tave refpite to the droufy flighted feeds,
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 stole upon the air, that even Silence

Was took e'er fhe was ware, and wish'd she might
Deny her nature, and be never more
Still to be fo difplac'd. I was all car,
And took in strains 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 fifter.
Amaz'd I ftood, harrow'd with grief and fear,
And O poor hapless nightingale thought I,
How sweet 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 1 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 best fpeed could prevent,
The aidlefs innocent Lady his wifh'd prey,
Who gently afk'd if he had feen fuch two,
Suppofing him fome neighbour villager.
Longer I durft not ftay, but foon I guefs'd
Ye were the two she meant; with that I fprung
Into fwift flight, till I had found you here,
But further know I not.

Y. BRO. O night and fhades,

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 still;
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 unjuft force but not inthrall'd;
Yea even that which Mifchief meant moft harm,
Shall in the happy trial prove most glory;
But evil on itself fhall back recoil,
And mix no more with goodnefs, when at last
Gather'd like fcum, and fettled to itself,
It fhall be in eternal restlefs change,
Sell-fed, and felf-confumed if this fail,
The pillar'd firmament is rottennefs,

And earth's base built on stubble. But come, let's

on,

Against th' oppofing will and arm of Heav'n
May never this juft fword he 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 joint, 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 utmoft fhifts

How to fecure the Lady from furprizal,
Brought to my mind a certain fhepherd lad,
Of small regard to fee to, yet well skill'd
In every virtuous plant, and healing herb,
That spreads 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 exrafy,
And in requital ope his leathern fcrip,
And fhew me fimples of a thousand names,
Telling their ftrange and vigorous faculties:
Among the rest a small unfight y root,
But of divine cflect, 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 fhoon;
And yet inore 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 use
'Gainft 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 fpells,
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 brandish'd blade, rufh on him, break his
glafs,

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

E. Bкo. 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 mus, tables spread COMOS appears with bis rab ble, and the LADY fet in an inchanted chair, to rubom he offers his glass, and which fee puts by, and goes about to rife.

zwith all dainties.

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

LA. Fool, do not boast,

Thou canst not touch the freedom of my mind, With all thy charms, although this corporal rind Thou hast immanacl'd, while Heav'n fees good. COм. Why are you vext, lady? why do you frown?

Vere dwell no frowns, nor anger; from these
Sorrow flies far: fee here be all the pleasures [gates
That Fancy can beget on youthful thoughts,
When the fresh blood grows lively, and returns
Brisk as the April buds in primrose-season.
And first behold this cordial julep here,
That flames and dances in his crystal bounds,
With fpirits of balm, and fragrant fyrups mix'd,
Not that Nepenthes, which the wife of Thone,
la Egypt gave to Jove-boan Helena,

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 those dainty limbs which nature lent
For gentle ufage, and foft delicacy

Est you invert the covenants of her truft,
And hardly 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,
Refrahment after toil, cafe after pain,
That have been tir'd all day without repaft,
And timely reft, have wanted; but, fair Virgin,
This will rettore all foon

LA. Twill not, falfe traitor,

Twill not restore the truth and honesty

That thou hast banish'd from thy tongue with lies.
Was this the cottage, and the fafe abode
Then toldft me of? What grim afpects are these,
The ugly headed moufters? Mercy guard me!
Hee with thy brew'd inchantments, foul de-

[cars

Com. O foolishness of men! that lend their
To thofe budge doctors of the stoic fur,
And fetch their precepts from the Cynic tub,
Frailing 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 spawn innumerable,
But all to pleafe, and fate the curious tafte?
And fet to work millions of fpinning worms,
That in their green fhops weave the fmooth-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 pulse,
Drink the clear ftream, and nothing wear but
frieze,

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

Not balf his riches known, and yet defpis'd, And we should forve 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 wafte 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 beftud with ftars, that they below
Would grow inur'd to light, and come at laft
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, muft not be horded,
But must be current, and the good thereof
Confits in mutual and partaken blefs,
Unfavory in th' enjoyment of itself;
If you let flip time, like a negled rofe
It withers on the stalk with languish'd head.
Beauty is Nature's brag, and must be fhewn
In courts, in featts, and high folemnities,
Where most may wonder at the workman-
ship;

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

And cheeks of forry grain, will ferve to ply
The fampler, and to tease 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 fober laws,
And holy dictate of fpare Temperance:
If every juft man, that now pines with want,
Had but a moderate and befeeming share
Of that which lewdly-pamper'd luxury
Now heaps upon fome few with vaft excefs,
Nature's full blefings 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 praise due paid; for fwinish gluttony
Ne'er looks to Heav'n amidst his gorgeous feaft,
But with befotted base ingratitude
Crams, and blafphemes his feeder. Shall I go

on?

Or have I said enough? To him that dares

Arm his profane tongue with contemptuous Against the fun-clad pow'r of Charity, [words Fain would I fomething say, 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 distrest,

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

SAB. Shepherd, 'tis my office beft
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 feat,
Smear'd with gums of glutenous heat,

I touch with chafte palms moift and cold:
Now the fpell 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 miss
From a thoufand petty rills,

That tumble down the fnowy hills:
Summer drouth, or finged air
Never fcorch thy tresses fair,
Nor wet October's torrent flood
Thy molten chrystal fill with mud;
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;
Ifhall 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 shall 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 fhuts his eye,
Up in the broad fields of the sky:
There I fuck the liquid air,
All amidst the gardens fair

Of Helperus, and his daughters three,
That fing about the golden tree:
Along the crifped thades and bowers
Revels the fpruce and jocund Spring,
The Graces, and the rofy-bofom'd Hours,
Thither all their bounties bring;
That there eternal Summer dwells,
And weft-winds with musky wing
About the cedarn alleys fling
Nard and Callia'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 Elyfian dew
(Lift mortals, if your ears be true)
Beds of hyacinth and roses,
Where young Adonis oft repofes,
Waxing well of his deep wound
In flumber foft, and on the ground
Sadly fits th' Affyrian queen;
But far above in fpangled fheen
Celestial Cupid her fam'd son advanc'd,

Holds her dear Pfyche fweet intranc'd,
After her wand'ring labours long,
Till free confent the goods among
Make her his eternal bride,
And from her fair unspotted fide
Two blissful twins are to be born,
Youth and Joy; fo Jove hath fworn.
But now my task is smoothly done,
I can fly, or I can run

Quickly to the green earth's end,

Where the bow'd welkin flow doth bend,
And from thence can foar as foon
To the corners of the moon.

Mortals that would follow me,
Love Virtue, she alone is free,
She can teach you how to climb
Higher than the sphery chime;
Or if Virtue feeble were,
Heav'n itfelf would stoop to her.