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 dismiss'd,
And calm of mind, all passion spent.

1755

1755 acquist] Heath's Chron. of Civil Wars, fol. p. 402, 'his unjust acquists.' Todd.

Note] It was the custom of the scholars who lived in the age just previous to that of Milton, and who possessed a command of poetical language, to form dramas in Latin verse from scripture Histories. Besides the two volumes of the 'Dramata Sacra;' there is the Abramus' of Th. Beza, the 'Parabata Vinctus' of Thuanus, the Christus Patiens,' the " Sophom-paneas,' and the Adamus Exsul,' of Grotius, the 'Jephthas,' and 'Baptistes' of Buchanan, the Herodes Infanticida' of Dan. Heinsius. These I have read, probably there are others with which I am not acquainted; there are also many Italian Dramas formed on the sacred history, and our old mysteries. The Greek translation of this play by G. H. Glasse, has been pronounced to be 'a work constructed with such precision, and expressed with such elegance, as never appeared in Europe since the revival of learning.' Parr's Letters, i. p. 637.

Published by Lawes 1637, with ent name "Commo","Altho not openly acknowledged by the Author, yet it is a legitimate offering, so lovely & so much, desired, that the often copying of it hath tired my pews & five my Averal friend satisfaction brought To a weesertion of

me

producing it to the hublic vicar: Lawes adds that he (.) was in this representation your servent Thre

Hatcher "Forthful Shepherdess removed before count.
Tall prov. from Pale's "Old wive; tale"

1633

COMUS, A MASK. 1634

PRESENTED AT LUDLOW CASTLE.

THE PERSONS.

acted by a comes The attendant SPIRIT, afterwards in the habit of THYRSIS.

COMUS with his crew.

The LADY.

First BROTHER.

Second BROTHER.

SABRINA the Nymph.

The chief persons who presented were

The Lord BRACKLEY.

Mr. THOMAS EGERTON, his brother.

The Lady ALICE EGERTON.

10 chasse, a figure in

a dance, of Love's Fabour Lost I 2
over measure do but vouchsafe one charge
of. "the world's van mask Sonnet 22, 13

I They within though pestered with their own

7

ската?

COMUS, A MASK,

THE FIRST SCENE DISCOVERS A WILD WOOD.

The Attendant SPIRIT descends or enters.*

BEFORE the starry threshold of Jove's court
My mansion is, where those immortal shapes
Of bright aerial spirits live inspher'd Pate apurit is to be
In regions mild of calm and serene air,"
unspherd H Pers. H
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 pinfold here,
Strive to keep up a frail and feverish being,
Unmindful of the crown that virtue gives,

5

After this mortal change, to her true servants, 10

* The Attendant Spirit] The Spirit is called 'Dæmon' in

the Cambridge MS. Warton. of Any Damon, that's the firs

1

starry] Who calls Minerva from the starry court, which keep thi

Sharpe's Noble Stranger, p. 48. In that high starry court.'

Marino's Sl. of the Innocents, p. 130; and Cupid's Whir

-ligig, p. 1. (1611.)

And thus with winges, and bowe came I

Newly from Jove's high courte in skie.'

7 pester'd] Crowded. Ital. Pesta, a crowd. v. Hall's Sat. b. iv. s. 7. Todd.

pound of two Gentlener of Verma I, 1,114

7 Perfold & pound

You mistake I mean the pound. a sunfold"
"the divit is clay
Harrington's Areis to 43.18.6

That some call Whe