Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.
John Milton. 16081674316. From ‘Comus’ iv
The Spirit epiloguizes: | TO the Ocean now I fly, | |
And those happy climes that ly | ||
Where day never shuts his eye, | ||
Up in the broad fields of the sky: | ||
There I suck the liquid ayr | 5 | |
All amidst the Gardens fair | ||
Of Hesperus, and his daughters three | ||
That sing about the golden tree: | ||
Along the crispèd shades and bowres | ||
Revels the spruce and jocond Spring, | 10 | |
The Graces, and the rosie-boosom’d Howres, | ||
Thither all their bounties bring, | ||
That there eternal Summer dwels, | ||
And West winds, with musky wing | ||
About the cedar’n alleys fling | 15 | |
Nard, and Cassia’s balmy smels. | ||
Iris there with humid bow, | ||
Waters the odorous banks that blow | ||
Flowers of more mingled hew | ||
Than her purfl’d scarf can shew, | 20 | |
And drenches with Elysian dew | ||
(List mortals, if your ears be true) | ||
Beds of Hyacinth, and roses | ||
Where young Adonis oft reposes, | ||
Waxing well of his deep wound | 25 | |
In slumber soft, and on the ground | ||
Sadly sits th’ Assyrian Queen; | ||
But far above in spangled sheen | ||
Celestial Cupid her fam’d son advanc’t, | ||
Holds his dear Psyche sweet intranc’t | 30 | |
After her wandring labours long, | ||
Till free consent the gods among | ||
Make her his eternal Bride, | ||
And from her fair unspotted side | ||
Two blissful twins are to be born, | 35 | |
Youth and Joy; so Jove hath sworn. | ||
But now my task is smoothly don, | ||
I can fly, or I can run | ||
Quickly to the green earths end, | ||
Where the bow’d welkin slow doth bend, | 40 | |
And from thence can soar as soon | ||
To the corners of the Moon. | ||
Mortals that would follow me, | ||
Love vertue, she alone is free. | ||
She can teach ye how to clime | 45 | |
Higher then the Spheary chime; | ||
Or if Vertue feeble were, | ||
Heav’n it self would stoop to her. |