And force him to restore his purchase back,
Or drag him by the curls, to a foul death,

Curs'd as his life.

Spir. Alas! good vent'rous Youth,

I love thy courage yet, and bold Emprise,
But here thy Sword can do thee little stead,
Far other arms, and other weapons muft

Be those that quell the might of Hellish charms,
He with his bare wand can unthred thy joynts,
And crumble all thy finews.

Eld. Bro. Why prethee, Shepherd,
How durft thou then thy felf approach so near,
As to make this Relation?

Spir. Care and utmost shifts

How to fecure the Lady from surprisal,
Brought to my mind a certain Shepherd Lad,
Of small regard to fee to, yet well skill'd
In every virtuous Plant and healing Herb
That spreads her verdant leaf to 'morning ray,
He lov'd me well, and oft would beg me fing,
Which when I did, he on the tender grafs
Would fit, and hearken even to extafie,
And in requital ope his leathern fcrip,

And

And fhew me fimples of a thousand names,

Telling their strange and vigorous faculties;
Amongst the rest a small unfightly root,
But of divine effect, he cull'd me out;

The leaf was darkish, and had prickles on it,
But in another Country, as he faid,

Bore a bright Golden flowre, but not in this foil:
Unknown, and like esteem'd, and the dull Swain
Treads on it daily with his clouted shoon,

And yet more med'cinal is it than that Moly
That Hermes once to wife Ulyffes gave;
He call'd it Hamony, and gave it me,

And bad me keep it as of Sov'raign use
'Gainft all inchantments, mildew, blaft or damp,
Or gaftly Furies apparition;

I purs'd it up, but little reck'ning made,
Till now that this extremity compell❜d.

But now I find it true; for by this means
I knew the foul Inchanter, though disguis'd,
Enter'd the very lime-twigs of his spells,
And yet came off: if you have this about you
(As I will give you when we go) you may
Boldly affault the Necromancer's Hall,

Where

Where if he be, with dauntless hardihood,
And brandifht blade rush on him, break his glafs,
And shed the lushious liquor on the ground,

But feife his wand, though he and his curft crew
Fierce fign of Battail make, and menace high,
Or like the Sons of Vulcan vomit smoak,
Yet will they foon retire, if he but shrink.

Eld. Bro. Thyrfis lead on apace, I'll follow thee, And some good Angel bear a shield before us.

The Scene changes to a stately Palace, fet out with all manner of delicioufnefs: foft Mufick, Tables Spread with all dainties. Comus appears with his rabble, and his Lady fet in an inchanted Chair, to whom he offers his Glass, which she puts by, and goes about to rife.

Comus. Nay, Lady, fit; if I but wave this wand, Your nerves are all chain'd up in Alablaster, And you a Statue, or as Daphne was,

Root-bond, that fled Apollo.

La. Fool, do not boast,

Thou can'ft not touch the freedom of my mind With all thy Charms, although this corporal rind Thou haft immanacl'd, while Heav'n fees good.

Co. Why are you vext, Lady? why do you frown? 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 fragent Syrops mixt.
Not that Nephentes which the Wife of Thone,
In Egypt gave to Jove-born Helena

Is of such power to ftir up joy as this,
To life fo friendly, or fo cool to thirst.
Why should
be fo cruel to your self,

you

And to those dainty limbs which Nature lent

For gentle ufage, and foft delicacy?

But you invert the Cov'nants of her truft,

And harshly deal like an ill, borrower

With that which you receiv'd on other terms,
Scorning the unexempt condition

By which all mortal frailty must subsist,
Refreshment after toil, ease after pain,

That have been tir'd all day without repast,
And timely rest have wanted, but fair Virgin
This will restore all foon.

La.

La. 'Twill not, false traitor,

'Twill not restore the truth and honesty

That thou haft banisht from thy tongue with lies.
Was this the cottage, and the safe abode.

Thou told'st me of? What grim aspects are these,
Thefe ugly-headed Monsters? Mercy guard me!
Hence with thy brew'd inchantments, foul deceiver,
Hast thou betray'd my credulous Innocence
With visor'd falfhood, and base forgery?

And would'st thou seek again to trap me here
With lickerifh baits fit to infnare a brute?
Were it a draft for Juno when fhe banquets,
I would not taste thy treasonous offer; none
But fuch 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.

Co. O foolishness of men! that lend their ears
To those budge Doctors of the Stoick Furr,
And fetch their precepts from the Cynick Tub,
Praising the lean and fallow Abstinence.
Wherefore did Nature pour her bounties forth,
With fuch a full and unwithdrawing hand,
Covering the Earth with odours, fruits, and flocks,
Thronging