thereof; and, because there is use of invention therein, special choice is made of Mr. Sanford to direct the order and course for the ladies';
also in the letters of Carleton to Chamberlain on 27 Nov. (Birch, i. 24;
Hardwicke Papers, i. 383), 'many plays and shows are bespoken, to
give entertainment to our ambassadors', and 22 Dec. (S. P. D. Jac. I,
v. 20; Law, 9):
'We shall have a merry Christmas at Hampton Court, for both male and
female maskes are all ready bespoken, whereof the Duke [of Lennox] is
rector chori of th' one side and the La: Bedford of the other.'
I suppose Mr. Sanford to be Henry Sanford, who, like Daniel, had
been of the Wilton household (cf. Aubrey, i. 311) and may well have
lent him his aid.
The masks of lords on 1 Jan. and of Scots on 6 Jan. are not preserved. The latter is perhaps most memorable because Ben Jonson and his friend Sir John Roe were thrust out from it by the Lord Chamberlain (cf. ch. vi). Arabella Stuart briefly told Shrewsbury on 10 Jan. that there were three masks (Bradley, ii. 199). Wilbraham's Journal (Camden Misc. x), 66, records:
'manie plaies and daunces with swordes: one mask by English and Scottish
lords: another by the Queen's Maiestie and eleven more ladies of her
chamber presenting giftes as goddesses. These maskes, especialli the laste,
costes 2000 or 3000^l, the aparells: rare musick, fine songes: and in jewels
most riche 20000^l, the lest to my judgment: and her Maiestie 100,000^l.
After Christmas was running at the ring by the King and 8 or 9 lordes for
the honour of those goddesses and then they all feasted together privatelie.'
But the fullest description was given by Carleton to Chamberlain on
15 Jan. (S. P. D. Jac. I, vi. 21, printed by Law, 33, 45; Sullivan, 192).
'On New yeares night we had a play of Robin goode-fellow and a maske
brought in by a magicien of China. There was a heaven built at the lower
end of the hall, owt of which our magicien came downe and after he had
made a long sleepy speech to the King of the nature of the cuntry from
whence he came comparing it with owrs for strength and plenty, he sayde
he had broughte in cloudes certain Indian and China Knights to see the
magnificency of this court. And theruppon a trauers was drawne and the
maskers seen sitting in a voulty place with theyr torchbearers and other
lights which was no vnpleasing spectacle. The maskers were brought
in by two boyes and two musitiens who began with a song and whilst that
went forward they presented themselves to the King. The first gave the
King an Impresa in a shield with a sonet in a paper to exprese his deuice
and presented a jewell of 40,000£ valew which the King is to buy of
Peter Van Lore, but that is more than euery man knew and it made
a faire shew to the French Ambassadors eye whose master would have bin
well pleased with such a maskers present but not at that prise. The rest
in theyr order deliuered theyr scutchins with letters and there was no great
stay at any of them saue only at one who was putt to the interpretacion
of his deuise. It was a faire horse colt in a faire greene field which he meant
to be a colt of Busephalus race and had this virtu of his sire that none
could mount him but one as great at lest as Alexander. The King made
himself merry with threatening to send this colt to the stable and he could
not breake loose till he promised to dance as well as Bankes his horse. The
first measure was full of changes and seemed confused but was well gone
