New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-02
THE MASQUE REVIVED
NBEAUTY'S AWAKENING" AS GIVEN BE-
FORE THE CITY OF LONDON AUTHORI-
TIES-AN ALLEGCRY OF ART.
From The London Standard.


classical quotation are not likely to search
Olympus and fairyland in order to people the
stage with gods and legendary heroes. They
left that TO Ben JOnsOn. Decker, Beaumont,
Davenant Fletcher, Middleton and Chapman.
Poets and playwrights in the Golden Age knew
how to clOtne these abstracticns with all the
splendors Of a picturesque and sentimental
fancy. That no harsh limit might he set they
invented the masque and mingled in one
sparkling composition gods and heroes, music
and dc:c'. decoration and defamation Eliza
beth revealed in these pagcants. in which all
the magniGccncc Of the English Renaissance
was displayed. James | and Charles ii found
In them an unfang source Of pleasure. Even
the Church encouraged them. while lawyers IT,
the Temple handed them down from general on
10 generation despite Puritan protest.
These Mosques were trIe feastS for the eye
fairy tales set in a glitter of diamonds and
dresses professions that Titan might have
painted. pantomimes and improbable farces thai
caught the folies Of the day as AriStOphanes
might have presented them 10 the Greeks. As
Bacon observes. thy were DESIGNED for princes
and by princes played. Only when the highest
poctica and musical talent expended upon
them-as in "Comus"-had they any permanent
literary value.
After two centuries of Oblivion the masque
Is to bo revived. Al the end Of the present
month there will he set before the Lord Mayor,
the Shcrins Aldermen and leading citizens of
London IN their Gown and ancient Guildhall
the stop cf "3eauty's Awakening"-a masque
or winter and OF spring. II is the production or
the Art Workers Guild. and gives evidence Of
much skill and labor on the part Of many emf
nent artists and craftsmen. The action Of the
masque is short and simple. and, on the sug
Gostion " Walter Crane has been woven into
the old World 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 repre-
sents the revival Of the arts which has dis
tinguished our time. There is a prologue fol-
lowed by six scenes. and an epiloSue. with
professions and dances and songs. after the
manner Of the ancient maslues. The prologue,
written by Harrison Townsend is spoken by
Time, who invites the candid and gOod-nat-
ured" audience To stand
Within tho confines Of the Timc-ess land
The land ~ Faery. where all things seem.
Where Man and Time have melted into dream
Fayrcr:cnde 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 extinguished
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 fol-
lOWS-th" dance OF forest leaves sixteen 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 per
formed 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
sword in hcwing a path. While he sleeps, Hope
and FOritude come to him in vision. Hope
whispers words Of courage
F'irness lies hid beneath cold customs ban
That hides the brotherhood of man with man.
Fortitude, in Strange armor digit" places
by his side the Sword If Courage and Conviction
Sure. while Hope crests his helmet with a bios
sOming bouSh. Thus equipped Trucheart en-
counters and Stays AschemOn "a huge ard hor-
rid dragon" In the third scene Malebodca rail-
her Il cpir Dircf
the powers Of good" Cowcd and Respondent at
the death of Aschcm'n their changing mood is
interrupted by music, telling first of reluctance
then % resolution. one by one they are sum-
moned by the voice Of Human Destinics -Phs-
linus "s"apy, punctous Old sneak; Bogus
Ibis cant and his companies all gone crack
ScampiuS with the soul Of a ghOu and the
teeth of rat: Cupiditas. who'd sell West
minister Abbey and God to feed" Ignoramus
as he lounges in the City or leads the Acad-
envy Hanging Committee; Bundle be adalus
with MS twists ana his shifts and his better
ment schemes; Slundum. who is invited TO
stop humping your damned philani Tropical
drum and Jerry "cadging along with the rest
OF the crew" The dance Of the demons grows
wilder and madd r until the clarion of the true
KNIGHT rncs out. ana they vanish. SccLe four
Is. perhaps the most picturesque II is a vision
Of Fair Cities, which clio, the Muse of History.
summons 10 the Slumnerng Spirit Of Beauty.
Eight cities appear. each in historic garb and
accompanied by some famous ruler or citizen
whose fame is associated with her glory.
tended by Ramcses H. Athens follows. a
queen meath cloudless skies" having for com
paEionS Pheidias and two youths from the
"LyS!S' OF Plato. After them. in a glowing pro-
cession. march Rome. MISTRESS of the World"
with Carir ByZantum Daughter of Imperial
Rome" with Constantine and St Helena the
Cross-bcarer: Florence the Peerless Flower OF
all. with Dante and Cimabue: Venice. ma
testiC. strenuous. free" with Titan Nuremberg
sound TO the core. self-ccntred. buOyant free"
with Durcr and a group Of craftsmen; Paris
AYorn h,1l linz
In thraldom." with st. Louis and Joan of Arc
and oxford. with the secret SPELL that haunts
her dreaming spires" attended by King Al
fred and William Of Wykeham But where is
LOnlon. "hlacknned witch stnnkn of tnil"-