Be those that quell the might of hellish charms:
He with his bare wand can unthred thy joints, 620
And crumble all thy finews.

Eld. Bro. Why prethee, Shepherd,

How durft thou then thyself approach so near,
As to make this relation?

Spir. Care and utmost shifts

How to secure the Lady from surprisal,
Brought to my mind a certain fhepherd lad,
Of small regard to fee to, yet well skill'd
In every virtuous plant and healing herb,
That spreads her verdant leaf to th' morning ray: 630
He lov'd me well, and oft would beg me fing,
Which when I did, he on the tender grafs
Would fit, and hearken ev'n to extasy,
And in requital ope his leathern fcrip,
And fhow me fimples of a thousand names,
Telling their strange and vigorous faculties:
Amongst the rest a small unfightly root,
But of divine effect, he cull'd me out;
The leaf was darkish, and had prickles on it,
But in another country, as he said,
Bore a bright golden flow'r, but not in this foil:
Unknown, and like esteem'd, and the dull fwain
Treads on it daily with his clouted fhoon;
And yet more med'cinal is it than that Moly
That Hermes once to wife Ulyffes gave;
He call'd it Hæmony, and gave
it me,

640

625

635

645

And

And bad me keep it as of sovran use

'Gainst all inchantments, mildew, blaft, or damp,
Or ghaftly furies apparition.

I purs'd it up, but little reck'ning made,
Till now that this extremity compell'd:
But now I find it true; for by this means
I knew the foul inchanter though disguis'd,
Enter'd the very lime-twigs of his spells,
And yet came off: if you have this about you, 655
(As I will give you when we go) you may
Boldly affault the necromancer's hall;
Where if he be, with dauntlefs hardihood,

And brandifh'd blade rufh on him, break his glafs,
And shed the luscious liquor on the ground, 660
But seise his wand; though he and his curs'd crew
Fierce fign of battel make, and menace high,
Or like the fons of Vulcan vomit smoke,
Yet will they foon retire, if he but shrink.

Eld. Bro. Thyrfis lead on apace, I'll follow thee, 665 And fome good Angel bear a shield before us.

650

The Scene changes to a stately palace, fset out with all manner of deliciousness: foft mufic, tables spread with all dainties. Comus appears with his rabble, and the Lady Jet in an inchanted chair, to whom he offers his glass, which he puts by, and goes about to rife.

Com. Nay, Lady, fit; if I but wave this wand,
Your nerves are all chain'd up in alabaster,
And you a ftatue, or as Daphne was

Root

Root-bound, that fled Apollo.

670

Lady. Fool, do not boast,

Thou canst not touch the freedom of my mind
With all thy charms, although this corporal rind
Thou hast immanacl'd, while Heav'n fees good.

Com. Why are you vext, Lady? why do you frown?
Heredwells no frowns, nor anger; from these gates 676
Sorrow flies far: See here be all the pleasures
That fancy can beget on youthful thoughts,
When the fresh blood grows lively, and returns
Brisk as the April buds in primrose-season.
And first behold this cordial julep here,
That flames, and dances in his crystal bounds,
With fpirits of balm, and fragrant fyrups mix'd.
Not that Nepenthes, which the wife of Thone
In Egypt gave to Jove-born Helena,

Is of fuch pow'r to flir up joy as this,

To life fo friendly, or fo cool to thirst.
Why should
you be fo 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,

680

685

690

695

And

And timely rest have wanted; but fair Virgin,
This will restore all foon.

Lady. "Twill not, false traitor,

'Twill not restore the truth and honesty

That thou haft banish'd from thy tongue with lies.
Was this the cottage, and the safe abode

Thou toldst me of? What grim aspects are these,
Thefe ugly-headed monsters? Mercy guard me! 705
Hence with thy brew'd inchantments, foul deceiver;
Haft thou betray'd my credulous innocence
With vifor'd falfhood, and base forgery?

700

And would'st thou seek again to trap me here
With liquorish baits fit to insnare a brute?
Were it a draft for Juno when the banquets,
I would not taste thy treasonous offer; none
But such as are good men can give good things,
And that which is not good, is not delicious
To a well-govern'd and wise appetite.

715

Com. O foolishness of men! that lend their ears To those budge doctors of the Stoic fur, And fetch their precepts from the Cynic tub, Praising the lean and fallow Abstinence. Wherefore did Nature pour her bounties forth, 720 With fuch a full and unwithdrawing hand, Covering the earth with odors, fruits, and flocks, Thronging the feas with spawn innumerable, But all to please, and fate the curious taste? And set to work millions of spinning worms,

710

725

That

That in their green shops weave the smooth-hair'd filk
To deck her fons, and that no corner might
Be vacant of her plenty, in her own loins
She hutcht th' all-worshipt ore, and precious gems
To ftore her children with: if all the world
Should in a pet of temp'rance feed on pulse,
Drink the clear stream, and nothing wear but frieze,
Th' all-giver would be unthank'd, would be unprais'd,
Not half his riches known, and yet defpis'd,

730

And we should serve him as a grudging master, 735 As a penurious niggard of his wealth,

And live like Nature's baftards, not her fons,

Who would be quite furcharg'd with her own weight
And strangled with her waste fertility, (plumes,
Th' earth cumber'd, and the wing'd air darkt with
The herds would over-multitude their lords, 740
The fea o'er-fraught would fwell, and th’unsought di-
Would fo imblaze the forehead of the deep, (amonds
And so bestud with stars, that they below
Would grow inur'd to light, and come at last 745
To gaze upon the fun with shameless brows.
Lift Lady, be not coy, and be not cosen'd
With that fame vaunted name Virginity.
Beauty is Nature's coin, must not be horded,
But must be current, and the good thereof
Confifts in mutual and partaken bliss,
Unfavory in th' enjoyment of itself;
If you let flip time, like a neglected rose

750