(As I will give you when we go) you may
Boldly assault the necromancer's hall;
Where if he be, with dauntless hardihood,
And brandish'd blade rush on him, break his glass,
And shed the luscious liquor on the ground,
But seize his wand; though he and his curs'd crew

:

647. The notion of facing 651. -break his glass danger, and conquering an ene And shed the luscious liquor on my, by carrying a charm, which

the ground, was often an herb, is not un- But seize his wand ;] common. See Samson Agonistes, This is in imitation of Spenser, 1130, and the notes on v. 1132. Faery Queen, b. ii. cant. xii. st. Milton, in furnishing the Elder 49. where Sir Guyon serves Brother with the plant hæmony Pleasure's porter in the same when like a knight he is to attack manner. the necromancer Comus, and

But he his idle courtesy defied, even to assail his hall, notwith- And overthrew his bowl disdainfully, standing that the idea is origi. And broke his staff, with which he nally founded in Homer's moly, charmed semblants sly. certainly alluded to the charming 651. But he also copies Spen. herb of the romantic combat. ser, and more closely, where Sir The assault on the necromancer's Guyon breaks the golden cup of hall is also an idea of romance. the enchantress Excesse, ii. xii. See the adventure of the Black 57. Castle in the Seven Champions

So she to Guyon offred it to taste: of Christendom, where the busi

Who taking it out of her tender ness is finally achieved by an : hand, attack on the hall of the Necro The cup to ground did violently cast, mancer Leoger, p. ii. ch. 9.

That all to pieces it was broken fond, T. Warton.

And with the liquor stained all the

lond. 651. And brandish'd blade rush

. T. Warton. on him. 7 Thus Ulysses assaults Circe offering her cup, with a

653. But seize his wand.] In drawn sword, Ovid. Metam. xiii. the Tempest, in the intended 293.

attack upon the magician Pros-Intrat

pero, Caliban gives Stephano Ille domum Circes, et ad insidiosa another sort of necessary pre

caution without which nothing Pocula, conantem virga mulcere ca. else could be dore, a. iij. $. 2.

pillos Reppulit, et stricto pavidam deterruit

Remember ense.

First to possess his books. See Homer, Odyss. x. 294, 321. But Prospero has also a staff as But Milton in his allusions to well as book, a. v. s. 1. Armida Circe's story has followed Ovid in Tasso has both a book and more than Homer. T. Warton wand. Gier. Lib. T. Warton.

vocatus

Fierce sign of battle make, and menace high, ...
Or like the sons of Vulcan vomit smoke, 655
Yet will they soon retire, if he but shrink.'

ELDER BROTHER.
Thyrsis, lead on apace, I'll follow thee,
And some good Angel bear a shield before us.

The Scene changes to a stately palace, set out with all manner of deliciousness: soft music, tables spread with all dainties. Comus appears with his rabble, and the Lady set in an inchanted chair, to whom he offers his glass, which she puts by, and goes about to rise.

Comus.
Nay, lady, sit; if I but wave this wand

Of fire.

657. -I'll follow thee, &c.] Of thy conception, and be now a shield In the Manuscript it is I follow

T. Warton. thee, and the next line was at first, And good heav'n cast his best regard

659. Here, as we see by the

stage-direction, Comus is introupon us.

duced with his apparatus of inAnd then in the Manuscript the

cantation. And much after the stage direction is as follows. The

same manner, Circe enters upon scene changes to a stately palace her Charme of Ulysses in Browne's set out with all manner of delicious- Inner Temple Masque, p. 131. ness, tables spread with all dain- She appears on the stage ties. Comus is discovered with his " quaintly attyred, her haire rabble: and the Lady set in an “ loose about her shoulders, an inchanted chair. She offers to rise. “anadem of flowers on her head,

658. And some good angel bear " with a wand in her hand, &c." a shield before us.] Our author See Note on Par. Reg. ii. 401. has nobly dilated this idea of a T. Warton. guardian-angel, yet not without 659. Nay, Lady, sit ; if I but some particular and express war

wave this wand, rant from Scripture, which he Your nerves are all bound up has also poetically heightened, in alabaster.] in Samson Agonistes, v. 1431. It is with the same magic, and Send me the angel of thy birth, to

ngel of thy birth. to in the same mode, that Prospero stand

threatens Ferdinand, in the Tema Fast by thy side, who from thy pest, for pretending to resist, father's field

TIE

Your nerves are all chain’d up in alabaster, 660
And you a statue, or as Daphne was
Root-bound, that fled Apollo. in

LADY.

Fool, do not boast,
Thou canst not touch the freedom of my mind
With all thy charms, although this corporal rind
Thou hast immanacld, while heav'n sees good. 665

Comus.
Why are you vex'd, Lady? why do you frown?
Here dwell no frowns, nor anger; from these gates
Sorrow flies far: See here be all the pleasures

For I can here disarm thee with this Virtue may be assail'd, but never stick.

hurt, Come on, obey.

(Else, 1 Surpris'd by unjust force, but not Thy nerves are in their infancy again,

inthrali'd. And have no vigour in them.

T. Warton. Milton here comments upon 665. -immanacled! See T. Shakespeare. T. Warton.

Warton's note on manacled, P. L. · 661. And you a statue, &c.} i. 426. E. In the Manuscript it was at first, 668. —See here be all the And you a statue fixt as Daphne was

pleasures Root-bound, that filed Apollo.

That fancy can beget on youthful 662. - Fool, do not houst,] He thoughts &c.] This is a thought had written thus at first,

of Shakespeare's, but vastly imFool, thou art over-prond, do not pro

proved by our poet in the mana boast.

ner of expressing it. Romeo and And this whole speech of the

Juliet, act i. sc. 3. Lady, and the first line of the

Such comfort as do lusty young men

feel, next speech of Comus were

When well-apparell'd April on the added in the margin; for before, heel the first speech of Comus was Of limping winter treads. continued thus,

Thyer. 'Root-bound, that fed Apollo. Why A n echo to Fletcher, Faithf. do you frown ? &c.

Sheph. a. i. s. 1. 663. Thou canst not touch the Here be woods as green, &c.freedom of my mind

Here be all new delights, &c. With all thy charms.]

And again, p. 128. See v. 589. where this stoical

That fancy can beget on youthful thoughts,
When the fresh blood grows lively, and returns 670
Brisk as the April buds in primrose-season.
And first behold this cordial julep here,
That flames, and dances in his crystal bounds,
With spi'rits of balm, and fragrant syrups mix'd. ...
Not that Nepenthes, which the wife of Thone 675

In Egypt gave to Jove-born Helena,
Is of such pow'r to stir up joy as this,
To life so friendly, or so cool to thirst.
Why should you be so cruel to yourself,
And to those dainty limbs which Nature lent
For gentle usage, and soft delicacy?
But you invert the covenants of her trust,
And harshly deal like an ill borrower
With that which you receiv'd on other terms,
Scorning the unexempt condition
By which all mortal frailty must subsist,
Refreshment after toil, ease after pain,
That have been tir'd all day without repast,
And timely rest have wanted ; but fair Virgin,
This will restore all soon.

LADY.

'Twill not, false traitor, Twill not restore the truth and honesty

Which stirs up anguish and con- « them, they had them originally tentious rage :

“ from Egypt; and this of Helen Instead thereof sweet peace and quiet

“ appears plainly to be a proage It doth establish in the troubled “duction of that country, and mind.

“a custom which can be traced Few men, but such as sober are and « from Homer to Augustus's sage,

“ reign, and from thence to the Are by the Gods to drink thereof assign'd;

“ age preceding our own.” Dr. But such as drink, eternal happiness

J. Warton. do find.

679. Why should you &c.] In675. The author of the lively

stead of the nine following lines, and learned Enquiry into the

which were added afterwards in

the Manuscript, there was only Life and Writings of Homer, has

this at first, brought together many particulars of this celebrated drug, Poor Lady, thou hast need of some re. and concludes, p. 135. edit. 1.' - freshing “ It is true they are opiates for

vistes for That hast been tir'd all day &c.

" “ pleasure all over the Levant; 689. —but fair Virgin,] It was “but by the best accounts of at first, here fair Virgin.