2 SEMICHOR. But he though blind of sight,
Despis'd and thought extinguish'd quite,
With inward eyes illuminated,
His fiery virtue rous'd

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From under ashes into sudden flame,
And as an evening dragon came,
Assailant on the perched roosts,
And nests in order rang'd
Of tame villatic fowl; but as an eagle
His cloudless thunder bolted on their heads,
So virtue giv'n for lost,
Depress'd, and overthrown, as seem'd,
Like the self-begotten bird
In the Arabian woods imbost, ..

1700 That no second knows nor third, And lay ere while a holocaust, From out her ashy womb now teem'd, Revives, reflorishes, then vigorous most When most unactive decm'd, And though her body die, her fame survives A secular bird ages of lives.

MAN. Come, come, no time for lamentation now, Nor much more cause; Samson hath quit himself Like Samson, and heroicly hath finish'd 1710 A life heroic, on his enemies Fully reveng'd, hath left them years of mourning,' And lamentation to the sons of Caphtor Through all Philistian bounds, to Israel Honour hath left, and freedom, let but them Find courage to lay hold on his occasion;

To himself and father's house eternal fame, And which is best and happiest yet, all this With God not parted from him, as was fear’d, But favouring and assisting to the end. 1720 Nothing is here for tears, nothing to wail Or knock the breast, no weakness, no contempt, Dispraise, or blame, nothing but well and fair And what may quiet us in a death so noble. Let us go find the body where it lies Sok'd in his enemies' blood, and from the stream With lavers pure and cleansing herbs wash off The clotted gore. I with what speed the while (Gaza is not in plight to say us nay) Will send for all my kindred, all my friends 1730 To fetch him hence, and solemnly attend With silent obsequy and funeral train Home to his father's house: there will I build him A monument, and plant it round with shade Of laurel ever green, and branching palm, With all his trophies hung, and acts inroll'd In copious legend, or sweet lyric song, Thither shall all the valiant youth resort, And from his memory inflame their breasts To matchless valour, and adventures high : 1740 The virgins also shall on feastful days Visit his tomb with flow'rs, only bewailing His lot unfortunate in nuptial choice, From whence' captivity and loss of eyes.

CHOR. All is best, though we oft doubt What th' unsearchable dispose

Of highest Wisdom brings about,
And ever best found in the close.
Oft he seems to hide his face,
But unexpectedly returns,

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And to his faithful champion hath in place
Bore witness gloriously: whence Gaza mourns
And all that band them to resist
His uncontrollable intent;
His servants he with new acquist
Of true experience from this great event,
With peace and consolation hath dismist,
And calm of mind all passion spent.

COMUS, A MASK.

Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634, before the Earl of

Bridgewater, then President of Wales.

The attendant SPIRIT, afterwards in the halit

of Thyrsis.
Comus, with his Crew.
TRE LADY.
FIRST BROTHER.
Second BROTHER.
SABRINA, the Nymph.

The chief persons who presented were,
The LORD BRACKLY.
Mr. Thomas EGERTON, his brother,
The Lady Alice EGERTON.

The first Scene discovers a wild wood.---The attendant

SPIRIT decends or enters.

Before the starry threshold of Jove's court
My mansion is, where those immortal shapes
Of bright aerial spirits live inspher'd
lo regions mild of clam and serene air,
Above the smoke and stir of this dim spot,
Which men call Earth, and with low thoughted care
Confin'd, and pester'd in this pin-fold here,
Strive to keep up a frail and feverish being,
Unmindful of the crown that Virtue gives
After this mortal change to her true servants, 10
Amongst the enthron'd gods on sainted seats.
Yet some there be that by due steps aspire
To lay their just hands on that golden key
That opes the palace of Eternity :
To such my errand is; and but for such,
I would not soil these pure ambrosial weeds
With the rank vapours of this sin-worn mold.

But to my task. Neptune besides the sway
Of every salt flood, and each ebbing stream,
Took in by lot 'twixt high and neither Jove 20
Imperial rule of all the sea-girt iles,
That like to rich and various gems inlay
The unadorn’d bosom of the Deep,
Which he to grace his tributary gods