The mask of augurs  
Quarto 1621-2 C. 39. c. 34. Ashely 9●●  
The text of the mask is identical in both copies, but C. 39. c. 34 has on B4 ve●●… a final note of acknowledgements to Inigo Jones, Ferrabosco and Lanier. I know no other copy containing this note.  
13 June, 1938 Percy Simpson   

The mask of augurs. 1621.  
Gifford expressly laments the want of a quarto edition of this mask of Ben Jonson's. It is very rare. The only copy for sale for many years produced L12 at Sotheby's two or three years ago.  
C. 39. c. 34.  
K▪ J▪ B.   

THE MASQVE OF AVGVRES.  
WITH THE SEVERAL Antimasques.  
Presented on twelve night.  
1621.   
The first Antimasque hath for the Scene, The COVRT-BVTTRYHATCH. 
The Presenters are from Saint KATHERINES.  

NOTCH. A Brewers clerk.  
SLVG. A Lighter-man.  
VAN-GOOSE. A rare Artist.  
LADY. Ale-wife.  
Her two Women.  
Three dancing bears.  
VRSON. The Beare-ward.  
groom of the REVELS.    

NOTCH. 
COme, now my head's in, Ile eu'n venture the whole. I ha seen the Lions ere now; and he that hath seen them, may see the King.  SLVG. 
I think he may: but haue a care you go not too high( neighbour NOTCH) least you chance to haue a Tally made of your pate, and be clawed with a cudgel. There is as much danger in going too near the King, as the Lions.  GROOM. 
Whether? whether now gamesters? what is the business? the affair? stop I beseech you.  NOTCH. 
This must be an Officer, or nothing, he is so pert, and brief in his demands! a pretty man! and a pretty man is a little o'this side nothing. howsoever, we must not be daunted now. I am sure I am, a greater man then he out of the Court, and I haue lost nothing of my size since I came into it.  GROOM. 
Hey-da! whats this! A hogshead of beer broken out of the Kings buttery, or some Dutch hulk! whether are you bound? The wind is against you: you must back: do you know where you are?  NOTCH. 
Yes Sir, if we be not mistaken, wee are at the Court, and would be very glad to speak with something of less authority, and more wit, that knows a little, in the place.  groom. 
Sir, I know as little as any man in the place: speak, what is your business? I am an Officer, groom of the REVELS; I may and must ask you.  NOTCH. 
Be not too musty Sir; our desire is onely to know, whether the Kings majesty and the Court expect any Disguise here to night.  GROOM. 
Disguise! what mean you by that? do you think his majesty sits here to expect drunkards?  NOTCH. 
No, if he did, I beleeue you would supply that place better, then you do this. Disguise was the old English word for a mask Sir, before you were an Implement belonging to the REVELS.  GROOM. 
There is no such word in the Office now, I assure you Sir: I haue served here Man and Boy a prenticeship or twain, and I should know. But( by what name soever you call it) here will be a mask, and shall be a mask, when you and the rest of your Comrogues shall sit disguised in the stocks.  NOTCH. 
Sure, by your language, you were never meant for a Courtier, howsoever it hath been your ill fortune to bee taken out of the nest young: you are some Constables egg, some such Widgin of authority, you are so easily offended! Our coming was to show our loues, Sir, and to make a little merry with his majesty to night, and wee haue brought a mask with us, if his majesty had not been better provided.  groom. 
Who you? you a mask? why you stink like so many bloat herrings newly taken out of the chimney! In the name of ignorance whence came you? or what are you? you haue been hanged in the smoke sufficiently, that is smelled out already.  NOTCH. 
Sir, we do come from among the Brewhouses in Saint KATHERINS, that's true, there you haue smoked us( the dock comfort your nostrils) and wee may haue lived in a mist there, and so mist our purpose: but for mine own part, I haue brought my properties with me to express what I am, the keys of my calling hang here at my girdle; and this, the register book of my function, shows me no less then a clerk at all points, and a Brewers clerk, and a Brewers head-Clerke.  GROOM. 
A man of account Sir! I cry you mercy.  SLVG. 
I Sir, I knew him a fine Merchant, a Merchant of hops, till all hopt into the water.  NOTCH. 
No more of that, what I haue been, I haue been: what I am, I am. I PETER NOTCH clerk, hearing the CHRISTMAS invention was drawn dry at Court, and that neither the Kings POET, nor his ARCHITECT had wherewithal left to entertain so much as a Baboone of quality, nor scarce the Welsh ambassador if he should come there; out of my allegiance to wit, drew in some other friends, that haue as it were presumed out of our own naturals, to fill up the Vacuum with some pretty presentation, which wee haue addressed, and conuei'd hither in a lighter at the general charge, and landed at the back-doore of the Buttery, through my neighbour SLVGS credit there.  SLVG. 
A poor Lighterman Sir, one that hath had the honour sometimes to lay in the Kings beer there, and I assure you I heard it in no worse place, then the very buttery, for a certain, there would be no mask, and from such as could command a jack of beer two or three.  VAN. 
Dat is all true, exceeding true, de inventors be barren, lost, two, dite, vour mile, I know that from my selua: dey haue no thing, no thing van deir own, but var dey take vrom de eard, or de zea, or de heaven, or de hell, or de restuan de vier elementen, de place a, dat be so common as de venche in de Burdello. Now, me vould bring in some dainty new thing, dat never vas, nor never sall be, in de rebus natura! dat has never van de matter, nor de vorme, nor de head, nor de voot, but is a mera deuisa of de brain—  GROOM. 
Hey-da, what HANS FLVTTERKIN is this? what does this Dutchman build, or talk of? Castles in the air?  NOT. 
He is no Dutchman Sir, he is a britain born, but hath learned to misuse his own tongue in travell, and now speaks all languages in ill English. A rare Artist he is Sir,& a projector of Masques. His project in ours, is, that wee should all come from the three dancing bears, a famous Alehouse in Saint Katherines( you may hap know it Sir), hard by where the Priest fell in, which Alehouse is kept by a distressed Lady, whose name( for the honour of Knighthood) will not be known, yet shee is come in person, errand, to fill up the adventure with her two Women that draw drink under her, Gentlewomen born, all three I assure you.  SLVG. 
And were three of those Gentlewomen, that should haue acted in that famous matter of Englands Ioy, in six hundred and three.  LADY. 
What talk you of Englands Ioy, Gentlemen? you haue another matter in hand iwis, Englands Sport, if you can manage it. The poor cattle yonder, are passing away the time with a cheat loaf and a bumbard, how will you dispose of them?  GR. 
cattle? what cattle does she mean?  LADY. 
No worse then the Kings Game I assure you: bears of quality and fashion, right bears, true bears!  NOT. 
A device, onely to express the place from whence we come( my Ladies house) for which we haue borrowed three very bears, that( as her ladyship aforesaid says) are well bread, and can dance to present the sign, and the Beareward to stand for the Signe-post.  GR. 
That is pretty: but are you sure you haue sufficient bears for the purpose?  SLVG. 
Very sufficient bears, as any are in the ground: and can dance at first sight, and play their own tunes, if need bee. John VRSON the Beareward offers to play them with any Citie-Dancers, christened, for a ground measure.  NOT. 
mary, for lofty tricks, or dancing on the ropes, he will not undertake: it is out of their element, he says. Sir, all our request is, since we are come, we may bee admitted, if not for a mask, for an antic mask: and as we shall deserve therein, we desire to be returned with credit to the buttery, from whence we came, for reward; or to the Porters Lodge, for our punishment.  GR. 
To be whipped with your bears? Well, I could bee willing to venture a good word in behalf of the Game, if I were assured the aforesaid Game would be cleanly, and not fright the Ladies.  NOT. 
For that, Sir, the Bearward hath put in security, by warranting my Lady and her Women to dance the whole Changes with them in safety; and for their abusing the place, you shal not need to fear, for he hath given them a kind of diet-bread, to bind them, to their good behaviour.  GR. 
Well, let them come: If you need one, Ile help you myself.   

The Dance.  VAN. 
How like you? how like you?  GRO. 
Excellaunt. The bears haue done learnedly, and sweetly.  VAN. 
Tis no thing, tis no thing, vill you see some thing? Ick sall bring in de groat Turkschen, met all zin Bashawes, and zin dirty towsand Yanitsaries, met all zin Whooren, Eunuken, all met an auder, de Sofie van Persia, de Tartar Cham, met de groat King of mogul, and make deir men, and deir horse, and deir elephanten be seen fight in de air, and he all killen, and aliuen! and no sush thing. And al dis, met de ars, van de Catropricks, by de refleshie van de glassen.  NOT. 
O, he is an admirable Artist.  SLVG. 
And a half Sir.  GR. 
But where will he place his glasses?  VAN. 
Fow, dat is all ean! as it be two, dree, vier, vife tousand mile of, Ick sall multipliren de vizioun, met an ander setret dat Ick heb. Spreck, vat will you heben?  GR. 
Good Sir put him toot, bid him do something that is impossible: he will undertake it, I warrant you.  NOT. 
I do not like the mogul, nor the great turk, nor the Tartar, their names are somewhat too big for the room: mary if he could show us some Country-plaiers strolling about in several shires, without licence from the office; that would please, I know whom.  NOT. 
Or some Welsh Pilgrims.  VAN. 
Pilgrim? Now you talk of de Pilgrim, it come in my head, Ick vill show you all de whole brave Pilgrim o' de world: de Pilgrim dat go now, now, at de instant, two, dree, towsand mile to de great Mahomet, at de Mecha, or here, dere, every where, make de fine Labyrints, and show all de brave error in de world.  SLVG. 
And shall we see it here?  VAN. 
Yau, here, here, here in dis room, dis very room: vel, vat is dat to you, if Ick do de thing? vat an divell, vera boten devill?  GR. 
Nay, good Sir be not angry.  NOT. 
Tis a disease that follows all excellent men, they cannot govern their passions, but let him alone, try him one 'bout.  GR. 
I would try him, but what has all this to do with our mask?  VAN. 
O Sir, all de better, vor an Antick-masque, de more absurd it be, and vrom de purpose, it be ever all de better. If it go from de nature of de thing, it is de more art, for dere is Art, and dere is Nature; you shall see. Hochos-pochos. Fabros Palabros.   

The second Antimasque.  Which is a perplexed dance of straying, and deformed Pilgrims, taking several paths, till with the opening of the light above, and breaking forth of APOLLO, they are all frighted away, and the main mask begins. APOLLO descending sings. 
IT is no dream, you all do wake and see:  
Behold, who comes! far-shooting PHOEBVS, he  
That can both hurt, and heal; and with his voice  
rear towns, and make Societies rejoice;  
That taught the Muses all their harmony;  
And men the tuneful art of Augury;  
APOLLO stoops: and, when a God descends,  
May Mortals think he hath no vulgar ends.  Being near the earth, he calls these persons following, who come forth, as from their tombs. 
LINVS, and ORPHEVS, BRANCHVS, IDMON, all  
My sacred sons, rise, at your Fathers call,  
From your immortal graues, where sleep, not death,  
Yet binds your powers.  LINVS. 
Here.  ORPHEVS. 
Here.  BRANCHVS. 
What sacred breath  
Doth re-inspire us!  IDMON. 
Who is this we feel!  PHOEMONOE. 
What heat creeps through me, as when burning steel  
Is dipped in water!  APOLLO. 
I, PHOEMONOE,  
Thy Father PHAEBVS'S fury filleth thee;  
confess my Godhead: once again I call,  
Let whole APOLLO enter in you all,  
And follow me.  chorus. 
We fly, we do not tread,  
The Gods do use to ravish whom they led.  APOLLO, descended, shows them where the King sits, and sings forward. APOLLO. 
Behold the love and care of all the Gods,  
King of the Ocean, and the happy Iles,  
That whilst the world about him is at odds,  
Sits crwoned Lord here of himself, and smiles.—  chorus. 
To see the erring mazes of Mankind,  
Who seek for that, doth punish them to find.  Then he advanceth with them to the King. APOLLO. 
Prince of thy peace, see what it is to love  
The powers above!  
jove hath commanded me  
To visit thee:  
And in thine honour with my music rear  
A college here  
Of tune-full Augnrs, whose divining skill  
Shall wait thee still,  
and be the Heralds of his highest will.  
The work is done,  
And I haue made their President thy son.  
Great MARS too, on these nights,  
Hath added Salian rites.  
Yond, yond, afar,  
They closed in their Temple are,  
And each one guided by a star.  chorus. 
hast, hast, to meet them, and as they advance,  
Twixt every dance,  
Let us interpret their prophetic trance.  Here they fetch out the maskers, and come before them with the Torch-bearers along the Stage, singing this full Song. APOLLO and chorus. 
Which way, and whence the lightning flew,  
Or how it burned, bright, and blew,  
design, and figure by your lights:  
Then forth, and show the several flights  
Your Birds haue made, or what the wing,  
Or voice in augury doth bring.  
Which hand the Crow cried on, how high  
The vulture, or the earn did fly,  
What wing the Swan made, and the dove,  
The stork, and which did get above:  
show all the birds of food, or pray.  
But pass by the unlucky jay,  
The Night-Crow, Swallow, or the Kite,  
Let those haue neither rite,  
Nor part,  
In this nights art.   

The Torch-Bearers Dance.  After which the AVGVRS lay by their staues, and dance their Entry. Which done, APOLLO, and the rest interpret the augury. APOLLO. 
The signs are lucky all, and right,  
There hath not been a voice, or flight  
Of ill presage.  LINVS. 
The bide that brings  
Her Augury alone to Kings,  
The dove, hath flown.  ORPHEVS. 
And to thy peace  
adds Fortunes, and the Fates increase.  BRANCHVS. 
MINERVA'S Hernshaw, and her owl  
Do both proclaim, thou shalt control  
The course of things,  IDMON. 
As now they be,  
With tumult carried:  APOLLO. 
And live free  
From hatred, faction, or the fear  
To blast the olive thou dost wear.  chorus. 
More is behind which these do long to show,  
And what the Gods to so great virtue owe.   

The main Dance.  chorus. 
Still, still the Auspice is so good  
We wish it were but understood;  
It even puts APOLLO  
To all his strengths of art to follow  
The flights, and to divine  
What's meant by every sign.  
Thou canst not less be then the charge  
Of every deity,  
That thus art left here to enlarge,  
And shield their piety!  
Thy Neighbours at thy fortune long haue gazed,  
But at thy wisdom all do stand amazed,  
And wish to be  
o'ercome, or governed by thee!  
safety itself so sides thee where thou goest,  
And Fate still offers what thou couet'st most!   

The bowels.  After which, APOLLO goes up to the King, and sings. 

do not expect to hear of all  
Your good at once, least it forestall  
A sweetness would be new:  
Some things the Fates would haue concealed  
From us the Gods, least being reueal'd  
Our powers should envy you.  
It is enough your people learn  
The reverence of your peace;  
As well as strangers do discern  
The glories, by th' increase:  
And that the princely AVGVR here, your son,  
do by the Fathers lights his courses run.   chorus. 
Him shall you see triumphing over all  
Both foes, and vices: and your young, and tall  
nephews, his sons, grow up in your embraces,  
To give this island Princes, in long razes.  Here the heaven opens, and jove, with the Senate of the Gods, is discovered, while APOLLO returns to his seat, and ascending sings. APOLLO. 
See, heaven expecteth my return,  
The forked fire begins to burn,  
jove beckons me to come.  jove. 
Though PHOEBVS be the God of Arts,  
He must not take on him all parts:  
But leave his Father some.  APOLLO. 
My Arts are onely to obey,  jove. 
And mine to sway.  
jove is that One, whom first, midst, last you call,  
The power that gouern's, and conserveth all;  
Earth, Sea, and air are subject to our check,  
And Fate, with heaven, moving at our beck.  
Till jove it ratify,  
It is no augury,  
Though vtter'd by the mouth of destiny.  APOLLO. 
dear Father, give the sign, and seal it then.  The EARTH riseth. 
It is the svit of EARTH, and Men.  jove. 
What do these mortals crave without our wrong.  EARTH with the rest. 
That jove will lend us this our sovereign, long.  
Let our grandchidren and not we  
His want, or absence ever see.  jove. 
Your wish is blessed:  
jove knocks his chin against his breast,  
And firmes it with the rest.  chorus. 
Sing then his famed, through all the orbs, in even  
Proportions, rising still from Earth to heaven:  
And of the lasting of it leave to doubt,  
The power of Time shall never put that out.  
This done, the whole Scene shuts, and the maskers dance their last dance.   
The End.   

For the expression of this, I must stand; The invention was divided betwixt Mr. jones, and me. The SCENE, which your eye iudges, was wholly his, and worthy his place of the Kings surveyor, and Architect, full of noble observation of antiquity, and high Presentment. The music composed by that excellent pair of kinsmen, Mr. ALPHONSO FERRABOSCO and Mr. NICHOLAS LANIER.  
An sint Musis& Apolline digna, penes vos esto. B. J.