From eight o'clock at night till two the next morning they were at the
masque, which was in the usual room fitted for the solemnity, in which
the Queen herself was an actor. The floor where they danced was covered
with tapestry and hung about with red velvet, but most adorned by the
presence of a great number of ladies richly dressed and beautified both
by nature and habit, attending on their mistress; and there were also
many senators, officers, courtiers, and nobility,--a very great presence
of spectators. The music was excellent, especially the violins, which
were many, and rare musicians and fittest for that purpose. The Queen
herself danced very well at two entries: in the first she represented a
Moorish lady, in the second a citizen's wife; in both the properties were
exactly fitted, and in all the rest of the actors and dancers.

There were no speeches nor songs; men acting men's parts, and women the
women's, with variety of representations and dances. The whole design was
to show the vanity and folly of all professions and worldly things,
lively represented by the exact properties and mute actions, genteelly,
without the least offence or scandal.

It held two hours; and after the dances the Queen caused her chair to be
brought near to Whitelocke, where she sat down and discoursed with him of
the masque. He (according to his judgement) commended it and the
inoffensiveness of it, and rare properties fitted to every
representation, with the excellent performance of their parts by all,
especially by the Moorish lady and citizen's wife; at which the Queen
smiled, and said she was glad he liked it. He replied, that any of his
countrymen might have been present at it without any offence, and he
thanked her Majesty for the honour she gave him to be present at it. The
Queen said she perceived that Whitelocke understood what belonged to
masques and the most curious part of them, the properties,--with much