Read The Complete Poetry of John Milton Online
Authors: John Milton
Tags: #English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh, #Poetry, #European
645
I knew the foul inchanter though disguis’d
Enter’d the very lime-twigs
65
of his spells,
And yet came off: if you have this about you
(As I will give you when we go) you may
Boldly assault the necromancers hall;
650
Where if he be, with dauntless hardihood,
And brandish’t blade rush on him, break his glass,
And shed the lushious liquor on the ground
But sease his wand; though he and his curst crew
Feirce sign of battail make, and menace high,
655
Or like the sons of
Vulcan
vomit smoak,
66
Yet will they soon retire, if he but shrink.
Elder Brother. Thyrsis
lead on apace, Ile follow thee,
And som good angel bear a sheild before us.
67
The scene changes to a stately Palace, set out with all manner of deliciousness: soft Musick, Tables spred with all dainties.
Comus
appears with his rabble, and the Lady set in an inchanted Chair, to whom he offers his Glass; which she puts by, and goes about to rise.
Comus.
Nay Lady sit; if I but wave this wand,
660
Your nervs are all chain’d up in alablaster
And you a statue; or as
Daphne
was
Root-bound, that fled
Apollo.
68
Lady.
Fool do not boast,
Thou canst not touch the freedom of my mind
With all thy charms, although this corporal rind
665
Thou hast immanacl’d, while Heav’n sees good.
Comus.
Why are you vext Lady? why do you frown?
Heer dwell no frowns, nor anger, from these gates
Sorrow flies farr: See here be all the pleasures
That fancy can beget on youthfull thoughts,
670
When the fresh blood grows lively, and returns
Brisk as the
April
buds in primrose season.
And first behold this cordial Julep heer
That flames, and dances in his crystal bounds
With spirits of balm, and fragrant syrops mixt.
675
Not that
Nepenthes
69
which the wife of
Thone
In
Egypt
gave to
Jove
-born
Helena
Is of such power to stir up joy as this,
To life so freindly, or so cool to thirst.
Why should you be so cruel to your self,
680
And to those dainty limms which nature lent
For gentle usage, and soft delicacy?
But you invert the cov’nants of her trust,
And harshly deal like an ill borrower
With that which you receav’d on other terms,
685
Scorning the unexempt condition
By which all mortal frailty must subsist,
Refreshment after toil, ease after pain,
That have bin tir’d all day without repast,
And timely rest have wanted, but fair Virgin,
690
This will restore all soon.
Lady.
Twill not false traitor,
’Twill not restore the truth and honesty
That thou hast banisht from thy tongue with lies;
Was this the cottage, and the safe abode
Thou toldst me of? What grim aspects are these,
695
These oughly-headed monsters? Mercy guard me!
Hence with thy brew’d inchantments, foul deceaver;
Hast thou betrai’d my credulous innocence
With visor’d falshood and base forgeries
And wouldst thou seek again to trap me heer
700
With lickerish
70
baits fit to ensnare a brute?
Were it a draft for
Juno
when she banquets,
I would not taste thy treasonous offer; none
But such as are good men can give good things,
And that which is not good is not delicious
705
To a well-govern’d and wise appetite.
Comus.
O foolishnes of men! that lend thir ears
To those budge
71
doctors of the stoick furr,
And fetch thir precepts from the cynick tub,
72
Praising the lean and sallow abstinence.
710
Wherfore did nature powr her bounties forth
With such a full and unwithdrawing hand,
Covering the earth with odours, fruits, and flocks,
Thronging the seas with spawn innumerable,
But all to please and sate the curious taste?
715
And set to work millions of spinning worms
That in thir green shops weave the smooth-hair’d silk
To deck her sons, and that no corner might
Be vacant of her plenty, in her own loyns
She hutch’t
73
th’ all-worshipt ore and precious gems
720
To store her children with; if all the world
Should in a pet of temperance feed on pulse,
Drink the clear stream, and nothing wear but freise,
74
Th’ all-giver would be unthank’t, would be unprais’d,
Not half his riches known, and yet dispis’d,
725
And we should serve him as a grudging maister,
As a penurious niggard of his wealth,
And live like natures bastards, not her sons,
Who would be quite surcharg’d with her own waight
And strangl’d with her wast fertility;
730
Th’ earth cumber’d, and the wing’d air dark’t with plumes,
The herds would over-multitude thir Lords,
The sea o’refraught would swell, and th’ unsought diamonds
Would so emblaze the forhead of the deep
75
And so bestudd with stars that they below
735
Would grow inur’d to light, and com at last
To gaze upon the sun with shameless brows.
List Lady be not coy, and be not cozen’d
76
With that same vaunted name virginity;
Beauty is natures coyn, must not be hoorded,
740
But must be currant, and the good therof
Consists in mutual and partak’n bliss,
Unsavoury in th’ injoyment of it self.
If you let slip time, like a neglected rose
It withers on the stalk with languish’t head.
745
Beauty is natures brag, and must be shown
In courts, at feasts, on high solemnities
Where most may wonder at the workmanship;
It is for homely features to keep home,
They had thir name thence; course complexions
750
And cheeks of sorry grain
77
will serve to ply
The sampler, or to teize
78
the huswifes wooll.
What need a vermeil-tinctur’d lip for that,
Love-darting eyes, or tresses like the morn?
There was another meaning in these guifts,
755
Think what, and be advis’d, you are but young yet.
Lady.
I had not thought to have unlockt my lips
In this unhallow’d air, but that this jugler
Would think to charm my judgement, as mine eyes
Obtruding false rules pranckt in reasons garb.
760
I hate when vice can bolt
79
her arguments,
And vertue has no tongue to check her pride:
Impostor, do not charge most innocent nature,
As if she would her children should be riotous
With her abundance; she good cateress,
765
Means her provision only to the good
That live according to her sober laws
And holy dictate of spare temperance:
If every just man that now pines with want
Had but a moderate and beseeming share
770
Of that which lewdly-pamper’d Luxury
Now heaps upon som few with vast excess,
Natures full blessings would be well dispens’t
In unsuperfluous eev’n proportion,
And she no whit encumber’d with her store,
775
And then the giver would be better thankt,
His praise due paid, for swinish gluttony
Ne’re looks to Heav’n amidst his gorgeous feast,
But with besotted base ingratitude
Cramms, and blasphemes his feeder. Shall I go on?
780
Or have I said anough? To him that dares
Arm his profane tongue with contemptuous words
Against the Sun-clad power of Chastity,
Fain would I somthing say, yet to what end?
Thou hast nor Ear, nor Soul to apprehend
785
The sublime notion, and high mystery
80
That must be utter’d to unfold the sage
And serious doctrine of Virginity,
And thou art worthy that thou shouldst not know
More happines then this thy present lot.
790
Enjoy your deer Wit, and gay Rhetorick
That hath so well been taught her dazling fence,
81
Thou art not fit to hear thy self convinc’t;
Yet should I try, the uncontrouled worth
Of this pure cause would kindle my rapt spirits