The times., 1899-10-22
From the London staadard.)

(From the London Stludard0
Mythology and alIegory are no longer
the fashion in drama Men who would not
risk classical quotation are not likely to
search Olympus and fairylaud IN order to
people the stage with gods and legendary
heroes. They left that to Ben Jonsou.
Dekker. Beaumont Davenport Fletcher.
Middleton. and Chapman. Poets and play
wrights in the Golden Age knew how 70
cluthe these distractions with al the
splendors OF a picturesque and sentimental
fancy. That no harsh limit might be set
they invented the masque and mingled in
one sparkling composition gods and heroes,
music and dance. decoration and declama-
tion. Elizabeth reyeled in these. .pageanJs
in which all the magnifcence of the Eng
lish Renaissance was displayed James /
and Charles II found in them an unfauing
source Of pleasure. Even the Church en-
couraged them, while lawyers in the tenn
pie handed them down from generation 10
generation, despite Puritan protest.
These Mosques were true feasts for the
eye-fairy tales set IN a glitter Of dia-
monds and dresses, professions that Titan
might have painted, pantomimes and i'm
probable farces that caught the follies Of
the day as Aristophanes might have pre-
sented them to the Greeks. As Bacon OBJ
serves, they were designed for princes and
by princes played. Only when the highest
poetical and musical talent was expended
upon them-as in "Comus had they any
permanent literary value.
After two centuries of oblivion the
masque is to be revived. At the end Of the
present month there will be set before the
lord mayor, the sheriffs, aldermen, and
leading citizens Of London in their own
and ancient GuildhaH the story OF
"Beauty's Awakening IA masque Of win
ter and of spring 1t is the production OF
the Art Workers Guild, and gives evi-
dence of much skill and labor on the part
of many eminent artists and craftsmen.
The action Of the masqUe is short and sim
pie, and, on the suggestion of Walter
Crane, has been woven into the Old Word
story of the Sleeping Beauty. 1t has, of
course, an ethical application, the sleep Of
Fayremonde symbolizing Indifference to
art and beauty, while her awakening rep
resents the revival Of the arts which has
distinguished our time There is a pro
logue, followed by six scenes, and an epi-
lOgue, with professions and dances and
songs, after the manner Of the ancient
masques. The prologue. written by Har-
rison Townsend, is spoken by Time who
invites the candid and gOod-natured'
audience TO stand
Within the confines of the Time-less land
The land Of Faery where all things seem
Where and Time have melted into dream.
Fayremonde the spirit Of all things
beautiful, is then discovered in a profound
sleep within a tapestried chamber of her
palace. Around her are grouped attendants
the seven eXtiDguished lamps-Truth,
Sacrifice. Power, Beauty, Life, Memory
Obedience. Over their slumbers watches
MalebOdea, the witch. The song OF the
Winds and the Leaves is sung, and dance
fOllows-the dance OF forest Ieayes-six-
teen young girls in robes Of crimson and
brown and orange and green. These leaves
are blown about by the four winds, and
the music of the dance is performed upon
ancient instruments. the players standing
on the stage quantity attired- The second
scene represents a forest, into which the
four Seasons have brought a tree in bios
som. Under this spreading thorn rests the
weary Knight Trueheart. who has lost
himself in the enchanted forest and has
broken his sword in hewing path While
he sleeps, Hope and Fortitude come to
him in a vision Hope whispers words Of
cCura ge-
Fairness lies hid beneath cold customs ban
That hides the brotherhood Of man with man.
Fortltude. in strange armor dight."
~
and Conviction Sure. while Hope crests his
helmet with a blossoming bOugh. Thus
equipped TTueheart encounters and slays
Aschemon. a huge and horrid dragon" In
the third scene MaIebodea rallies her evil
brood to ''cOnspiTe anew against the DOW
ers OF good. Cowed and Respondent at
the death of Aschemon. their changing
mood is interrupted by music. telling first
of reluctance, then of resolution One by
Il,
Human Destiuiss-Philistinus '.sOapy
punctilious old sneak" Bogus, his cant
and his companies all gone crack" Scam
plus, with the soul Of a ghoul and the
teeth Of a rat" Cupiditas, who'd sell
Westminster Abbey and God to feed" Ig-
nCramus, as he lounges in the City or
leads the Academy Hanging Committee;
BumblebeadaIus. with his twists and his
shifts and his betterment schemes" Slum-
DUN, who is invited TO stop humping
your damned philanthropical drum and
Jerry. ''Cadgiug along with the rest Of the
crew. The dance of the demons grows
wilder and madder until the clarion of the
true knight rings out, and they vanish
Scene four is perhaps the most picturesque
1t is a vision of Fair Cities which Clio
the Muse of History, summons 10 the sluu1-
beTing Spirit OF Beauty.
Eight cities appear, each in historic garb.
ana accompanied Dy some famous ruler or
citizen whose fame is associated with her
glory Thebes. serene in wisdom" comes
first, attended by Rameses II. Athens fol-
lows "a queen meath cloudless skies,
having for companions Pheidias and two
Youths from the 'Lysis' of Plato. After
them. in a glowing procession. march
Rome. Mistress of the World, with
Caesar; Byzantium. Daughter of Imperial
Rome" with Constantine and St Helena,
the Cross bearer; Florence the Peerless
Flower of all, " with Dante and Cimabue;
Venice, majestic. strenuous, free with
Titan; Nuremberg. sound to the core.
self-centred, buoyant, free" with Durer
and a group OF craftsmen; Paris gay as an
April morn" holding mems hearts in
/. thraldom, with st. Louis and Joan of Arc,
and Oxford. with the secret SPELL that
haunts her dreaming spires. attended by
King Alfred and William of Wykeham.
But where is London, 'blackened with
smoke Of creature of shreds and
patches, yet a queen2' As Clio calls Lon
don appears pursued by the eight demons.
who torment her. When she has passed
the Muse Of History bows her head in sor-
row. and the scene closes.
The last two scenes represent the Awak-
ening and the Triumph. TruehearJ encouu-
ters Malebodea and her demons. and driv-
ing them before him rOuses the SIumbering
Beauty with the magic of a kiss. The spell
is broken. The lamps are rekindled, and
the Five Senses, clothed in rainbow coll
ors, perform a graceful dance to symbolic