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Court Masques
(Jacobean & Carolingian)

When James I acceded to the throne in 1603 he became patron of Shakespeare's company, which was henceforth called The King's Men; but he also had a taste for masques which were performed on special occasions such as weddings, births, visits from foreign dignitaries, etc. Bearing an obvious similarity to the spectacular entertainments that developed in Lorenzo de Medici's Renaissance Italy where stage machinery was added to the song and dance of the banquets and balls, a masque, as Phyllis Hartnoll says, "… brought the maskers to play before the king in lovely dresses, with all the appurtenances of scenery, machinery and rich allegorical speech."

The stories were usually allegories designed to honor a person or an occasion. The elaborate euphuism of Lyly et al was replaced by elaborate (and more costly) settings and costumes. Hence this little exchange from Beaumont and Fletcher's The Maid's Tragedy (ca. 1609):

LYSIPPUS: Strato, thou hast some skill in Poetry:
What thinkst thou of a Mask? will it be well?

STRATO:. As well as Masque can be.

LYSIPPUS: As Masque can be?

STRATO: Yes, they must commend their King, and speak in praise
Of the Assembly, bless the Bride and Bridegroom
In person of some God; th’are tyed to rules of flattery.

The speaking and singing roles were taken by professional court musicians; comic roles were played by professional actors. The major emphasis was on 1] courtier-dancers, who went into the auditorium to dance with selected spectators and 2] spectacle and scenic display. (see esp Nagler pp. 148-150 description of Prince Charles' (I) debut as chief masquer).

Masques, true to their roots, utilized Italian staging methods; most were designed by Inigo Jones (1573-1652), the court architect, who had studied in Italy. Most were written by Ben Jonson e.g. The Vision of Delight. The first Jones/Jonson collaboration was The Masque of Blackenss (1605), written for Queen Anne who, as chief masquer, wanted to make an appearance with her ladies in the guise of "blackamoors." Jonson decided to invoke the river Niger. He described the look of the festivities:

First, for the Scene, was drawn a landscape, consisting of small woods, and here and there a void place filled with huntings; which falling, an artificial sea was seen to shoot forth, as if it flowed to the land, raised with waves, which seemed to move, and in some places the billow to break, as imitating that orderly disorder, which is common in nature. In front of this sea were placed six Tritons, in moving, and sprightly actions, their upper parts human, save that their hairs were blue, as partaking of the sea-color: their desinent parts, fish, mounted above their head, and all varied in disposition. From their backs were borne out certain light pieces of taffeta, as if carried by the wind, and their music made out of wreathed shells. Behind these, a pair of Sea-maids, for song, were as conspicuously seated; between which, two great Sea-horses (as big as life) put forth themselves; the one mounting aloft, and wrighing his head from the other, which seemed to sink forwards; so intended for variation, and that the figure behind, might come off better: upon their backs, Oceanus and Niger were advanced.

Oceanus presented a human form, the color of his flesh, blus; and shadowed with a robe of sea-green; his head grea; and horned; as he is described by the Ancients: his beard of the like mixed color: he was garlonded with Alga, or sea-grass; and in his hand a Trident.

Niger, in form and color of an Ethiope; his hair and rare beard curled, shadowed with a blue, and bright mantle: his front, neck and wrists adorned with pearl, and crowned with an artificial wreath of cane and paper-rush.

These induced the Masquers, which were twelve Nymphs, Negroes; and the daughters of Niger: attended by so many of the Oceaniae, which were their light-bearers.

The Masquers were placed in a great concave shell, like mother-of-pearl, curiously made to move on those waters, and rise with the billow; the top thereof was stuck with a cheu'ron of lights, which, indented to the proportion of the shell, struck a glorious beam upon them, as they were seated, on above another: so that they were all seen, but in an extravagant order.

On the sides of the shell did swim six huge Sea-monsters, varied in their shapes and dispositions, bearing on their backs the twelve torchbearers; who were planted there in several creases; so as the backs of some were seen; some in profile, or side; others in face; and all hauling their lights burning out of whelks, or murex shells.

The attire of [the] Masquers was alike, in all, without difference: the colors, azure and silver; (their hair thick, and curled upright in tresses, like Pyramids,) but returned on the top with a scroll and antique dressing of feathers, and jewels interlaced with ropes of pearl. And, for the front, ear, neck, and wrists, the ornament was of the most choice and orient pearl; best setting off from the black.

For the light-bearers, sea-green, waved about the skirts with gold and silver; their hair loose, and flowing, garlanded with sea-grass, and that stuck with branches of coral.

These thus presented, the Scene behind, seemed a vast sea (and united with this that flowed forth) from the termination, or horizon of which (being the level of the State, which was placed in the upper end of the hall) was drawn, by the lines of Perspective, the whole work shooting downwards, from the eye; which decorum made it more conspicuous, and caught the eye a far off with a wandering beauty. To which was added an obscure and cloudy night-piece, that made thw whole se of. so much for the bodily part. Which was of Master Inigo Jones his design, and act.

The last, and most spectacular of all the masques was Salmacida Spolia (1640) by William Davenant, who will turn up after the Restoration as a patent holder, but that's another story.

James I averaged one masque a year. Charles I (who himself had appeared in masques starting with Pleasure Reconciled to Virtue (1618) when he was seventeen) averaged two per year. Incredible sums were spent: eg. In 1618 more was spent on a single masque than on all professional performances during his reign. This extravagance, of course, did not please the Puritans--especially Cromwell--which certainly hastened Charles I's trip to the block.