Of him and his. All ears your selves apply. You, and your other you, great king and queen, Have yet the least of your bright fortune seen, Which shall rise brighter every hour with time, And in your pleasure quite forget the crime Of change; your age's night shall be her noon. 1 While that young lord.] The duke of York, the unfortunate Charles I. 2 In that most princely maid.] The princess Elizabeth, married a few years afterwards to the Elector Palatine. The present royal family are the descendants of that marriage. There is something interesting in the language of this prediction. Merlin is not altogether correct, it must be confessed, and yet he has not always prophesied so well. Elizabeth is now the mother of nations," and no sparing compliment will be paid "her princes" by admitting them to be rivals of her brothers; for, when every allowance is made, Henry and Charles must be confessed to be no ordinary characters. OBERON, ETC. The first face of the scene appeared all obscure, and nothing perceived but a dark rock, with trees beyond it, and all wildness that could be presented: till, at one corner of the cliff, above the horizon, the moon began to shew, and rising, a Satyr was seen by her light to put forth his head and call. I Satyr. HROMIS! Mnasil! None appear? you not who riseth here? You saw Silenus, late, I fear. I'll prove, if this can reach your ear. He wound his cornet, and thought himself answered ; but was deceived by the echo. O, you wake then! come away, Times be short are made for play; ab They are the names of two young Satyrs, I find in Virgil Eclog. 6, that took Silenus sleeping; who is feigned to be the pædagogue of Bacchus: as the Satyrs are his collusores, or playfellows. So doth Diodor. Siculus, Synesius, Julian, in Casarib. report them. A proverbial speech, when they will tax one the other of drinking or sleepiness; alluding to that former place in Virgil: Chromis et Mnasilus in antro Silenum, pueri, somno videre jacentem, The humorous moon too will not stay :- Echo, did me entertain. Prove again [Wound his cornet the second time, and found it.] Idle nymph, I pray thee be I not love myself, nor thee.* Here he wound the third time, and was answered by another Satyr, who likewise shewed himself. Ay, this sound I better know; List! I would I could hear moe. At this they came running forth severally, to the number of ten, from divers parts of the rock, leaping and making antick actions and gestures; some of them speaking, some admiring: and amongst them a SILENE, who is ever the prefect of the Satyrs, and so presented in all their chori and meetings. 2 Sat. Thank us, and you shall do so. 3 Sat. Ay, our number soon will grow. d Silenus is every where made a lover of wine, as in Cyclops Eurip. and known by the notable ensign, his tankard: out of the same place of Virgil: Et gravis attrita pendebat cantharus ansa. As also out of that famous piece of sculpture, in a little gem or piece of jasper, observed by Mons. Casaubon, in his tract de Satyrica Poesi, from Rascasius Bagarrius: wherein is described the whole manner of the scene, and chori of Bacchus, with Silenus, and the Satyrs. An elegant and curious antiquity, both for the subtility and labour: where, in so small a compass, (to use his words) there is Rerum, personarum, actionum plane stupenda varietas. • Respecting that known fable of Echo's following Narcissus; and his self love. e |
