Midnight shout and revelry, Braid your locks with rosy twine, Rigour now is gone to bed; With their grave saws, in slumber lie. We, that are of purer fire, Imitate the starry choir, Who, in their nightly watchful spheres, Lead in swift round the months and years. The sounds and seas, with all their finny drove, SONG. By a Woman. By dimpled brook and fountain brim What has night to do with sleep? Night has better sweets to prove; 'Tis only day-light that makes sin. Comus. Hail, goddess of nocturnal sport, 160 170 Dark-veil'd Cotytto! to whom the secret flamé 180 Of midnight torches burn. Mysterious dame! Of Stygian darkness spits her thickest gloom, Stay thy cloudy ebon chair, Wherein thou rid'st with Hecat', and befriend Of all thy dues be done, and none left out; The nice Morn, on th' Indian steep And to the tell-tale Sun descry Our conceal'd solemnity. SONG. By COMUS and Woman. From tyrant laws and customs free By turns we drink, and dance, and sing, Why should niggard rules control Comus. Come, knit hands and beat the ground In a light fantastic round. A Dance. Break off, break off; I feel the diff'rent pace 190 200 210 Run to your shrouds within these brakes and trees; Wind me into the easy-hearted man, And hug him into snares. When once her eye Hath met the virtue of this magic dust, I shall appear some harmless villager And hearken if I may her bus'ness here. Enter the Lady. 220 Lady. This way the noise was, if mine ear be true, My best guide now: methought it was the sound 230 Of riot and ill-manag'd merriment; "Such as the jocund flute or gamesome pipe "Stirs up among the loose unletter'd hinds, "When for their teeming flocks and granges full In the blind mazes of this tangled wood? 240 Comus aside.] I'll ease her of that care, and be her guide. Lady. My brothers when they saw me wearied out "With this long way, resolving here to lodge "Under the spreading favour of these pines," Stepp'd, as they said, to the next thicket side To bring me berries, or such cooling fruit As the kind hospitable woods provide. 249 "They left me then when the grey-hooded Even, "Of calling shapes and beck'ning shadows dire, 259 "These thoughts may startle well, but not astound, "The virtuous mind, that ever walks attended "By a strong siding champion, Conscience. "O! welcome pure-ey'd Faith, white-handed Hope, "Thou hov'ring angel, girt with golden wings, "And thou unblemish'd form of Chastity ! "I see you visibly, and now believe, "That he, the supreme Good (t' whom all things ill "Are but as slavish officers of vengeance) 27 "Would send a glist'ring guardian, if need were, "To keep my life and honour unassail'd. "Was I deceiv'd, or did a sable cloud "Turn forth her silver lining on the night? “I did not err; there does a sable cloud "Turn forth her silver lining on the night, "And casts a gleam over this tufted grove." I cannot halloo to my brothers, but Such noise as I can make to be heard farthest I'll venture, for my new enliven'd spirits Prompt me, and they perhaps are not far off. SONG. Sweet Echo, sweetest nymph! that liv'st unseen By slow Maander's margent green, Where the lovelorn nightingale Nightly to thee her sad song 289 mourneth well; 290 Canst thou not tell me of a gentle pait That likest thy Narcissus are? C |