This ambitious and comprehensive book takes account of the large corpus of masques written and performed in the reigns of James I and Charles I. Its scope and attention to detail are likely to make it an indispensable resource. The masques are considered primarily as part of political processes responding to a huge range of events over nearly forty years. Butler contextualizes masques into many particular circumstances and reveals developments of this genre throughout the period. His study comprises a historical and political narrative, with the chapters skilfully organized to reveal the chronological phases.

Initially he addresses inclusion and exclusion in the closed world of the court masques, showing that these were part of the interplay of power at court, and bringing out the value of participation. He proceeds to the question of the conception and sustaining of the ideal of Britain, an essential part of James's royal authority. Butler pinpoints how royal family relationships impacted upon politics and affected the masques. These include the role of the two consorts, and momentously, as far as James was concerned, the divergences that happened between himself and his two sons, the Princes Henry and Charles. For James there was the important matter of chivalry, closely associated with the militarism of Henry, and, for Charles as king, the necessity of presenting the ideal of a powerful nation, even if beleaguered. The narrative moves through the Jacobean crisis over the contentious foreign policy towards Spain and France, even though James did keep Britain out of the European conflict.

With the accession of Charles the international aspects became less important and the masques were concerned with the promotion of peace at home under an idealized and loving royal couple. But the change in emphasis, which meant that masques could no longer be a place where rival power groups could interact, also led to the masques becoming even more spectacular as the king and queen were both active in performance. The historical structure dominates the book, but it does bring out significant aspects of the masque culture. Butler shows that although there were words, the dances and the mise en scène were emphatic in generating the response of the audience. It mattered a great deal who took part in the dancing and who watched it, and the emphasis was changed by the personal commitment of Charles and Henrietta Maria.

This leads to one of the puzzles of this searching and informative book. Butler indicates with great expertise how the masques interrelated with public events, but he leaves open questions about exactly who created them, how far they were ‘official’ and how far they provided a place where clashes occurred without royal approval. Certainly there was some royal control and Butler suggests that the Caroline masques were not escapist since Charles was proactive. Such questions should be seen as part of the excellence of a book which probes the nature and function of masques by meticulous attention to detail.