tection and direâtion, the Mufes: τὸν τῶν Μεσῶν xyir. Schol. Apollon. iii. 1. Hence in Euripides, Medea, ver. 426. φοίβος ἁγήτωρ μελέων. Phoebus dux carminum. and thus Torrentius very elegantly, as I think, explains Horace, iv. Od. vi. 25. Phoebus ductor Thaliae, Muonyers. However the reader at his leifure may confult Dr. Bentley, who is always learned and elegant. Nor lefs learned and elegant do I efteem our poet, for departing from the received genealogies, when he has fo good a reafon (confidering too his myftical and allegorical way of writing) and making his Mufe the Impe of Apollo and Mnemofyne.

VI.

And FEARED nations-] Spenfer corrected it, among the faults of the prefs, SCARED.-In the fubfequent ftanza he speaks of his intention to write an heroic poem; the fubject of which was to be the wars betwixt the Fairy queen and the Pagan king: [meaning hiftorically, Q. Elizabeth and the K. of Spain. See C. 12. St. 18.]

Twixt that great faery queene and paynim king.
I believe he wrote the, not that.

VII.

By this the dreadfull beaft drew nigh to hand, Halfe flying, and halfe footing] See what has been obferved above on St. ii. in the Introduc

tion. In loves and gentle jollities arayd. Where 'tis fhewn how images from being great may be refined into elegancy and prettiness. By way of contraft, obferve here how images from being pretty, may be raised into the terrible and fublime. Among the odes attributed to Anacreon there is one on Love, Od. xl. who being stung by a bee runs, half on foot, half flying, to his mother.

Δραμὼν δὲ καὶ πετασθείς.

This image, ludicrous and pretty, our poet has made terrible. This it is to be a poet and fo worthy of imitation did it appear to Milton, that in defcribing the journey of Satan through the vaft gulf between heaven and hell, he has made ufe of Spensers words, ii. 940.

nigh founder'd on he fares, Treading the crude confiftence, half on foot, Half Aying.

IX.

And over all with brafen fcales was armd-] This paffage is wrongly printed in all the books: His monstrous body, in the preceding Stanza, is the nominative cafe: and the conftruction is,

His flaggy wings were like two fails:] So below St. xix. He cutting way with his broad failsMilton from Spenfer or from Dante, feems to have taken his image of Satan [the old dragon] flying towards this world, ii. 927.

at laft his fail-broad vannes

He fpreads for flight.

So Dante, Infern. Canto xxxiv.
Sotto ciafcuna ufcivan dus grand ali,
Quanto fi conveniva a tant'uccello;
Vele di mar non vid io mai cotali:
Non aven penne, ma di vispistrello
Era lor modo-

Part of the allegory will appear very plain from
this mention made of the old ferpent: for the
fcene of action is now in Eden: fee below,
C. 7. St. 43. The old ferpent can be destroyed,
and Paradife can be reftored only by the
union of holiness and truth. This fight like-
wife is imaged from Revel. xii. 7. where
Michael is faid to fight against the dragon.-But
in what perfon did all holinefs and truth unite?
highest of all characters typified.
the reader may now fee in our knight the
Ibid.

With flying canvas kynd.] So the 1ft quarto: but rightly printed in the 2d, lynd.

XI.

Befpotted all with fhieldes-] Corrected in the Errat. as. Though I for my part diflike not all: for fhields mean fcales. So in Job. xli. 15. of the Leviathan, His + fcales are his pride, Heb. tftrong pieces of fhields. Germ. fchild, operimentum, fchilden, protegere. Anglo-Sax. rcylban.

XV.

Forelifting up aloft-1 Compare Ovid. Met. iii. 41.-But to cite all the poets, who defcribe dragons, would be an endless labour.

XVIII.

At last low ftouping-] The reader cannot but obferve here many expreffions taken from Falconry: ex. gr. The wings of a hawk are called Sails: He cutting way with his broad failes, St. 18. The craw or crop is called the gorge, St. 13. When the hawk defcends to ftrike her prey fhe is faid to floop, At last low ftouping-The poet describes fo minutely and masterly too at the same time, that one cannot help accompanying him in his defcriptions, and feeing the images he points out and this description, fo lively represented, made fo ftrong an impreffion on Milton, that there is scarce an expreffion or thought but he has imitated; ex. gr. His waving wings displayed wide-Milt. vii. 390. With wings difplayd. He cutting way with his broad fayles-Milt. ii. 927. At laft his fail-broad vans He fpreads for flight. The yielding ayre, which nigh too feeble found Her flitting parts and element unfound, To bear fo great a weight.

Milton i. 225. of the old dragon,

Then with expanded wings he fteers his flight
Aloft, incumbent on the dusky air
That felt unusual weight.

The dragon's foaring around, and wheeling about, before he snatcht up the horse and man, seems to me a better explanation than I have already feen, of Milton, iii. 741.

and toward the coat of earthThrows his fleep flight in many' an aerie wheele. So again, iv. 568.

I deferib'd his way Bent all on fpeed, and markt his aerie gate. This paffage is most ridiculously explained by Mr. Richardfon, He throws himfelf directly 'down, and turns (as they fay) heels over head all the way.' For the mad demeanor mentioned, B. iv. 129, refers to the paffions of ire, envie, and defpaire: thefe made his geftures fierce, and demeanour mad.-But the aerie wheele and aerie gate, is to be explained as above. So Mercury is defcribed, Ov. Met. ii. which is thus tranflated by Addison :

The god well pleafed beheld—
Then veer'd about and took a wheeling flight
And hover'd o'er them as the spreading kite,
So kept the god the virgin choir in view,
And in flow winding circles round them flew.

XIX.

So far as ewghen bow a fhaft may fend.] Quantum femel ire fagitta Miffa poteft. Ov. Met. viii. 695. prefently after flightes is of two fyllables. XXI.

He cryde, as raging feas are wont to rore,
When wintry storme his wrathful WRECK does threat,
THE rolling billows beat the ragged fhore-
Then gin the bluftering brethren-] Spenfer com-
pares the bellowing of this monfter to the
roaring of the seas.

Ουτε θαλάσσης κῦμα τόσον βοάα προτὶ χέρσον.
Il. xiv. 394. Vide & II. xvii. 263.
Ut mare follicitum ftridet refluentibus undis.
Virg. G. iv. 262.

-e di tant' ira freme, Che'l tempeftofo mare è orribil manco.

Arioft. Orl. Fur. xxx. 60.

I have no occafion to mention how much the choice of even the letters as well as words, are made to correfpond to the thing defcribed. I would however have the reader obferve how our poet fuffers his Pegafus to out-run himself a little and this is exactly like Homer, who mentioning a fimile, expatiates upon it, and hence is hurried often beyond the ftrict allufion. -Wintry forme-wintry is used for tempeftuous fo the Greeks ufe x, and the Latins hyems: Virg. i. 129. Emiffamque hyemem. Servius,

Hic apertius tempeftatem declarat ex Græco; ⚫ nam et illi xa tempeftatem dicunt.' When wintry forme his wrathful wreck does threat. Whofe fhip-wreck does the ftorme threaten? Spenfer I suppose wrote,

When wintry forme his wrathful wreke does threat.
i. e. revenge. A. S. Wpacu. Wɲæc. The
fense then is very good, when the wintry Storm
threatens his revenge.-I would read, had I au-
thority likewife,
THEN rolling billows-

Then gin the bluftring brethren-Virgil defcribing
these bluftring brethren, repeats the letter m and r.
Illi indignantes Magno cum Murmure Montis
Circum clauftra fRemunt—

Æn. i. 59

But thought his arms to leave-] This was a wrong thought of our Chriftian knight to think of leaving his celestial panoply; fee too St. 28. His victory is therefore for a while poftponed. XXVII.

When him the poyfoned garment did enchaunt
With Centaures blood, and bloody verfes charmd.]
This garment was fent to Hercules by Deianira,
as a Philtrum, or love-charm; and given to her
as fuch, by Neffus, when dying: therefore he
fays, with bloody verfes charm'd.

Praetulit imbutam Neffeo fanguine veftem
Mittere, quae vires defecto reddat amori.

Ov. Met. ix. 153. The fimile feems to be taken from Statius, xi. 234.

Qualis ubi inplicitum Tirynthius offibus ignem
Senfit et Oeteas membris accedere veftes.

-O mare, o terra, ardeo,
Quantum neque atro delibutus Hercules
Neffi cruore.

Ibid.

Hor. Epod. xvii.

As did this knight TWELVE thousand dolours daunt.] Because TWELVE labours were mentioned juft above, would he fay here TWELVE thousand dolours? TEN thousand, is the round number; and the ufual definite way of fpeaking for any indefinite number. Is not then this the printers ufual errour, occafioned by his cafting his eye on the verfe, three lines above?

Ibid.

That erft him goodly armd, now most of all him harmd.] That Spenfer intended here a play or jingle with the like found of words, the reader cannot but own, however his delicacy might be offended. Some other few among many paffages, I thall here, once for all, tranfcribe of like fort.

O how (faid he) mote I that well autfind,
That may reflore you to your wonted well?

B. i. C. 2. St. 43.
Glad of fuch luck, the luckleffe lucky maid.
B. i. C. 6. St. 19.

B. i. C. 7.
St. 11.
And that misformed fhape, mifhaped more.
B. i. C. 8. St. 16.
So new, this new-borne knighi to battel new did
rife.
B. i. C. II. St. 34.
And doubling all his powers, redoubled every stroke.
B. ii. C. 6. Sr. 30.

He having through inceffunt traveill spent
His force, at last perforce adowns did lye.
B. iii. C. 7. St. 3.

This feems like Milton,
A chance, but chance may lead where I may meet.
B. iv. 530.

So againe

Yet fill her blowes he bore, and her forbore.
B. 5. C. 5. St. 7.
vix ȧázíxur.

Somewhat like the Greek,
Left to her will by his own wilful blame.

B. v. C. 5. St. 20.
So well fhe wafht them, and fo well fhe watcht him.
B. vi. C. iii. St. 10.
So well he woo'd her, and fo well he wrought her.
B. vi. C. 10. St. 38.

And many caufeleffe caufed to be blamed.
B. vi. C. 12. St. 38.

Ma quivi giunfe
In fretta un messaggier, che gli difgiunse.

Bis conatus erat cafus effingere in auro ;
Bis patriae cecidere manus.

Arioft. Orl. Fur. xxiv. 107.

Ἦτοι ὁ καππεδίον τὸ ̓Αλήνον οἷος ἀλατο.

Virg. vi. 32.

Hom. Il. vi. 201.

How many paffages may be collected of like fort? But to fill many pages with them would be tiresome, when a hint feems fufficient.

XXVIII.

Faynt, wearie, fore, EMBOYLED, grieved, brent, With heat, toyle, wounds, armes, fmart, and inward fire.] Thefe adjectives, or participles, anfwer to the fubftantives, Faint with heat, wearie with toyle, fore with wounds, EMBOYLED [fhould it not rather be, EMBROYLED] with armes, grieved with smart, and brent with inward

3

I

Both Silo this, and Iordan did excell, And th' English Bath, and eke the German Spau Ne can Cephife, nor Hebrus match this well-] As ONE were borne, is Spenfer's correction among the Errata. But the 1ft and 2d Quarto editions and Folios read, as it-which error, as ufual, feems owing to the roving eye of the printer.-Silo, or Siloam is mentioned in John ix. 7. Go wash in the pool of Siloam. Milton i. 11. Siloa's brook that flow'd faft by the oracle of God. Sandys in his Travels, p. 197, fays that the pilgrims wash themfelves in the river fordan,

it rightly hot

The well of life] Was named, called.
There was a duke, and he was hotte
Mundus. Gower, Fol. 12.

So below behott, St. 38.

This well of life, as likewife the tree of life, mentioned below St. xxxviii. are imaged from Revel. xxii. 1. And he fhewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as cryftall, proceeding out of the throne of God, and of the lamb. In the midft of the Street of it, and either fide of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. But to make the allegory more plain I fhall cite John iv. 10. Thou wouldeft have afked of him, and he would have given thee living water. And ver. 14. The water that I fhall give him, fhall be in him A WELL OF WATER fpringing up into everlasting Life.

XXX.

Those that with sicknesse were infected fore, IT could recure, and aged long decay Renew, as IT were borne that very day. VOL. II.

Ne can CEPHISE-Fatidicâ Cephiffus aquâ, Lucan iii. A river in Boetia, on whofe banks the temple of Themis ftood: Kapé Spos, pulera fluenta habens, is its epithet in a hymn to Apollo,

attributed to Homer: and in the Medea of

Euripides 'tis called Kaxxivaos-Hebrus is a river of Thrace, into which the head of Orpheus, with his lyre, was thrown by the Bacchanalians. Virg. G. iv. 524. Ovid. Met. xi. 50.

His goary vifage down the ftream was fent,
Down the fwift Hebrus to the Lesbian Jhore.

Milton, Lycidas.

Milton was misled by a faulty reading in Virgil to give the river Hebrus the epithet of swift: for fo far is it from being fwift, that 'tis a quiet flowing ftream. All the printed copies, 'tis true, read,

Volucremque fuga praevertitur Hebrum.

Aen. i. 317.

But Servius upon this very paffage fays, Multum quidem laudis flumini epitheto addidit; fed falfum eft, nam eft quietiffimus etiam cum per hiemem crefcit. Befide for an Amazon to outstrip a river (suppofing it fwift) is no extraordinary inftance of fwiftnefs; but to outftrip the wind is the poet's expreffion.

Volucremque fuga praevertitur Eurum.
This moft elegant correction was made by
Janus Rutgerfius in his obfervations upon Ho-
race, cap. vi. and afterwards tacitly adopted by
Huetius. And as Huetius plaid the thief with
Rutgerfius, fo did Rutgerfius with Scaliger
who inftead of Hebro, corrected it Euro, in
Horace, L. i. Od. xxv. 20.
Aridas frondes hiemis fodali

Dedicet Euro.

But to return from our fhort digreffion; Spenfer mentions Hebrus for the purity of its ftream; and thus Horace, L. i. Epift. xvi. 13. Fons etiam rivo dare nomen idoneus, ut nec Frigidior Thracam nec purior ambiat Hebrus. Hhh

XXXI.

From loathed foile he can him lightly reare,
And ftrove to loose the far-infixed fting

And frooke fo ftrongly, that the knotty string
Of his huge taile-] This is not printed right in
any one Edition, excepting in the firft old quar-
to: in the 2d Edition, String and fling change
places; no unusual blunder in copies; and from
hence the errour is propagated to fucceeding
Editions: in the folio of 1617. and in Hughes
'tis printed gan, for can: which is the glofs, or
interpretation; and an errour which they fre-
quently err.

And ugly fhapes did nigh the man dismay, viz. Sir Guyon.

So in the beginning of Plato's Phædo, ¡ ¿mf, the man, viz. Socrates. And in Xen. Cyr. Anab. L. i. ὁ δὲ ἀνὴρ πολλῶ μὲν ἄξιος φίλος, ᾧ ἂν φίλος ᾖ, But THE MAN [viz. Cyrus] is a friend highly to be esteemed by him, to whom he may be a friend. presently after the two old quarto Editions read,

FOR harder was from Cerberus greedie jaw
To plucke a bone, then from his cruell jaw
To reave-

Tis a proverbial expreffion, intimating as a thing of the highest hazard, to attempt to wrest the club out of the hand of Hercules, or to

pluck a bone out of the greedy jaws of Cerbe

rus: we should not therefore read, FOR harder was, &c. but

As fparckles from the andvile ufe to fly, i. e. do fly. B. i. C. 11. St. 21. He cryde, as raging feas are wont to roare, i. e. do roar. So the Latins ufe, folet, amat, novit, gaudet, &c.