The Fortunate Isles and Their Union
Encyclopedia
The Fortunate Isles and Their Union is a Jacobean era masque
, written by Ben Jonson
and designed by Inigo Jones
, and performed on January 9, 1625
. It was the last masque acted before King James I
, (who died two months later on March 27), and therefore the final masque of the Jacobean era
.
The Fortunate Isles opens with the entrance of Johphiel, "an airy spirit" who is supposedly "the intelligence of Jupiter's sphere." Johphiel has a long conversation with Merefool, "a melancholic student," which involves much material on the then-new and controversial subject of "the brethren of the Rosy Cross." Jonson devotes this masque to his skeptical and satirical view of the Rosicrucian
s, just as he had taken a similarly jaundiced view of alchemy
in his masque of the previous decade, Mercury Vindicated from the Alchemists
(1615
).
A more specifically English cast to the masque comes with the introduction of the two poets John Skelton
and Henry Scogan. The English theme is stronger in the anti-masque, which, in addition to generic figures ("four knaves"), introduces the figures of Mary Ambree
, Elinor Rumming
, Long Meg of Westminster, and Tom Thumb
. Later come the stereotypical mythological figures of the masque form — in this case, the minor sea gods Proteus
, Portunus, and Saron. Inigo Jones's staging featured a floating and moving island (another element that would have appeared in the cancelled masque of the previous year).
Though The Fortunate Isles was the major entertainment of the 1624–25 Christmas season at the Stuart
Court, Jonson did not hesitate to re-cycle some lyrical passages from the previous year's masque, Neptune's Triumph for the Return of Albion
, which had been cancelled due to Court scheduling controversies. (Jonson would re-use other material from Neptune's Triumph for his next stage play, The Staple of News
.)
) and the Artis Kabbalisticae of Pierre Morestel (1621
). The name Johphiel derives from Cornelius Agrippa
's De Occulta Philosophia (later translated to English under the title Three Books of Occult Philosophy).
soon after its performance in 1625. The quarto is dated "1624," since prior to 1751 the English started the New Year on March 25. [See: Old Style and New Style dates
.] The masque was reprinted in the second folio collection of Jonson's works
in 1641
, and in subsequent editions of the collected works.
Masque
The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment which flourished in 16th and early 17th century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio...
, written by Ben Jonson
Ben Jonson
Benjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, which are considered his best, and his lyric poems...
and designed by Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones is the first significant British architect of the modern period, and the first to bring Italianate Renaissance architecture to England...
, and performed on January 9, 1625
1625 in literature
The year 1625 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*January 1 - The King's Men act Henry IV, Part 1 at Whitehall Palace....
. It was the last masque acted before King James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
, (who died two months later on March 27), and therefore the final masque of the Jacobean era
Jacobean era
The Jacobean era refers to the period in English and Scottish history that coincides with the reign of King James VI of Scotland, who also inherited the crown of England in 1603 as James I...
.
The show
The masque had, as its theme, the vision of a unified British kingdom under the guidance of a wise king. "It reflected perfectly the image that he [James] had tried, in his rough-hewn way, to cultivate — even if history, in alloting him part of the blame for the catastrophe that was to befall his son, would be less generous to his reputation."The Fortunate Isles opens with the entrance of Johphiel, "an airy spirit" who is supposedly "the intelligence of Jupiter's sphere." Johphiel has a long conversation with Merefool, "a melancholic student," which involves much material on the then-new and controversial subject of "the brethren of the Rosy Cross." Jonson devotes this masque to his skeptical and satirical view of the Rosicrucian
Rosicrucian
Rosicrucianism is a philosophical secret society, said to have been founded in late medieval Germany by Christian Rosenkreuz. It holds a doctrine or theology "built on esoteric truths of the ancient past", which, "concealed from the average man, provide insight into nature, the physical universe...
s, just as he had taken a similarly jaundiced view of alchemy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
in his masque of the previous decade, Mercury Vindicated from the Alchemists
Mercury Vindicated from the Alchemists
Mercury Vindicated from the Alchemists at Court is a Jacobean era masque, written by Ben Jonson and designed by Inigo Jones. It was performed at Whitehall Palace on Twelfth Night, January 6, 1615...
(1615
1615 in literature
The year 1615 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*January 6 - Mercury Vindicated from the Alchemists, a masque written by Ben Jonson and designed by Inigo Jones, is performed at Whitehall Palace....
).
A more specifically English cast to the masque comes with the introduction of the two poets John Skelton
John Skelton
John Skelton, also known as John Shelton , possibly born in Diss, Norfolk, was an English poet.-Education:...
and Henry Scogan. The English theme is stronger in the anti-masque, which, in addition to generic figures ("four knaves"), introduces the figures of Mary Ambree
Mary Ambree
In 1584 the Spanish captured the city of Ghent, and Dutch and English volunteers fought to liberate the city.A female French Legionnaire in the book Sowing Glory by P.C. Wren was referred to by the pseudonym of Mary Ambree in order to protect her identity. She became the subject of an English ballad....
, Elinor Rumming
The Tunning of Elynour Rummyng
The Tunning of Elynour Rummyng is a long raucous poem written by English poet John Skelton. The poem was printed by Richard Lant sometime in 1550 and presents what many would consider disgusting images of rural drinking and drunkenness. For all its gritty description, Skelton has modeled the poem...
, Long Meg of Westminster, and Tom Thumb
Tom Thumb
Tom Thumb is a character of English folklore. The History of Tom Thumb was published in 1621, and has the distinction of being the first fairy tale printed in English. Tom is no bigger than his father's thumb, and his adventures include being swallowed by a cow, tangling with giants, and becoming a...
. Later come the stereotypical mythological figures of the masque form — in this case, the minor sea gods Proteus
Proteus
In Greek mythology, Proteus is an early sea-god, one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea", whose name suggests the "first" , as protogonos is the "primordial" or the "firstborn". He became the son of Poseidon in the Olympian theogony In Greek mythology, Proteus (Πρωτεύς)...
, Portunus, and Saron. Inigo Jones's staging featured a floating and moving island (another element that would have appeared in the cancelled masque of the previous year).
Though The Fortunate Isles was the major entertainment of the 1624–25 Christmas season at the Stuart
House of Stuart
The House of Stuart is a European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century, and subsequently held the position of the Kings of Great Britain and Ireland...
Court, Jonson did not hesitate to re-cycle some lyrical passages from the previous year's masque, Neptune's Triumph for the Return of Albion
Neptune's Triumph for the Return of Albion
Neptune's Triumph for the Return of Albion was a Jacobean era masque, written by Ben Jonson, and designed by Inigo Jones. The masque is notable for the contradictory historical evidence connected with it and the confusion it caused among generations of scholars and critics.- Context :The masque was...
, which had been cancelled due to Court scheduling controversies. (Jonson would re-use other material from Neptune's Triumph for his next stage play, The Staple of News
The Staple of News
The Staple of News is an early Caroline era play, a satire by Ben Jonson. The play was first performed in late 1625 by the King's Men at the Blackfriars Theatre, and first published in 1631.-Publication:...
.)
Sources
For source material for his text, Jonson relied upon the Speculum Sophicum Rhodo-strautoricum of Teophilus Schweigardt (16181618 in literature
The year 1618 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*Sir Francis Bacon is appointed Lord Chancellor by King James I of England.*Ben Jonson sets out to walk to Scotland....
) and the Artis Kabbalisticae of Pierre Morestel (1621
1621 in literature
The year 1621 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*August 26 - Barten Holyday's allegorical play Technogamia, originally produced at Christ Church, Oxford in 1618, is staged before King James at Woodstock Palace...
). The name Johphiel derives from Cornelius Agrippa
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim was a German magician, occult writer, theologian, astrologer, and alchemist.-Life:Agrippa was born in Cologne in 1486...
's De Occulta Philosophia (later translated to English under the title Three Books of Occult Philosophy).
Publication
The text of The Fortunate Isles was published in quartoBook size
The size of a book is generally measured by the height against the width of a leaf, or sometimes the height and width of its cover. A series of terms is commonly used by libraries and publishers for the general sizes of modern books, ranging from "folio" , to "quarto" and "octavo"...
soon after its performance in 1625. The quarto is dated "1624," since prior to 1751 the English started the New Year on March 25. [See: Old Style and New Style dates
Old Style and New Style dates
Old Style and New Style are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year has been adjusted to start on 1 January even though documents written at the time use a different start of year ; or to indicate that a date conforms to the Julian...
.] The masque was reprinted in the second folio collection of Jonson's works
Ben Jonson folios
The folio collections of Ben Jonson's works published in the seventeenth century were crucial developments in the publication of English literature and English Renaissance drama. The first folio collection, issued in 1616, treated stage plays as serious works of literature instead of popular...
in 1641
1641 in literature
The year 1641 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*Pierre Corneille marries Marie de Lampérière.*Sir William Davenant is convicted of high treason.*Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon becomes an advisor to King Charles I of England....
, and in subsequent editions of the collected works.