already in his breast; Mer. Drown'd by Love, That drew them forth with hopes as smooth as were Th' unfaithful waters he desired them prove. Lethe. And turn'd a tempest when he had them Mer. He did, and on the billow would he roll, away; Who hath been once in love, hath proved his Mer. Sure! hell. Up then, and follow this my golden rod, That points you next to aged Lethe's shore, Who pours his waters from his urn abroad, Of which but tasting, you shall faint no more. 2 Fate. Ay. Thinks Mercury, That any things or names on earth do die, none cut. Mer. I'gin to doubt, that Love with charms hath put This phant'sie in them; and they only think That they are ghosts. 1 Fate. If so, then let them drink Of Lethe's stream. 2 Fate. "Twill make them to forget Love's name. 3 Fate. And so, they may recover yet. [To the shades. Pre they all stoop to the water, and dance forth their Antimasque in several gestures, as they lived in love and retiring into the grove, before the last person be off the stage, the first Couple appear in their posture between the trees, ready to come forth, changed. Mer. See! see! they are themselves again. 1 Fate. Yes, now they are substances and men. Fates. "Twere insolence to think his powers Not sighs, nor tears, nor wounded hearts, Mer. Look, look unto this snaky rod, Here they dance their Main Dance. Cup. Come, do not call it Cupid's crime, And touch, and taste too: ghosts can walk. Cup. Should with the world be quite undone, Fate is content these lovers here As these have to thank him and Destiny. AND THUS IT ENDED 46 |