Page:The Elizabethan stage (Volume 3).pdf/259

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the Lord Dennye, their Marriage hauing been the same Day at Court solemnized. To this by occasion other small Poems are adioyned.

Inuented and set forth by Thomas Campion Doctor of Phisicke. John Windet for John Browne. [Engraving of the maskers' habit; Verses to James, Lord De Walden and Lord and Lady Hay.] The maskers, in carnation and silver, concealed at first in a 'false habit' of green leaves and silver, were nine Knights of Apollo; the torchbearers the nine Hours of Night; the presenters Flora, Zephyrus, Night, and Hesperus; the musicians Sylvans, who, as the mask was predominantly musical, were aided by consorts of instruments and voices above the scene and on either side of the hall. The locality was the 'great hall' at Whitehall. At the upper end were the cloth and chair of state, with 'scaffolds and seats on either side continued to the screen'. Eighteen feet from the screen was a stage, which stood three feet higher than the 'dancing-place' in front of it, and was enclosed by a 'double veil' or vertically divided curtain representing clouds. The Bower of Flora stood on the right and the House of Night on the left at the ends of the screen, and between them a grove, behind which, under the window, rose hills with a Tree of Diana. In the grove were nine golden trees which performed the first dance, and then, at the touch of Night's wand, were drawn down by an engine under the stage, and cleft to reveal the maskers. After two more 'new' dances, they took out the ladies for 'measures'. Then they danced 'their lighter dances as corantoes, levaltas and galliards'; then a fourth 'new' dance; and then 'putting off their vizards and helmets, made a low honour to the King, and attended his Majesty to the banqueting place'. The mask was given, presumably by friends of the bridegroom, in honour of the wedding of James Lord Hay and Honora, daughter of Lord Denny. The maskers were Lord Walden, Sir Thomas Howard, Sir Henry Carey, Sir Richard Preston, Sir John Ashley, Sir Thomas Jarret, Sir John Digby, Sir Thomas Badger, and Mr. Goringe. One air for a song and one for a song and dance were made by Campion, two for dances by Mr. Lupo, and one for a dance by Mr. Thomas Giles. Few contemporary references to the mask exist. It is probably that described in a letter, which I have not seen, from Lady Pembroke to Lord Shrewsbury, calendared among other Talbot MSS. of 1607 in Lodge, App. 121. No ambassadors were invited—Dieu merci—says the French ambassador, and Anne, declaring herself ill, stayed away (La Boderie, ii. 12, 30). Expenditure on preparing the hall appears in the accounts of the Treasurer of the Chamber and the Office of Works (Reyher, 520).

The Lords' Mask. 14 Feb. 1613

1613. For John Budge. [Annexed to Caversham Entertainment (q.v.).]

This was for the wedding of Elizabeth. The men maskers, in cloth of silver, were eight transformed Stars, the women, also in silver,