Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 05.pdf/89

In 1614 the Gentlemen of Gray's Inn per Arthur" which was performed before the Queen. He is said to "have spared no time formed the Masque of Flowers at Whitehall in setting forth and furnishing " a Masque before King James I. The occasion was the which Beaumont wrote for the Inn in 1613; marriage of the famous (or rather infamous ) and more than one libretto is dedicated to Countess of Somerset. The Masque was his name. But the authorship of most of again performed in 1887 in Gray's Inn Hall these Masques is shrouded in mystery, and to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee. It was a much has to be left to conjecture. Not once very happy idea, — this of doing homage to but often one catches a line, a thought, or an Victoria in the fashion of Elizabeth. A few

epigram that would interpolations were seem to have strayed made, but the per from the famous Es formance was virtu says. Many times the ally the same as that characters speak Ba of three hundred years con's thoughts in Ba ago. One change con's way. But such must be noticed. The intrinsic evidence is Benchers, in whose too slender to stand eyes celibacy was the highest ornament, and alone; and, alas! pla who had forbidden the . giarism was not un presence of the fair known even then. sex in their chapel, On one occasion Gray's Inn kept up would be hardly likely their revels for three to suffer it in the weeks. They elected green room, and the a Prince of Purpoole, Jacobean students had and gave him a most themselves to take the portentous list of ad parts of the ladies of ditional titles, a court, the cast. Tempora nnitantur! The Vic an army, and (it is to be torian student is wiser hoped) an exchequer in his generation, and fitted to his needs and dignity. The Prince enlisted a bevy of his BARNARD'S INN. held his mimic court fair friends, who lent to the representation each day, at which speeches were delivered by his counsellors, much of its beauty and grace. containing an amount of hard logic und Nowadays these junketings have disap common-sense most unfitted to the occasion. "Grand Nights " were also held in Hall, and peared. A Masque is a thing only to be at the first of these was performed " the thought of on so special an occasion as a Comedy of Errors (like to Plautus his Me- Jubilee. The passion for dancing and pos nechmus)." Here we have the earliest men turing is gone with " the dancing chancellor," tion of Shakspeare's play on which rests the the doublets and the hose, the rapiers and claim mentioned above. The Prince of Pur ribbons. The age of broadcloth is come; and poole afterwards took his court to Queen the modern student has the mien of a Lord Elizabeth at Greenwich, and held a tourna Chancellor, and takes his pleasures as sadly ment for the amusement of his "Sister- as any Saxon of them all. It may be, of course, that in the seclusion Sovereign."