Ver. 304. To help you find them out. Ver. 312. Dingle or bushie dell of this wide wood. In a different hand "wild wood." Ver. 316. Within these shroudie limits. Ver. 321. Till further quest be made. light. Ver. 349. In this sad dungeon of innumerous Infamous hills, and sandie perilous Ver. 326. And is pretended yet. Shall dare to soile her virgin puritie. Ver. 327. Less warranted than this I cannot be. Ver. 428. Yea, even where very desolation Ver. 329. Square this tryal. dwells, [horrid shades, After v. 330, STAGE-DIRECTION. "Exeunt. By grots and caverns shagg'd with The two Brothers enter." And yawning dens, where glaring monVer. 340. With a long-levell'd rule of streaming sters house, She leanes her thoughtfull head musing She might be free from perill where she is, But where an equal poise of hope and fear. For encounter he had first written passado, and hopes and fears; and Beshrew me but I would, instead of I could be willing. Ver. 415. As you imagin, brother: she has a hidden strength. Ver. 421. beads, no, Ver. 400. - Bid me think. sure She that has that, is clad in compleate steele: And may on every needful accident, She may pass on, &c. The line And yawning, &c. is crossed, and there- Or lost in wild amazement and affright, So fares, as did forsaken Proserpine, When the big rowling flakes of pitchie And darknesse wound her in. [clouds 1 Br. Peace, brother, peace, I do not think my sister, &c. Dead solitude is also surrounding wild. Some of the additional lines (v. 350—366.) are on a separate slip of paper. Ver. 361. Which, grant they be so, &c. Ver. 362. The date of grief. Ver. 371. Could stirre the stable mood of her Ver. 490. Had best looke to his forehead: here Ver. 376. Oft seeks to solitarie sweet retire. STAGE-DIRECTION. "He hallows: the guardian Ver. 383. Walks in black vapours, though the damon hallows again, and enters in the habit of a noon-tide brand shepherd." nesse. Then, bright raycs, then, blank awe. Hovering, and sitting by a newe-made grave. Ver. 481. Hedger is List, list, methought I heard. Some curl'd man of the sword calling to his fellows. also written over curl'd man of the Blaze in the summer solstice. Ver. 388. Ver. 390. For who would rob a hermit of his Ver. 492. Dam. What voice, &c. Ver. 491. Come not too neere; you fall on pointed stakes else. Ver. 496. And sweeten'd every musk-rose of the valley. Ver. 498. Leapt ore the penne.- Ver. 523. Deep learnt in all his mother's It had been first written, Enur'd; and lastly Ver. 531. Tending my flocks hard by i' th' pas Ver. 545. With spreading honey-suckle. Then blowing, then flaunting. Rose like the softe steame of distill'd So he had at first written these lines in the "Parent of sweet and solemn breathing airs:" Ver. 657. which is Milton's second alteration of ver. 555. 'Twixt Africa and Inde, l'le find him Ver. 611. But here thy steele can do thee small | deck again. availe. on fetches. Little stead is here crossed, and marked for readmission, as praise in v. 176. But pulse was the first reading, At last, resumed. Ver. 614. He with his bare wand can unquilt thy Ver. 727. Living as nature's bastards, not her joynts, sons. And crumble every sinew. Ver. 627. And shew me simples of a thousand hues. Ver. 636. And yet more med'cinal than that Which Mercury to wise Ulysses gave. Ver. 648. As I will give you as we go, [or, on Boldly assault the necromantik hall; Ex. And good heaven cast his best regard upon us. After v. 658, STAGE DIRECTION. "The scene changes to a stately palace, set out with all manner of deliciousness: tables spread with all dainties. Comus is discovered with his rabble and the lady set in an inchanted chaire. She offers to rise." Ver. 661. And you a statue fixt, as Daphne f for before, Comus's first speech was uninterruptedly continued thus, 66 was. Ver. 662. Fool, thou art over-proud, do not boast. This whole speech of the Lady, and the first verse of the next of Comus, were added in the margin: Root-bound, that fled Apollo. Why' Ver. 669. That youth and fancie can beget, After v. 697, the nine lines now standing were Ver. 687. That hast been tired all day.- Ver. 707. To those budge doctors of the Stois Ver. 712. Covering the earth with odours and Ver. 717. To adorn her sons→→ Ver. 721. Should in a pet of temperance feed Ver. 732. The sea orefraught would heave her Here nor had been erased, and again written over Ver. 744. It withers on the stalke and fades away. Ver. 749. They had thire name thence; coarse beetle brows. Ver. 751. The sample. Ver. 755. Think what, and look upon this cordiał Then follow verses from v. 672-705. From v. Ver. 807. This is mere moral stuff, the very lees, And settings of a melancholy blood; After v. 813. STAGE-DIRECTION. "The brothers Ver. 816. Without his art reverst. Ver. 821. There is another way that may be Ver. 826. Sabrina is her name, a goddess chaste. after chaste. Ver. 829. She, guiltlesse damsel, flying the mad persuite. To the streame. STAGE-DIRECTIONS. "Exeunt.-The scene changes, and then is presented Ludlow town, and the president's castle: then enter country dances and such like gambols, &c. At these sports the Damon, with the two Brothers and the Lady, enters. The damon sings." Temperance is a marginal reading. Patience had Ver. 973. To a crowne of deathlesse bays. Ver. 976. These concluding lyrics are twice crossed. Ver. 831, Ver. 834. Held up thire white wrists and re- Where grows the high-borne gold upon Ver. 984. This verse and the three following were added. Ver. 845. Helping all urchin blasts, and ill-luck Ver. 988. That there eternal Summer dwells. Ver. 992. bow. Ver. 851. Of pansies, and of bonnie daffadils. And in the margin “In hard distressed need." Ver. 962. Of nimb'er toes, and courtly guise, In the former line "such neat guise," had also been written. NO STAGE-DIRECTION, only "2 After v. 965. Ver. 971. Thire faith, thire temperance, and Ver. 979. Up in the plaine fields. Ver. 983. After "the goulden tree," he had Then her purfled scarf can shew, Beds of hyacinth and roses, Where many a cherub soft reposes. But Yellow, watchet, greene, and blew," is crossed in the second copy. What relates to Adonis, and to Cupid and Psyche, was afterwards added. Ver. 1012. Now my message [or buisnesse] well is done. Ver. 1014. Farre beyond the earth's end, Ver. 195. Stolne. Ver. 608. Or cleave his scalpe down to the hippes. VARIOUS READINGS OF THE MASK OF COMUS, Having been favoured with the use of this I mentioned that, at the bottom of the titlepage to this manuscript, the second earl of Bridgewater, who had performed the part of the Elder Brother, has written " Author Io: Milton." This, in my opinion, may be considered as no slight testimony, that the manuscript presents the original form of this drama. The mask was acted in 1634, and was first published by Lawes in 1637, at which time it had certainly been corrected, although it was not then openly acknowledged', by its author. The alterations and additions, therefore, which the printed poem exhibits, might not have been made till long after the representation; perhaps, not till Lawes had expressed his determination to publish it. The coincidence of Lawes's Original Music with certain peculiarities in this manuscript, which I have already stated in the Account of HENRY LAWES, may also favour this supposition. Most of the various readings in this manuscript agree with Milton's original readings in the Cambridge manuscript; a few are peculiar to itself. Since I published the edition of Comus in 1798, I have examined the latter; and have found a closer agreement between the two manuscripts than I had reason, from the collations of that at Cambridge by Dr. Newton and Mr. Warton, to have supposed. This manuscript resembles Milton's also in the circumstance of beginning most of the verses with small letters. The poem opens with the following twenty lines, which in all other copies, hitherto known to the public, form part of the Spirit's epiloguc. STAGE-DIRECTION. "The first sceane discovers a wild wood, then a guardian spiritt or damon descendes or enters." From the heavens now I flye, And those happy clymes that lye Where daye never shutts his eye,, Vp in the broad field of the skye. There I suck the liquid ayre All amidst the gardens fayre Of Hesperus, and his daughters three That singe about the goulden tree. There eternall summer dwells, And west wyndes, with muskye winge, About the Cederne allyes flinge Nard and cassia's balmie smells. Iris there with humid bowe Waters the odorous bankes, that blowe Flowers of more mingled hew Then her purfled scarfe can shew, Yellowe, watchett, greene, and blew, And drenches oft with manna dew Beds of hyacinth and roses, Where many a cherub soft reposes. 1 See Lawes's Dedication. Then follows "Before the starrie threshold of Jove's courte, &c." I have numbered the succeeding verses so as to correspond with the printed copy; in order that the reader may compare both by an immediate reference. Ver. 12. Yet some there be, that with due stepps aspire. Ver. 46. Bacchus, that first from out the purple grapes. Ver. 58. Which therefore she brought up, and Comus nam'd. Ver. 83. These my skye webs, spun out of Iris wooffe. STAGE-DIRECTION after v. 92. "Comus enters with a charminge rod in one hand and a glass of liquor in the other; with him a route of monsters like men and women but headed like wild beasts, &c." Ver. 99. Shoots against the Northerne pole. Ver. 123. Night has better sweets to prove. STAGE-DIRECTION after v. 144. "The Measure in a wild, rude, and wanton antic" And after v. 147, "they all scatter." Ver. 170. This waye the noise was, if my care be true. Ver. 398. You may as well spreade out the un- wast. Ver. 409. Secure, without all doubt or question, taneere. In the manuscript a comma is placed both after By grots and caverns shag'd with horrid And yawninge denns,where glaringemon- Ver. 432. Naye more, noe evill thinge that walks no: I could be willing, though now i'th Ver. 415. As you imagine, brother; she has a hid-The same corrupt reading accidentally occurs in a modern duodecimo edition of Milton's Poetical Works. den strength. Ver. 426. Noe salvage, feirce bandite, or moun Doe you beleeve me yet, &c. Ver. 448. The wise Minerva wore, vnconquer'd virgin. # Ver. 460. Begins to cast a beam on th' outward Ver. 465. And most by lewde lascivious act of sin. Ver. 497. How cam'st here, good shepheard? hath Ver. 513. Ile tell you, tis not vain or fabulous. Ver. 555. At last a sweele and solemne breathinge sound, After v. 631, the six lines which follow in the printed copy are not in this MS. Thirsis, lead on apace, I followe Ver. 647. thee. Rose like the softe steame of distill'd And stole vpon the aire. = These variations present this charming passage, I In the STAGE-DIRECTION after v. 658, soft music is not mentioned in this MS. Ver. 678. To life soe friendly, or soe coole' to' thirst; Poore ladie, thou hast need of some refreshinge, That hast been tired aldaye without repast, A timely rest hast wanted. heere, fayre virgin, This will restore all soone. After v. 696, the four lines which follow in the printed copy are not in this MS. Ver. 709. Praisinge the leane and shallow Absti nence. Ver. 732. The sea orefraught would swell, and th' vnsought diamonds Would soe emblaze with starrs, that they belowe Would growe enur'd to light, and come at last To gaze vpon the sunn with shameless Ver. 758. Would thinke to charme my judgment, Ver. 777. Ne'er looks to Heav'n amidst his gorgeous feasts. But with besotted base ingratitude Crams, and blaspheames his feeder. After feeder the following lines in the printed copies, viz. from v. 779, to v. 806, are not in this MS. Ver. 810. And setlinge of a melancholy bloud. Ver. 814. What, have yee let the false enchaunter Ver. 828. Whoe had the scepter from his father STAGE-DIRECTION after v. 866. "The verse to singe or not." Ver. 867. Listen, and appear to vs, In name of greate Oceanus, By th' Earth-shakinge Neptune's mace, |