Make her his eternal bride,
And from her fair unspotted side
Two blissful twins are to be born,
Youth and Joy; so Jove hath sworn.

But now my task is smoothly done:

I can fly, or I can run

Quickly to the green earth's end,

Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend,
And from thence can soar as soon
To the corners of the Moon.

Mortals, that would follow me,
Love Virtue, she alone is free;
She can teach you how to clime
Higher than the spheary chime:
Or, if Virtue feeble were,

Heaven itself would stoop to her.

NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON "COMUS"

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1. The title. Milton himself gave to this mask the simple title "A Masque presented at Ludlow Castle." In old Greek Comus meant merry-making, or merry-makers. In later mythology it was the name given to the god of merry-making. Milton, by representing him as the son of Bacchus, the god of wine, and Circe, the sorceress, ascribes to him a new power unknown to him in older stories.

2. The occasion for this mask.-The mask was written at the request of Henry Lawes, the musical composer, who arranged the music and setting for it. It was given at the estate of the Earl of Bridgewater, to celebrate his inauguration as Lord President of Wales.

3. The actors. The actors were all amateurs, among them being the two sons and the daughter of the Earl of Bridgewater-who took the parts of the Two Brothers and the Lady—and Henry Lawes, who represented the Attendant Spirit.

4. The theme. The theme is the triumph of purity, the incorruptibility of true virtue.

5. The lesson taught.-This mask teaches that a person who is truly good and pure can go through the perils of earth unharmed.

6. The setting:

(a) Places:

(1) The wood.

(2) The palace of Comus.

(3) The castle of the Earl of Bridgewater.

(b) Time: 1634, on the day the Earl of Bridgewater was inaugurated.

(c) The attendant circumstances:

The three children of the Earl are on their way to their father's inauguration when they are represented as having the adventures described.

7. The atmosphere. The atmosphere is classical rather than English. Notice the large number of classical allusions.

8. Some questions based on this mask:

(a) What are the three natural divisions of this mask? What changes of scenes are necessitated? Are these simple, or otherwise? Why has the author given a classical atmosphere to the mask? Is anything gained by it? Judging from "Comus," how does a mask compare with a regular play as regards dramatic appeal-action, characters, conversation? Where does the main interest of a mask lie? (b) The characters:

(1) The Attendant Spirit.

Who is he? Why has he come? What means does he take to accomplish his task? Why did n't he rescue the Lady himself? What part does he have in her rescue? Why did he take the form of a well-known person when talking to the two Brothers? Why is he given the first and the last speeches of the mask? What is his allegorical significance? (He stands for Divinity-the Guardian Spirit who works through human agency. "Heaven helps those who try to help

themselves." God prompts us to help ourselves and others.)

(2) Comus.

Who is he? Parentage? Power? How is this power greater than Circe's? Why is he here? Why does he banish his crew when he hears the Lady? What were Comus's methods of work as shown by the way he approaches the Lady?

(a) Why does he use the magic dust? Its effect? Does Evil usually seek to cast a glamour over

its victim? Why?

(b) What pretense does Comus make?

(c) What is his apparent attitude toward the Lady? (d') What is the nature of the story he tells her? What is meant by Comus's glass? His wand? Why is Comus's palace made so beautiful? (3) Comus's Crew.

Who are they? How has Comus gained them? Why have they human bodies but heads of beasts? Why are they not aware of their own condition?

(4) The Lady.

Why

Why is she alone? Her character? Her faith?
does she sing? What is the effect on Comus?
How does Comus deceive the Lady? Why does
she accept his offer? How does she find out that
Comus is evil? Why does Comus succeed in gain-
ing even a small power over the Lady? What does
she stand for in the allegory? What is the cause of
her strength? What is meant by her being bound to
the chair?

(5) The Two Brothers.

What do they stand for in the allegory? From what two different standpoints do they view life? Which one is the sister most like? What do you think of their conversation from a dramatic standpoint? What help did they get from the Attendant Spirit? (Notice that, although the Elder Brother has faith, he also combines with it works. "Faith without works is dead.") Why do the Brothers succeed in breaking the glass of Comus but not in getting his wand? Why does the author allow Comus to escape?

(6) Sabrina.

Who is she? Could the Attendant Spirit have done this work as well? Why is she introduced? What does she use to loosen the bonds of the Lady? What

is signified by the fact that neither the Lady nor the Brothers are able to win the full victory alone? (7) Why are these children allowed to have this experience? What is tested by it? How does this story pay a compliment to the Earl of Bridgewater?

(8) Learn the memory gems scattered through the poem, especially those in lines 373-375; 453-456; 589; 593; 1018-1023.

(9) Milton himself said "Wherever I go, the sentiment of the last two lines of my 'Comus' is always my fixed belief."

"Caliban by the Yellow Sands," a Modern Mask.-In connection with its celebration of the Shakespeare Tercentenary, New York City produced the most elaborate mask of modern times, "Caliban by the Yellow Sands," in the Stadium of the College of the City of New York, May 23-27, 1916. Percy MacKaye was the author of this mask; Miss Mary Porter Beegle was the organizing chairman who originated the idea, and Josef Urban, the Viennese artist, designed the settings and arranged the elaborate system of lighting. The acting, music, dancing, costumes, and other features were in the hands of competent artists in each line.

In this mask the poor half-formed monster, Caliban, of Shakespeare's "Tempest," was put under the spell of the magician Prospero, and, in the presence of Miranda and the sprite Ariel, was shown a large number of scenes from Shakespeare, together with a series of interludes representing life in many different nations and periods of time. The great center ring of the Stadium was covered with yellow canvas to represent the sands, and here, around a large hour-glass, were presented dances and pageants representing dramatic art in Egypt, Greece, Rome, France, Germany, Spain, and Elizabethan England.

The following brief outline of the plot of "Caliban by the Yellow Sands" appeared in one of the New York papers:

The story of the mask begins with Ariel, a winged spirit typifying light and truth, imprisoned in the jaws of the idol of Setebos, god of primeval force and father of Caliban, the brutish primeval man. Caliban taunts Ariel. Lust, War, and Death, the priests of Setebos, perform a weird ritual before the idol. Miranda, a spirit, enters with her father, Prospero, who typifies the art of the theater. Prospero releases Ariel, commanding him to educate Caliban instead of seeking revenge.

Prospero, to help, reveals the pagcant of the theater in three great