42 Sometimes with secure delight Till the live-long daylight fail; 80 85 43 45 44 Then to the spicy nut-brown ale, 46 47 90 95 That ten day labourers could not end; Where throngs of knights and barons bold 51 In saffron robe with taper clear, 55 54 56 Such as the melting soul may pierce, With wanton heed, and giddy cunning, That Orpheus' self may heave his head Of heap'd Elysian flowers, and hear These delights if thou canst give, • NOTES. 1 L'Allegro, the mirthful or cheerful man. This poem is intended to picture the cheerfulness and plea sure of such a man. 2 Loathed, detested, hated. 5 Blackest midnight, Nox, the per- 6 Stygian, hateful. An adjective from STYX, the chief river of Hades. 7 Ebon, dark, black, from ebony, the name of a black wood. 8 Cimmerian. The Cimmerians were a people, according to Homer, who lived in a far-off western country of perpetual mists and darkness. "Cimmerian darkness" became a proverb. 9 Yclep'd, called. 10 Euphrosyne, the mirthful; one of 11 Nymphs. The nymphs (according turn which tend to surprise and 14 Wanton wiles, sly, artful tricks 15 Becks, signs made with the head 16 Hebe, the goddess of youth. care. 18 Derides, laughs at. 20 Crew, company. 21 Watch-tower, in allusion to the 22 23 24 Dappled, speckled or spotted, in Twisted eglantine, the honeysuckle Hoar, appearing of a white or 25 Hillocks, little hills. 29 Blithe, blithe'y. 130 135 140 32 Fallows, fields which have been ploughed, but which are left for a year or more before they are sown or tilled. 33 Labouring, moving slowly, as heavily laden. 34 Pied, of varied colour. 35 Towers and battlements, referring to the turreted castles so common in England at Milton's time. 36 Lies, lives, dwells. 37 Cynosure, the constellation of stars called the Lesser Bear, in which is the North Polar Star. 38 Messes, kinds of food. 39 Tann'd, made brown by the heat of the sun. 40 Hamlet, a very small village, literally a little house. 41 Jocund, merry, cheerful. 42 Rebec, a stringed musical instrument something like a fiddle or guitar, with three strings, played on with a bow. 43 Mab, Queen of the fairies. 44 Junkets, country dainties or sweetmeats. 45 Friar's lantern, the ignis fatuus commonly known as "Will o' the Wisp," "Jack o' Lantern." 46 Drudging, toiling, hard-working. 47 Goblin, a mischievous spirit. 43 Tower'd cities, towns with lofty or grand buildings. 49 Both, wit and arms. 50 Hymen, the god of marriage. 51 Saffron, deep yellow. 52 Well-trod stage, the theatre. 53 Ben Jonson (1574-1637), was the most learned of the dramatists of the reign of Queen Elizabeth. 54 Sock, a low-heeled light shoe, worn in ancient times by actors of comedy. 55 William Shakespeare (1564-1616), was the greatest of English dramatists and poets. 56 Lydian airs, noted among the ancients as the most tender and sweet. 57 Orpheus, a fabulous Greek poet and singer among the Greeks. 58 Pluto, the god of the lower or infernal regions. ALEXANDER'S FEAST.1 'Twas at the royal feast for Persia 2 won By Philip's warlike son Aloft, in awful state, The god-like hero sat On his imperial throne. 4 His valiant peers were plac'd around; Their brows with roses and with myrtle bound: (So should desert in arms be crown'd.) 6 5 The lovely Thais by his side, Sate like a blooming Eastern bride, In flower of youth and beauty's pride.- 5 ΙΟ None but the brave, None but the brave deserve the fair. 15 Timotheus, plac'd on high With flying fingers touched the lyre;' 8 The list'ning crowd admire the lofty sound: A present deity! they shout around ! A present deity! the vaulted roofs rebound.— With ravished 10 ears And seems to shake the spheres." The praise of Bacchus,13 then, the sweet musician sung, Of Bacchus, ever fair and ever young! The jolly god in triumph comes ! Sound the trumpets! beat the drums! Flush'd with a purple grace, He shows his honest face, 14 Now give the hautboys breath! he comes! he comes! Bacchus, ever fair and young, Bacchus' blessing are a treasure ; Sweet the pleasure; Sweet the pleasure after pain. 20 25 30 35 40 |