L'ALLEGRO. HENCE, loathed Melancholy, Of Cerberus and blackest Midnight born In Stygian cave forlorn 'Mongst horrid shapes and shreiks and sights unholy; Find out som uncouth cell, Wher brooding Darknes spreads his jealous wings, And the night-raven sings; There, under ebon shades and low-brow'd rocks, As ragged as thy locks, In dark Cimmerian desert ever dwell. But com, thou Goddess fair and free, The frolick wind that breathes the spring, Zephir with Aurora playing As he met her once a Maying, There on beds of Violet blew And fresh-blown roses wash in dew Fill'd her with thee a daughter fair, So bucksom, blith, and debonair. Haste thee, Nymph, and bring with thee 25 And, if I give thee honour due, To live with her, and live with thee, In unreproved pleasures free: 40 45 50 The cynosure of neighbouring eyes. Of hearbs and other country messes, And then in haste her bowre she leaves, To many a youth and many a maid And young and old com forth to play Till the livelong daylight fail; Then to the spicy nut-brown ale, With stories told of many a feat: And, stretch'd out all the chimney's length, 115 120 As thick and numberless As the gay motes that people the sun beams, Or likest hovering dreams, The fickle pensioners of Morpheus train. Whose saintly visage is too bright To hit the sense of human sight, And therefore to our weaker view Ore laid with black, staid Wisdoms hue- Prince Memnons sister might beseem, Or that starr'd Ethiope queen that strove To set her beauties praise above The sea nymphs, and their powers offended; Thee bright-haired Vesta long of yore To solitary Saturn bore, His daughter she (in Saturn's raign 25 30 |