Comus. A Mask
1/2 title; frontispiece; t.p.; pp. (1)-(91) including numerous illustrations. Decorative endpapers. Bound in boards covered with black textured leather; title and author gold-stamped on front cover; decorative center panel and decorative borders blind-stamped on both covers; five "grape bunches" blind-stamped and framed on spine. Gilt and gauffered page edges.
Illustrations:
Frontispiece: A. H. Corbould, Comus and the Lady.
p. 4: MC wooded scene with a figure (The Spirit) walking through a stream: "But their way lies through the perlexed paths of this drear wood, the nodding horro of whose shady brows, threats the forlorn and wandering passenger; And here their tender age might suffer peril."
p. 7: F. R. Pickersgill, Circe holding a charmèd cup, with Comus, her infant son, the child of Bacchus: "Bacchus...on Circe's island fell...the daughter of the sun, whose charmèd cup whoever tasted lost his upright shape...this nymph gazed upon his clustering locks with ivy berries wreathed, and his blithe youth, had by him, ere he parted thence, a son, much like his father, but his mother more, whom therefore she brought up, and Comus named."
p. 9: E. H. Corbould, Comus enters with a charming rod in one hand, his glass in the other, with his rout of monsters, headed like sundry sorts of wild beasts..
p. 11: Fairies and elves rise from the sea at night: "Now to the moon in wavering morrice move; And, on the tawny sands and shelves, trip the pert fairies and dapper elves."
p. 13: The Measure: Comus's band of followers holding torches and dancing: "Come, knit hands, and beat the ground, in a light fantastic round. Break off, break off, I feel the different pace of some chaste footing near about this ground."
p. 15: E. H. Corbould, The Lady lost in the wood: "This was the noise was, if mine ear by true."
p. 19: A river landscape: "Sweet Echo, sweetest nymph, that liv'st unseen within thy airy shell, by slow Meander's margent green..."
p. 21: F. R. Pickersgill, "My mother Circe with the Sirens three, amidst the flowery-kirtled Naiades, culling their potent herbs and baleful drugs..."
p. 25: H. W. Weir, Man with two oxen and a dog in a landscape: "Two such I saw, what time the laboured ox, in his loose traces from the furrow came..."
p. 27: T S [monogram], A woodland: Comus, "I know every land, and every alley green."
p. 29: The two brothers walking in a dark wood: "Unmuffle, ye faint stars; and thou fair moon, that wont'st to love the traveller's benizon..."
p. 31: H. W. Weir, Cock and hens: "Or whistle from the lodge, or village cock, count the night watches to his feathery dames..."
p. 32: H. W. Weir, Sheep in a pasture: "Or, if our eyes be barred that happiness, might we but hear, the folded flocks penned in their wattled cotes..."
p. 37: E. H. Corbould, Angels protecting the Lady: "So dear to Heaven is saintly chastity, that when a soul is found sincerely so, a thousand liveried angels lackey her.."
p. 41: E. H. Corbould, Second brother calling in a wood, with the spirit dressed as a shepherd holding a sword.
p. 43: H. W.. Weir, A young goat.: "Hath any ram slipped from the fold, or young kid lost his dam?"
p. 45: H. W. Weir, A wolf in the moonlight: "He and his monstrous rout are heard to howl like stabled wolves, or tigers at their prey."
p. 47: H. W. Weir, Tigers roaring.
p. 49, H. W. Weir, Sheep in a field, grazing: "This evening late, by then the chewing flocks had ta'en their supper on the savour herb of knot-grass dew-besprent, and were in fold."
p. 53: Birket Foster, A shepherd taking to another man, by a stream: "A certain shepherd lad, of small regard to see to, yet well skilled in every virtuous plant and healing herb that spreads her verdant leaf to the morning ray."
p. 59: Birket Foster, Sheep resting near a stream.
p. 63: The two brothers armed, break in upon Comus's band to rescue the Lady.
p. 65: E. H. Corbould, The Lady enthroned and enchanted, is approached by the shepherd (Spirit) and her two brothers.
p. 67: Two figures at night, walk through a marsh, misled by Puck: "[Sabrina] still retains her maiden gentleness, and oft at eve visits the herds along the twilight meadows, helping all urchin blasts and ill-luck signs that the shrewd medling elf delights to make, which she with precious vialed liquors heals."
p. 68: F. R. Pickersgill, Sabrina seated under water: "Sabrina fair, listen where though are sitting under the glassy, cool, translucent wave, in twisted braids of lilies knitting the loose train of they amber-dropping hair; listen for dear honour's sake, listen and save. Listen, and appear to us."
p. 71: Nymphs by the shore: "By...fair Ligea's golden comb, wherewith she sits on diamond rocks, sleeking her soft alluring locks, by all the nymphs that nightly dance upon they streams with wily glance, rise, rise, and heavy thy rosy head from thy coral-paven bed, and bridle in thy headlong wave, till thou our summons answered have. Listen and save."
p. 75: E. H. Corbould, The brothers and the lady dancing in Ludlow, within the President's castle.
p. 77: E. H. Corbould, The brothers accompaying their sister, the Lady, home, where they are met by their father and mother.
p. 79: F. R. Pickersgill, The Daughters of Hesperus: "Of Hesperus, and his daughters three, that sing about the golden tree...:
Illustrations:
Frontispiece: A. H. Corbould, Comus and the Lady.
p. 4: MC wooded scene with a figure (The Spirit) walking through a stream: "But their way lies through the perlexed paths of this drear wood, the nodding horro of whose shady brows, threats the forlorn and wandering passenger; And here their tender age might suffer peril."
p. 7: F. R. Pickersgill, Circe holding a charmèd cup, with Comus, her infant son, the child of Bacchus: "Bacchus...on Circe's island fell...the daughter of the sun, whose charmèd cup whoever tasted lost his upright shape...this nymph gazed upon his clustering locks with ivy berries wreathed, and his blithe youth, had by him, ere he parted thence, a son, much like his father, but his mother more, whom therefore she brought up, and Comus named."
p. 9: E. H. Corbould, Comus enters with a charming rod in one hand, his glass in the other, with his rout of monsters, headed like sundry sorts of wild beasts..
p. 11: Fairies and elves rise from the sea at night: "Now to the moon in wavering morrice move; And, on the tawny sands and shelves, trip the pert fairies and dapper elves."
p. 13: The Measure: Comus's band of followers holding torches and dancing: "Come, knit hands, and beat the ground, in a light fantastic round. Break off, break off, I feel the different pace of some chaste footing near about this ground."
p. 15: E. H. Corbould, The Lady lost in the wood: "This was the noise was, if mine ear by true."
p. 19: A river landscape: "Sweet Echo, sweetest nymph, that liv'st unseen within thy airy shell, by slow Meander's margent green..."
p. 21: F. R. Pickersgill, "My mother Circe with the Sirens three, amidst the flowery-kirtled Naiades, culling their potent herbs and baleful drugs..."
p. 25: H. W. Weir, Man with two oxen and a dog in a landscape: "Two such I saw, what time the laboured ox, in his loose traces from the furrow came..."
p. 27: T S [monogram], A woodland: Comus, "I know every land, and every alley green."
p. 29: The two brothers walking in a dark wood: "Unmuffle, ye faint stars; and thou fair moon, that wont'st to love the traveller's benizon..."
p. 31: H. W. Weir, Cock and hens: "Or whistle from the lodge, or village cock, count the night watches to his feathery dames..."
p. 32: H. W. Weir, Sheep in a pasture: "Or, if our eyes be barred that happiness, might we but hear, the folded flocks penned in their wattled cotes..."
p. 37: E. H. Corbould, Angels protecting the Lady: "So dear to Heaven is saintly chastity, that when a soul is found sincerely so, a thousand liveried angels lackey her.."
p. 41: E. H. Corbould, Second brother calling in a wood, with the spirit dressed as a shepherd holding a sword.
p. 43: H. W.. Weir, A young goat.: "Hath any ram slipped from the fold, or young kid lost his dam?"
p. 45: H. W. Weir, A wolf in the moonlight: "He and his monstrous rout are heard to howl like stabled wolves, or tigers at their prey."
p. 47: H. W. Weir, Tigers roaring.
p. 49, H. W. Weir, Sheep in a field, grazing: "This evening late, by then the chewing flocks had ta'en their supper on the savour herb of knot-grass dew-besprent, and were in fold."
p. 53: Birket Foster, A shepherd taking to another man, by a stream: "A certain shepherd lad, of small regard to see to, yet well skilled in every virtuous plant and healing herb that spreads her verdant leaf to the morning ray."
p. 59: Birket Foster, Sheep resting near a stream.
p. 63: The two brothers armed, break in upon Comus's band to rescue the Lady.
p. 65: E. H. Corbould, The Lady enthroned and enchanted, is approached by the shepherd (Spirit) and her two brothers.
p. 67: Two figures at night, walk through a marsh, misled by Puck: "[Sabrina] still retains her maiden gentleness, and oft at eve visits the herds along the twilight meadows, helping all urchin blasts and ill-luck signs that the shrewd medling elf delights to make, which she with precious vialed liquors heals."
p. 68: F. R. Pickersgill, Sabrina seated under water: "Sabrina fair, listen where though are sitting under the glassy, cool, translucent wave, in twisted braids of lilies knitting the loose train of they amber-dropping hair; listen for dear honour's sake, listen and save. Listen, and appear to us."
p. 71: Nymphs by the shore: "By...fair Ligea's golden comb, wherewith she sits on diamond rocks, sleeking her soft alluring locks, by all the nymphs that nightly dance upon they streams with wily glance, rise, rise, and heavy thy rosy head from thy coral-paven bed, and bridle in thy headlong wave, till thou our summons answered have. Listen and save."
p. 75: E. H. Corbould, The brothers and the lady dancing in Ludlow, within the President's castle.
p. 77: E. H. Corbould, The brothers accompaying their sister, the Lady, home, where they are met by their father and mother.
p. 79: F. R. Pickersgill, The Daughters of Hesperus: "Of Hesperus, and his daughters three, that sing about the golden tree...:
Artwork Details
- Title: Comus. A Mask
- Author: John Milton (British, London 1608–1674 London)
- Author: Introduction by Henry Lawes (British, Dinton, Wiltshire, baptised 1596–1662 London)
- Illustrator: Edward Henry Corbould (British, London 1815–1905 London)
- Illustrator: Myles Birket Foster (British, North Shields, Northumberland 1825–1899 Weybridge, Surrey)
- Illustrator: Frederick Richard Pickersgill (British, London 1820–1900 Yarmouth, Isle of Wight)
- Illustrator: Harrison William Weir (British, Lewes 1824–1906 Appledore, Kent)
- Engraver: Dalziel Brothers (British, active 1839–93)
- Publisher: George Routledge & Co. (London and New York)
- Printer: Richard Clay (London)
- Binder: Edmonds & Remnants (London)
- Date: 1858
- Medium: Wood engraving
- Dimensions: 8 1/8 x 6 in. (20.6 x 15.2 cm)
- Classification: Books
- Credit Line: Museum Accession, transferred from the Library
- Object Number: 21.36.84
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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