Ben Jonson put a lot of emphasis on the poetical quality of his masques. He considered the libretto to be the essence and the most crucial part of the performance. The spectators and the masquers themselves assuredly thought otherwise as the spectacle would overshadow the mere content of a masque. Jonson's desire to acknowledge his work, rather than that of the architect, finally led to an argument between him and Inigo Jones and subsequently – as their cooperation ceased – to the end of production of the masques. In this essay I will outline some basic facts about masques and their production and environment, which led to this state of affairs, while focusing on the technical and performative, rather than poetical aspects.