University of Virginia Library

ACT II.

A magnificent hall in Comus's palace. Comus and attendants stand on each side of the Lady, who is seated in an inchanted chair.
Comus.
Come, thou goddess fair and free,
In heaven yclep'd Euphrosyne,
And by men heart-easing Mirth,
Whom lovely Venus at a birth,
With two Sister Graces more,
To ivy-crowned Bacchus bore.
Haste thee, nymph, and bring with thee
Jest and youthful Jollity,
Quips and cranks, and wanton wiles,
Nods and becks, and wreathed smiles,
Such as hang on Hebe's cheek,
And love to live in dimple sleek;
Sport, that wrinkled Care derides,
And Laughter holding both his sides.
Come, and trip it as you go,
On the light fantastic toe:
And in thy right hand lead with thee
The mountain-nymph, sweet Liberty.

[Whilst these lines are repeating, enter a Nymph representing Euphrosyne, or Mirth; who advances to the Lady, and sings the following song.
SONG.

Lady.
How long must I, by magick fetters chain'd
To this detested seat, hear odious strains
Of shameless folly, which my soul abhors?

Comus.
Ye sedge-crown'd Naiades, by twilight seen
Along Mæander's mazy border green,
At Comus' call appear in all your azure sheen!

SONG by Comus and Chorus,
Come, and trip it as ye go
On the light fantastic toe!

[He waves his wand, the Naiades enter, and dance.
Comus.
Now softly slow sweet Lydian airs attune,
And breathe the pleasing pangs of gentle love.

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 observ'd by Euphrosyne, who by her gesture expresses her different sentiments of the subject of her complaint, suitably to the character of their several songs.
RECITATIVO.
How gentle was my Damon's air!
Like sunny beams his golden hair,
His voice was like the nightingale's,
More sweet his breath than flow'ry vales.
How hard such beauties to resign!
And yet that cruel task is mine.

BALLAD.

RECITATIVO.
By Euphrosyne.
Love, the greatest bliss below,
How to taste few women know
Fewer still the way have hit
How a fickle swain to quit.
Simple nymphs, then learn of me,
How to treat inconstancy.

BALLAD.

Comus.

[After this the second attendant Spirit enters; he advances to the Lady, and sings, remaining still invisible to Comus and his crew.
SONG.

[Exit the Spirit, the musick playing loud and solemn.
Lady.
Thanks, heavenly songster! whosoe'er thou art,
Who deign'st to enter these unhallow'd walls
To bring the song of Virtue to mine ear!
O cease not, cease not the melodious strain,
Till my rapt soul high on the swelling note
To heav'n ascend—far from these horrid fiends!

Comus.
Mere airy dreams of air-bred people these,
Who look with envy on more happy man!
Drink this, and you will scorn such idle tales.
[He offers the cup, which she puts by, and attempts to rise.
Nay, lady, sit; if I but wave this wand,
Your nerves are all bound up in alabaster,
And you a statue.

Lady.
Fool, do not boast;
Thou canst not touch the freedom of my mind
With all thy charms, altho' this corp'ral rind
Thou hast immanacled, while Heav'n sees good.

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
That Fancy can beget on youthful thoughts:
And first behold this cordial julep here,
That flames and dances in his crystal bounds.

Lady.
Know, base deluder, that I will not taste it.
Keep thy detested gifts for such as these.

[Points to his crew.
SONG By a Man.
Mortals, learn your lives to measure
Not by length of time, but pleasure;
Soon your Spring must have a fall;
Losing youth, is losing all:
Then you'll ask, but none will give,
And may linger, but not live.

Comus.
Why shou'd you be so cruel to yourself,
And to those dainty limbs, which Nature lent
For gentle usage and soft delicacy;
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
That thou hast banish'd from thy tongue with lies.
Was this the cottage, and the safe abode
Thou told'st me of? Hence with thy brew'd enchantments!
Were it a draught for Juno when she banquets,
I wou'd not taste thy treas'nous 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 wife appetite.
Shall I go on, or have I said enough?

Comus.
Enough to shew
That you are cheated by the lying boasts
Of starving pedants, that affect a fame
From scorning pleasures, which they cannot reach.
Comus sings.

Comus.
List, lady; be not coy, and be not cozen'd
With that same vaunted name Virginity.
What need a vermeil-tinctur'd lip for that,
Love-darting eyes, or tresses like the morn?
There was another meaning in these gifts;
Think what, and be advis'd: you are but young yet;
This will inform you soon. One sip of this
Will bathe the drooping spirits in delight,
Beyond the bliss of dreams. Be wise, and taste.—

[The Brothers rush in with swords drawn, wrest the glass out of his hand, and break it against the ground; his Rout make signs of resistance, but are all driven in.
Enter the First and Second Spirit.
First Spirit.
What, have you let the false Enchanter 'scape?
O, ye mistook! you should have snatch'd his wand,
And bound him fast: without his rod revers'd,
We cannot free the lady, that sits here
In stony fetters fix'd, and motionless.
Yet stay, be not disturbed; now I bethink me,
There is a gentle nymph not far from hence,
Sabrina is her name, a virgin pure,
That sways the Severn stream: she can unlock
The clasping charm, and thaw the numbing spell,
If she be right invok'd in warbled song.
To the Second Spirit.
Haste, Lycidas, and try the tuneful strain,
Which from her bed the fair Sabrina calls.

SONG. By the Second Spirit.
Sabrina fair,
Listen where thou art sitting
Under the glassy, cool, translucent wave,
In twisted braids of lillies knitting,
The loose train of thy amber-dropping hair;
Listen for dear honour's sake,
Goddess of the silver lake,
Liste and save!

[Sabrina rises, and sings.]

RECITATIVO.
Second Spirit.
Goddess dear,
We implore thy powerful hand
To undo the charmed band
Of true virgin here distress'd,
Thro' the force, and thro' the wile,
Of unbless'd Enchanter vile.

RECITATIVO.
Sabrina.
Shepherd, 'tis my office best
To help ensnared Chastity:
Brightest Lady, look on me;
Thus I sprinkle on thy breast
Drops, that from my fountain pure
I have kept, of precious cure;
Thrice upon thy finger's tip,
Thrice upon thy ruby'd lip;
Next this marble venom'd seat,
Smear'd with gums of glutinous heat,
I touch with chaste palms moist and cold:
Now the spell hath lost its hold;
And I must haste, ere morning-hour,
To wait in Amphitrite's bow'r.

Sabrina descends, and the Lady rises out of her seat; the Brothers embrace her tenderly.
Youngest Brother.
Why did I doubt? Why tempt the wrath of Heaven
To shed just vengeance on my weak distrust?

Eldest Brother.
The freedom of the mind, you see, no charm,
No spell can reach; that righteous Jove forbids,
Lest man should call his frail divinity
The slave of evil, or the sport of chance.
Inform us, Thyrsis, if for this thine aid
We aught can pay, that equals thy desert.

First Spirit
discovering himself.

CHORUS.
Taught by Virtue, you may climb
Higher than the sphery chime;
Or, if Virtue feeble were,
Heaven itself would stoop to her.