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Insensate left, or to sense reprobate,

And with blindness internal struck.

2 Semichor. But he, though blind of sight,

Despis'd and thought extinguish'd quite,
With inward eyes illuminated,

His fiery virtue rous'd

From under ashes into sudden flame,

And as an evening dragon came,

1685

1690

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And, though her body die, her fame survives

A secular bird ages of lives.

Man. Come, come; no time for lamentation now,

Nor much more cause; Samson hath quit himself
Like Samson, and heroicly hath finish'd

1710

A life heroic; on his enemies

Fully reveng'd, hath left them years of mourning,
And lamentation to the sons of Caphtor
Through all Philistian bounds; to Israel
Honour hath left, and freedom, let but them
Find courage to lay hold on this occasion;
To' himself and father's house eternal fame;
And, which is best and happiest yet, all this
With God not parted from him, as was fear'd,
But favouring and assisting to the end.
Nothing is here for tears, nothing to wail

1715

Or knock the breast; no weakness, no contempt,
Dispraise, or blame; nothing but well and fair,
And what may quiet us in a death so noble.

1720

Let us go find the body, where it lies

1725

Soak'd in his enemies' blood; and from the stream
With lavers pure, and cleansing herbs, wash off
The clotted gore. I, with what speed the while,
(Gaza is not in plight to say us nay,)

Will send for all my kindred, all my friends,

1730

To fetch him hence, and solemnly attend

With silent obsequy and funeral train,

Home to his father's house:, there will I build him

A monument, and plant it round with shade

1735

Of laurel ever green, and branching palm,
With all his trophies hung, and acts enroll'd
In copious legend, or sweet lyric song.
'Thither shall all the valiant youth resort,
And from his memory inflame their breasts
To matchless valour, and adventures high:
The virgins also shall, on feastful days,
Visit his tomb with flow'rs; only bewailing
His lot unfortunate in nuptial choice,
From whence captivity and loss of eyes.
Chor. All is best, though we oft doubt,
What th' unsearchable dispose
Of highest Wisdom brings about,
And ever best found in the close.

1740

1745

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COMUS.

A MASK,

PRESENTED AT LUDLOW CASTLE,

1634,

BEFORE

JOHN, EARL OF BRIDGEWATER,

Then President of Wales.

THE Mask was presented in 1634, and consequently in the 26th year of our author's age. In the title page of the first edition, printed in 1637, it is said that it was presented on Michaelmas night, and there was this motto,

Eheu! quid volui misero mihi! floribus austrum
Perditus-

In this edition, and in that of Milton's poems in 1645, there was prefixed to the Mask the following dedica tion.

To the Right Honourable JOHN Lord Viscount Brackly, son and heir apparent to the EARL of BRIDGE. WATER, &c.

My Lord,

THIS poem, which received its first occdsion of birth from yourself and others of your noble family, and much honour from your own person in the performance, now returns again to make a final dedication of itself to you. Although not openly ac knowledged by the author, yet it is a legitimate offspring, so lovely, and so much desired, that the often copying of it hath tired my pen to give my several friends satisfaction, and brought me to a necessity of producing it to the public view; and now to offer it up in all rightful devotion to those fair hopes, and rare endowments of your much promising youth, which give a full assurance, to all that know you, of a future excellence. Live, sweet Lord, to be the honour of your name, and receive this as your own from the hands of him, who hath by many favours been long obliged to your most honoured parents, and as in this representation your attendant Thyrsis, so now in all real expression

Your faithful and most humble Servant,
H. LAWES

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