Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg
Masque of Blackness Ben Jonson Inigo Jones

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Important Ones
Ben Jonson and Inigo Jones: Masque of Blackness
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The masque begins with Niger talking to his father Oceanus. Oceanus asks him why he has left his usual eastward course and flowed westward, into the Atlantic. Niger tells him that he has come to request help. Niger's black daughters are upset because they thought of themselves to be the most beautiful goddesses in the world, but they found out that paleness is more attractive and no longer feel beautiful. The moon goddess, Æthiopia, tells the daughters to find a country that ends in "tannia" and they will be beautiful once more.

The daughters desperately tried finding the country and even went to Mauritania (North Africa), Swarthy Lusitania (Portugal), and Rich Aquitania (France). They prayed once more to Æthiopia and she tells them the country is Britannia. As we move from country to country, we move successively to ascending lightness (ascending wealth). Oceanus identifies England by the snow white Albion cliffs. Æthiopia further tells them that the king is sun-like and he would be able to bleach their black color away. Æthiopia says that once a month for the next year, the daughters should bathe in sea-dew and then at the same time next year, they will appear before the king once again, and this time his light will make them beautiful and white!
  1. Daughter of Niger: Mask of Blackness
  2. Torchbearer of Oceania: Mask of Blackness
  3. Mask of Blackness #3
  4. Mask of Blackness #4
  5. Mask of Blackness #5

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