Gave refpite to the droufy flighted steeds,
That draw the litter of clofe-curtain'd Sleep;
At last a soft and folemn breathing found
Rofe like a stream of rich diftill'd perfumes,
And ftole upon the air, that even Silence

Was took e'er fhe was ware, and wish'd the might
Deny her nature, and be never more
Still to be fo difplac'd. I was all ear,
And took in ftrains that might create a foul
Under the ribs of Death: but O e'er long
Too well I did perceive it was the voice
Of my most honour'd Lady, your dear fister.
Amaz'd I ftood, harrow'd with grief and fear,
And O poor hapless nightingale thought I,
How fweet thou fing'ft, how near the deadly fnare!
Then down the lawns I ran with headlong hafte,
Through paths and turnings often trod by day,
Till guided by mine ear I found the place,
Where that damn'd wizard hid in fly disguise
(For fo by certain figns I knew) had met
Already, c'er my beft fpeed could prevent,
The aidlefs innocent Lady his wifh'd prey,
Who gently afk'd if he had seen fuch two,
Suppofing him fome neighbour villager.
Longer I durft not stay, but foon I guefs'd
Ye were the two fhe meant; with that I fprung
Into fwift flight, till I had found you here,
But further know I not.

Y. Bro. O night and shades,

How are ye join'd with Hell in triple knot,
Against th' unarmed weakness of one virgin
Alone, and helplefs! Is this the confidence
You gave me Brother?

E. BRO. Yes, and keep it ftill;
Lean on it fafely; not a period

Shall be unfaid 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 affail'd, but never hurt;
Surpris'd by unjust force but not inthrall'd;
Yea even that which Mischief meant most harm,
Shall in the happy trial prove most glory;
But evil on itself fhall back recoil,
And mix no more with goodness, when at last
Gather'd like feum, and fettled to itself,
It shall be in eternal restless change,
Self-fed, and felf-conlumed if this fail,
The pillar'd firmament is rottennefs,

And earth's bafe built on ftubble. But come, let's

on,

Against th' oppofing will and arm of Heav'n
May never this juft fword be lifted up;
But for that damn'd Magician, let him be girt
With all the grifly legions that troop
Under the footy flag of Alcheron,
Harpies and Hydras, or all the monstrous forms
"Twixt Africa and Ind, I'll find him out,
And force him to restore his purchase back,
Or drag him by the curls to a foul death,
Curs'd as his life.

SPI. Alas! good vent'rous Youth,
I love thy courage yet, and bold emprise;
But here thy fword can do thee little stead;
Far other arms, and other weapons must

Be thofe that quell the might of hellish charms:

He with his bare wand can unthread thy joints, And crumble all thy finews.

E. BRO. Why, prythee, Shepherd,

How durft thou then thyfelf approach so near,
As to make this relation?

SPI. Care and utmost shifts

How to fecure the Lady from furprizal,
Brought to my mind a certain fhepherd lad,
Of small regard to fee to, yet we'l skill'd
In every virtuous plant, and healing herb,
That fpreads her verdant leaf to th' morning ray :
He lov'd me well, and oft would beg me fing,
Which when I did, he on the tender grafs
Would't fit, and hearken even to extafy,
And in requital ope his leathern scrip,
And fhew me fimples of a thoufand names,
Telling their ftrange and vigorous faculties:
Among the reft a fmali unfight y root,
But of divine effect, he cull'd me out;
The leaf was darkish, and had prickles on it,
But in another country, as he faid,

Bore a bright golden flower, but not in this foil:
Unknown, and like efteem'd, and the dull fwain
Treads on it daily, with his clouted shoon ;
And yet more med'cinal is it than that moly
That Hermes once to wife Ulyffes gave;
He call'd it Hemony, and gave it me,
And bade me keep it as of fov'reign ufe

'Gainst all inchantments, mildew, blast, or damp, Or ghaftly furies' apparition.

I purs'd it up, but little reck'ning made,
Till now that this extremity compell'd:
But now I find it true; for by this means
I knew the foul enchanter, though difguis'd,
Enter'd the very lime-twigs of his spells,
And yet came off: if you have this about you,
(As I will give you when we go) you may
Boldly affault the Necromancer's hall;
Where if he be, with dauntless hardihood,
And brandifh'd blade, rufh on him, break his
glafs,

And fhed the luscious liquor on the ground,
But feize his wand; though he and his curs'd crew
Fierce fign of battle make, and menace high,
Or like the fons of Vulcan vomit smoke,
Yet will they foon retire, if he but fhrink.

E. BRO. Thyrfis, lead on apace, I'll follow thee, And fome good angel bear a fhield before us. The Scene changes to a fiately palace, fet out with all manner of deliciousness: foft mufic, tables Sprea! COMOS appears with bis rabble, and the LADY fet in an inchanted chair, to whom be offers his glafs, and which fee puts by, and goes about to rife.

with all dainties.

Coм. Nay, lady, fit; if I but wave this wand, Your nerves are all chain'd up in alabafter,. And you a ftatue, or as Daphne was Root-bound, that fled Apolio.

LA. Fool, do not boast,

Thou canst not touch the freedom of my mind, With all thy charms, although this corporal rind Thou haft immanacl'd, while Heav'n fees good.

COм. Why are you vext, lady? why do you frown?

Here dwell no frowns, nor anger; from thefe
Sorrow flies far: fee here be all the pleafures [gates
That Fancy can beget on youthful thoughts,
When the fresh blood grows lively, and returns
Brifk as the April buds in primrose-season.
And first behold this cordial julep here,
That flames and dances in his crystal bounds,
With fpi'rits of balm, and fragrant fyrups mix'd,
Not that Nepenthes, which the wife of Thone,
In Egypt gave to Jove-boan Helena,
Is of fuch power to ftir up joy as this,
To life fo friendly, or fo cool to thirst.
Why should you be fo cruel to yourself,
And to thofe dainty limbs which nature lent
For gentle usage, and foft delicacy?
But you invert the covenants of her trust,
And harfhly deal like an ill borrower
With that which you receiv'd on other terms,
Scorning the unexempt condition
By which all mortal frailty must subsist,
Refreshment after toil, eafe after pain,
That have been tir'd all day without repaft,
And timely reft have wanted; but, fair Virgin,
This will reftore all foon.

LA. 'Twill not, falfe traitor,
'Twill not restore the truth and honefty
That thou haft banish'd from thy tongue with lies.
Was this the cottage, and the safe abode
Thou toldft me of? What grim afpects are thefe,
These ugly headed monfters? Mercy guard me!
Hence with thy brew'd inchantments, foul de-
ceiver;

Haft thou betray'd my credulous innocence
With vifor'd falfehood, and bafe forgery?
And would't thou feck again to trap me here
With liquorifh baits fit to infoare a brute?
Were it a draft for Juno when the banquets,
I would not tafte thy treasonous offer; none
But fuch as are good men can give good things,
And that which is not good, is not delicious
To a well-govern'd and wife appetite.

[cars

Coм. O foolishness of men! that lend their
To thofe budge doctors of the stoic fur,
And fetch their precepts from the Cynic tub,
Praifing the lean and fallow abftinence.
Wherefore did Nature pour her bounties forth
With fuch a full and unwithdrawing hand,
Covering the earth with odours, fruits, and
flocks,

Thronging the feas with fpawn innumerable,
But all to pleafe, and fate the curious taste?
And fet to work millions of fpinning worms,
That in their green shops weave the smooth-hair'd
filk,

To deck her fons and that no corner might
By vacant of her plenty, in her own loins

She hutch't th' all worship't ore, and precious
To ftore her children with: if all the world [gems
Should in a pet of temp'rance feed on pulfe,
Drink the clear ftream, and nothing wear but
frieze,

Th' All-giver would be unthank'd, would be unprais'd,

Not half his riches known, and yet defpis'd, And we should serve him as a grudging master,

As a penurious niggard of his wealth,
And live like Nature's baftards, not her fons,
Who would be quite furcharg'd with her own
And ftrangled with her watte fertility. [weight,
Th' earth cumber'd, and the wing d air darkt
with plumes,

The herds would over-multitude their lords;
The fea o'erfraught would fwell ;and th' unfought
diamonds

Would fo imblaze the forehead of the Deep,
And fo bestud with stars, that they below
Would grow inur'd to light, and come at last
To gaze upon the fun with fhameless brows.
Lift, lady, be not coy, and be not cozen'd
With that fame vaunted name Virginity.
Beauty is Nature's coin, must not be horded,
But must be current, and the good thereof
Confists in mutual and partaken bless,
Unfavory in th' enjoyment of itself;
If you let flip time, like a neglected rose
It withers on the stalk with languish'd head.
Beauty is Nature's brag, and must be fhewn
In courts, in feafts, and high folemnities,
Where most may wonder at the workman-
fhip;

It is for homely features to keep home;
They had their name thence; coarfe com-
plexions,

And cheeks of forry grain, will ferve to ply
The fampler, and to teafe the housewife's wool.
What need a vermeil tinctur'd lip for that,
Love-darting eyes, or treffes like the Morn?
There was another meaning in these gifts,
Think what, and be advis'd, you are but young
yet.

LA. I had not thought to have unlock'd my lip In this unhallow'd air, but that this juggler Would think to charm my judgment, as mine

eyes,

Obtruding falfe rules, prankt in Reafon's garb.
I hate, when Vice can bolt her arguments,
And virtue has no tongue to check her pride.
Impoftor, do not charge most innocent Nature,
As if he would her children fhould be riotous
With her abundance; fhe, good caterefs
Means her provifion only to the good,
That live according to her sober laws,
And holy dictate of fpare Temperance:
If every juft man, that now pines with want,
Had but a moderate and befeeming fhare
Of that which lewdly-pamper'd luxury
Now heaps upon fome few with vaft excefs,
Nature's full bleflings would be well difpens'd
In unfuperfluous even proportion,

And the no whit incumber'd with her store,
And then the giver would be better thank'd,
His praife due paid; for fwinifh gluttony
Ne'er looks to Heav'n amidst his gorgeous feaft,
But with befotted bafe ingratitude

Crams, and blafphemes his feeder. Shall I go on?

Or have 1 faid enough? To him that dares
Arm his profane tongue with contemptuous
Against the fun-clad pow'r of Charity, [words,
Fain would I fomething fay, yet to what end?

Thick fet with agat, and the azurn fheen
Of turkis blue, and emrald green,
That in the channel strays;
Whilft from off the waters fleet
Thus I fet my printless feet
O'er the cowflips velvet head,
That bends not as I tread;
Gentle Swain, at thy request
I am here.

SPI. Goddess dear,

We implore thy powerful hand
To undo the charmed band

Of true Virgin here diftreft,

Through the force, and through the wile
Of unbleft inchanter vile.

SAB. Shepherd, 'tis my office best
To help infnared chastity:
Brighteft Lady look on me;
Thus I fprinkle on thy breast
Drops that from my fountain pure
I have kept of precious cure,
Thrice upon thy fingers' tip,
Thrice upon thy rubied lip;
Next this marble-venom'd seat,
Smear'd with gums of glutenous heat,

I touch with chafte palms moift and cold :
Now the spell hath loft his hold;

And I must hafte e'er morning hour
To wait on Amphitrite's bower.

SABRINA defcends, and the LADY rifes out of her feat.

SPI. Virgin, daughter of Locrine
Sprung from old Anchifes' line,
May thy brimmed waves for this
Their full tribute never mifs
From a thousand petty rills,

That tumble down the foowy hills:
Summer drouth, or finged air
Never fcorch thy treffes fair,
Nor wet October's torrent flood
Thy molten chryftal fill with mad;
May thy billows roll afhore
The beryl, and the golden ore;
May thy lofty head be crown'd
With many a tower and rerras round,
And here and there thy banks upon
With groves of myrrhe, and cinnamon.
Come, Lady, while heav'n lends us grace,
Let us fly this curfed place,
Left the Sorcerer us entice
With fome other new device.
Not a waste, or needlefs found,
Till we come to holier ground;
I fhall be your faithful guide
Through this gloomy covert wide,
And not many furlongs thence
Is your father's refidence,
Where this night are met in state
Many a friend to gratulate
His with'd prefence, and befide
All the fwans that near abide,
With jigs and rural dance refort;
We fhall catch them at their sport,
And our fudden coming there

The dances ended, the SPIRIT epiloguizes.

SPI. To the ocean now I fly,
And thofe happy climes that lie
Where Day never shuts his eye,
Up in the broad fields of the sky:
There I fuck the liquid air,
All amidst the gardens fair

Of Hesperus, and his daughters three,
That fing about the golden tree:
Along the crifped fhades and bowers
Revels the fpruce and jocund Spring,
The Graces, and the roly-bofom'd Hours,
Thither all their bounties bring;
That there eternal Summer dwells,
And weft-winds with mufky wing
About the cedarn alleys fling
Nard and Caffia's balmy fmells.
Iris there with humid bow
Waters the odorous banks, that blow
Flowers of more mingled hue
Than her purfled scarf can fhew,
And drenches with Elysian dew
(Lift mortals, if your ears be true)
Beds of hyacinth and roses,
Where young Adonis oft reposes,
Waxing well of his deep wound
In flumber foft, and on the ground
Sadly fits th' Affyrian queen;
But far above in spangled sheen
Celestial Cupid her fam'd fon advanc'd,