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Traditional cartoons show the old year with a long white beard,
hunched
and weary, and the new year as a happy toddler. The seventeenth-century
poet John Dryden goes further than that in the wonderful chorus at
the
end of his "Secular Masque." Dryden has the figures of Time and Comedy
deride the recent doings of Mars in War, Venus in Love and Diana in
the
Chase. Time begins by remembering the old days:
CHRONOS. The world was then so light,
I scarcely felt the weight;
Joy ruled the day, and Love the night,
But since the Queen of Pleasure left the ground,
I faint, I lag,
And feebly drag
The ponderous orb around.
Then Comedy lets the gods have it:
M OMU S.All, all of a piece throughout:
[Pointing to DIANA.]
Thy chase bad a beast in view;
[To MARS.]
Thy wars brought nothing about;
[To VENUS.]
Thy lovers were all untrue.
JANUS. "Tis well an old age is out:
CHRONOS. And time to begin a new,
CHORUS OF ALL. All, all of a piece throughout:
Thy chase had a beast in view;
Thy wars brought nothing about;
Thy lovers were all untrue,
'Tis well an old age is out,
And time to begin a new.
And then Dryden's masque ends with a dance of huntsmen, nymphs,
warriors, and lovers. I wish you, too, a frolicsome and innocent New
Year.
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