Drowey flighted steeds. for before, Comus's first speech was uninterruptedly continued thus, "Root-bound, that fled Apollo. Why do you frown?" Ver, 555. At last a softe and solemn breathing Ver. 669. That youth and fancie can beget, sound perfumes. When the briske blood growes lively. Rose like the softe steame of distill'd In the former line it was also written “ can in- So he had at first written these lines in the But slow is altered to rich. Possibly Gray had "Parent of sweet and solemn breathing which is Milton's second alteration of ver. 555. 'Twixt Africa and Inde, l'le find him [ing Poor ladie thou hast need of some refreshWhy should you, &c. After v. 697, the nine lines now standing were Ver. 687. That hast been tired all day. Ver. 695. Ongly-headed monsters. Ver. 712. Ver. 707. To those budge doctors of the Stoia Ver. 117. To adorn her sons But deck is the first reading, then adorn, then Ver. 611. But here thy steele can do thee small | deck again. Ver. 721. Should in a pet of temperance feed Here nor had been erased, and again written over Ver. 749. They had thire name thence; coarse Then follow verses from v. 672-705. From v. Ver. 763. As if she meant her children, &c.. Ver. 807. This is mere moral stuff, the very lees, And settlings of a melancholy blood; But this, &c. After v. 813. STAGE-DIRECTION. "The brothers rush in, strike his glasse down: the [monsters, then] shapes make as though they would resist, but are all driven in. Dæmon enters with them." Ver. 814. What have you let the false enchauter pass? Ver. 816. Ver. 821. There is another way that may be us'd. Ver. 826. Sabrina is her name, a goddess chaste. Then erased; then virgin before goddess, and pure after chaste. Ver. 829. She, guiltlesse damsel, flying the mad persuite. Ver. 831, To the streamc. But first "the flood." Ver. 834. Held up thire white wrists and receav'd her in, And bore her straite to aged Nereus hall. Ver. 845. Helping all urchin blasts, and ill-luck signes [lights to leave; That the shrewd meddling elfe dcAnd often takes our cattel with strange pinches. Which she, &c. Temperance is a marginal reading. Patience had been first written and erased; and is restored by the line drawn underneath it, as at praise, v. 176. It is also again-written over temperance erased in the margin. Ver. 973. To a crowne of deathlesse bays. After v. 975, Stage-directION "The Dæmon sings or says." Ver. 976. These concluding lyrics are twice written in pp. 28, 29, of the MS. the first are crossed. Ver. 979. Up in the plaine fields. Ver. 982. Of Atlas and his daughters three. Hesperus is written over Atlas, and neeces over daughters: but daughters are distinguished by the line underneath, although it had been erased; which is not the case with Atlas. See Mr. Whiter's acute 'remark on this circumstance, Specimen &c. as above, p. 133. Ver. 983. After "the goulden tree," he had written, but crossed, Where grows the high-borne gold upon his native tree. Ver. 984. This verse and the three following were added. Ver. 988. That there eternal Summer dwells.. Ver. 992. Ver. 849. Carrol her goodnesse loud in lively Ver. 995. Then her watchet scarf can shew. Jayes. And lovely, from lively. Ver. 851. Of pansies, and of bonnie daffadils. Ver. 853. Each clasping charme, and secret hold ing spell. Ver. 857. In honour'd virtue's cause: this will I trie. And in the margin "In hard distressed need." STAGE-DIRECTIONS. "Exeunt.-The scene changes, and then is presented Ludlow town, and the president's castle: then enter country dances and such like gambols, &c. At these sports the Damon, with the two Brothers and the Lady, enters. The demon sings." Ver. 962. Of nimb!er toes, and courtly guise, In the former line "such neat guise," had also been written. After v. 965. NO STAGE-DIRECTION, only "2 Song." Ver. 971. Thire faith, thire temperance, and thire truth. VOL. VII. This is in the first copy of the Lyrics. In the second, Then her purfled scarf can shew, Beds of hyacinth and roses, Where many a cherub soft reposes. But Yellow, watchet, greene, and blew," is crossed in the second copy. What relates to Adonis, and to Cupid and Psyche, was afterwards added. Ver. 1012. Now my message [or buisnesse] well is done. Ver. 1014. Farre beyond the earth's end, Ver. 1023. Heav'n itselfe would bow to her. The following readings, which have occurred in this manuscript, will he found in Lawes's edition of Comus in 1637. They were altered in Milton's own edition of 1645. manuscript by the rev. Francis Henry Egerton, I printed it entire in 1798. I then supposed 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 transcript of his copy. And I am still of the same opinion. I mentioned that, at the bottom of the titlepage to this manuscript, the second earl of Bridgewater, who had performed the part of the Elder Brother, has written " Author Io: Milton." This, in my opinion, may be considered as no slight testimony, that the manuscript presents the original form of this drama. The mask was acted in 1634, and was first published by Lawes in 1637, at which time it had certainly 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 representation; perhaps, not till Lawes bad expressed his determination to publish it. The coincidence of Lawes's Original Music with certain peculiarities in this manuscript, which I have already stated in the Account of HENRY LAWES, may also favour this supposition. Most of the various readings in this manuscript agree with Milton's original readings in the Cambridge manuscript; a few are peculiar to itself. Since I published the edition of Comus in 1798, I have examined the latter; and have found a closer agreement between the two manuscripts than I had reason, from the collations of that at Cambridge by Dr. Newton and Mr. Warton, to have supposed. This manuscript resembles Milton's also in the circumstance of beginning most of the verses with small letters. The poem opens with the following twenty lines, which in all other copies, hitherto known to the public, form part of the Spirit's epilogue. STAGE-DIRECTION. "The first sceane discovers a wild wood, then a guardian spirit or dæmon descendes or enters." From the heavens now I flye, And west wyndes, with muskye winge, 1 See Lawes's Dedication. Then follows "Before the starrie threshold of Jove's courte, &c." I have numbered the succeeding verses so as to correspond with the printed copy; in order that the reader may compare both by an immediate reference. Ver. 12. Yet some there be, that with due stepps aspire. Ver. 46. Bacchus, that first from out the purple Ver. 58. grapes. Which therefore she brought up, and Comus nam'd. Ver. 83. These my skye webs, spun out of Iris wooffe. STAGE-DIRECTION after v. 92. "Comus enters with a charminge rod in one hand and a glass of liquor in the other; with him a route of monsters like men and women but headed like wild beasts, &c." Ver. 99. Shoots against the Northerne pole. Ver. 123. Night has better sweets to prove. STAGE-DIRECTION after v. 144. "The Measure in a wild, rude, and wanton antic" And after v. 147, "they all scatter." Ver. 170. This waye the noise was, if my eare be true. Ver. 370. Ver. 383. And darkness wound her in: EL. BRO. peace, brother, peace. (Not beinge in danger, as I hope she is not.) Walks in black vapours, though the noon-tyde brand Blaze in the summer solstice. Ver. 388. Far from the cheerful haunte of men or heards. A tough encounter with the shaggies! [suer 499 This will restore all soone, After v. 696, the four lines which follow in the Ver. 709. Praisinge the leane and shallow Abstiprinted copy are not in this MS. nence. Ver. 415. As you imagine, brother; she has a hid-The same corrupt reading accidentally occurs in a modern duodecimo edition of Milton's Poetical Works. den strength. Ver. 426. Noe salvage, feirce bandite, or moun taneere. In the manuscript a comma is placed both after By grots and caverns shag'd with horrid And yawninge denns,where glaringe mon- Ver. 432. Naye more, noe evill thinge that walks Ver. 437. Has hurtefull power ore true virginitie: Doe you beleeve me yet, &c. Ver. 448. The wise Minerva wore, vnconquer'd virgin. Ver. 460. Begins to cast a beam on th' outward shape. Ver. 465. And most by lewde lascivious act of sin. Ver. 472. Hoveringe, and sitting by a new made grave. STAGE DIRECTION after v. 489. "He hallowes and is answered, the guardian dæmon comes in, habited like a shepheard." Ver. 497. How cam'st here, good shepheard? hath any ram, &c. Ver. 513. Ile tell you, tis not vain or fabulous. Rose like the softe steame of distill'd And stole vpon the aire. Ver. 732. The sea orefraught would swell, and th vnsought diatnonds Would soe emblaze with starrs, that they belowe Would growe enur'd to light, and come Το at last gaze vpon the sunn with shameless browes. The transcriber's eye here perhaps hastily passed from emblaze to with starrs, which, in the printed copies, the succeeding line presents. See Com. v. 733, 734. The next nineteen lines in the printed copies, after browes, viz. from v. 736, to v. 756, are not in this MS. Ver. 758. Would thinke to charme my judgment, as my eyes. Ver. 772. Nature's full blessinge would be well dispenst. Ver. 777. Ne'er looks to Heav'n amidst his gorgeous feasts. But with besotted base ingratitude Ver. 810. And setlinge of a melancholy bloud. rushe in with swords drawne, wrest his glasse Ver. 814. What, have yee let the false enchaunter scape? Ver. 821. Some other meanes I have that may be vsed. These variations present this charming passage, I Ver. 828. Whoe had the scepter from his father think, with as strong effect as the other copies. Ver. 563. Too well I might perceive &c. Ver. 581. How are you joyn'd with Hell in triple knott. Ver. 605. Harpies and Hydraes, or all the mon strous buggs. Ver. 608. Or drag him by the curles, and cleave his scalpe Downe to the hipps. Brute. Ver. 847. is wanting in this MS. STAGE-DIRECTION after v. 866. "The verse to singe or not," Ver. 867. Listen, and appear to vs, In name of greate Oceanus, By th' Earth-shakinge Neptune's mace, 500 El. B. By hoarie Nereus wrincled looke, And the Carpathian wizards hooke, And her sonne that rules the strands, 2 Bro. By Thetis tinsel-slipper'd feete, And the songs of Sirens sweete,' Wherewith she sitts on diamond rocks, The invocations, assigned to the Brothers in the preceding lines, are recited by the Spirit alone in all other copies of the poem. It is probable, that at Ludlow Castle, this part of the poem was sung; the four first lines perhaps as a trio; the rest by each performer separately. Ver. 893. Thick set with agate, and the azur'd Shakespeare has the "azur'd vault,” Tempest, v. 893. Ver. 897. Thus I rest my printles feete Ver. 907. Of vnblest inchaunters vile, Let vs fly this cursed place, &c. Through this gloomie covert wide, &c. El. B. Come, let vs hast, the starrs are high, But night sitts monarch yet in the mid skye, The Spirit again is the sole speaker of the nineteen preceding lines in the printed copy. STAGE-DIRECTION. "The Sceane changes, then is presented Ludlowe towne, and the President's Castle; then come in Countrie daunces and the like, &c. towards the end of these sports the demon with the 2 brothers and the ladye come in," Then "The Spiritt singes." Back, shepheards, back, &c. Then "2 Songe presents them to their father Noble Lord, and Lady bright, &c. Now my taske is smoothly done, Quickly to the earthe's greene end, Mortalls, that would follow me, Heven it selfe would stoope to her. The Epilogue, in this manuscript, has not the thirty-six preceding lines, which are in the printed copies. Twenty of them, however, as we have seen, open the drama. Like the Cambridge manuscript, this manuscript does not exhibit what, in the printed copies, relates to Adonis, and to Cupid and Psyche. The four charming verses also, which follow v. 983 in the printed copy, are not in the manuscript. TODD. SONNETS. I. TO THE NIGHTINGALË. Foretel my hopeless doom in some grove nigh; Whether the Muse, or Love, call thee his mate, II. DONNA leggiadra, il cui bel nome honora De sui atti soavi giamai parco, E i don', che son d'amor saette ed arco, Quando tu vaga parli, o lieta canti Che mover possa duro alpestre legno, III. QUAL in colle aspro, al imbrunir di sera |