Ver. 853. Each clafping charme, and fecret holding fpell. And in the margin "In hard distressed need.” Then follows" And adde the power of fome strong verse.” Adjuring is a marginal correction. Ver. 860. Liften, Virgin, where thou fitft. Before v. 867, is written, "To le faid." Ver. 879. By dead Parthenope's dear tomb, &c. This and the three following lines are croffed. Ver. 921. To waite on Amphitrite in her bowre. STAGE-DIRECTIONS. But night reignes monarch yet in the mid fkie. "Exeunt.-The fcene changes, and then is prefented Ludlow town, and the Prefident's caftle: then enter country dances and fuch like gambols, &c. At thefe Sports the Domon, with the two Brothers and the Lady, enters. The Damon fings." Ver. 962. Of nimbler toes, and courtly guife, Such as Hermes did devife. In the former line "fuch neat guife" had also been written. After v. 965. NO STAGE-DIRECTION, only "2. Song." Ver. 971. Thire faith, thire temperance, and thire truth. Temperance is a marginal reading. Patience had been first written, and erased; and is restored by the line drawn underneath it, as at praife, v. 176. It is alfo again written over temperance erafed in the margin. Ver. 973. To a crowne of deathleffe bays. After v. 975, STAGE-DIRECTION, "The Damon fings or fays." Ver. 976. These concluding Lyricks are twice written, in pp. 28, 29, of the MS. the first are croffed. Ver. 979. Up in the plaine fields. Ver. 982. Of Atlas and his daughters three. Ver. 982. The "faire daughters of Atlas" are mentioned in B. Jonson's Mask, Pleafure reconciled to Virtue, 1619, to which I have often referred Hefperus is written over Atlas, and neeces over daughters: But Ver. 983. After "the goulden tree," he had written, but croffed Ver. 990. About the myrtle alleys fling Balm and caffia's fragrant fmells. Ver. 992. Iris there with garnight [then garisht] bow. This is in the first copy of the Lyricks. In the second, Yellow, watchet, greene, and blew. And drenches oft with manna [then Sabaan] dew Where many a cherub foft reposes. But "Yellow, watchet, greene, and blew," is croffed in the fecond copy. What relates to Adonis, and to Cupid and Pfyche, was afterwards added. Ver. 1012, Now my message [or buisnesse] well is done. Ver. 1014. Farre beyond the earth's end, Where the welkin low doth bend. He had alfo written" the welkin cleere." And "the earth's greene end.” Ver. 1023. Heav'n itfelfe would bow to her, The following readings, which have occurred in this manufcript, will be found in Lawes's edition of Comus in 1637. They were altered in Milton's own edition of 1645. Ver. 195. Stolne. Ver. 214. Flittering. Ver. 251. She fmil'd. the reader. Mr. Whiter has alfo noticed Milton's introduction of Atlas's daughters from this Mak, Topp L Ver. 472. Hovering. Ver. 513. I'll tell you. Ver. 608. Or cleave his fcalpe down to the hippes. 13 Various Readings of the Mask of COMUS, which belonged to the late Duke of Bridgewater, and is now in the poffeffion of the Marquis of Stafford. HAVING been favoured with the use of this manuscript by the Hon. and Rev. F. H. Egerton, I printed it entire in 1798. I then fuppofed it to be one of the many copies written, before the Mask was published, by Henry Lawes, who, on his editing it in 1637, complained in his Dedication to Lord Brackley, that "the often copying it had tired his pen :" or, at least, to be a tranfcript of his copy. And I am still of the fame opinion. * I mentioned that, at the bottom of the title-page to this manufcript, the fecond Earl of Bridgewater, who had performed the part of the Elder Brother, has written "Author Io: Milton." This, in my opinion, may be confidered as no flight testimony, that the manufcript prefents the original form of this drama. The Mask was acted in 1634, and was first published by Lawes in 1637, at which time it certainly had been corrected, although it was not then openly acknowledged, by its author. The alterations and additions, therefore, which the printed poem exhibits, might not have been made till long after the reprefentation; perhaps, not till Lawes had expreffed his determination to publish it. The coincidence of Lawes's Original Mufick with certain peculiarities in this manuscript, which I have alrea1y stated in the Account of HENRY LAWES, may alfo favour this fuppofition. Most of the various readings in this manufcript agree with Milton's original readings in the Cambridge manufcript; a few *See Lawes's Dedication, are peculiar to itfelf. Since I published the edition of Comus in 1798, I have examined the latter; and have found a clofer agreement between the two manufcripts than I had reafon, from the collations of that at Cambridge by Dr. Newton and Mr. Warton, to have fuppofed. This manufcript resembles Milton's alfo in the circumftauce of beginning most of the verses with fmall letters. The poem opens with the following twenty lines, which in all other copies, hitherto known to the Publick, form part of the Spirit's epilogue. STAGE-DIRECTION. "The firft fceane difcovers a wild wood, then a guardian Spiritt or demon defcendes or enters." From the heavens nowe I flye, All amidst the gardens fayre Of Hefperus, and his daughters three There eternall fummer dwells, And weft wyndes, with muskye winge, About the Cederne allyes flinge Nard and Caffia's balmie fmells. Waters the odorous bankes, that blowe Where many a cherub foft repofes. Then follows "Before the starrie threshold of Joves courte &c." I have numbered the fucceeding verfes fo as to correspond with the printed copy; in order that the reader may compare both by an immediate reference. Ver. 12. Yet fome there be, that with due stepps afpire. Ver. 46. Bacchus, that first from out the purple grapes, Ver. 58. Which therefore he brought up, and Comus nam'd. rod in one hand and a glafs of liquor in the other; with him a route of monfters like men and women but headed like wild beafts &c." Ver. 99. Shoots against the Northerne Pole. Ver. 123. Night has better fweets to prove. STAGE-DIRECTION after v. 144. "The Meafure in a wild, rude, and wanton Antick" And after v. 147, "they all scatter.” Ver. 170. This waye the noise was, if my eare be true. Ver. 191. But where they are, and whye they come not back. The three beautiful lines, preceding this verfe in the printed copies, are wanting in this MS. Ver. 195. Had ftolne them from me, The remaining hemiftich, and the thirty following lines, which the other copies exhibit, are not in this MS. Ver. 229. Prompt me, and they perhaps are not farr hence. Ver. 256. Whoe, when they fung, would take the prifon'd foule. Ver. 300. That in the cooleness of the raynebow live. When the bigg rowling flakes of pitchie clouds And darkness wound her in: EL. BRO. peace, brother, Ver. 370. (Not beinge in danger, as I hope fhe is not.) Ver. 388. Far from the cheerful haunte of men or heards. |