"In dark Cimmerian desert ever dwell. "But" come, thou goddess fair and free, In heaven yclep'd Euphrosyné, And by men, heart-easing Mirth, Whom lovely Venus at a birth With two sister Graces more, Quips and cranks, and wanton wiles, On the light fantastic toe; And in thy right hand lead with thee [Whilst these lines are repeating, enter a Nymph representing EUPHROSYNE, or Mirth; who advances to the Lady, and sings the following song. SONG. Come, come, bid adieu to fear, 3༠ Sighs to amorous sighs returning, Pulses beating, bosoms burning, Bosoms with warm wishes panting, All the woes you need to fear; Love and harmony reign here. 40 Lady. How long must I, by magick fetters chain'd To this detested seat, hear odious strains Of shameless folly, which my soul abhors? Com. Ye sedge-crown'd Naiades, by twilight seen Along Mæander's mazy border green, At Comus' call appear in all your azure sheen. [He waves his Wand, the Naiads enter, and range themselves in order to dance.] Now softly slow let Lydian measures move, ["The Naiads dance a slow dance expressive of the passion of Love.] ["After this dance" the pastoral Nymph advances slow, with a melancholy and desponding air, to the side of the stage, and repeats, by way of soliloquy, the first six lines, and then sings the ballad. In the mean time she is observed by EUPHROSYNE, who by her gesture expresses to the audience her different sentiments of the subject of her complaint, suitably to the character of their several songs.] E RECITATIVE. How gentle was my Damon's air! And yet that cruel task is mine! A BALLAD. On every hill, in every grove, "Now to the mossy cave I fly, "Where to my swain I oft have sung, "Now through the winding vale I pass, "Where love and Damon fondly play'd, "The vale, the shade, the grass remain, "But Damon there I seek in vain." 50 60 70 80 From hill, from dale, each charm is fled, Groves, flocks, and fountains please no more, Each flower in pity droops its head, All nature does my loss deplore. All, all reproach the faithless swain, Yet Damon still I seek in vain. RECITATIVE. By EUPHROSYNE. Love, the greatest bliss below, How a fickle swain to quit. BALLAD. The wanton god, that pierces hearts, Farewell lovers, when they're cloy'd ; They have charms whilst mine can please; Nor faithless vows shall break my rest. "Fire, water, earth, and air, combine "To compose the rich repast, "Their aid the distant seasons join "To court thy smell, thy sight, thy taste." [After this "they put on their chaplets and prepare for "the feast: while COMUS is advancing with his cup, "and one of his attendants offers a chaplet to the Lady, "(which she throws on the ground with indignation) "the preparation for the feast is interrupted by lofty "and solemn musick from above, whence" the second Attendant Spirit enters gradually in a splendid machine, repeating the following lines to the Lady, and sings, remaining still invisible to COMUS and his crew. |