Offering to every weary traveller His orient liquor in a crystal glass, To quench the drouth of Phoebus, which as they taste, 70 (For most do taste through fond intemp❜rate thirst) 80 85 I shoot from heav'n, to give him safe convoy, 90 COMUS enters with a charming rod in one hand, his glass in the other; with him a rout of monsters, headed like sundry sorts of wild beasts, but otherwise like men and women, their apparel glistering; they come in making a riotous and unruly noise, with torches in their hands. COMUS. The star that bids the shepherd fold, Now the top of heaven doth hold; And the gilded car of day 95 His glowing axle doth allay And the slope sun his upward beam Meanwhile welcome Joy, and Feast, Braid your locks with rosy twine, And Advice with scrupulous head, 93 star] Chapman's Homer's Hymn to Pan. When Hes perus calls to fold the flocks of men.' 97 Atlantic] Beaumont's Psyche, c. iii. s. xi. p. 27. 108 Advice] The Cambridge MS. And quick Law,' whicn Warburton prefers. Imitate the starry quire, Who in their nightly watchful spheres Lead in swift round the months and years. The sounds and seas, with all their finny drove, Trip the pert fairies and the dapper elves. 'Tis only day-light that makes sin, 120 125 Dark-veil'd Cotytto, t' whom the secret flame Stay thy cloudy ebon chair, Wherein thou rid'st with Hecat, and befriend 135 Us thy vow'd priests, till utmost end And see Seven Champions of Christendom, p. 55. 4to. 1638 125 rights] 'Rites.' Fenton, Newton, Warton, (ed. 1). 132 spets] Spits.' Fenton, Tickell, Newton, wrongly. Of all thy dues be done, and none left but, Ere the babbling eastern scout, The nice morn, on th' Indian steep From her cabin'd loophole peep, And to the tell-tale sun descry Come, knit hands, and beat the ground. THE MEASURE. 140 Break off, break off, I feel the different pace 145 139 steep] 'Aurora rose with ruddy face upon the Indian Heaven.' Sylvest. Du Bartas, p. 392. 140 loophole] See note on Lallah Rookh, p. 393, ed. 8vo. 154 spungy] G. Peele's Works, by Dyce, ii. 262. ed. 1829. 'Not clouds cast from this spungie element.' This word is used in N. Richards's Messalina, Sig. B 7, their spungie virtue into vice.' shall squeeze And put the damsel to suspicious flight, Which must not be, for that's against my course: I, under fair pretence of friendly ends, And well-plac'd words of glozing courtesy And hug him into snares. When once her eye I shall appear some harmless villager, THE LADY ENTERS. 160 165 170 This way the noise was, if mine ear be true, 161 glozing] See Sylvester's Du Bartas, p. 92. 163 Wind] Win. Tickell, Fenton. 165 magic dust] This referred to ver. 154, my dazzling spells,' which originally stood powdered spells.' 166 I shall appear] The ed. of 1673, 'I shall appear some harmless villager, And hearken, if I may, her business here. Where, besides the transposition, the line, Whom thrift,' &c. is omitted. Warton. 168 fairly] softly. Hurd. |