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2 SEMICHOR. But he though blind of sight, Despis'd and thought extinguish'd quite, With inward eyes illuminated,

His fiery virtue rous'd

From under ashes into sudden flame,

And as an evening dragon came,
Assailant on the perched roosts,
And nests in order rang'd

Of tame villatic fowl; but as an eagle
His cloudless thunder bolted on their heads,
So virtue giv'n for lost,

Depress'd, and overthrown, as seem'd,

Like the self-begotten bird

In the Arabian woods imbost,

That no second knows nor third,

And lay ere while a holocaust,

From out her ashy womb now teem'd,

Revives, reflorishes, then vigorous most
When most unactive deem'd,

And though her body die, her fame survives

A secular bird ages of lives.

1690

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MAN. Come, come, no time for lamentation now, Nor much more cause; Samson hath quit himself Like Samson, and heroicly hath finish'd

A life heroic, on his enemies

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Fully reveng'd, hath left them years of mourning,
And lamentation to the sons of Caphtor
Through all Philistian bounds, to Israel
Honour hath left, and freedom, let but them
Find courage to lay hold on his occasion;

To himself and father's house eternal fame,
And which is best and happiest yet, all this
With God not parted from him, as was fear'd,
But favouring and assisting to the end. 1720
Nothing is here for tears, nothing to wail
Or knock the breast, no weakness, no contempt,
Dispraise, or blame, nothing but well and fair
And what may quiet us in a death so noble.
Let us go find the body where it lies

Sok'd in his enemies' blood, and from the stream
With lavers
pure and cleansing herbs wash off
The clotted gore. I with what speed the while
(Gaza is not in plight to say us nay)

Will send for all my kindred, all my friends 1730
To fetch him hence, and solemnly attend
With silent obsequy and funeral train

Home to his father's house: there will I build him
A monument, and plant it round with shade
Of laurel ever green, and branching palm,
With all his trophies hung, and acts inroll'd
In copious legend, or sweet lyric song.
Thither shall all the valiant youth resort,
And from his memory inflame their breasts
To matchless valour, and adventures high: 1740
The virgins also shall on feastful days

Visit his tomb with flow'rs, only bewailing
His lot unfortunate in nuptial choice,
From whence captivity and loss of eyes.
CHOR. All is best, though we oft doubt
What th' unsearchable dispose

Of highest Wisdom brings about,
And ever best found in the close.

Oft he seems to hide his face,

But unexpectedly returns,

And to his faithful champion hath in place

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Bore witness gloriously: whence Gaza mourns And all that band them to resist

His uncontrollable intent;

His servants he with new acquist

Of true experience from this great event,
With peace and consolation hath dismist,
And calm of mind all passion spent.

COMUS, A MASK.

Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634, before the Earl of Bridgewater, then President of Wales.

The attendant SPIRIT, afterwards in the habit of Thyrsis. COMUS, with his Crew.

THE LADY.

FIRST BROTHER,

SECOND BROther.

SABRINA, the Nymph.

The chief persons who presented were,

The LORD BRACKLY.

Mr. THOMAS EGERTON, his brother.
The Lady ALICE EGERTON.

The first Scene discovers a wild wood.---The attendant
SPIRIT decends or enters.

BEFORE the starry threshold of Jove's court
My mansion is, where those immortal shapes
Of bright aerial spirits live inspher'd
In regions mild of clam and serene air,
Above the smoke and stir of this dim spot,
Which men call Earth, and with low thoughted care
Confin'd, and pester'd in this pin-fold here,
Strive to keep up a frail and feverish being,
Unmindful of the crown that Virtue gives
After this mortal change to her true servants, 10
Amongst the enthron'd gods on sainted seats.
Yet some there be that by due steps aspire
To lay their just hands on that golden key
That opes the palace of Eternity :
To such my errand is; and but for such,
I would not soil these pure ambrosial weeds
With the rank vapours of this sin-worn mold.
But to my task. Neptune besides the sway
Of every salt flood, and each ebbing stream,
Took in by lot 'twixt high and neither Jove 20
Imperial rule of all the sea-girt iles,
That like to rich and various gems inlay
The unadorn'd bosom of the Deep,
Which he to grace his tributary gods

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