In ftony fetters fix'd, and motionless : 819 Yet stay, be not disturb'd; now I bethink me, and reverse the magician's rod, while by contraft it heightens the fuperiour intelligence of the attendant Spirit, affords the opportunity of introducing the fiction of raifing Sabrina; which, exclufive of its poetical ornaments, is recommended by a local propriety, and was peculiarly interefting to the audience, as the Severn is the famous river of the neighbourhood. 823. The footbest shepherd that e'er pip'd on plains.] Spenfer thus characterises Hobbinol, as Mr. Bowle obferves, in C. CLOUTS COME HOME AGAIN. A iolly groome was hee, As euer piped on an oaten reed. And Amyntas, in the fame poem. He, whilft he liued, was the noblest swaine, 824. There is a gentle nymph not far from hence, &c.] Sabrina's fabulous history may be feen in the MIRROUR OF MAGISTRATES under the Legend of the LADY SABRINE, in the fixth Song of Drayton's POLYOLBION, the tenth Canto and second Book of Spenfer's FAERIE QUEENE, the third Book of ALBION'S ENGLAND, the first Book of our author's Hiftory of England, in Hardyng's Chronicle, and in an old English Ballad on the subject. This part of the fable of Coмus, which may be called the DisINCHANTMENT, is evidently founded on Fletcher's FAITHFUL SHEPHERDESS. The moral of both dramas is the triumph of chastity. This in both is finally brought about by the fame fort of machinery. Sabrina, a virgin and a king's daughter, was converted into a rivernymph, that her honour might be preferved inviolate. Still fhe retains her maiden-gentleness; and every evening vifits the cattle among her twilight meadows, to heal the mifchiefs inflicted by elfish magic. For this the is praifed by the fhepherds. She 826 830 Sabrina is her name, a virgin pure; · She can unlock The clasping charm, and thaw the numming fpell, She protects virgins in diftrefs. She is now folemnly called, to deliver a virgin imprisoned in the fpell of a deteftable forcerer. She rifes at the invocation, and leaving her car on an ofiered rushy bank, haftens to help infnared chastity. She sprinkles on the breast of the captive maid, precious drops felected from her pure fountain. She touches thrice the tip of the lady's finger and thrice her ruby lip, with chafte palms moift and cold; as alfo the envenomed chair, fmeared with tenacious gums. The charm is diffolved: and the Nymph departs to the bower of Amphitrite. But I am anticipating, by a general exhibition, fuch particular paffages of Fletcher's play as will hereafter be cited in their proper places; and which, like others already cited, will appear to have been enriched by our author with a variety of new allufions, original fictions, and the beauties of unborrowed poetry. 833. The water-nymphs that in the bottom play'd, Held up their pearied rifts and took her in.] Drayton gives the Severn pearls. He lays of Sabrina, POLYOLB. S. v. vol. 1. p. 752. Where she meant to go The path was ftrew'd with PEARL. He speaks also of "The PEARLY Conway's head," a neighbouring river. Ibid. S. ix. vol. iti. p. 827. And of the " precious orient "PEARL that breedeth in her fand." Ibid. S. x. vol. iii. p. 842. We fhall fee, that Milton afterwards gives gems to the Severn of a far brighter hue. Gg Bearing Bearing her strait to aged Nereus hall, 835 Who piteous of her woes, rear'd her lank head, And gave her to his daughters to imbathe In nectar'd lavers ftrow'd with asphodil, And through the porch and inlet of each sense 840 And underwent a quick immortal change, Made Goddess of the river; ftill fhe retains Her maiden gentleness, and oft at eve And 835. Bearing her firait to aged Nereus' ball.] Drayton has "Nep"tune's mighty hall." POLYOLB. S. XX. vol. iii. p. 1043. "Neptune's hall." S. xv. vol. iii. p. 943. 837. And gave ber to bis daughters to imbathe In nectar'd lavers. -] This at least reminds us of Alcaeus's Neclare autem marine Nereides inungebant, The process which follows, of dropping ambrofial oyls "into the "porch and inlet of each sense" of the drowned Sabrina, is originally from Homer, where Venus anoints the dead body of Patroclus with rofy ambrofial oyl. IL. B. xxiii. 186. Ροδόντι δε χρῖον ΕΛΑΙΩ, ̓ΑΜΒΡΟΣΙΩΙ. Rofeo autem unxit oleo ་ The word IMBATHE occurs in our author's KEFORMATION, “Me"thinkes a fovereign and reviving joy muft needs rufh into the bofom "of him that reads or hears; and the fweet odour of the returning "gospel IMBATHE his foul with the fragrance of heaven." PROSEWORKS, vol. i. 2. What was enthusiasm in most of the puritanical writers, was poetry in Milton. Vifits the herds along the twilight meadows, Helping all urchin blasts, and ill-luck figns 845 844. Vifits the herds along the twilight meadows, Helping all urchin blafts, and ill-luck figns That the fhrewd medling elfe delights to make. The virgin fhepherdefs Clorin, in Fletcher's paftoral play fo frequently quoted, poffeffes the skill of Sabrina, A. i. S. i. p. 104. Of all green wounds I knowe the remedies In men or cattle; be they ftung with fnakes, Or charm'd with powerful words of wicked art: Thefe can I cure, fuch fecret virtue lies In herbs applied by a virgin's hand. 845. Helping all urchin-blafts.-] The urchin, or hedge-hog, from its folitarinefs, the uglinefs of its appearance, and from a popular opinion that it fucked or poifoned the udders of cows, was adopted into the demonologic fyftem; and its fhape was fometimes fuppofed to be affumed by mifchievous elves. Hence it was one of the plagues of Caliban in the TEMPEST, A. ii. S. ii. His Spirits hear me, And yet I needs muft curfe. But they'll not pinch, Out of my way, unless he bid 'em. And afterwards, he fuppofes that thefe Spirits appear, Like HEDGE-HOGS, which Lie tumbling in my barefoot way, and mount Again, A. i. S. ii. It is one of the curfes of Profpero. - URCHINS Shall, for that want of night that they may wORK, All exercife on thee. And in the opening of the incantation of the weird fifters in MACBETH, A. iv. S. i. I W. Thrice the brinded cat has mew'd, 2 W. Thrice. And once the HEDGE-PIO Whin'd. Compare also a speech in TITUS ANDRONICUS, at least corrected by They told me, here, at the dead time of night, Ggz Tea That the shrewd medling elfe delights to make, 849 And throw sweet garland wreaths into her stream And, as the old fwain faid, fhe can unlock Ten thousand fwelling toads, as many URCHINS, There was a fort of fubordinate or paftoral fyftem of magic, to which the Urchin properly belonged. 846. That the fhrewd medling elfe delights to make.] Shakespeare mentions a Spirit, who "mildews the white wheat, and hurts the poor "creature of the earth." K. LEAR, A. iii. S. iv. The plant haemonie is before mentioned as good "against all inchantments, mildew, "blast, or damp." v. 640. Shakespeare calls Robin Goodfellow "a "SHREWD and knavish sprite." MIDS. N. DR. A. ii. S. i. Drayton attributes the fame malignant power to the Druids, HEROIC. EPIST. vol. i. p. 301. Their hellish power to kill the ploughman's feed, Or to forefpeake whole flocks as they did feed. 850. And throw Sweet garland wreaths into her ftream.] This reminds us of a paffage in Spenfer's PROTHALAMION, ft. 5. And all the waues did ftrew, That like old Peneus waters they did feeme, Scattred with flowres through Theffaly they ftreame. But B. and Fletcher exhibit a paffage more immediately to the purport of the text. FALSE ONE, A. iii. S. iii. vol. iv. p. 134. 852. With incenfe let us blefs the brim, And as the wanton fishes fwim, Let us gums and GARLANDS fling, &c. She can unlock The clasping charm, and thaw the numming spell.] This notion of the wisdom or kill of Sabrina, is in Drayton, POLYOLB, S. v. vol. ii. p. 753. Who |