120 CHILDREN OF THE CHAPEL AT BLACKFRIARS 
sented in the presence of Duchess Margaret as she sits on her 
throne surrounded by the splendor of lords and ladies of the 
Court. ‘The dancers and singers are sylvans and nymphs under 
the names of Man-bug, Woman-bug, Broom-man, Rush-man, 
Broom-maid, Rush-maid. The entertainment was voted as “‘pleas- 
ingly performed.” | 
May Day opens with a chorus of youths dancing and closes 
with ‘“‘the May-night show at Signor Honorio’s.” The whole 
play is preparation for this masque, and the most of the conver- 
sation of act V is simply lively setting for it. It is the life and 
entertainment at the home of a lord transferred with heightened 
coloring to the stage. 
In The Widow’s Tears, seen by the Duke of Stettin, “the revels 
and nuptial sports” at the palace of the “chaste widow,’ the 
Countess Eudora, make up much of act III. It is a royal bridal 
scene, containing a masque of “rare device.” With Tharsalio in 
the chair of honor, the bride Eudora, surrounded by her court- 
ladies, takes her placé at his side. The show and masque are the 
spiritualization of the ceremony of marriage. At the sound of 
music, Hymen, represented by one of the players who “hangs in 
the clouds deified,’ descends toward the bridal pair, while a 
chorus of “fresh and flowry sylvans” bearing torches enter be- 
neath, “curveting and tripping ath’ toe, as the ground they trod 
on were too hot for their feet.” With such courtship as they 
make to the Dryads, they lead the bride and her court-ladies into 
the sylvan nuptial dance. 
The Dutch Courtezan presents a masque at the opening of act 
IV. From previous mention in the play concerning the proposed 
masque, we rightly expect large entertainment from the perform- 
ance of it. Possibly it may have fulfilled expectations, but neither 
the dialogue nor the stage directions let us know. The masquers. 
at Sir Hubert Subboy’s house are about to enter as the act opens.. 
Servants are standing with lights to lend brilliance to the per- 
formance. More lights are called for. As the masquers arrive, 
Sir Lionel Freevill calls out “Call down our daughter. Hark! 
woodland and mountain perfection and atmosphere, visit sometime a 
of thrilling wildness as inspired dance in any valley of the Alps of 
originally into the reveling Pan and’ the German Tyrol. 
Bacchus by similar surroundings 
234 
