Fierce sign of battle make, and menace high,
Or like the sons of Vulcan vomit smoke,
Yet will they soon retire, if he but shrink.

I BR. Thyrsis, lead on apace, I'll follow thee,
And some good Angel bear a shield before us.

655

The Scene changes to a stately palace, set out with all manner of deliciousness; soft music, tables spread with all dainties. COMUS appears with his rabble, and the LADY set in an enchanted chair, to whom he offers his glass, which she puts by, and goes about to rise.

COM. Nay, Lady, sit; if I but wave this wand,
Your nerves are all chain'd up in alabaster,
And you a statue, or as Daphne was
Root-bound, that fled Apollo.

LAD. Fool, do not boast,

660

Thou canst not touch the freedom of my mind
With all thy charms, although this corporal rind
Thou hast immanacled, while heav'n sees good.

665

With that which you receiv'd on other terms;

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,
When the fresh blood grows lively, and returns
Brisk as the April buds in primrose-season.
And first behold this cordial julep here,
That flames, and dances in his crystal bounds,
With spirits of balm, and fragrant syrups mix'd.
Not that Nepenthes, which the wife of Thone
In Egypt gave to Jove-born Helena,
Is of such pow'r to stir up joy as this,
To life so friendly, or so cool to thirst.
Why should you be so cruel to yourself,
And to those dainty limbs which Nature lent
For gentle usage, and soft delicacy?
But you invert the covenants of her trust,
And harshly deal, like an ill borrower,

COM. Why are you vext, Lady? why do you frown?

670

675

680

Scorning the unexempt condition
By which all mortal frailty must subsist,
Refreshment after toil, ease after pain,

685

That have been tir'd all day without repast,

And timely rest have wanted; but, fair Virgin,
This will restore all soon.

LAD. 'Twill not, false traitor,

690

'Twill not restore the truth and honesty

Was this the Cottage, and the safe abode

That thou hast banish'd from thy tongue with lies.

Thou toldst me of? What grim aspects are these,
These ugly-headed monsters? Mercy guard me!
Hence with thy brew'd enchantments, foul deceiver ;
Hast thou betray'd my credulous innocence
With visor'd falsehood and base forgery?
And would'st thou seek again to trap me here
With liquorish baits fit to ensnare a brute?
Were it a draught for Juno when she banquets,
I would not taste thy treasonous 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 wise appetite.

695

700

705

COM. O foolishness of men! that lend their ears

Covering the earth with odours, fruits, and flocks,
Thronging the seas with spawn innumerable,
But all to please, and sate the curious taste?
And set to work millions of spinning worms,

715

That in their green shops weave the smooth-hair'd silk
To deck her sons; and that no corner might
Be vacant of her plenty, in her own loins

She hutch'd th' all-worshipp'd ore, and precious gems,
To store her children with: if all the world
Should in a pet of temp'rance feed on pulse,

Drink the clear stream, and nothing wear but frieze,

720

Th' All-giver would be unthank'd, would be unprais'd,
Not half his riches known, and yet despis'd;
And we should serve him as a grudging master,

As a penurious niggard of his wealth;

And live like Nature's bastards, not her sons,

Who would be quite surcharg'd with her own weight,
And strangled with her waste fertility;

725

Th' earth cumber'd, and the wing'd air dark'd with plumes,

The herds would over-multitude their lords,

730

The sea o'erfraught would swell, and th' unsought

diamonds

Would so emblaze the forehead of the deep,
And so bestud with stars, that they below
Would grow inur'd to light, and come at last
To gaze upon the sun with shameless brows.
List, Lady, be not coy, and be not cozen'd
With that same vaunted name Virginity.
Beauty is Nature's coin, must not be hoarded,
But must be current, and the good thereof
Consists in mutual and partaken bliss,
Unsavoury in th' enjoyment of itself;
If you let slip time, like a neglected rose

735

740

It withers on the stalk with languish'd head.

Beauty is Nature's brag, and must be shown

745

In courts, at feasts, and high solemnities,

Where most may wonder at the workmanship;

It is for homely features to keep home,

They had their name thence; coarse complexions,

And cheeks of sorry grain, will serve to ply

750

The sampler, and to tease the huswife's wool.

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.
LAD, I had not thought to have unlockt my lips

755

In this unhallow'd air, but that this juggler
Would think to charm my judgment, as mine eyes,
Obtruding false rules prank'd in reason's garb.

I hate when vice can bolt her arguments,
And virtue has no tongue to check her pride.
Impostor, do not charge most innocent Nature,
As if she would her children should be riotous
With her abundance; she, good cateress,
Means her provision only to the good,
That live according to her sober laws,
And holy dictate of spare temperance:

If every just man, that now pines with want,
Had but a moderate and beseeming share
Of that which lewdly-pamper'd luxury
Now heaps upon some few with vast excess,
Nature's full blessings would be well dispens'd
In unsuperfluous even proportion,

760

765

770

And she no wit encumber'd with her store;
And then the giver would be better thank'd,
His praise due paid; for swinish gluttony

775

Ne'er looks to heav'n amidst his gorgeous feast,
But with besotted base ingratitude

Crams, and blasphemes his feeder. Shall I go on?
Or have I said enough? To him that dares

780

Arm his profane tongue with contemptuous words

Against the sun-clad pow'r of Chastity,

Fain would I something say, yet to what end?

Thou hast nor ear, nor soul to apprehend

The sublime notion, and high mystery,

785

That must be utter'd to unfold the sage

And serious doctrine of Virginity,

And thou art worthy that thou shouldst not know

More happiness than this thy present lot.

Enjoy your dear wit, and gay rhetoric,

790

That hath so well been taught her dazzling fence,

Thou art not fit to hear thyself convinc'd;

Yet should I try, the uncontrolled worth

Of this pure cause would kindle my rapt spirits

To such a flame of sacred vehemence,

795

That dumb things would be mov'd to sympathize,

And the brute earth would lend her nerves, and shake,
Till all thy magic structures rear'd so high,

Were shattered into heaps o'er thy false head.
COM. She fables not, I feel that I do fear
Her words set off by some superior power:
And though not mortal, yet a cold shudd'ring dew
Dips me all o'er, as when the wrath of Jove
Speaks thunder, and the chains of Erebus,
To some of Saturn's crew. I must dissemble,

800

805

And try her yet more strongly. Come, no more,
This is mere moral babble, and direct

Against the canon-laws of our foundation;

I must not suffer this, yet 'tis but the lees
And settlings of a melancholy blood:

810

But this will cure all straight, 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 his glass out of his hand, and break it against the ground; his rout make sign of resistance, but are all driven in. The ATTENDANT SPIRIT comes in.

815

SPIR. What, have you let the false enchanter 'scape? O ye mistook, ye should have snatch'd his wand, And bound him fast; without his rod revers'd, And backward mutters of dissevering power, We cannot free the Lady that sits here In stony fetters fix'd, and motionless :

Yet stay, be not disturb'd: now I bethink me,

820

Some other means I have which may be us'd,
Which once of Melibœus old I learnt,

The soothest shepherd that e'er pip'd on plains.

There is a gentle nymph not far from hence,

That with moist curb sways the smooth Severn stream,

Sabrina is her name, a virgin pure ;

826

Whilome she was the daughter of Locrine,
That had the sceptre from his father Brute.
She, guiltless damsel, flying the mad pursuit
Of her enraged stepdame Guendolen,
Commended her fair innocence to the flood,

830