The Masque of
The Inner Temple and Gray's Inn,

    "On Tuesday it came to Gray's Inn and the Inner Temple's turn to come with their Mask, whereof Sir Francis Bacon was the chief contriver; and because the former came on horseback and open chariots, they made choice to come by water from Winchester-place in Southwark, which suited well with their device, which was the Marriage of the River of Thames to Rhine; and their shew by water was very gallant by reason of infinite store of lights very curiously set and placed; and many boats and barges with devices of light of lamps with three peals of ordnance, one at their taking water, another in the Temple-garden, and the last at their landing; which passage by water cost them better than £.3OO. They were received at the Privy Stairs; a great expectation there was that they should every way excel their competitors that went before them, both in devise, daintiness of apparel, and, above all, in dancing, wherein they are held excellent, and esteemed the properer men. But by what ill planet it fell out I know not; they came home as they went without doing any thing; the reason whereof I cannot yet learn thoroughly, but only that the Hall was so full that it was not possible to avoid it, or make room for them; besides that most of the Ladies were in the Galleries to see them land, and could not get in. But the worst of all was, that the King was so wearied and sleepy with setting up almost two whole nights before, that he had no edge to it. Whereupon Sir Francis Bacon ventured to entreat his Majesty, that by this disgrace he would not as it were bury them quick; and I hear the King should answer, that then they must bury him quick, for he could last no longer; but withall gave them very good words, and appointed them to come again on Saturday. But the grace of the Mask is quite gone, when their apparel hath been already showed, and their devises vented, so that how it will fall out God knows; for they are much discouraged and out of countenance, and the world says it comes to pass after the old proverb, 'the properer men the worse luck.' One thing I had almost forgotten for haste, that all this time there was a course taken and sanctified, that no Lady or Gentleman should he admitted to any of these sights with a vardingale, which was to gain more room, and I hope may serve to make them quite left off in time. And yet there were more scaffolds and more provision made for room than ever I saw, both in the Hall and Banquetting-room, besides a new room built to dine, sup, and dance in."
    On the Saturday, however, the disappointed Lawyers with great success exhibited their Masque, the production of Francis Beaumont; and were much encouraged by permission to perform it in the Banqueting-house.
[@ Nichols 589-92]