Comus (The Masque at Ludlow Castle) · chunk 15 of 15
Milton, John · published 1637 · first performed or written 1634 [Sep 29] (Annals) pastoral; masque unassigned nearest T21 Cupid, Venus and the nymphs · 469 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T21: cupid, venus, love, ceres, diana, fair, nymphs, goddess, bow, damon.
I shall be your faithful guide Through this gloomy covert wide, And not many furlongs thence Is your Father's residence, Where this night are met in state Many a friend to gratulate His wish't presence, and beside All the Swains that there abide, With jigs, and rural dance resort, we shall catch them at their sport, And our sudden coming there Will double all their mirth, and cheer, Come let us haste the stars are high But night sits monarch yet in the mid sky. Back shepherds, back enough your play, Till next Sunshine holiday, Here be without duck or nod, Other trippings to be trod Of lighter toes, and such Court guise As Mercury did first devise With the mincing dryads On the lawns, and on the leas. Noble Lord, and Lady bright, I have brought ye new delight, Here behold so goodly grown. Three fair branches of your own, Heaven hath timely tried their youth, Their faith, their patience, and their truth, And sent them here through hard assays With a crown of deathless Praise, To triumph in victorious dance o'er sensual Folly, and Intemperance. To the Ocean now I fly, And those happy climes that lie Where day never shuts his eye, Up in the broad fields of the sky: There I suck the liquid air All amidst the gardens fair Of Hesperus, and his daughters three That sing about the golden tree, Along the crisped shades, and bowers Revels the spruce and jocund Spring, The Graces, and the rosy-bosomed Hours Thither all their bounties bring, That there eternal Summer dwells And west winds, with musky wing About the cedarn alleys fling Nard, and Cassia's balmy smells. Iris there with humid bow Waters the odorous banks that blow Flowers of more mingled hue Then her purfled scarf can show, And drenches with Elysium dew (List mortals, if your ears be true) Beds of Hyacinth, and roses) Where young Adonis oft reposes, Waxing well of his deep wound In slumber soft, and on the ground Sadly sits th'Assyrian Queen; But far above in spangled sheen Celestial Cupid her famed Son advanced, Holds his dear Psyche sweet entranced After her wandering labours long, Till free consent the gods among Make her his eternal Bride, And from her fair unspotted side Two blissful twins are to be borne, Youth, and joy; so Iove 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 ye how to climb Higher than the Sphaery chime; Or if virtue feeble were Heaven itself would stoop to her.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
I shall be your faithfull guide Through this gloomie covert wide, And not many furlongs thence Is your Fathers residence, Where this night are met in state Many a freind to gratulate His wish't presence, and beside All the Swains that there abide, With Iiggs, and rurall dance resort, Wee shall catch them at their sport, And our suddaine comming there Will double all their mirth, and chere, Come let us hast the starrs are high But night sits monarch yet in the mid skie. Back shepheards, back enough your play, Till next Sun-shine holiday, Here be without duck or nod, Other trippings to be trod Of lighter toes, and such Court guise As Mercury did first devise With the mineing Dryades On the lawns, and on the leas. Noble Lord, and Lady bright, I have brought yee new delight, Here behold so goodly growne. Three faire branches of your owne, Heav'n hath timely tri'd their youth, Their faith, their patience, and their truth, And sent thm here through hard assays With a crowne of deathlesse Praise, To riumph in victorious dance Ore sensuall Folly, and Intemperance. To the Ocean now I flie, And those happie climes that lie Where day never shuts his eye, Vp in the broad fields of the skie: There I suck the liquid ayre All amidst the gardens faire Of Hesperus, and his daughters three That sing about the golden tree, Along the crisped shades, and bowres Revells the spruce and jocond Spring, The Graces, and the rosie-bosom'd Howres Thither all their bounties bring, That there aeternall Summer dwells And west winds, with muskie wing About the cedar'n alleys fling Nard, and Cassia's balmie smells. Iris there with humid bow Waters the odorous banks that blow Flowers of more mingled hew Then her purfl'd scarfe can shew, And drenches with Elysinn dew (List mortalls, if your eares be true) Beds of Hyacinth, and roses) Where young Adonis oft reposes, Waxing well of his deepe wound In slumber soft, and on the ground Sadly sits th Assyrian Queene; But farre above in spangled sheene Celestiall Cupid her fam'd Son advanc't, Holds his deare Psyche sweet intranc't After her wandring labours long, Till free consent the gods among Make her his aeternal Bride, And from her faire unspotted side Two blissfull twins are to be borne, Youth, and Ioy; so Iove hath sworne. But now my taske is smoothly done, I can fly, or I can run Quickly to the greene earths end, Where the bow'd welkin slow doth bend, And from thence can soare as soone To the corners of the Moone. Mortalls that would follow me, Love vertue, she alone is free, She can teach yee how to clime Higher then the Sphaerie chime; Or if vertue feeble were Heav'n it selfe would stoope to her.