Excerpts from the Bridgewater MS (BMS)

Special symbols:
´ stands for a caret
[ ] enclose emendations signified by marks I cannot reproduce here.
line numbers in brackets indicate 1645 lineation.
Î stands for a circle with a cross in it (apparently an alternate to an asterisk).

A Maske

Represented before the right

hoble: the Earle of Bridgewater

Lord president of Wales and the

right hoble: the Conntesse of Bridgewater./

At Ludlow Castle the

29th of September 1634

The chiefe persons in the reprsentacoñ were./

The Lord Brackley

The Lady Alice

Egerton./
Mr Thomas

Author Jo: Milton.


{3r}
A Maske./


The first sceane discovers a wild wood, then a guardian spiritt

or demon descendes or enters./



From the heavens nowe I flye

5
and those happy Clymes that lye

Where daye never shutts his eye

up in the broad field of the skye./

There I suck the liquid ayre

all amidst the gardens fayre

10
of Hesperus and his daughters three

that singe about the goulden tree./

there eternall summer dwells

and west wyndes with muskye winge

about the Cederne allyes flinge

15
Nard and Casias balmie smells

Iris there with humid bowe

waters the odorous bankes that blowe

Flowers of more mingled hew

then her pyrfld scarfe can shew

20
yellow, watchett, greene & blew

and drenches oft wth Manna dew

Beds of Hyacinth and Roses

where many a Cherub soft reposes./

[1]
Before the starrie threshold of Ioves Courte

[408]
inferr as if I thought my sisters state

secure, wthout all doubt or question, no;

405
I could be willinge though now i'th darke to trie

a tough encounter, with the shaggiest ruffian

that lurks by hedge or lane, ofthis dead circuit

to have her by my side, though I were suer

she might be free from p[er]ill where she is,

410[410]
but where an equall poise of hope, & feare