cal term, signifies the end of a strain. 552. an unusual stop, previously seen in l. 145. 553. drowsie frighted, these epithets are curiously used. 'Drowsy' is the normal characteristic of the steeds, since they draw the litter of sleep; while 'frighted' is their temporary condition from hearing the noise of Comus's rout. Some of the editions have drowsy-flighted (flying drowsily), and still others drowsy-freighted (weighed down with sleep). The student should decide among these three possible readings. 554. closecurtain'd Sleep. Explain the force of the figure. 555. a soft and solemnbreathing sound: see ll. 230-243. Explain the force of the compound epithet. 556. Rose like perfumes. This is one of those rare similes in which the language of one of the senses (as hearing) is applied to another sense (as smell). Explain this figure. 558-560. wished she might . . . displac't. Silence is willing to cease to exist (i.e.' deny her nature'), provided she may be ever ('still ') displaced by such sweet sounds. 560. I was all ear. Explain and classify the figures of poetry and logical artifice in this and the succeeding lines. (See INTRODUCTION, Pp. xliii, xlvii.) 561-562. that might. . . Death, might bring the dead to life. 565. Amaz'd, here meaning overwhelmed by fear. 568. lawns: see note on L'Alleg. (71). 572. certain signes. For explanation, see ll. 644-646. 578. Ye. Compare this proper use of the word with the two peculiar uses in ll. 216 and 513. It will be seen that the usage in Milton's time had not become fixed.

580-609. 581. tripple knot. What is represented by each of the three allies against the Lady? 585. period, sentence. 586. for me, as far as I am concerned. 591. most harm, to be most harmful. 592. happy trial, fortunate outcome. 594. when, until. 595-597. Gather'd . . self-consum'd. Explain. 598. pillar'd firmament, the sky, supported, according to the belief of the ancients, on pillars, thus serving as a roof for the earth. 602. let him be girt, a subordinate concessive clause, though he be girt (surrounded). 603. griesly (grisly). Distinguish from grizzly by looking up derivation and meaning of each word. legions, a trisyllable: see note on 1. 377. 604. Acheron: see Cl. D. or Cl. M., p. 78. Though strictly a river of the underworld, it is here used to denote the whole region. What poetic figure is this? Explain why 'sooty flag.' 605. Harpyes and Hydras. Give syntax. For Harpies, see Cl. D. or Cl. M., p. 86. monstrous forms: see note on Lyc. (158). 607. purchase (from an old French verb pour + chacier, to pursue and obtain). Hence, according to the original meaning, the noun 'purchase,' the thing obtained, might stand for a thing secured either by fair means (as in its modern sense) or by unfair means (such as Comus here used). Accordingly the word here means prey, spoil.

609-658. 610. yet, the word is equivalent to, I will admit in spite of what I am going to say. 611. stead, service. 617. As to make, as to learn the facts which enable you to tell this. 619. a certain shepherd lad. This is generally considered to be a reference to Charles Diodati, one of Milton's closest friends, whose knowledge of botany is elsewhere testified to and admired by the poet. The subsequent lines (623-628) may easily be

taken to refer to the intercourse between the two young men. The botanist would ask his friend to recite his poetry (‘sing,' in terms of the pastoral), and in return would teach him the secrets of his science. The probability of the allusion is strengthened by the fact that Diodati was a physician, and that the plants discussed are referred to as 'simples' (medicinal herbs), 'vertuous' (powerful) plants, healing herbs,' etc. 630. me, a dative, for me. 633. Bore. Supply a subject for this verb. 634. like esteem'd, esteemed in the same degree as known, i.e. not at all. 635. clouted shoon, patched shoes, a phrase very common in early English poetry.. 636. Moly, the magical plant by which Ulysses was able to resist the wiles of Circe: see Cl. D., Cl. M., p. 319, or Odyssey, X. 638. He: see 1. 630. Hæmony. Both the plant and its name are Milton's invention. He doubtless coined the word from Hæmonia, the Latin name for Thessaly, land of magic. 640. mildew blast, i.e. a 'blast' or wind, such as produces 'mildew.' 641. Furies': see Cl. D. or Cl. M., p. 84. apparition. How many syllables and why? 645. disguis'd see 1. 166. 646. Entered . . . spells. Lime twigs are twigs smeared with bird-lime, a very adhesive preparation, used for catching birds. Explain the figure by which this term is applied to the snares of Comus. 649. necromancer's hall. Note the terms applied to Comus: necromancer,' ' enchanter,' 'magician,' and 'wizard.' 650. Where if he be: cf. the Latin ubi si sit. Such Latin-derived constructions introducing the sentence by a relative pronoun or adverb, instead of the more common demonstrative, are very frequent in Milton. 654. menace. Show whether this is a noun or verb. 655. vomit smoak. This is told of Cacus, son of Vulcan, in the eighth book of the Æneid. 658. bear. Decide whether this is optative (may some angel bear), or hortative (let some angel bear), or imperative (as in l. 337).

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659-690. The first endeavor of Comus to tempt the Lady. 660. alabaster, a material out of which statues were made: cf. the Merchant of Venice, I, 1, 84. "Sit like his grandsire cut in alabaster." 661-662. Daphne . . . Apollo. For this story, see Cl. D. or Cl. M., pp. 138–140. What is the syntax of 'root-bound'? 664. corporal rinde: cf. 'fleshly nook,' Il Pens. (92). 668. be: see note on 1. 12. 671. Brisk . . . season. Show how images, word sounds, and metre all unite to give freshness to the line. 672. cordial (Lat. cor, heart), tending to cheer the heart, invigorating. julep, a sweet drink flavored with aromatic herbs (from a Persian word meaning rosewater). 673. his, its : see note on Il Pens. (128). 675–676. Not that Nepenthes . . . Helena: see Odyssey, IV, 219–230, or Cl. D. or Cl. M., p. 309. After the Trojan War, Helen, daughter of Zeus, became reconciled to Menelaüs, and left with him for Sparta. On the voyage, storms drove them upon the shores of Egypt, where they were most hospitably received by the king and queen, Thon and Polydamna. The latter, who was versed in magic, gave to Helen, as she was departing, this sorrow-dispelling drink. 685. unexempt condition, the 'refreshment' and 'ease' (1. 687) necessary to all mortals, none being exempt. 688. That have been tir'd, modifies 'you,' 1. 682.

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appetite.

690-705. 693. was. Why in the singular? 694. aspects, here accented on the last syllable, and meaning countenances. 695. oughlyheaded, ugly-headed. 696. brew'd inchantments: see ll. 525-526. 698. vizor'd falsehood, "falsehood with its vizor, or face-piece, down, to conceal its identity." (Thurber.) forgery. Show how this differs from the present meaning. 700. lickerish, not liquorish as printed by many editors, nor even from the same root as liquor. The word means tempting to the appetite. 702-705. None Point out the links in the chain of the Lady's argument. 706-755. 707. budge doctors of the Stoick furr. Originally 'budge' meant the lambskin, dressed with its wool, which was used to edge the gowns of scholars. Hence its secondary meaning, as here used, scholastic or solemn. Doctors of the Stoic fur are scholars or teachers who follow and advocate the precepts of the Stoic philosophy. The robes of these scholars would, as a symbol of their scholastic attainments, be trimmed with fur, as suggested in the radical meaning of 'budge.' 708. And fetch their precepts from the Cynick tub. Diogenes, the Cynic philosopher, is said to have lived in a tub. Comus makes use of this expression in order to show his contempt for the sect and its doctrines. To understand his attitude, we must remember that the Stoics and their forerunners, the Cynics, despised all pleasures of the senses, and praised the 'Abstinence' which Comus calls 'lean and sallow.' 714. curious, dainty or fastidious. 718-719. in her own loyns She hutch't, in her underground recesses, she laid up or stored away: cf. rabbit-hutch. 722. freize. Explain 'temperance' (1. 721) in such a way as to show that it extends to the wearing of this coarse cloth. Look up derivation of 'frieze.' 724. half. What is the syntax? despis'd. Does this modify 'All-giver' or 'riches'? 728. Who, referring to Nature. 730. earth, air. Syntax? 733. forhead of the deep. Decide whether 'deep' here means the sea or the region under the earth. Take into consideration what 'forehead' would mean in each case, in what way it would be bestudded with stars, and to whom they below' refers. 737. coy: see note on Lyc. (18). cozen'd, self-beguiled or cheated. 739-744. Beauty. head. On these lines Verity says, "They contain an idea which had become a commonplace of poets, viz., that those who possess personal beauty should marry, and through their children enable that beauty to remain in the world instead of dying out." 750. grain: see note on Il Pens. (33). 751. sampler, a piece of needlework designed to show (sample) the skill of the worker. teize (tease), to card or comb (the original meaning of the word). 752. vermeil-tinctured. Look up derivation of vermilion. 755. you are but young yet. Observe the unpleasant alliteration and halting metre. This is one of the very few poor lines in Milton's poetry. 756-799. 756–761. I had . . . pride. Most editors take pains to say that these lines are 66 'spoken aside." Would it not be better, however, to consider that the Lady spoke them aloud, contemptuously indifferent as to whether Comus heard them or not? 757. jugler. For similar names for Comus, see note on 1. 649. 760. bolt. The word is taken from the process

of making flour, where the meal is bolted or sifted out from the bran; hence, refine, i.e. make subtle or dangerous. 761. her. To what does this refer? 764. cateres, feminine of caterer, a provider. 767. spare Temperance: cf. Il Pens. (46). 768-779. If ... Feeder. State the Lady's argument clearly, and discuss it as a refutation of what Comus said in 11. 720-736. 773. In .. proportion. In reading this line give four syllables to proportion and slur each of the two words preceding it. 775. And . . . thank't: cf. 1. 723. 778-779. besotted, base, Cramms, blasphemes. Explain the peculiar fitness of these words. 780-799. To . . . head. Discuss these lines as a rejoinder to Comus's speech of 11. 737-755. 780. anow, enough: cf. Lyc. (114). 785. sublime. For pronunciation, see note on l. II. 788. And thou know. A Latin construction for, Thou art not worthy of knowing. 791. dazling fence. Explain this figure (drawn from fencing). 797. brute, used in its radical sense (from Lat. brutus, dull or insensible). 798. magick structures. Does this refer to his palace, or, rhetorically, to his pretended arguments? Discuss.

800-813. 803-805. wrath of Jove . . . crew. Read the story of how Jove overthrew the Titans and thrust them into Erebus. Cl. D. or Cl. M., p. 40. Saturn (Lat.), or Cronus (Gk.), was the leader of the Titans. 805. dissemble, conceal my discomfiture. 808. Canon laws of our foundation, the fundamental laws underlying our order, as if Comus were a representative of some religious organization. 809-810. lees and setlings, unhealthy dregs. melancholy blood. Here 'melancholy' is not used as in Il Penseroso, but in its entirely radical sense, meaning with its noun 'blood,' filled with a black bile, i.e. a disordered bodily condition. 811. streight: see note on L'Alleg. (69).

814-858. 815. ye should have snatcht his wand: see 1. 653. 817. backward mutters. By muttering the charm backwards and holding the rod reversed, they might have broken the magic spell. 820. me: see note on 1. 351. 822. Melibœus, a name for a shepherd in classical pastoral poetry, e.g. Virgil in his Eclogues. The allusion is clearly to some writer who has told the story of Sabrina. Some commentators think that the poet is referring to Geoffrey of Monmouth, by whom, in 1147, the legend was first told. (See Geoffrey of Monmouth in the account of the Poetry of Chivalry in this volume, p. 330.) But Geoffrey was not a poet, but a writer of Latin prose, and hence would scarcely have been called 'shepherd,' — the pastoral figure for poet. The allusion is more likely to Spenser (a favorite of Milton, as indeed of all other poets), who has given a version of the story in his Faerie Queene. 823. soothest, truest. pip't, played the shepherd's pipe, i.e. wrote poetry. 825. moist curb. Explain why she is said to sway it with 'moist curb.' 826-832. Sabrina

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course. Milton, in his history of Britain (1670), has given us the story of Sabrina, as he finds it in Geoffrey of Monmouth. By noting some of the incidents of this version we can explain most of the allusions of this passage. The great grandson of Æneas, Brut, has migrated from Italy to Britain, founding, giving his name to, and ruling over the race of Britons. His son and successor,

Locrine, has married Gwendolen, but by a former love, Estrilidis, has a beautiful daughter named Sabra or Sabrina. In time Locrine divorces Gwendolen and makes Estrilidis his queen. The enraged Gwendolen thereupon raises an army, defeats and slays Locrine, and commands Estrilidis and Sabrina to be thrown into the river, which thereafter is called Severn, from the name of the maiden. 827. Whilom, of old. 831. Commended . . . flood. Observe how Milton has, for poetic effect, varied the latter portion of the legend. 834. pearled wrists, i.e. wrists adorned with pearls (said to exist in the Severn). 835. aged Nereus. For this old river god, father of the fifty Nereids, see Cl. D. or Cl. M., p. 85. 839. porch and inlet, the mouth, the nostrils, etc., gateways of the various senses. 845. Helping all urchin blasts, i.e. relieving or preventing the mischief done through the blighting influences ('blasts ') of mischievous elves. Look up the derivation and various meanings of 'urchin.' Observe that we still use 'helping' in this sense when we say "I could not help it." For 'blast,' cf. 1. 640. 846. shrewd, in its radical sense now obsolete, — shrewish or malicious. 852. old swain: see ll. 822-823. However neither Geoffrey of Monmouth nor Spenser assigns this power to Sabrina. 853. clasping charm: see 11. 660 and 665. 857858. This will I try . . . adjuring verse. The spirit proposes to try both the song (1. 854), found in 11. 859-866 and an earnest entreaty in the name of all of the water divinities, seen in 11. 867-889.

859-889. The 'warbled song' and the adjuring verse.' Discuss the metre of both song and address. 863. The loose. hair, Sabrina's flowing hair, yellow, as becomes a river goddess, with drops of water falling through and from it. 865. silver lake, the Severn. 867-889. Listen . . . save. It is interesting to know that these lines, originally intended by Milton to be spoken, were probably set to music by Lawes, and sung in recitative by him as spirit, and by the two brothers. The first fifteen lines of the passage illustrate the necessity to the reader of knowing something of classic mythology. These names may all be found in a Classical Dictionary, or in the Classic Myths, as follows: Oceanus, a Titan, god of the River Ocean (p. 85); Neptune, brother of Jupiter and ruler of the sea (p. 85). Also see note on 1. 20. Tethys, a Titaness and wife of Oceanus (p. 85); Nereus, genial old man of the sea (p. 85). Also see 1. 835. Carpathian wisard, Proteus, who dwelt on the island of Carpathus (p. 86); Triton, son of Neptune and trumpeter of the sea (p. 86); Glaucus, son of Sisyphus, changed from a fisherman into a sea god with prophetic powers (pp. 217218); Leucothea, otherwise Ino, daughter of Cadmus (p. 219), And her son, Melicertes, or Portumnus (p. 219); Thetis, mother of Achilles, and best known of the Nereids (p. 277); Sirens: (pp. 86 and 320); also see note on 1. 253; Parthenope, one of the Sirens (p. 321), and Ligea, another Siren (p. 464). 873. winding-shell, the sea-shell used as a horn by this trumpeter of the sea (to wind means to blow). 877. tinsel-slipper'd, the "silverfooted Thetis" of Homer. 879. tomb. When Ulysses escaped, the griefstricken Parthenope is said to have drowned herself. It is fabled that her