Ben Jonson

The Masque of Blackness


Source text for this digital edition:
Jonson, Ben. “The Masque of Blackness.” [Online]. Edited by David Lindley. In: Butler, Martin; Bevington, David; Britland, Karen; Donaldson, Ian; Gants, David L.; and Giddens, Eugene (ed.). The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Ben Jonson Online. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014. https://universitypublishingonline.org/cambridge/benjonson/k/works/blackness/facing/#
Digital text encoding for EMOTHE:
  • Tronch Pérez, Jesús

Note on this digital edition

Text reproduced with kind permission by Cambridge University Press.

The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Ben Jonson Online is ©Cambridge University Press 2014. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. It has been developed by King's College London Department of Digital Humanities, with the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Cambridge University Press.

The typographical layout of lines 225-247 in Lindley’s edition (which explain the distribution names and emblems among the six couples of masquers) has been adapted to conventions required by the EMOTHE editing platform. Only verse lines are numbered in this EMOTHE digital edition.


THE QUEEN’S MASQUES
The first, of Blackness: personated at the Court,
at Whitehall, on the Twelfth Night, 1605.

The honour and splendour of these spectacles was such in the performance as, could those hours have lasted, this of mine now had been a most unprofitable work. But, when it is the fate even of the greatest and most absolute births to need and borrow a life of posterity, little had been done to the study of magnificence in these, if presently with the rage of the people – who, as a part of greatness, are privileged by custom to deface their carcasses – the spirits had also perished. In duty, therefore, to that Majesty who gave them their authority and grace, and no less than the most royal of predecessors deserves eminent celebration for these solemnities, I add this later hand, to redeem them as well from ignorance as envy, two common evils, the one of censure, the other of oblivion.

Pliny, Solinus, Ptolemy, and of late Leo the African, remember unto us a river in Ethiopia famous by the name of Niger; of which the people were called Nigritae, now Negroes, and are the blackest nation of the world. This river taketh spring out of a certain lake, eastward, and after a long race falleth into the western ocean. Hence, because it was Her Majesty’s will to have them black-moors at first, the invention was derived by me, and presented thus.

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-colour; their desinent parts fish, mounted above their heads 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 the life, put forth themselves; the one mounting aloft and writhing 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 in a human form, the colour of his flesh blue, and shadowed with a robe of sea-green; his head grey and horned, as he is described by the ancients; his beard of the like mixed colour; he was garlanded with alga, or sea-grass, and in his hand a trident.

Niger, in form and colour of an Ethiop; 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 chevron of lights which, indented to the proportion of the shell, struck a glorious beam upon them as they were seated one above another, so that they were all seen, but in an extravagant order.

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

The attire of the masquers was alike in all, without difference; the colours 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 afar off with a wandering beauty. To which was added an obscure and cloudy night-piece, that made the whole set off. So much for the bodily part, which was of Master Inigo Jones his design and act.

By this, one of the tritons, with the two sea-maids, began to sing to the others’ loud music, their voices being a tenor and two trebles.
SONG

1
Sound, sound aloud
2
The welcome of the orient flood
3
Into the west;
4
Fair Niger, son to great Oceanus,
5
Now honoured thus,
6
With all his beauteous race,
7
Who, though but black in face,
8
Yet are they bright
9
And full of life and light;
10
To prove that beauty best,
11
Which not the colour, but the feature
12
Assures unto the creature.

OCEANUS
13
Be silent, now the ceremony’s done.
14
And Niger, say, how comes it, lovely son,
15
That thou, the Ethiops’ river, so far east,
16
Art seen to fall into th’extremest west
17
Of me, the king of floods, Oceanus,
18
And in mine empire’s heart salute me thus?
19
My ceaseless current now amazèd stands
20
To see thy labour through so many lands
21
Mix thy fresh billow with my brackish stream,
22
And, in thy sweetness, stretch thy diademe
23
To these far distant and unequalled skies,
24
This squarèd circle of celestial bodies.

NIGER
25
Divine Oceanus, ’tis not strange at all
26
That, since the immortal souls of creatures mortal
27
Mix with their bodies, yet reserve for ever
28
A power of separation, I should sever
29
My fresh streams from thy brackish, like things fixed,
30
Though with thy powerful saltness thus far mixed.
31
Virtue, though chained to earth, will still live free;
32
And hell itself must yield to industry.

OCEANUS
33
But what’s the end of thy Hercúlean labours,
34
Extended to these calm and blessèd shores?

NIGER
35
To do a kind and careful father’s part,
36
In satisfying every pensive heart
37
Of these my daughters, my most lovèd birth;
38
Who, though they were the first-formed dames of earth,
39
And in whose sparkling and refulgent eyes
40
The glorious sun did still delight to rise;
41
Though he (the best judge, and most formal cause
42
Of all dames’ beauties) in their firm hues draws
43
Signs of his fervent’st love; and thereby shows
44
That in their black the perfect’st beauty grows;
45
Since the fixed colour of their curlèd hair
46
(Which is the highest grace of dames most fair)
47
No cares, no age can change, or there display
48
The fearful tincture of abhorrèd grey;
49
Since Death herself (herself being pale and blue)
50
Can never alter their most faithful hue;
51
All which are arguments to prove how far
52
Their beauties conquer in great beauty’s war,
53
And more, how near divinity they be,
54
That stand from passion or decay so free.
55
Yet, since the fabulous voices of some few
56
Poor brain-sick men, styled poets here with you,
57
Have, with such envy of their graces, sung
58
The painted beauties other empires sprung,
59
Letting their loose and wingèd fictions fly
60
To infect all climates, yea our purity;
61
As of one Phaëton, that fired the world,
62
And that before his heedless flames were hurled
63
About the globe the Ethiops were as fair
64
As other dames, now black with black despair;
65
And in respect of their complexions changed,
66
Are each-where, since, for luckless creatures ranged.
67
Which when my daughters heard – as women are
68
Most jealous of their beauties – fear and care
69
Possessed them whole; yea, and believing them,
70
They wept such ceaseless tears into my stream
71
That it hath thus far overflowed his shore
72
To seek them patience: who have since, e’ermore
73
As the sun riseth, charged his burning throne
74
With volleys of revilings, ’cause he shone
75
On their scorched cheeks with such intemperate fires,
76
And other dames made queens of all desires.
77
To frustrate which strange error, oft I sought –
78
Though most in vain, against a settled thought
79
As women’s are – till they confirmed at length
80
By miracle what I with so much strength
81
Of argument resisted; else they feigned:
82
For in the lake where their first spring they gained,
83
As they sat cooling their soft limbs one night,
84
Appeared a face, all circumfused with light –
85
And sure they saw’t, for Ethiops never dream –
86
Wherein they might decipher through the stream
87
These words:
88
That they a land must forthwith seek,
89
Whose termination (of the Greek)
90
Sounds -tania; where bright Sol, that heat
91
Their bloods, doth never rise or set,
92
But in his journey passeth by,
93
And leaves that climate of the sky
94
To comfort of a greater light,
95
Who forms all beauty with his sight.
96
In search of this have we three princedoms passed,
97
That speak out -tania in their accents last;
98
Black Mauritania first, and secondly
99
Swart Lusitania; next we did descry
100
Rich Aquitania; and, yet, cannot find
101
The place unto these longing nymphs designed.
102
Instruct and aid me, great Oceanus;
103
What land is this, that now appears to us?

OCEANUS
104
This land, that lifts into the temperate air
105
His snowy cliff, is Albion the fair;
106
So called of Neptune’s son, who ruleth here;
107
For whose dear guard, myself four thousand year,
108
Since old Deucalion’s days, have walked the round
109
About his empire, proud to see him crowned
110
Above my waves.

At this, the moon was discovered in the upper part of the house, triumphant in a silver throne, made in figure of a pyramis; her garments white and silver, the dressing of her head antique, and crowned with a luminary, or sphere of light, which, striking on the clouds, and heightened with silver, reflected as natural clouds do by the splendour of the moon. The heaven about her was vaulted with blue silk, and set with stars of silver which had in them their several lights burning. The sudden sight of which made Niger to interrupt Oceanus with this present passion:

NIGER
— Oh, see, our silver star!
111
Whose pure, auspicious light greets us thus far!
112
Great Ethiopia, goddess of our shore,
113
Since with particular worship we adore
114
Thy general brightness, let particular grace
115
Shine on my zealous daughters. Show the place
116
Which long their longings urged their eyes to see.
117
Beautify them, which long have deified thee.

ETHIOPIA
118
Niger, be glad; resume thy native cheer.
119
Thy daughters’ labours have their period here,
120
And so thy errors. I was that bright face
121
Reflected by the lake, in which thy race
122
Read mystic lines (which skill Pythagoras
123
First taught to men by a reverberate glass).
124
This blessed isle doth with that -tania end,
125
Which there they saw inscribed, and shall extend
126
Wished satisfaction to their best desires.
127
Britania, which the triple world admires,
128
This isle hath now recovered for her name;
129
Where reign those beauties that with so much fame
130
The sacred muses’ sons have honourèd,
131
And from bright Hesperus to Eos spread.
132
With that great name, Britania, this bless’d isle
133
Hath won her ancient dignity and style,
134
A world divided from the world; and tried
135
The abstract of it in his general pride.
136
For were the world, with all his wealth, a ring,
137
Britania, whose new name makes all tongues sing,
138
Might be a diamond worthy to enchase it,
139
Ruled by a sun that to this height doth grace it;
140
Whose beams shine day and night, and are of force
141
To blanch an Ethiop and revive a corse.
142
His light sciential is, and, past mere nature,
143
Can salve the rude defects of every creature.
144
Call forth thy honoured daughters, then;
145
And let them, ’fore the Britain men,
146
Indent the land with those pure traces
147
They flow with in their native graces.
148
Invite them boldly to the shore,
149
Their beauties shall be scorched no more:
150
This sun is temperate, and refines
151
All things on which his radiance shines.

Here the tritons sounded, and they danced on shore, every couple, as they advanced, severally presenting their fans; in one of which were inscribed their mixed names, in the other a mute hieroglyphic, expressing their mixed qualities. Which manner of symbol I rather chose than imprese, as well for strangeness as relishing of antiquity, and more applying to that original doctrine of sculpture which the Egyptians are said first to have brought from the Ethiopians.
{The Names} |(The Symbols)
1 — The Queen {Euphoris} — Countess of Bedford {Aglaia} | (A golden tree laden with fruit)
2 — Lady Herbert {Diaphane} — Countess of Derby {Eucampse} | (The figure icosahedron of crystal)
3 — Lady Rich {Ocyte} — Countess of Suffolk {Kathare} | (A pair of naked feet in a river)
4 — Lady Bevill {Notis} — Lady Effingham {Psychrote} | (The salamander simple)
5 — Lady Elizabeth Howard {Glycyte} — Lady Susan Vere {Malacia} | (A cloud full of rain, dropping)
6 — Lady Wroth {Baryte} — Lady Walsingham {Periphere} | (An urn sphered with wine)
The names of the Oceaniae were:
Doris | Cydippe | Beroe| Ianthe
Petraea | Glauce | Acaste | Lycoris
Ocyrhoe | Tyche| Clytia | Plexaure
Their own single dance ended, as they were about to make choice of their men, one from the sea was heard to call ’em with this charm, sung by a tenor voice:
SONG

152
Come away, come away,
153
We grow jealous of your stay.
154
If you do not stop your ear,
155
We shall have more cause to fear
156
Sirens of the land, than they
157
To doubt the sirens of the sea.

Here they danced with their men several measures and corantos. All which ended, they were again accited to sea with a song of two trebles, whose cadences were iterated by a double echo from several parts of the land.
Song

FIRST TREBLE
158
Daughters of the subtle flood,
159
Do not let earth longer entertain you;

FIRST ECHO
160
Let earth longer entertain you.

SECOND ECHO
161
Longer entertain you.

SECOND TREBLE
162
’Tis to them enough of good,
163
That you give this little hope to gain you.

FIRST ECHO
164
Give this little hope to gain you.

SECOND ECHO
165
Little hope to gain you.

FIRST TREBLE
166
If they love,

SECOND TREBLE
167
You shall quickly see;

FIRST TREBLE
168
For when to flight you move
169
They’ll follow you, the more you flee.

FIRST ECHO
170
Follow you, the more you flee.

SECOND ECHO
171
The more you flee.

BOTH TREBLES
172
If not, impute it each to other’s matter;
173
They are but earth,

FIRST ECHO
174
But earth,

SECOND ECHO
175
Earth,
176
both trebles
177
And what you vowed was water.

FIRST ECHO
178
And what you vowed was water.

SECOND ECHO
179
You vowed was water.

ETHIOPIA
180
Enough, bright nymphs, the night grows old,
181
And we are grieved we cannot hold
182
You longer light; but comfort take,
183
Your father, only, to the lake
184
Shall make return; yourselves, with feasts,
185
Must here remain the Ocean’s guests.
186
Nor shall this veil the sun hath cast
187
Above your blood, more summers last.
188
For which, you shall observe these rites:
189
Thirteen times thrice, on thirteen nights,
190
(So often as I fill my sphere
191
With glorious light, throughout the year)
192
You shall, when all things else do sleep
193
Save your chaste thoughts, with reverence steep
194
Your bodies in that purer brine,
195
And wholesome dew, called rosmarine;
196
Then with that soft and gentler foam,
197
Of which the ocean yet yields some
198
Whereof bright Venus, beauty’s queen,
199
Is said to have begotten been,
200
You shall your gentler limbs o’er-lave,
201
And, for your pains, perfection have;
202
So that, this night, the year gone round,
203
You do again salute this ground;
204
And in the beams of yond bright sun
205
Your faces dry, and all is done.

At which, in a dance, they returned to the sea, where they took their shell; and, with this full song, went out.
Song

206
Now Dian, with her burning face,
207
Declines apace;
208
By which our waters know
209
To ebb, that late did flow.
210
Back seas, back nymphs; but with a forward grace
211
Keep still your reverence to the place;
212
And shout with joy of favour you have won
213
In sight of Albion, Neptune’s son.

So ended the first masque, which, beside the singular grace of music and dances, had that success in the nobility of performance as nothing needs to the illustration, but the memory by whom it was personated.