Comus (The Masque at Ludlow Castle) · chunk 9 of 15
Milton, John · published 1637 · first performed or written 1634 [Sep 29] (Annals) pastoral; masque T56 Magic, spells and conjuring typicality 0.79 · 523 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T56: magic, faustus, charms, charm, conjure, spirits, skill, ho, power, spells.
I sat me down to watch upon a bank With ivy canopied, and interwove With flaunting honeysuckle, and began Wrapped in a pleasing fit of melancholy To meditate my rural minstrelsy Till fancy had her fill, but ere a close The wonted roar was up amidst the woods, And filled the air with barbarous dissonance At which I ceased, and listened them a while Till an unusual stop of sudden silence Gave respite to the drowsy frighted steeds That draw the litter of close-curtained sleep. At last a soft, and solemn breathing sound Rose like a steam of rich distilled Perfumes And stole upon the air, that even Silence Was took e'er she was ware, and wished she might Deny her nature, and be never more Still to be so displaced. I was all ear, And took in strains that might create a soul Under the ribs of Death, but o ere long Too well I did perceive it was the voice Of my most honoured Lady your dear sister. Amazed I stood, harrowed with grief and fear, And o poor hapless nightingale thought I How sweet thou singest, how near the deadly snare! Then down the lawns I ran with headlong haste Through paths, and turnings often trodden by day Till guided by mine ear I found the place Where that damned wizard hid in sly-disguise (For so by certain signs I knew) had met Already, ere my best speed could prevent The aidless innocent Lady his wish't prey, Who gently asked if he had seen such two Supposing him some neighbour villager; Longer I durst not stay, but soon I guessed Ye were the two she meant, with that I sprung Into swift flight till I had found you here, But farther know I not. O night and shades How are ye joined with hell in triple knot Against th'unarmed weakness of one virgin Alone, and helpless! is this the confidence You gave me brother? Yes, and keep it still, leer on it safely, not a period Shall be unsaid for me; against the threats Of malice or of sorcery, or that power Which erring men call Chance, this I hold firm, Virtue may be assailed, but never hurt, Surprised by unjust force, but not enthralled, Yea even that which mischief meant most harm, Shall in the happy trial prove most glory. But evil on itself shall back recoil And mix no more with goodness, when at last Gathered like scum, and settled to itself It shall be in eternal restless change Self fed, and self consumed, if this fail The pillared firmament is rottenness, And earth's base built on stubble. But come let's on. Against th' opposing will and arm of heaven May never this just sword be lifted up, But for that damned magician, let him be girt With all the grisly legions that troop Under the sooty flag of Acheron, harpies and Hydra's, or all the monstrous bugs 'Twixt Africa, and Ind, I'll find him out And force him to restore his purchase back Or drag him by the curls, and cleave his scalp Down to the hips.
nodes 551–619 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 9 of 15 in this edition
Length
523 words · 669 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T56 — Magic, spells and conjuringcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.788 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T45 · seed 44: T51 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
I sate me downe to watch upon a bank With ivie canopied, and interwove With flaunting hony-suckle, and began Wrapt in a pleasing fit of melancholy To meditate my rural minstrelsie Till fancie had her fill, but ere a close The wonted roare was up amidst the woods, And filld the aire with barbarous dissonance At which I ceas't, and listen'd them a while Till an unusuall stop of sudden silence Gave respit to the drowsie frighted steeds That draw the litter of close-curtain'd sleepe. At last a soft, and solemne breathing sound Rose like a steame of rich distill'd Perfumes And stole upon the aire, that even Silence Was tooke e're she was ware, and wish't she might Deny her nature, and be never more Still to be so displac't. I was all eare, And took in strains that might create a soule Vnder the ribs of Death, but ô ere long Too well I did perceive it was the voice Of my most honour'd Lady your deare sister. Amaz'd I stood, harrow'd with griefe and feare, And ô poore haplesse nightingale thought I How sweet thou sing'st, how neere the deadly snare! Then downe the lawns I ran with headlong hast Through paths, and turnings often trod by day Till guided by mine eare I found the place Where that dam'd wisard hid in slie-disguise (For so by certain signs I knew) had met Alreadie, ere my best speed could paevent The aidlesse innocent Ladie his wish't prey, Wo gently ask't if he had sene such two Supposing him some neighbour villager; Longer I durst not stay, but soone I guess't Yee were the two she mean't, with that I sprung Into flight till I had found you here, But farther know I not. O night and shades How are yee joyn'd with hell in triple knot Aginst th'unarmed weaknesse of one virgin Alone, and helplesse! is this the confidence You gave me brother? Yes, and keep it still, Leare on it safely, not a period Shall be unsaid for me; against the threats Of malice or of , or that power Which erring men call Chance, this I hold firme, Vertue may be assail'd, but never hurt, Surpriz'd by unjust force, but not enthrall'd, Yea even that which mischiefe meantmost harme, Shall in the happie triall prove most glorie. But on it selfe shall backe recoyle An no more with goodnesse, when at last Gather'd like sem, and setl'd to it selfe It shall bee in eternall restlesse changē Selfe fed, and selfe consum'd, if this faile The pillar'd firmament is rottenness, And earths base built on stubble. But come let's on Against th' opposing will and arme of heav'n May never this just sword be lifted up, But for that damn'd magician, let him be girt With all the greisly legions that troope Vnder the sootie flag of Acheron, Harpyies and Hydra's, or all the monstrous bugs 'Twixt Africa, and Inde, Ile find him out And force him to restore his purchase backe Or drag him by the curles, and cleave his scalpe Downe to the hipps.