CHARISSA; OR, CHARITY. Character, Spiritual Love; Painter for it, Raphael. She was a woman in her freshest age, A multitude of babes about her hung Playing their sports, that joyed her to behold, And on her head she wore a tire of gold 24" And by her side," &c. This last couplet brings at once before us all the dispassionate graces and unsuperfluous treatment of Raphael's allegorical females. *Owches wondrous fair. Owches are carcanets or ranges of jewels. t Uneath. Scarcely, with difficulty. HOPE. Character, Sweetness without Devotedness; Painter, Correggio. With him went Hope in rank, a handsome maid, In silken samite she was light array'd, And her fair locks were woven up in gold.25 25" And her fair locks," &c. What a lovely line is that! and with a beauty how simple and sweet is the sentiment portrayed in the next three words,-" She alway smil'd!" But almost every line of the stanza is lovely, including the felicitous Catholic image of the Holy-water sprinkle dipp'd in dew. Correggio is in every color and expression of the picture. CUPID USURPING THE THRONE OF JUPITER. Character, Potency in Weakness; Painter, the same. In Satyr's shape, Antiope he snatch'd While thus on earth great Jove these pageants play'd, And take me for their Jove, whilst Jove to earth is gone." MARRIAGE PROCESSION OF THE THAMES AND MEDWAY. Character, Genial Strength, Grace, and Luxury; Painter, Raphael. First came great Neptune with his three-fork'd mace, That rules the seas and makes them rise or fall; His dewy locks did drop with brine apace, Under his diadem imperial; And by his side his queen, with coronal, And deck'd with pearls which the Indian seas for her prepare. These marched far afore the other crew, For goodly triumph and great jolliment, That made the rocks to roar as they were rent. Or take another part of the procession, with dolphins and seanymphs listening as they went, to ARION. Then was there heard a most celestial sound Of dainty music, which did next ensue So went he playing on the watery plain.26 26" So went he," &c. This sweet, placid, and gently progressing line is one of Spenser's happy samples of alliteration. And how emphatic is the information— That was Arion, crown'd. SIR GUYON BINDING FUROR. Character, Superhuman Energy, and Rage; Painter, Michael Angelo. In his strong arms he stiffly him embrac❜d, With hundred iron chains he did him bind, 27" Color'd like copper wire." A felicity suggested perhaps by the rhyme. It has all the look, however, of a copy from some painting; perhaps one of Julio Romano's. UNA (OR FAITH IN DISTRESS). Character, Loving and Sorrowful Purity glorified. (May I say, that I think it would take Raphael and Correggio united to paint this, on account of the exquisite chiaro-scuro? Or might not the painter of the Magdalen have it all to himself?) Through that late vision which the enchanter wrought, Through woods and wasteness wide him daily sought, One day nigh weary of the irksome way, It fortuned, out of the thickest wood And with the sight amaz'd, forgot his furious force. Instead thereof he kiss'd her weary feet, "The lion, lord of every beast in field," |