Leuc. What art thou that in[to] this dismal place, Which nothing could find out but misery, And ere you get a dwelling from one of them, Tim. I come to you (for, if I not mistake, You are the prince) from that most noble lord Myself the poorest of all mortal things: Tim. His letters speak him, sir. [While LEUCIPPUS opens the letter, TIMAN TUS runs at him; URANIA rushes between, and receives the wound. Ura. Gods keep him but from knowing me till I die! 2 Aye me, sure, I cannot live a day! Oh, thou foul traitor! - How do you, master? Leuc. How dost thou, my child? - Alas, look on this! It may make thee repentant, to behold Those innocent drops that thou hast drawn from thence. Ura. 'Tis nothing, sir, an you be well. [Kneels and discovers himself. Know you me now, sir? Leuc. How couldst thou find me out? Tim. I am not guilty, sir. Acquit thee! here it is. [Delivers him his sword. Any violence against your highness. Leuc. At thy peril, then! For this must be thy trial; and from henceforth Look to thyself! Tim. I do beseech you, sir, Let me not fight. [Kneels. Leuc. Up, up again, Timantus ! [TIM. rises. There is no way but this, believe me. Now, if [AS LEUCIPPUs turns aside, TIMANTUS runs at him.5 Fie, fie, Timantus! is there no usage can Recover thee from baseness? Wert thou longer To converse with men, I would have chid thee for this. Be all thy faults forgiven! [They fight; TIMANTUS falls. Tim. Oh, spare me, sir! I am not fit for Let not thy misery vex me; thou shalt have What thy poor heart can wish: I am a prince, And I will keep thee in the gayest clothes, therefore, (A nobler trial, &c.] "Seward reads [and is followed by the Editors of 1778], 'therefore take A nobler trial,' &c. But there is no occasion for this addition, if we substitute a comma for a colon [which the two preceding editions have] after the words at all,' as Mason directs, and place the parentheses as in the text." WEBER. This gives a sense to the passage; but, as the play is corrupt throughout, the loss of a word may be suspected here. 5 As Leucippus turns aside, Timantus runs at him] In this stage-direction (which I have slightly altered) the words "turns aside" are probably to be understood of the prince resuming his position for the fight. The stage-directions which the modern editors have added to this scene are altogether wrong: they were not aware that bere (as often elsewhere) the stage-directions of the old eds. are placed much too early, being merely notices to the performers,to warn them to be in readiness. And the finest things that ever pretty boy Ura. I know you well enough; Feth, I am dying; and now you know all too. Leuc. But stir up thyself: look what a jewel here is, See how it glisters! what a pretty show Ura. Do you not know me? That knows no friends nor ending! may all ages That shall succeed curse you, as I do! and, That your base issues may be ever monsters, Leuc. Would you had love within you and such grief Leuc. I prithee, mind thy health: why, that's As might become a mother! Look you there! well said; 1 My good boy, smile still. Ura. I shall smile till death, 1 well said] See note, p. 200. 2 Leave her to Heaven, brave cousin, &c.] With this speech (which is no doubt somewhat corrupted) Seward took his usual liberties, inserting "And" at the beginning of the second line, and throwing out "for" in the fifth. The following arrangement would hardly be an improvement; "Leave her to Heaven, brave cousin: they shall tell her How she has sinn'd against 'em; my hand shall never Be stain'd with such base blood. - Live, wicked mother! That reverend title be your pardon! for I will use no extremity against you, THE MASQUE OF THE INNER-TEMPLE AND GRAY'S INN. The Masque of the Inner Temple and Grayes Inne: Grayes Inne and the Inner Temple, presented before his Maiestie, the Queenes Maiestie, the Prince, Count Palatine and the Lady Elizabeth their Highnesses, in the Banquetting house at White-hall On Saturday the twentieth day of Februarie, 1612. At London, Imprinted by F. K. for George Norton, and are to be sold at his shoppe, neere Temple-bar. 4to. n. d. The Maske of the Gentlemen of Grayes-Inne, and the Inner-Temple, Performed before the King in the Banqueting-house at White-hall, at the marriage of the Illustrious Frederick and Elizabeth, Prince and Princesse Palatine of the Rhone. Written by Francis Beamont Gentleman, in the folios of 1647, 1679. Also in Beaumont's Poems, 1653, 8vo. In all eds., except the 4to., the Masque is curtailed of the Dedication and descriptive portions. THIS masque was the unassisted production of Beaumont. "The marriage of the Count Palatine of the Rhine with the Lady Elizabeth, daughter to James I., was celebrated on Valentine's Day, in the year 1613 [1612-13]. The Masque then exhibited by the gentlemen of Gray's Inn and the InnerTemple was performed with much splendour and magnificence, and at a great expense to both those Societies. In Dugdale's Origines Juridiciales, 1671, p. 286, we find the following accounts of the charges attending this representation, extracted from the records of each Society: Gray's Inn. In the 10th of King James, the Gentlemen of this house were (together with those of the other Innes of Court) Actors in that great Mask at White-hall, at the marriage of the Kings eldest daughter unto Frederick Count Palatine of the Rhene: the charge in apparell for the Actors in which mask was supported by the Society; the Readers being each man assessed at 41., the Ancients, and such as at that time were to be called Ancients, at 21. 10s. a piece, the Barristers at 2. a man, and the Students at 20s. ; out of which so much was to be taken as the Inner-Temple did then allow. "Which being performed, there was an Order made, 18 Maii then next following, that the Gentlemen who were Actors in that Mask should bring in all their Masking Apparell, so provided at the charge of the House.'" REED. "In Winwood's Memorials, (Vol. III. p. 435,) Mr. John Chamberlaine, after giving an account of the successful representation of the masque provided by the Middle-Temple and Lincoln's Inn, proceeds in the following words respecting that of Beaumont: But the next day our Gray's Inn men and the Inner-Temple had not the same fortune, though they deserved no less; for, striving to vary from their competitors, (and their device being the marrying of the Thames to the Rhine,) they made choice to go by water from Winchester-house in Southwark, with their boats and barges exceedingly trimed, and furnished with store of lights that made a glorious shew, and three peale of ordinance at their taking water, at their passing by the Temple, and at their landing; which passage by water cost them better then 3001. But when they were landed at the court, by what mischance I know not, they were feign to return as they went without doing any thing; the reason whereof some say was, because the hall was so full that it could not be avoided, nor room made for them, and most of the principall ladyes that were in the galleries to see them land excluded. But the most probable is, that the king was so satiated and overwearied with watching, that he could hold out no longer, and so was driven to put it off till Saturday; when it was very well performed in the new Bankquetting-house, which, for a kind of amends, was granted to them, though with much repining and contradiction of their emulators. The next day the king made them all a solemn supper in the new Marriage-room, and used them so well and graciously, that he sent both parties away well pleased with this great solemnity." " WEBER. See also an account of the present masque (differing but little from the descriptive portions of our text) in Howes's continuation of Stow's Annales, p. 917. ed. 1615; and a letter from Mr. Chamberlain to Sir Dudley Carleton in Nichols's Prog. of King James, ii. 589. TO THE WORTHY SIR FRANCIS BACON, HIS MAJESTY'S SOLICITOR-GENERAL, AND THE GRAVE AND LEARNED BENCH OF THE ANCIENTLYALLIED HOUSES OF GRAY'S INN AND THE INNER-TEMPLE, THE INNER-TEMPLE AND GRAY'S INN. YE that spared no time nor travail in the setting forth, ordering, and furnishing of this Masque, (being the first fruits of honour in this kind which these two societies have offered to his majesty,) will not think much now to look back upon the effects of your own care and work; for that, whereof the success was then doubtful, is now happily performed and graciously accepted; and that which you were then to think of in straits of time, you may now peruse at leisure and you, Sir Francis Bacon,' especially, as you did then by your countenance and loving affection advance it, so let your good word grace it and defend it, which is able to add value to the greatest and least matters. 1 Sir Francis Bacon] In the letter, referred to above, from Mr. Chamberlain to Sir Dudley Carleton, Sir Francis Bacon is called "the chief contriver" of this masque. VOL. I. 48 (377) A MASQUE. THE MASQUE OF THE INNER-TEMPLE AND GRAY'S INN, GRAY'S INN AND PRESENTED BEFORE HIS MAJESTY, THE QUEEN'S MAJESTY, ETC. THIS Masque was appointed to have been presented the Shrove-Tuesday before, at which time the masquers, with their attendants, and divers others, gallant young gentlemen of both houses, as their convoy, set forth from Winchester-house (which was the rendezvous) towards the court, about seven of the clock at night. This voyage by water was performed in great triumph: the gentlemen-masquers being placed by themselves in the king's royal barge, with the rich furniture of state, and adorned with a great number of lights, placed in such order as might make best show. They were attended with a multitude of barges and gallies, with all variety of loud music, and several peals of ordnance; and led by two admirals. Of this show his majesty was graciously pleased to take view, with the prince, the Count Palatine and the Lady Elizabeth their highnesses, at the windows of his privy gallery, upon the water, till their landing, which was at the privy stairs; where they were most honourably received by the lord-chamberlain, and so conducted to the vestry. The hall was by that time filled with company of very good fashion, but yet so as a very great number of principal ladies and other noble persons were not yet come in, whereby it was foreseen that the room would be so scanted as might have been inconvenient; and thereupon his majesty was most graciously pleased, with the consent of the gentlemen-masquers, to put off the night until Saturday following, with this special favour and privilege, that there should be no let1 as to the outward ceremony of magnificence until that time. At the day that it was presented, there was a choice room reserved for the gentlemen of both their houses, who, coming in troop about seven of the clock, received that special honour and noble favour, as to be brought to their places by the Right Honourable the Earl of Northampton, Lord-Privy Seal. THE DEVICE OR ARGUMENT OF THE MASQUE. Jupiter and Juno, willing to do honour to the marriage of the two famous rivers Thamesis and Rhine, employ their messengers severally, Mercury and Iris, for that purpose. contend: then Mercury, for his part, brings forth They meet and an anti-masque 2 all of spirits or divine natures; but yet not of one kind or livery (because that had been so much in use heretofore), but, as it were, in consort, like to broken music: and, preserving the propriety of the device, for that rivers in nature are maintained either by springs from beneath or showers from above, of the Naiades out of the fountains, and bringeth he raiseth four down five of the Hyades out of the clouds to dance. Hereupon Iris scoffs at Mercury, for that he had devised a dance but of one sex, which could have no life: but Mercury, who was provided for that exception, and in token that the match should be blessed both with love and riches, calleth forth out of the groves four Cupids, and brings down from Jupiter's altar four Statuas 3 of gold and silver to dance with the Nymphs and Stars: in which dance, the Cupids being blind, and the Statuas having but half life put into them, and retaining still somewhat of their old nature, giveth fit oc casion to new and strange varieties both in the music and paces. This was the first anti masque. Then Iris, for her part, in scorn of this high-flying device, and in token that the match shall likewise be blessed with the love of the common people, calls to Flora, her confederate, -for that the months of flowers are likewise the months of sweet showers and rainbows, May-dance, or rural dance, consisting likewise -to bring in a not of any suited persons, but of a confusion or commixture of all such persons as are natural and proper for country sports. This is the second anti-masque. Then Mercury and Iris, after this vying one upon the other, seem to leave their contention; and Mercury, by the consent of Iris, brings down the Olympian knights, intimating that Jupiter having, after a long discontinuance, revived the Olympian games, and summoned thereunto from all parts the liveliest and activest persons that were, had enjoined them, before they fell to their games, to do honour to these nuptials. Olympian games portend to the match celebrity, The victory, and felicity. This was the main masque. The fabric was a mountain with two descents, and severed with two traverses.* At the entrance of the King, 4 traverses] i. e. curtains. |