22. nun. The word is here used in- | 27. decent, becoming (because cov definitely to denote a pious re cluse. 23. demure, grave. 24. grain, a shade of purple. 26. stole, veil or hood; not the stola proper, or long robe, of the Roman matrons.-Cypres (= Cyprus) lawn was a thin transparent texture of fine linen.1 1 Cypres is defined in an old English dictionary as a "fine linen, crespé;" and from crespé (= curled, crisped) come our crape and crêpe. 'Less Philomel will deign a song, Smoothing the rugged brow of night, Sweet bird, that shunn'st the noise of folly, Thee, chantress, oft, the woods among, I woo, to hear thy even-song; And, missing thee, I walk unseen Through the heaven's wide pathless way; Where glowing embers through the room Teach light to counterfeit a gloom; Far from all resort of mirth, Save the cricket on the hearth, 47. 'Less unless ; Philomel, the 64. plat, plot; compare grass-plat. nightingale. 50. Cynthia, the moon goddess; her dragon yoke: that is, her train drawn by dragons. 51. the accustomed oak. This seems to refer to a particular land- 65. curfew, the curfew bell. See Glos- 69. removéd, sequestered. 59. near her highest noon: that is, near- 73. save, except. This word is originally ly full. the imperative of the verb to save. Or the bellman's drowsy charm,* What worlds or what vast regions hold 75 80 85 90 74. bellman's drowsy charm: that is, the watchman's drowsy song or philosophers, was born B.C. 429. chant. In the olden times in 86. consent, in the literal sense = sym England, the watchmen, on their rounds, called out the hours and a blessing on the houses. 75. nightly by night. pathy. The reference is to the mediæval doctrine of astrology. 89. In sceptred pall: that is, in royal robe. 78. outwatch the Bear. This would be 90. Thebes. By two Greek dramatists all night, as the constellation of 79. thrice-great Her'mes. Hermes, a Thebes was made the scene of some of their most famous tragedies. The reference in "Pelops' line" is to the murder of Agamemnon, who was reputed a descendant of the mythic hero Pelops, and hence who was of Pelops' line," or race. 66 opher.unsphere, draw down: 91. the tale of Troy divine. The ref the passage is metaphorical, 80. Plato, the sublimest of the Greek erence here is not, as might be supposed, to Homer's Iliad, but to the various Greek dramas written on episodes in the "tale of Troy." Or what (though rare) of later age But, O sad Virgin, that thy power Such notes as, warbled to the string, The story of Cambuscan bold, That owned the virtuous ring and glass, Thus, Night, oft see me in thy pale career, Not tricked and frounced,* as she was wont 93. the buskined stage: that is, Trage dy's stage. The tragic actor finished-not even "half told," for it is little more than begun. wore a buskin, or high-heeled 106. the Tartar king: namely, Cambus. shoe. Contrast with "Jonson's can (Cambus khan). learned sock" in L'Allegro, line 107. great bards: to wit, poets of ro- 95. Musse'us, a mythical Greek poet, 109. tourneys, tournaments. said to be the son of Orpheus. 96. Orpheus. See L'Allegro, line 137. 100. Or call up him that left half told. By "him" is meant Chaucer (A.D. 1328-1400). The Squire's Tale, in which figure Cambus- 115. the Attic boy. The allusion is to can and the other personages 113. civil-suited, sober-hued. Ceph'alus, who was beloved by ตะ :00 105 110 115 But kerchiefed* in a comely cloud, Where the rude axe, with heavéd stroke, With such consort as they keep, And let some strange mysterious dream Of lively portraiture displayed, 120 125 130 135 140 |