The dances ended, the SPIRIT epiloguises.

SP. To the ocean now I fly,
And those happy climes that lie
Where day never shuts his eye,
Up in the broad fields of the sky:
There I suck the liquid air
All amidst the gardens fair
Of Hesperus, and his daughters three
That sing about the golden tree:
Along the crisped shades and bowers
Revels the spruce and jocund Spring,
The Graces, and the rosy-bosom'd Hours,
Thither all their bounties bring;

There eternal Summer dwells,

And west-winds, with musky wing,
About the cedarn alleys fling

Nard and cassia's balmy smells.
Iris there with humid bow
Waters the odorous banks, that blow
Flowers of more mingled hue
Than her purfled scarf can shew,

980

985

990

995

979 broad] MS. 'plain fields.' Fairfax, B. viii. st. 57. 'O'er the broad fields of heaven's bright wildernesse? Warton and Todd.

988 There] Milton's own edition, 1673, reads 'That there,' but in the errata directs 'That' to be omitted; so it is by Tickell and Fenton, but silently readopted by Newton. Warton.

989 musky] See Cowley's Silva. p. 56, and Love's Riddle, p. 93. 'The musky kisses of the west wind.'

And drenches with Elysian dew
(List mortals, if your ears be true)
Beds of hyacinth and roses,
Where young Adonis oft reposes,
Waxing well of his deep wound
In slumber soft, and on the ground
Sadly sits th' Assyrian queen;
But far above in spangled sheen
Celestial Cupid her fam'd son advanc'd,
Holds his dear Psyche sweet intranc'd,
After her wand'ring labours long,
Till free consent the Gods among
Make her his eternal bride,
And from her fair unspotted side
Two blissful twins are to be born,
Youth and Joy; so Jove hath sworn.
But now my task is smoothly done,
I can fly, or I can run

Quickly to the green earth's end,

Where the bow'd welkin slow doth bend,
And from thence can soar as soon
To the corners of the moon.

Mortals, that would follow me,
Love Virtue, she alone is free;
She can teach ye how to climb

1000

005

010

1015

1020

1002 Assyrian] Tickell and Fenton read 'the Cyprian Queen. 1017 corners] Macbeth, a. 3. s. 5. Upon the corner of the moon.' Warton.

"

Higher than the sphery chime:
Or, if Virtue feeble were,
Heav'n itself would stoop to her.

1021 sphery] 'sphery chime' is the chime or music of the spheres. Mids. N. Dream, act ii. sc. 7, 'Hermia's sphery eyne.' Machin's Dumbe Knight, (Reed's Old Pl. iv. 447), 'It was as silver as the chime of spheres. Herrick's Hesp. p. 116, 'Fall down from those thy chiming spheres.' Warton and Todd.

1023 stoop] "bow.' MS.

LYCIDAS.

In this Monody, the author bewails a learned friend, unfortunately drowned in his passage from Chester on the Irish seas, 1637; and by occasion foretells the ruin of our corrupted clergy, then in their height.

YET Once more, O ye laurels, and once more
Ye myrtles brown, with ivy never sere,
I come to pluck your berries harsh and crude,
And with forc'd fingers rude,

Shatter your
leaves before the mellowing year.
Bitter constraint, and sad occasion dear,
Compels me to disturb your season due :
For Lycidas is dead, dead ere his prime,
Young Lycidas, and hath not left his peer:
Who would not sing for Lycidas?
He knew
Himself to sing, and build the lofty rhime.
He must not float upon his watery
bier
Unwept, and welter to the parching wind,
Without the meed of some melodious tear.

5

10

2 myrtles brown] Hor. Od. i. 25. 17. 'Pulla magis atque myrto.'

Warton.

8 dead] 'Phillisides is dead.' Past. Ægl. on Sir P. Sidney's death, by L. B. v. 8. (Todd's Spenser, viii. 76), and v. 71.

'Sweet bowres of myrtel twigs, and lawrel faire.'

10 Who] 'Neget quis carmina Gallo.' Virg. Ecl. x. 3. Peck. 12 Watery] See Theod. Prodrom. Dos. et Rhod. Am. p. 254, ed. Gaulm.

14 Melodious] Cleveland's Obsequy on Mr. King, 'I like not tears in tune.' Todd.

Begin then, Sisters of the sacred well,
That from beneath the seat of Jove doth spring;
Begin, and somewhat loudly sweep the string.
Hence with denial vain, and coy excuse;
So may some gentle Muse

With lucky words favour my destin'd urn,
And as he passes turn,

And bid fair peace be to my sable shroud.

For we were nurs'd upon the self-same hill, Fed the same flock by fountain, shade, and rill. Together both, ere the high lawns appear'd Under the opening eyelids of the morn, We drove a-field, and both together heard What time the gray-fly winds her sultry horn, Batt'ning our flocks with the fresh dews of night, Oft till the star that rose, at evening, bright, Toward heav'n's descent had slop'd his west'ring Meanwhile the rural ditties were not mute, [wheel. Temper'd to th' oaten flute;

20

"Through many a hill and dale,' &c. 26 opening] Middleton's Game at Chess.

25

30

17 sweep] E qui Calliopea alquanto surga.' Dante Purg. i. 9.

19 Muse] 'Gentle Muse-he passes.' See Jortin's Tracts, i. p. 341. 23 nurs❜d] Compare Past. Ægl. on Sir P. Sidney's death, by L. B. ver. 85.

"

Like a pearl,
Dropp'd from the opening eyelids of the morn.'

And Crashaw's Translation of Marino, 'The lids of day.' Warton,
Todd.

29 Batt'ning] Drayton's Ecl. ix.

"Their battening flocks on grassie leas to hold.' Warton.

33 Temper'd] On this word see P. Fletcher's Purple Isl. c. ix. st 3. Par. Lost, vii. 598. Warton.