was drawn to discover the maskers on a Throne of Beauty, borne by a floating isle.
The maskers gave two dances, which were repeated at the King's request, and then danced 'with the lords'. They danced galliards and corantoes. They then gave a third dance, and a fourth, which took them into their throne again.
This was a Queen's mask, danced by the Queen, Arabella Stuart, the Countesses of Arundel, Derby, Bedford, and Montgomery, and the Ladies Elizabeth Guildford, Katherine Petre, Anne Winter, Windsor, Anne Clifford, Mary Neville, Elizabeth Hatton, Elizabeth Gerard, Chichester, and Walsingham. The torchbearers were 'chosen out of the best and ingenious youth of the Kingdom'. The scene was 'put in act' by the King's master carpenter. Thomas Giles made the dances and played Thamesis.
The mask was announced by 9 Dec. (V. P. xi. 74). On 10 Dec. La Boderie (ii. 490) reported that it would cost 6,000 or 7,000 crowns, and that nearly all the ladies invited by the Queen to take part in it were Catholics. Anne's preparations were in swing before 17 Dec. (V. P. xi. 76). On 22 Dec. La Boderie reported (iii. 6) that he had underestimated the cost, which would not be less than 30,000 crowns, and was causing much annoyance to the Privy Council. On 31 Dec. Donne (Letters, i. 182) intended to deliver a letter 'when the rage of the mask is past'. Lord Arundel notes his wife's practising early in Jan. (Lodge, App. 124). The original date was 6 Jan. 'The Mask goes forward for Twelfth-day', wrote Chamberlain to Carleton on 5 Jan. (S. P. D. Jac. I, xxxi. 2; Birch, i. 69), 'though I doubt the new room will be scant ready'. But on 8 Jan. (S. P. D. Jac. I, xxxi. 4; Birch, i. 71) he wrote again:
'We had great hopes of having you here this day, and then I would not
have given my part of the mask for any of their places that shall be
present, for I suppose you and your lady would find easily passage, being
so befriended; for the show is put off till Sunday, by reason that all things
are not ready. Whatsoever the device may be, and what success they may
have in their dancing, yet you would have been sure to have seen great
riches in jewels, when one lady, and that under a baroness, is said to be
furnished far better then a hundred thousand pounds. And the Lady
Arabella goes beyond her; and the queen must not come behind.'
The delay was really due to ambassadorial complications, which are
reported by Giustinian (V. P. xi. 83, 86) and very fully by La Boderie
(iii. 1-75; cf. Sullivan, 35, 201). The original intention was to invite
the Spanish and Venetian, but not the French and Flemish ambassadors.
This, according to Giustinian, offended La Boderie, because
Venice was 'the nobler company'. But the real sting lay in the
invitation to Spain. This was represented to La Boderie about
23 Dec. as the personal act of Anne, in the face of a remonstrance by
James on the ground of the preference already shown to Spain in
1605. La Boderie replied that he had already been slighted at the
King of Denmark's visit, that the mask was a public occasion, and
that Henri would certainly hold James responsible. A few days later
