Masquerade Poem by Emmanuel George Cefai

I recognize Hastings Gardens from a number of your poems where its natural beauty plays a background role. Here in this poem I don't see any foreground action. It's unclear to me if masquerades refers to performers of the past perhaps of the COMMEDIA DEL ARTE variety, OR if the word is a metaphor for peoples's treachery. But at least the rhythm of the poem suggests, and the tone implies disgust toward those who pretend to be what they are not. And this deception has prevailed for the past, say,1200 years! and it would a[ppear such deception has been prevalent for, say, m2200 years