Time Vindicated to Himself and to His Honours
Encyclopedia
Time Vindicated to Himself and to his Honours was a late Jacobean era masque
, written by Ben Jonson
and with costumes, sets, and stage effects designed by Inigo Jones
. James's son and heir Prince Charles
led the dances of the principal masquers, as he had in several previous masques at the Stuart
Court.
Originally scheduled for Twelfth Night
in 1623
, its performance was delayed by an illness of the King, James I
; the masque was staged on Sunday, January 19, in the Banqueting House
at Whitehall Palace. (Coincidentally, Jonson's play The Alchemist
had been staged at Court on January 1.)
with a whip or scourge. The main topic of this scene is the climate of political scandalmongering, satire, and libel that was considered epidemic at the time.
Two anti-masques ensue; the first is of "Mutes," in which the Curious adore Chronomastix and carry him out like a hero (though Fame sits out the dance); and the second is a dance of jugglers and tumblers who are ushered in by the Cat with the fiddle (from the Hey-diddle-diddle nursery rhyme). Once the tomfoolery is done, the serious portion of the masque begins: Saturn
, the god of time, and Venus
are shown with their votaries, followed by Cupid
, Diana
, and Hippolytus
. The masquers are revealed, and they descend from their cloud and dance, performing "braules
, corantos
, and galliards
."
commentators like William Prynne
, who were deeply hostile to the reigning monarchy and the dominant social order.)
Jonson also earned disapproval for parodying the then-significant, now-forgotten poet George Wither
in the figure of Chronomastix. Wither enjoyed the patronage of both the King and the Lord Chamberlain
, the Earl of Pembroke
. A little more than a month after the staging of Time Vindicated, James consoled Wither by granting him and his heirs a 51-year patent (or copyright) on his Hymns and Songs of the Church, a translation of Biblical lyrics for musical settings by Orlando Gibbons
, and potentially a very lucrative work.
Conversely, Jones's share in the masque was praised and highly regarded, according to a contemporary: "They say it was performed reasonably well both for the device, and for the handsome conveyance and variety of the scene whereof Inigo Jones hath the whole commendation." This second-hand report is somewhat countered by the more exacting eye-witness verdict of the Venetian ambassador, who judged it "a spectacle of some pomp and beauty but not attaining the royal standard of excellence."
in 1623, soon after its performance, as was not uncommon with the Court masques of the era. The text was reprinted in the second folio collection of Jonson's works
in 1641
, and thereafter was included in the collected editions of the poet's works. Unusually, the masque was reprinted in a separate octavo
edition in 1756
.
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 with costumes, sets, and stage effects 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...
. James's son and heir Prince Charles
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
led the dances of the principal masquers, as he had in several previous masques 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.
Originally scheduled for Twelfth Night
Twelfth Night (holiday)
Twelfth Night is a festival in some branches of Christianity marking the coming of the Epiphany and concluding the Twelve Days of Christmas.It is defined by the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary as "the evening of the fifth of January, preceding Twelfth Day, the eve of the Epiphany, formerly the...
in 1623
1623 in literature
The year 1623 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*February 2 - The King's Men perform Twelfth Night at Court on Candlemas....
, its performance was delayed by an illness of the 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...
; the masque was staged on Sunday, January 19, in the Banqueting House
Banqueting House, Whitehall
The Banqueting House, Whitehall, London, is the grandest and best known survivor of the architectural genre of banqueting house, and the only remaining component of the Palace of Whitehall...
at Whitehall Palace. (Coincidentally, Jonson's play The Alchemist
The Alchemist (play)
The Alchemist is a comedy by English playwright Ben Jonson. First performed in 1610 by the King's Men, it is generally considered Jonson's best and most characteristic comedy; Samuel Taylor Coleridge claimed that it had one of the three most perfect plots in literature...
had been staged at Court on January 1.)
The sets
Jones's elaborate stage set featured a double change of scenery: the first set was a perspective scene of Whitehall itself, which prominently featured Jones's recently-completed Banqueting House — a sort of self-advertisement on the part of the architect. That scene changed to a cloudscape that contained the principal masquers, which in turn yielded to a forest setting.The show
Jonson's text has an unusual cast, even by the standards of the masque form. It opens with the entrance of a personified Fame, accompanied by "the Curious" — who are three, "the Eyed, the Eared, and the Nosed." These three personifications of the sense organs were apparently costumed with multiple iterations of their specific parts; in one of his (or its?) speeches, the Eyed refers to his (or its) four eyes. Their conversation on the nature of Fame and Time is broken in upon by Chronomastix, a satyrSatyr
In Greek mythology, satyrs are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus — "satyresses" were a late invention of poets — that roamed the woods and mountains. In myths they are often associated with pipe-playing....
with a whip or scourge. The main topic of this scene is the climate of political scandalmongering, satire, and libel that was considered epidemic at the time.
Two anti-masques ensue; the first is of "Mutes," in which the Curious adore Chronomastix and carry him out like a hero (though Fame sits out the dance); and the second is a dance of jugglers and tumblers who are ushered in by the Cat with the fiddle (from the Hey-diddle-diddle nursery rhyme). Once the tomfoolery is done, the serious portion of the masque begins: Saturn
Saturn (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Saturn was a major god presiding over agriculture and the harvest time. His reign was depicted as a Golden Age of abundance and peace by many Roman authors. In medieval times he was known as the Roman god of agriculture, justice and strength. He held a sickle in...
, the god of time, and Venus
Venus (mythology)
Venus is a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty, sex,sexual seduction and fertility, who played a key role in many Roman religious festivals and myths...
are shown with their votaries, followed by Cupid
Cupid
In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros...
, Diana
Diana (mythology)
In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt and moon and birthing, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals. She was equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, though she had an independent origin in Italy...
, and Hippolytus
Hippolytus (mythology)
thumb|260px|The Death of Hippolytus, by [[Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema]] .In Greek mythology, Hippolytus was a son of Theseus and either Antiope or Hippolyte...
. The masquers are revealed, and they descend from their cloud and dance, performing "braules
Branle
A branle l)—also bransle, brangle, brawl, brawle, brall, braul, or brantle —or brainle—is a 16th-century French dance style which moves mainly from side to side, and is performed by couples in either a line or a circle.The word is derived from the French verb branler , possibly related to brander...
, corantos
Courante
The courante, corrente, coranto and corant are some of the names given to a family of triple metre dances from the late Renaissance and the Baroque era....
, and galliards
Galliard
The galliard was a form of Renaissance dance and music popular all over Europe in the 16th century. It is mentioned in dance manuals from England, France, Spain, Germany and Italy, among others....
."
Jonson vs. Jones
Though Jonson expressed the appropriate establishmentarian disapproval of libel and scandal and political pamphleteering, the mere fact that he broached this increasingly delicate subject was questioned; the masque was not well-received by its courtly audience. (British popular culture was then moving into a stage of increasingly aggressive religious and political controversy, especially involving PuritanPuritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
commentators like William Prynne
William Prynne
William Prynne was an English lawyer, author, polemicist, and political figure. He was a prominent Puritan opponent of the church policy of the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud. Although his views on church polity were presbyterian, he became known in the 1640s as an Erastian, arguing for...
, who were deeply hostile to the reigning monarchy and the dominant social order.)
Jonson also earned disapproval for parodying the then-significant, now-forgotten poet George Wither
George Wither
George Wither was an English poet, pamphleteer, and satirist. He was a prolific writer who adopted a deliberate plainness of style; he was several times imprisoned. C. V...
in the figure of Chronomastix. Wither enjoyed the patronage of both the King and the Lord Chamberlain
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
, the Earl of Pembroke
William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke
William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, KG, PC was the son of Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke and his third wife Mary Sidney. Chancellor of the University of Oxford, he founded Pembroke College, Oxford with King James. He was warden of the Forest of Dean, and constable of St Briavels from 1608...
. A little more than a month after the staging of Time Vindicated, James consoled Wither by granting him and his heirs a 51-year patent (or copyright) on his Hymns and Songs of the Church, a translation of Biblical lyrics for musical settings by Orlando Gibbons
Orlando Gibbons
Orlando Gibbons was an English composer, virginalist and organist of the late Tudor and early Jacobean periods...
, and potentially a very lucrative work.
Conversely, Jones's share in the masque was praised and highly regarded, according to a contemporary: "They say it was performed reasonably well both for the device, and for the handsome conveyance and variety of the scene whereof Inigo Jones hath the whole commendation." This second-hand report is somewhat countered by the more exacting eye-witness verdict of the Venetian ambassador, who judged it "a spectacle of some pomp and beauty but not attaining the royal standard of excellence."
Publication
The text of Time Vindicated 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"...
in 1623, soon after its performance, as was not uncommon with the Court masques of the era. The text 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 thereafter was included in the collected editions of the poet's works. Unusually, the masque was reprinted in a separate octavo
Book 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"...
edition in 1756
1756 in literature
See also: 1755 in literature, other events of 1756, 1757 in literature, list of years in literature.-Events:* The beginning of the Seven Years' War.* The Black Hole of Calcutta incident inspires renewed British efforts in India....
.