Court masques of James I Author:Mary Sullivan Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: The greatest masquing night of all the year was Twelfthnight, Epiphany, or the Feast of the Three Kings as it was variously called.1 This feast with its masque h... more »eld the place of greatest honour in all the public court functions of the year.2 Ranking next in importance, came the masques of Shrovetide (usually Shrove Tuesday, sometimes Shrove Sunday) and Candlemas. These were the big masquing dates around which almost all the great Court masques of the reign of James centred.3 The importance of the date, " Trustye and welbeloued we grete you well, whereas the right excellent Prince King Henry vijth cure moft naturall and lovinge father whofe foul god pardon by his late Tres comanded oure trufty a warrant for and weibeioued Sr Andrew Windefere Knighte kep of money dp1 . mo henry viij oure greate wardrobe to repaire vnto his grace for certen money to be Delyuered vnto him for certayne Pagents and garments and other things for difguyfing and Revells to be made agaynft the comyng vnto his highnes of thambaffadors oute of flannders wch as yet is not contented to the faide Sr Andrew," etc. Public Record Office, Lord Chamberlain's Department, Class 5, Miscellaneous, No. Ixxxvi, 39. 1 " Nay, if one would argumentize thereupon it might be alledged that the laft day fhould be taken for the greateft day, as it is underftood in many other cafes, and particularly upon the Feftivalls of Christmas wherein Twelfe day or the Feftivall of the three kings which is the laft is taken for the greateft day: and in many places Tuesday is taken for the chiefeft day of Shrovetide; wherefore the Mask at Court, compos'd for that day as being the greateft of all the Feftivalls." Translation of [a French letter from James I to the Ambassador of the Arch-Duke as it is found in John Finett, Finetti Phi...« less