An extract from the notebooks of
Sir John
Finet
, assistant to
Sir Lewis Lewkenor
, Master of Ceremonies at the court of
James I.
[p. 115]
A Mask to be presented by
the Prince
, the Marquis of
Buckingham
, and other Gentlemen on Twelfnight, 1622. was for that day, and a second remitted
till Sunday the ninth of January, principally with regard
to his Majestes indisposition, but as some thought, not without expectation that the
States Ambassadors would first be gone, to
avoide the distaste that might be taken from their not Invitation, whereto it seemed
his Majesty (for some Spanish respect as was
thought) had no great affection. But they staying, (their business with the
Merchants, about composing the East-Indian differences being
not yet concluded) divers underhand passages, and discourses for and against the sight
of the Maske, were carried to and fro as much as might be to content them, and not
displease others. For first, they had an offer made them to have a Boxe appointed
them
apart and by themselves only, which they absolutely refused, Ambassadors Ordinarie
before having had (said they) the honour to sit with his Majesty in the same place
together with
the French, and other Kings Ambassadors (as also
with the Spanish, till that Question fell between him and Sir
Noell
Caron) but the
[p. 116]
intention in truth was, that they should not then be invited (at least to be ranked
in publick, as they pretended it to be their due al par delle Teste Coronate) and
reasons were framed to keep them off from discontent, as well as from their apparence
there, but they might seem not of the Substantiallest. As first, that the States having
given their assistance to the Rochellers against the French King
, the presence of their Ministers would be distastfull, and in a manner
incompatible eodem loco, tempore & honore with that Kings Ambassadors, but this
proved not exclusion, the French intended to
make no such, having (as he said to me) no order for it, neither had the pretended
distasts for the States former assistance yet passed (he said) so far, as to publick
notice, and exception from the King
his Master. Another exclusion was obtruded upon their pretence of Precedence to
the Duke of Savoys Ambassador, but no such Ambassador being now in
England
, there wanted ground for that exclusion also. The last was against their number,
that they could not all there be conveniently seated together with his Majesty, with
the other Ambassadors
invited; but this Bar they removed by their answer, that if they might have the honour
of an Invitation, there should be but one of them present to receive it, esteeming
that
a sufficient honour to the rest absent. In a word, when neither these reasons, nor
others would serve to still their Exceptions against their not being invited, they
were
referred to adventure of content, or not content, and so were not at all invited,
Onely
a dozen of their followers had places assigned them over the Lord
Chamberlains Box at the entrance into the Banquetting House from the Princes Galleries.
Monsieur de'Arsennes Son, and their
Secretary Sir Constantine
Huggins
, were placed on the fourme beneath the Lords. The French Ambassador that night, and
the Venetian supped with the
Duke of Lenox, and entered the Roome with the King
, both seated there on his left hand; the French even with him, and the Venetian somewhat
more forward.
Bibliography
H&S,
10.647-8
Nichols (1828), 4.784
M. Sullivan (1913),
245-6
Finet, Finetti philoxenis (1656), 115-16