Sabrina rifes, attended by water-nymphs, and fings.

By the rufhy-fringed bank,

890

Where grows

the willow and the ofier dank,

My fliding chariot stays,

Thick set with agat, and the azurn sheen

Of turkis blue, and emrald green,

That in the channel strays ;
Whilft from off the waters fleet
Thus I fet my printless feet,
O'er the cowflip's velvet head,
That bends not as I tread;
Gentle Swain, at thy request
I am here.

Of true virgin here distrest,

Through the force, and through the wile,

Of unbleft inchanter vile.

SAB. Shepherd, 'tis my office beft

To help infnared chastity :

Brighteft Lady, look on me;
Thus I fprinkle on thy breaft
Drops that from my fountain
I have kept of precious cure,
Thrice upon thy finger's tip,
Thrice upon thy rubied lip;

pure

895

900

9°5

910

915 Next

Next this marble venom'd feat,

Smear'd with gums of glutenous heat,

I touch with chafte palms moist and cold :

Now the spell hath loft his hold;

And I must hafte ere morning hour

To wait in Amphitrite's bower.

920

Sabrina defcends, and the Lady rifes out of her feat.

SPI. Virgin daughter of Locrine,

Come, Lady, while Heav'n lends us grace,

I fhall be your faithful guide

Through this gloomy covert wide,

945

And not many furlongs thence
Is your Father's refidence,
Where this night are met in state
Many a friend to gratulate
His wifh'd prefence, and befide
All the fwains that near abide,
With jigs and rural dance refort;
We fhall catch them at their sport,
And our fudden coming there

Will double all their mirth and chear;
Come let us hafte, the ftars grow high,
But night fits monarch yet in the mid sky.

950

955

The Scene changes, presenting Ludlow town and the Prefident's caftle; then come in country dancers, after them the attendent Spirit, with the two Brothers and the Lady.

SPI. Back, Shepherds, back, enough your play,

Till next fun-shine holiday;

Here be without duck or nod

Other trippings to be trod

Of lighter toes, and such court guise

As Mercury did first devise

With the mincing Dryades
On the lawns, and on the leas.

960

965

This

This fecond Song presents them to their Father and Mother.

Noble Lord, and Lady bright,
I have brought you new delight,
Here behold fo goodly grown
Three fair branches of your own;
Heav'n hath timely try'd their youth,

970

Their faith, their patience, and their truth,
And sent them here through hard assays
With a crown of deathless praise,

To triumph in victorious dance

O'er fenfual folly, and intemperance.

The dances ended, the Spirit epiloguizes.

SPI. To the ocean now I fly,

And those happy climes that lie

975

Where day never shuts his eye,
Up in the broad fields of the sky:
There I fuck the liquid air

980

All amidst the gardens fair

Of Hefperus, and his daughters three
That fing about the golden tree:
Along the crifped fhades and bowers

Revels the spruce and jocond Spring,

985

The Graces, and the rofy-bofom'd Hours,

Thither all their bounties bring;

That

And drenches with Elyfian dew
(Lift mortals, if your ears be true)
Beds of hyacinth and roses,
Where young Adonis oft repofes,
Waxing well of his deep wound
In flumber foft, and on the ground
Sadly fits th' Affyrian queen;
But far above in spangled sheen
Celestial Cupid her fam'd fon advanc'd,
Holds his dear Pfyche sweet intranc'd,
After her wandering labors long,
Till free confent the Gods among
Make her his eternal bride,
And from her fair unspotted fide
Two blissful twins are to be born,
Youth and Joy; fo Jove hath fworn.
But now my task is smoothly done,

I can fly, or I can run

Quickly to the green earth's end,

Where the bow'd welkin flow doth bend,

ICOO

1005

1010

1015

And from thence can foar as foon

To the corners of the moon.

Mortals