1134 SONG OF THE SPIRIT IN COMUS 'OBLE Lord, and Lady bright, NOB I have brought ye new delight: here behold so goodly grown three fair branches of your own. to triumph in victorious dance o'er sensual folly and intemperance. J. MILTON 1135 ECHO MOURNING THE DEATH OF NARCISSUS LOW, slow, fresh fount, keep time with my salt SLOW, tears: yet, slower, yet, O faintly, gentle springs: list to the heavy part the music bears, woe weeps out her division when she sings. fall grief in showers, our beauties are not ours; like melting snow upon some craggy hill, since nature's pride is now a withered daffodil. B. JONSON 1136 CHORUS OF MESSENIAN MAIDENS—Merope Ch. NOT OT to thee only hath come Had not Electra to haunt a palace defiled by a death unavenged, far 'mid Arcadian hills, somewhere in safety a nursling, a light. Yet shall he dawn on this land! 1137 Mer. Him in secret, in tears, month after month, through the slow-dragging year, longing, listening, I wait, I implore. O Erymanthus ! from sight of his mother, which of thy glades, the happy hunter? He basks in youth's pure morning, nor thinks on the blood-stained home of his birth. 1138 Ch. Give not thy heart to despair. No lamentation can loose prisoners of death from the grave: but Zeus, who accounteth thy quarrel his own, Still by Acheron stream terrible deities throned sit, and make ready the serpent, the scourge. exiled, remembers his home. 1139 Mer. Him if high-ruling Zeus bring to his mother, the rest I commit willing, patient, to Zeus, to his care. sated, and more than enough, are mine eyes with blood. O my comforters! strays amiss from Justice, the Gods forgive my folly, and work But if this, what they will!-but to me give my son! M. ARNOLD 1140 W E have been o'er land and sea L. E. LANDON ALCIDES thus his race began, o'er infancy he swiftly ran; the future god at first was more than man: even o'er his cradle lay in wait, and there he grappled first with fate: in his young hands the hissing snakes he press'd; so early was the deity confessed: thus by degrees he rose to Jove's imperial seat; thus difficulties prove a soul legitimately great. 1144 REFLECTIONS OF THE CHORUS ON THE QUARREL BETWEEN FERREX AND PORREX WHEN youth not bridled with a guiding stay WHEN is left to randon of their own delight, and weldes whole realmes by force of sovereign sway, lest skillesse rage throwe downe with headlong fall Ne feare of angrie goddes, ne lawes kinde, 1145 When kings of foresette will neglect the rede and yeldes his minde to poysonous tale that floweth from flattering mouth; and woe to wretched land that wastes itselfe with civill sworde in hande! SACKVILLE AND NORTON 1146 REFLECTIONS on GorboDuC'S DIVISION of his KINGDOM BETWEEN HIS TWO SONS WHEN HEN settled stay doth hold the royall throne in stedfast place by knowen and doubtles right: and chiefly when descent on one alone makes single and unparted reigne to light: The strength, that knit by faste accorde in one could of itselfe defend itselfe alone, disjoyned once, tho former force doth lose. The stickes, that sondred brake so soone in twaine, in faggot bounde attempted were in vaine. SACKVILLE AND NORTON 1147 SONG IN ARCADES 'ER the smooth enamelled green, and touch the warbled string; under the shady roof of branching elm star-proof I will bring you where she sits, Such a rural queen all Arcadia hath not seen. 1148 Nymphs and shepherds, dance no more a better soil shall give ye thanks. bring your flocks, and live with us; to serve the lady of this place. Though Syrinx your Pan's mistress were, Such a rural queen all Arcadia hath not seen. 1149 J. MILTON ASIA Y soul is an enchanted boat, M which, like a sleeping swan, doth float upon the silver waves of thy sweet singing; whilst all the winds with melody are ringing. |