ABSTRACT
The masks have so far been taken as incidents in Ben Jonson's career as a poet and dramatist with a livelihood to secure. The later masks reveal more completely the depth and variety of his genius and the environment in which he worked as the first laureate of England. This later series began with Christmas His Mask presented at Court in December, 1616. The Mask of Lethe, presented in February of the following year in the house of Lord Hay by divers of noble quality, his friends, for the entertainment of the French Ambassador, was elegant rather than familiar. The new mask was written for the most part in prose and it prompts a regret that the author did not use prose more often. The fun is all in the best of humour. Jonson has become a public institution and is, therefore, good enough matter for a public jest.
