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Thou art not fit to heare thy selfe convinc't;
Yet should I trie, the uncontrouled worth

Of this pure cause would kindle my rap't spirits

To such a flame of sacred vehemence,

That dumb things would be mov'd to sympathize,

And the brute Earth would lend her nerves, and shake,
Till all thy magick structures rear'd so high
Were shatter'd into heaps ore thy false head.
COMUS. She fables not, I feele that I doe feare
Her words set off by some superior power;
And though not mortall, yet a cold shuddring dew
Dips me all o're, as when the wrath of Jove
Speaks thunder, and the chaines of Erebus
To some of Saturns crew. I must dissemble,
And try her yet more strongly. Come; no more,
This is meere morall babble, and direct
Against the canon laws of our foundation,
I must not suffer this, yet 'tis but the lees
And setlings of a melancholy blood;

But this will cure all streight, one sip of this
Will bathe the drooping spirits in delight

Beyond the blisse of dreams. Be wise, and tast.

The brothers rush in with swords drawne, wrest his
glasse out of his hand, and breake it against the ground;
his rout make signe of resistance, but are all driven in;
the attendant Spirit comes in.

SPIRIT. What, have you let the false enchanter scape?
O yee mistooke, yee should have snatcht his wand
And bound him fast; without his rod revers't,
And backward mutters of dissevering power
Wee cannot free the Ladie that sits here

In stonie fetters fixt, and motionlesse;

Yet stay, be not disturb'd, now I bethinke me,
Some other meanes I have which may be us'd,
Which once of Melibæus old I learnt
The soothest shepheard that ere pipe't on plains.

There is a gentle nymph not farre from hence

COMUS
A Maske

COMUS

A Maske

That with moist curb sways the smooth Severn stream,
Sabrina is her name, a virgin pure,

Whilome shee was the daughter of Locrine,
That had the scepter from his father Brute.
She guiltlesse damsell flying the mad pursuit
Of her enraged stepdam Guendolen

Commended her faire innocence to the flood
That stay'd her flight with his crosse-flowing course,
The water Nymphs that in the bottome playd
Held up their pearled wrists and tooke her in,
Bearing her straite to aged Nereus hall
Who piteous of her woes reard her lanke head,
And gave her to his daughters to imbathe
In nectar'd lavers strewd with asphodil,
And through the porch, and inlet of each sense
Dropt in ambroisal oyles till she reviv'd,
And underwent a quicke, immortall change
Made goddesse of the river; still she retaines
Her maiden gentlenesse, and often at eve
Visits the heards along the twilight meadows,
Helping all urchin blasts, and ill lucke signes
That the shrewd medling elfe delights to make,
Which she with precious viold liquors heales.
For which the shepheards at their festivalls
Carroll her goodnesse lowd in rusticke layes,
And throw sweet garland wreaths into her streame
Of pancies, pinks, and gaudie daffadills.

And, as the old Swaine said, she can unlocke

The clasping charme, and thaw the numming spell,

If she be right invok't in warbled Song,

For maidenhood she loves, and will be swift

To aid a virgin such as was her selfe

In hard besetting need, this will I trie

And adde the power of some adjuring verse.
SONG.

Sabrina faire

Listen where thou art sitting

Under the glassie, coole, translucent wave,

In twisted braids of lillies knitting

The loose traine of thy amber-dropping haire,
Listen for deare honours sake

Goddesse of the silver lake
Listen and save.

Listen and appeare to us
In name of great Oceanus,

By th' earth shaking Neptun's mace
And Tethys grave magesticke pace,
By hoarie Nereus wrincled looke,
And the Carpathian wisards hooke,
By scalie Tritons winding shell.
And old sooth saying Glaucus spell,
By Leucothea's lovely hands,
And her son that rules the strands,
By Thetis tinsel-slipper'd feet;
And the songs of Sirens sweet,
By dead Parthenope's deare tomb,
And faire Ligea's golden comb,
Wherewith she sits on diamond rocks
Sleeking her soft alluring locks,

By all the Nymphs that nightly dance
Upon thy streams with wilie glance,
Rise, rise and heave thy rosie head
From thy coral-paven bed,

And bridle in thy headlong wave

Till thou our summons answerd have.

Listen and save.

SABRINA RISES ATTENDED BY WATER
NIMPHES AND SINGS,

By the rushie fringed banke,

Where growes the willow and the osier dancke

My sliding chariot stayes,

Thicke set with agat, and the azurne sheene
Of turkkis blew, and Emrould greene

COMUS
A Maske

COMUS A Maske

That in the channell strayes,
Whilst from off the waters fleet
Thus I set my printlesse feet
Ore the cowslips velvet head,
That bends not as I tread,
Gentle swaine at thy request
I am here.

SPIRIT. Goddesse deare
Wee implore thy powerfull hand
To undoe the charmed band
Of true virgin here distrest,

Through the force, and through the wile
Of unblest inchanter vile.

SABRINA. Shepheard tis my office best
To helpe insnared chastitie;
Brightest Ladie looke on me,
Thus I sprinckle on thy brest
Drops that from my fountaine pure
I have kept of precious cure,
Thrice upon thy fingers tip,
Thrice upon thy rubied lip,

Next this marble venom'd seate

Smear'd with gummes of glutenous heate

I touch with chast palmes moist and cold,

Now the spell hath lost his hold.

And I must hast ere morning houre

To waite in Amphitrite's bowre.

SABRINA DESCENDS AND THE LADIE RISES
OUT OF HER SEATE.

SPIRIT. Virgin, daughter of Locrine

Sprung of old Anchises line

May thy brimmed waves for this

Their full tribute never misse

From a thousand pettie rills,

That tumble downe the snowie hills:

Summer drouth, or singed aire

Never scorch thy tresses faire,
Nor wet Octobers torrent flood
Thy molten crystall fill with mudde,
May thy billowes rowle a shoare
The beryll, and the golden ore,
May thy loftie head be crown'd
With many a tower, and terrasse round,
And here and there thy banks upon
With groves of myrrhe, and cinnamon.

Come Ladie while heaven lends us grace,

Let us fly this cursed place,
Lest the sorcerer us intice
With some other new device.
Not a wast, or needlesse sound
Till we come to holyer ground,
I shall be your faithfull guide
Through this gloomie covert wide,
And not many furlongs thence
Is your Fathers residence,
Where this night are met in state
Many a friend to gratulate
His wish't presence, and beside
All the Swains that there abide,
With Jiggs, and rurall dance resort,
Wee shall catch them at their sport,
And our suddaine comming there
Will double all their mirth, and chere,
Come let us hast the starrs are high

But night sits monarch yet in the mid skie.

The Scene changes presenting Ludlow towne and the Presidents Castle, then come in Countrie dancers, after them the attendant Spirit with the two Brothers and the Ladie.

SONG.

SPIRIT. Back shepheards, back enough your play,
Till next Sun-shine holiday,

COMUS A Maske

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