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, His fiery virtue rous'd From under ashes into sudden flame, And as an evening dragon came, 1685 1690 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 1710 A life heroic; on his enemies Fully reveng'd, hath left them years of mourning, 1715 Or knock the breast; no weakness, no contempt, 1720 Let us go find the body, where it lies 1725 Soak'd in his enemies' blood; and from the stream 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, 1740 1745 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 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, |