I never heard till now. I'll fpeak to her, 264 And the shall be my queen. Hail foreign wonder, Dwell'it here with Pan, or Silvan, by bleft fong To touch the profp'rous growth of this tall wood. LADY. Nay gentle Shepherd, ill is loft that praise That is address'd to unattending ears'; Not any boast of skill, but extreme shift How to regain my fever'd company, 269 Compell'd me to awake the courteous Echo 275 To give me answer from her moffy couch. A COMUS. See Paradife Loft, II. 260. and 1019. and the notes there. 268. Dwell ft here with Pan, &c] In the Manufcript he had written at first Liv't here with Pan &c: and fee what he fays of the Genius of the wood in Arcades, and compare it with this paffage. 270. To touch the profp'rous growth the Manufcript with what judgment of this tall wood.] We fee by Milton corrected. And in this view the publication of it by the learned and ingenious Mr. Birch was very useful. In this line the I Manu. COMUS. What chance, good Lady, hath bereft LADY. Dim darkness, and this leafy labyrinth. Could that divide you from near-ufhering guides? LADY. They left me weary on a graffy turf. COMUS. By falfhood, or discourtesy, or why.? LADY. To feek i'th' valley fome cool friendly fpring. COMUS. And left your fair fide all unguarded, Lady? LADY. 280 They were but twain, and purpos'd quick return. Manufcript had profpering, which Milton with judgment alter'd to profperous; for tall wood implies full grown, to which profperous agrees, but profpering implies it not to be full grown. Warburton. 279-from near-ufhering guides?] He had written at firft from their ufbering bands; and in the next verfe, They left me wearied. The firft alteration feens to be better than the latt. COMUS. 282. To feek th' valley fome cool friendly Spring. 1 Here Mr. Sympfon obferved with me, that this is a different reafon from what the had affign'd before ver. 186. To bring me berries, or fuch cooling fruit &c. They might have left her on both accounts. 290. As fmooth as Hebe's their unrazor'd lips.] Virgil Æn. IX. 181. Ora COMUS. Perhaps fore-ftalling night prevented them. LADY. How easy my misfortune is to hit! COMUS. Imports their lofs, beside the present need? LADY. No less than if I should my Brothers lofe. COMUS. 286 Were they of manly prime, or youthful bloom? LADY. As smooth as Hebe's their unrazor'd lips: COMUS. Two fuch I faw, what time the labor'd ox In his loofe traces from the furrow came, 290 And fol ubi montium Mutaret umbras, et juga demeret Bobus fatigatis. The Greeks have a fingle word that expreffes the whole very happily, Beλur tempus quo boves folvuntur, as in Homer Iliad. XVI. 779. ΗμΘ δ' μελιθ μετενεισσετο βόλυτον δε. And the fwinkt hedger at his fupper fat; I saw them under a green mantling vine fmall hill, Plucking ripe clusters from the tender shoots; Their port was more than human, as they stood: I took it for a faëry vision Of fome gay creatures of the element, 295 That in the colors of the rainbow live, 360 And play i'th' plighted clouds. I was aw-struck, Gentle Villager, LADY. 293. And the fwinkt hedger] The finkt hedger is the fame as the labor'd ox, tir'd, fatigu'd. To fuink is to work, to labor, as in Spenfer's Faery Queen, B. 2. Cant. 7. St. 8. For which men swink and sweat incefiantly. 297. Their port was more human, as they food: We have followed the pointing of Milton's two editions in 1645 and 1673, which indeed we generally follow, The edition of 1637 points it otherwife, What Their port was more than hu man; as they flood, &c. and this is follow'd by Dr. Dalton. Milton's Manufcript has no pointing here to direct us. 299. Of fome gay creatures of the element,] In the north of Eng. land this term is ftill made ufe of for the sky. Thyer. 301. And play i'th' plighted clouds.] By using plighted here, instead of the more common word plaited, an unpleafant confonance was avoided and play i'th' pluited clouds. Spenfet What readiest way would bring me to that place? 305 COMUS. Due weft it rifes from this fhrubby point. LADY. To find out that, good Shepherd, I fuppofe, In fuch a scant allowance of ftar-light, Would overtafk the beft land-pilot's art, L Without the fure guess of well-practic'd feet, 310 COM US. I know each lane, and every alley green, Dingle, or bushy dell of this wild wood, And every bosky bourn from fide to fide, My daily walks and ancient neighbourhood; And if your ftray-attendence be yet lodg'd, 315 Or |