THE SONGS, CHORUSES, &c.
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THE SONGS, CHORUSES, AND SERIOUS DIALOGUE OF THE MASQUE CALLED The Inſtitution of the GARTER, OR, ARTHUR'S ROUND TABLE reſtored.
LONDON: Printed for T. BECKET, and P. A. DE HONDT, in the STRAND. MDCCLXXI.
THE eager and almoſt univerſal Curioſity, which the late Inſtallation of the Knights of the Order of the Garter excited in the Publick, ſeemed in a manner to command our Attention, and juſtify our Endeavors to exhibit a Repreſentation of it in the following Maſque: The Difficulty was to give an adequate Idea, in a ſmall Compaſs, of the various Circumſtances of this great Solemnity, conſiſting of the In⯑ſtallation, Proceſſion, and Feaſt.
The late Mr. Gilbert Weſt, publiſhed, ſome Years ago, a Dramatick Poem called The Inſtitution of the Order of the Garter, which has been much admired: It was, however, impoſſible to bring it on the Stage as it was originally written, becauſe, though rich in Machinery, it was little more than a Poem in Dialogue without [vi] Action: Some ſelect Parts of it however, with a few neceſſary Alterations, and the Addition of ſome comic Scenes, were thought a proper Vehicle for the different Ceremonies of this great Feſtival. The Scene is laid in the Reign of Edward the Third, who was the Founder of the Order, after having reſtored that of the Knights of the Round Table, which we have ſuppoſed, with ſome Writers, to be continued at the Inſtitution of the Garter.
No Expence has been ſpared, nor, we hope, any Object of Attention overlooked, which might conduce to make the following Maſque as ſhort, as various, and as faithful to the original Inſtitution as poſſible.
The Songs, Choruſes, and Serious Dialogue are publiſhed, that they may be better under⯑derſtood from the Stage. The comic Parts which are intended merely for the Preparation of the principal Scenes, are not printed, as they would loſe much of their Effect by being ſeparated from the Action of the Performer.
Mr. Weſt, in order to give a greater Variety and to introduce ſome particular Characters into [vii] his Poem, has taken (as he acknowleges in a Note) the Advantage of a Licence uſually allowed to Poets, of departing a little from Chronology, and poſtponing the Inſtitution of the Order for a few Years.
Under the Sanction of this Authority, we have ventured to make uſe of the ſame poetical Licence, by throwing the Inſtitution of the Order as many Years backward, as Mr. Weſt has brought it forward. We have made the Black Prince nine Years younger than he was, when he was Knighted; and we flatter ourſelves that this Anachroniſm will be excuſed for the Sake of the Application.
Some other Liberties of leſs Conſequence are neceſſarily taken for the Sake of rendering the whole more Theatrical; we have had too long an Experience of the publick Indulgence, not to know that they will be readily over⯑looked, ſhould the reſt of the Performance have the good Fortune to be approved.
AND ſo much the rather alſo, becauſe we know by others of our own country, that in the ſelf-ſame year, a ſolemn and great meeting of Knights was appointed by the King at Windſor Caſtle, for the ſet⯑ting up of his Round Table there, &c.
And it ſeems that out of the plot and purpoſe of this Round Table at Windſor, erected in the ſame year wherein the Order of the New Garter was inſtituted and appointed to be celebrated on St. George's day of the ſame year, as we may collect out of Froiſſart alſo, the Order itſelf had chief part at leaſt of its original. And the other traditions touching the Garter of the Queen, or of the Counteſs of Kent and Saliſbury, may well ſtand with this, thus far, that the word and the uſe of the Garter, began as the traditions ſuppoſe, but that the Order was raiſed chiefly out of this of the Round Table of that time, as out of a Seminary. For the Round Table was in ſpecial uſe in thoſe ages, for the drawing together of the braver Knights and Ladies, &c.
Froiſſart likewiſe ſays, Et ordonna (Edward the Third) que d'an en an le jour Saint Gregore, s'en feroit la feſte dedans le chateau de Vindeſore, le quell chateau le Roy Artur avoit fait faire autreffois edifier et in icelui tenir la noble Table ronde, &c.
King Edward the Third having deſigned to reſtore the honor of the Round Table, held a juſte at Windſor, in the 18th year of his reign, (but there is an old manu⯑ſcript chronicle that has theſe words: King Edward in his 19th year begun his Round Table, and ordained the [15] day annually to be kept there at Whitſuntide) and this meeting, in truth, occaſioned the foundation of the moſt noble Order of the Garter, as ſhall be noted by and by.
He (Edward the Third) did thereupon firſt deſign (as being invited thereto by its antient fame) the reſtauration of King Arthur's Round Table, which he exhibited with magnificent haſtiludes and general juſts, to invite hither the gallant and active ſpirits from abroad; and upon diſcovery of their courage and abi⯑lity in the exerciſe of arms, to draw them to his party, and oblige them to himſelf.
Though King Edward ſo far advanced the honor of a Garter, as that the Order did derive its title and denomination from it; yet it is moſt evident, that he founded this more famous Order, not to give reputa⯑tion to, or perpetuate an effeminate occaſion, but to adorn martial virtue with honor, rewards, and ſplen⯑dor: to increaſe virtue and valour in the hearts of his nobility; or, as Andrew du Cheſne ſaith, to honor military virtue with ſome glorious favours and rewards; that ſo true nobility (as is noted in the preface to the black book of the Order) after long and hazardous adventures, ſhould not enviouſly be deprived of that honor which it hath really deſerved; and that active and hardy youth might not want a ſpur in the pro⯑feſſion of virtue, which is to be eſteemed glorious and eternal.
Upon theſe grounds no doubt does our learned Selden affirm, that this Order was raiſed chiefly out of the Round Table of that time (the Knights thereof being in the flower of that age) as out of a ſeminary.