Luminalia, or The Festival of Light · chunk 2 of 3
Davenant, William · published 1637 · first performed or written 1638 [Feb 6] (Annals) not in BritDrama · before the Court unassigned nearest T56 Magic, spells and conjuring · 435 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T56: magic, faustus, charms, charm, conjure, spirits, skill, ho, power, spells.
Morpheus the presenter of humane shapes. Iceles, of fearful visions. And Phantaste, of any thing that may be imagined. Why (as if guilty) dost thou hide thy head (Dull sleep!) in gloomy shades with Poppy spread? If thou dost steal our hours, is it a crime? Thou dost but lay them by for men's relief, And art at worst a profitable thief; Payest Nature double what thou stealest from Time. Invoke thy chiefest sons, and straight appear, To make these pleasures sit to last a year! I come! I come! and that I more may please, My Morpheus I have brought, and Iceles, With wild Phantaste; each of them hath power To raise Ideas from my shady Bower: Those dreams of humane forms; of worse estate That reason want, and things inanimate. How we shall fill each mortal with delight, To show the soul's fond business every night; When she doth inwardly contract her beams, To figure out her influence in dreams! How they will smile, that man's immortal part, Works things less perfect than if ruled by Art! 4. Witches. 1. Devil in the shape of a Goat. Robin-goodfellow. 1. Dairy-maid. 1. Kitchenmaid. The bright perpetual Traveller Doth now too long the day defer, Can he grow old, Or, in his fiery chariot cold, Or weary cause he still one course doth run? Bold Hesperus thou dost mistake the Sun: Though's journeys never can be passed, But must for ever last, Though 'tis not limited how far, Because it still is circular, Yet sure he cannot tire, Nor mortally wax old, Nor's universal beams grow cold, Since fed with immaterial fire. What is the cause he then so long doth stay? He hath resigned the power of making day Throughout this Hemisphere, To a terrestrial beauty here. Now I perceive why Poets call him wise He knows the way how to preserve his eyes, This earthly Star (long since the boast of Fame) Is both become his envy and his shame. 'Tis true, should he appear, he were undone, And eclipsed though in his pride of noon. Yet in her looks he'll least of danger find, She darkens those with beauties of her mind. If thou wilt ever shine above, And in thy Sphere still safely move, Descend, and summon straight Apollo's Priests that wait I'th' garden o'th' Britanides. Enough, I'll rouse them from their ease, That they with Hymns may celebrate Her virtues ever blessed estate. Her Nymphs (whose beauties can't expire,) 'Cause daily kindled by her fire, Must needs be ravished with those lays, Since as their own they love her praise.
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)
Morpheus the preſenter of humane ſhapes. Iceles, of fearfull viſions. And Phantaſte, of any thing that may be imagined. Why (as if guilty) doſt thou hide thy head (Dull ſleepe!) in gloomy ſhades with Poppy ſpread? If thou doſt ſteale our houres, is it a crime? Thou doſt but lay them by for mens releefe, And art at worſt a profitable theefe; Pay'ſt Nature double what thou ſteal'ſt from Time. Invoke thy chiefeſt ſonnes, and ſtraight appeare, To make theſe pleaſures ſit to laſt a yeare! I come! I come! and that I more may pleaſe, My Morpheus I have brought, and Iceles, With wilde Phantaſte; each of them hath pow'r To raiſe Ideas from my ſhady Bow'r: Thoſe dreames of humane formes; of worſe eſtate That reaſon want, and things inanimate. How we ſhall fill each mortall with delight, To ſhew the ſoules fond buſineſſe ev'ry night; When ſhe doth inwardly contract her beames, To figure out her influence in dreames! How they will ſmile, that mans immortall part, Works things leſſe perfect than if rul'd by Art! 4. Witches. 1. Devill in the ſhape of a Goat. Robin-goodfellow. 1. Dairy-maid. 1. Kitchin-maid. The bright perpetuall Traveller Doth now too long the day defer, Can he grow old, Or, in his fierie chariot cold, Or weary cauſe he ſtill one courſe doth runne? Bold Heſperus thou dost mistake the Sunne: Though's journeyes never can be paſt, But muſt for ever laſt, Though 'tis not limited how far, Becauſe it ſtill is circular, Yet ſure he cannot tire, Nor mortally wax old, Nor's univerſall beames grow cold, Since fed with immateriall fire. What is the cauſe he then ſo long doth ſtay? He hath reſign'd the pow'r of making day Throughout this Hemiſpheare, To a terrestr' all beautie here. Now I perceive why Poets call him wiſe He knowes the way how to preſerve his eyes, This earthly Star (long ſince the boaſt of Fame) Is both become his envy and his ſhame. 'Tis true, ſhould he appeare, he were undone, And eclipſed though in his pride of noone. Yet in her lookes he'le leaſt of danger finde, She darkens thoſe with beauties of her minde. If thou wilt ever ſhine above, And in thy Spheare ſtill ſafely move, Deſcend, and ſummon ſtrait Apollo's Priests that wait I'th garden o'th Britanides. Enough, Ile rowſe them from their eaſe, That they with Hymnes may celebrate Her vertues ever bleſſ'd estate. Her Nymphs (whoſe beauties can't expire,) 'Cauſe dayly kindled by her fire, Muſt needs be raviſh'd with thoſe layes, Since as their owne they love her praiſe.