National Archives, SP
14/137/27, fol. 52
Letter,
John Chamberlain
to
Sir Dudley Carleton
, 25 January 1623,
London
. Three single sheets: the letter occupies pp. 1-4; p. 5 blank; p. 6
subscription.
[fol. 52]
my very goode Lord: yt is somwhat long since I wrote, and longer since I heard from
you till yesterday that I receued yours of the 17th of this present: the
cause of my silence was the often deferring of the maske and the king s
remouing, caused by his indisposition, for here was nothing to write of but dauncing
and
feasting which was more frequent all this christmas then euer I knew or remember, and
continues euer since euen till now. but the departure of the french ambassadors Lady
with her niece madamoiselle St Luc (who
bare a principall part in all these meetings) was the cause that the maske could not
well be put of longer then sonday last, the french and venetian ambassadors were present
and they say yt was performed
reasonablie well both for the deuice, and for the handsome conueyance and varietie
of
the scene, whereof Innigo Iones hath the whole commendation. Ben
Iohnson they say is like to heare of yt on both sides of the head for
personating George withers a poet or poetaster as he termes him, as hunting after
fame by beeing a
crono-mastix or whipper of the time, which is become so tender an
argument that yt must not be touched either in iest or earnest
Bibliography
CSPD 1619-23, 483
Bentley (1941-68), 4.674 (from Chamberlain (1939))
Chamberlain (1939),
2.472-3
H&S, 10.648 (give
the date as 25 Feb.)
Nichols (1828), 4.802-4 (from Birch's
transcription, BL, Add. MS 4174)
Orgel & Strong, 1.349