THE MASQUE OF THE EDWARDS OF ENGLAND: BEING A CORONATION PAGEANT TO CELEBRATE THE CROWNING OF THE KING.
THE MASQUE IS CONCEIVED AS BEING PRESENTED IN SOME GREAT HALL OR CHAMBER OF STATE. WESTMINSTER HALL OR THE GUILD HALL IN LONDON, AND THE SCENE OF IT IS LAID IN LONDON AND WESTMINSTER.
THE CHARACTERS OF THE MASQUE:
THE PROLOCUTOR.
EDWARD THE CONFESSOR.
EDWARD THE LAWGIVER.
EDWARD THE SECOND.
EDWARD THE KING OF CHIVALRY.
EDWARD THE FOURTH.
EDWARD THE CHILD KING.
EDWARD THE FOUNDER.
EDWARD THE KING.
The symbolic figures:
The Ten Centuries of England:
ENGLAND OF THE CONQUEST.
ENGLAND THE CRUSADING.
ENGLAND OF THE CHURCH.
ENGLAND OF THE PREACHING FRIARS.
ENGLAND OF THE FULFILLED MIDDLE AGES.
ENGLAND OF THE NEW LEARNING.
ENGLAND THE PURITAN.
ENGLAND MILITANT.
ENGLAND OF COMMERCE.
THE CHILD EMPIRE.
THE CITY OF DREADFUL NIGHT.
The grotesque figures:
The Ten Imps of Progress:
CRITICISM: A grey beast with green eyes and antennae.
ENTERPRISE: A riotous, restless, mercurial imp, uncontrolled and lawless, carries a map of the world on which be continually scribbles.
EVOLUTION: A thing that is purblind and formless though it may for the purposes of the Masque, and in mockery of man, appear as the ape or angel from whom by descent he fell.
REVOLUTION: A Christmas pantomime tumbler, decked in the scarlet cap and borrowed rags of the French sansculotte.
RADICALISM: A very hoary animal, half decayed, & with its three lame legs still trying to be of the advance.
JINGOISM: Dressed like the ass in the fable, with the skin of the British Lion upon him.
L'ART NOUVEAU: A commercial looking creature and of temperament hermaphroditic.
NEUROSIS: A strange womanish thing, sour visaged, with a book of problem plays in its hand.
VANDALISM: Dressed somewhat as a small grocer in holiday attire, but with wings that are not serviceable for flying.
SELF COMPLACENCY: May satirise any British politician of either party.
The figures in the pageant, appearing in the meinies of the Ten Centuries of England:
In the meinie of the Eleventh Century:
THE CONQUEROR. TALLIFER. THE ABBOT OF BATTLE. THE BANNER BEARER OF HILDEBRAND.
In the meinie of the Twelfth Century:
ST. THOMAS A BECKET. A GROUP OF CRUSADERS. RICHARD COEUR DE LION.
In the meinie of the Thirteenth Century:
ABBOT SAMPSON OF BURY. ST. HUGH OF LINCOLN & TWO FRIARS MINOR.
In the meinie of the Fourteenth Century:
EDWARD THE BLACK PRINCE. WYCLIFFE & GROUP OF LOLLARDS. JOHN BALL. CHAUCER. HENRY EVELEIGH & THE MASTER BUILDERS. HENRY V.
In the meinie of the Fifteenth Century:
WILLIAM OF WYKEHAM. A GUILD OF MINSTRELS. CAXTON THE MASTER PRINTER.
In the meinie of the Sixteenth Century:
CARDINAL WOLSEY. HENRY VIII. AND HIS QUEENS CATHERINE AND ANNE. SIR THOMAS MORE. MARGARET ROPER. Q. ELIZABETH. SHAKESPEARE. SIDNEY. RALEIGH. BEN JONSON.
In the meinie of the Seventeenth Century:
JOHN BUNYAN. THE PURITAN FATHERS. CROMWELL. JOHN KNOX. LUCIUS CAREY.
In the meinie of the Eighteenth Century:
BONNIE PRINCE CHARLIE. WALPOLE. POPE. ADDISON. GEORGE WASHINGTON. NELSON.
In the meinie of the Nineteenth Century:
STEVENSON. DARWIN. PUSEY. WILLIAM MORRIS. QUEEN VICTORIA.
In the meinie of the Twentieth Century:
YOUTHS FROM IRELAND, CANADA. NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA, & THE CAPE.
The Dancers and Musicians in the dance of the City State.
