-gathering to feare, i. e. gathering together, carried into Armorica: See Fere and Feare, in the Gloffary. These three fons did not all take refuge in Armorica for Conftans, the eldeft, having led a monaftic life, was crowned king by Vortegrin; and afterwards murdered by his contrivance. The governors of the two remaining brothers (Aurelius Ambrofius, and Uther Pendragon) fearing left their uncle Vortegrin would murder them in like manner, filed with them into leffer Britain. Jeffry of Monmouth, L. vi. Ibid. For dread of whom-] Vortegrin, now king of Britain, for dread of the two furviving fons of the 2d Conftantine, Aurelius Ambrofius and Uther Pendragon, who were fled into leffer Britain; and likewife for dread of the Picts, called the Saxons to his affiftance. The historians tell us that fome Saxons came over about the year 449, in three fhips which the English call keyles. tribus ut lingua ejus exprimitur Cyulis, ut noftra longis navibus. Gildas, C. 23. Hengift and Horfa, were their leaders. LXV. And Vortiger have forft the kingdom to aband.] So the ift quarto, the 2d, and Folios, And Vortiger enforst LXVI. But by the help of Vortimere his fon He is again unto his rule reftord-] Jeffry of Monmouth, L. vi. C. xv. tells the ftory with fome little difference: that after the death of Vortimer, Vortegrin was restored to the kingdom: that Hengift, the Saxon, returned to Britain with a vaft army; and making a fhew of peace, he treacherously flew 460 of the British noblemen, whom he invited to a feaft: and that Stonehenge, near Salisbury, was fet up by the magician Merlin, at the request of king Ambrofius, as a monument of this maffacre. See Jeff. of Mon. L. viii. C. ix, x, &c. and Stowe, pag. 56. Ibid. Through his faire daughters face and FLATTERING WORD.] Hengift invited Vortiger to a banquet, and introduced his fair daughter Roxena, or Rowen; who came in with a cup of wine in her hand, and kneeling down faid to the king (as fhe had been taught) Lafonde cynyng parral, i. e. Lord king be in health: which the king understanding by the interpreter, anfwered, dpincheil, i. c. drink in health. 'Tis faid that Vortiger was fo taken with her FLATTERING WORD, that he married her. From this address of Hengift's daughter, came the original of the waffelling cup. After him Uther, which Pendragon hight Succeeding-] The hiftory breaks off, being brought down to the times of Arthur, the hero of this poem. - Perhaps it will be requifite for the right understanding of the historical relations in this Book, to confider the British history which our poet treats of, in three periods or divifions; the firft from Brutus to the extinction of his line; the 2d from the end of Brutus' progeny, to the landing of Julius Caefar; the 3d from the landing of Julius Caefar, to the times of prince Arthur. Having mentioned the two former periods, I fhall here confider the 3d.-Caffibelane, with the confent of the people, held the reins of empire when Julius Caefar landed after Caffibelane, Tenantius, the younger fon of Lud, was made king; who was fucceeded by Kimbeline or Cymbeline, or Cunobeline (for these proper names are variously written) and he by his fons Guiderius and Arviragus. Then follow, Marius, son of Arviragus; Coyll, Coel, or Coilus, fon of Marius: Lucius, the first Christian king, fon of Coyll, who dying without children, left the Roman emperors his heirs.-Severus, emperor of Rome, who died at York: Baffianus, fon of Severus: Caraufius, a Britain: Alectus, fent by the Senate of Rome: Afclepiodate, or Afclepiodorus, duke of Cornwall: Coyll, or Coilus 2d: Helena daughter of Coyll, and fon of Conftantius and Helena, who united Conftantius emperor of Rome: Conftantine, Britain to the Roman monarchy: Octavius, duke of Cornwall: Maximian, kinfman of Conftantine the Great: Gratian, a Briton : Conftantine of Armorica, or Bretagne in France: Con Conftantius, fon of Conftantine: Vortiger, who called in the Saxons: Vortimer, fon of Vortiger Vortiger a fecond time: Aurelius Ambrofius, fecond fon of Conftantine: Uther Pendragon, third fon of Conftantine: Arthur, fon of Uther Pendragon. -Thus at one view the reader has a fucceffion of kings taken from Jeffry of Monmouth. See the history continued, B. iii. C. 3. St. 26. LXVIII. The prince himself halfe feemed to offend.] The 2d quarto and Folio 1609, half feemeth. LXX. It told how firft Prometheus-] The book which Vim ftomacho adpofuiffe noftro. Hor. L. i. Od. xvi. Die his laft death, i. e. be eternally excluded from happiness. See That man which Prometheus thus made he cal led Elfe, viz. Quick; a living being: the firft author of all Elfin kind. Thofe imaginary beings which the heathens fuppofed to inhabit the woods, groves, mountains, rivers, &c. Such as Satyrs, Fauns, river gods, and goddeffes, Dryads, &c. Our Saxon ancestors called Ælfar or Ælfenne: hence muntelfen, creades, eifs of the mountains. feld-ælfenne, fatyrs. ræ-elfen, Naides, Wuduelfen Dryades. Somner in ælf and Wachter, in ALP. How many etymologies are given us of this word? Some deriving it from the Germ. helfen, juvare ; others from xos beatus; others from pánλoμar, infilio: alp, ælf, larva, incubus, EPHIALTUM genus: And it does not feem improbable, but Spenfer had this etymology in view, when he interprets ELFE, quick not only a living being, but nimble, active; ipanλóueros, infiliens: EQiéλons daemon, incubus. These phantaftical beings, they imagined would steal children out of their cradles, and fubftitute others in their room: to which opinion Spenfer alludes, in B. i. C. 10. St. 65. But among the various etymologies offered, I wonder they forgot one fo very obvious as Anonsà, i. e. honorati. ALP, Genius loci: these Beings having a religious dread and honour given them, as inhabitants of the woods, mountains and rivers and this anfwers to the Genii, which Mahomet mentions, Al Koran, Ch. lv. He created man of clay, but the Genii he created of fire pure from fmoke. Of thefe Genii there are two forts, the good and the bad; they are faid to have inhabited the world before Adam, and to have been governed by a fucceffion of kings, who bore the name of Solomon: but growing corrupt they were driven by the revenging Eblis into the remoteft parts of the earth. See Herbelot, Biblioth. Oriental. The Perfians and Arabians have a thoufand ftories of the fucceffive reigns of these Genii, their wars and various exploits and as these all bore the name of Solomon, fo Spenfer makes them all bear the name of Elf: in St. 72, 73, 74. And in a little compafs he has included their mighty actions. Elfinan firft laid the foundations of the city of glory, Cleopolis, where refides the Fairy queen. Elfant built the palace, Panthea. Elfinor built a bridge of brafs, not like the wicked Salmoneus, but for beauty and use. And herein we may guefs at the hiftorical allufions, which I have often pointed out in these notes, viz. of the building of London, B. i. C. 9. St. 54. of Windfor caftle, of London bridge and Let the reader at leisure, compare the wellknown verses of Simonides, concerning the formation of women, according to this ftory of Prometheus. There was ftill wanting in this work the animating and true vital spark, which he ftole from heaven. The moral of which fable is, that reafon is the candle of the Lord; a light kindled from the original, and fource of all light. The fable fays further, that Prometheus was punished by Jupiter for his theft, For which he was by Jove deprivd And eke blafpheming heaven bitterly Yet natheleffe it could not doe him die : more apparently thefe hiftorical allufions appear in St. 75, 76, where, from the well-known Fairy Queen, Queen Elizabeth, we may eafily guets at both her father and grand-father, the wife Elficleos; whofe two fons are fo plainly pointed out, viz. Arthur and Henry. Having above mentioned the two forts of Genii, the good and the bad; 'tis well known from the Arabian and Perfian tales, that there were perpetual wars and quarrels between thefe: the good Genii, they called Peri, or Fairies: the bad Genii, Spenfer calls Gobbelines, His fonne was Elfinell, who overcame Gobbelines comes from the Greek, Kóbaλoi, dae- A goodly creature, whom he deem'd in mynd In these verses our poet seems to allude to the story told in Plato's Sympofium, of the amours of Porus and Penia, in the gardens of Jupiter: and likewise alludes to the etymology of FAY. See Voffius, in Fatum, Ital. Fata, Gall. Fee. Ariofto tranflates literally Virgil's, Manto Fatidica, Æn. x. 199. La Fata Manto, Orl. Fur. xliii. 97. It may admit a debate, whether FAIRIES are derived from Fata, FAY, FAIES, per epenthefm. FAIRIES, or from the Arabian word Peri: or whether fo called from their fairness and beauty, fatefoikes, as the Scots call them. See Junius in Fairies. Cafaubon's etymology from pes is ingenious, but not true : Baxter's from pa, Fpo, Dii inferni; may be ftrengthened from Chaucer, in the Merchant's tale, where he calls Pluto and Proferpina, king and queen of Fayrie.-We leave these various etymologies with the reader, who must know words before he understands things; and defire him to read with candour this little effay concerning these poetical and romantic beings; which he ought to be fomewhat acquainted with, the better to relifh the ftories, and to understand the myfteries and allegories contained under them. Per cuneos (geminatus enim) plebifq; patrumque Virg. G. ii. 510. Qui fit, Maecenas, ut nemo quam fibi fortem Seu ratio dederit, feu fors objecerit, illa Contentus vivat? LAUDET diverfa fequentes. Hor. L. i. 1. i. e. Qui fit ut ILLE laudet, &c. See note on B. i. C. 1. St. 7. and on B. i. C. 3. St. 5. and on B. iv. C. 2. St. 2. 1 II. And letteth her that ought the feepter weeld.] This is philofophically and learnedly expressed; recognizing the regal jurifdiction and rightful power of reason. REX nofter eft animus, hoc incolumi, cetera manent in officio. Seneca, Epift. 114. To yunov, regium illud et principale. Sehyeμovinòv, neca de Ira. L. i. C. 3. The Stoics are fond of this expreffion. V. That wicked band of villains fresh begon That caftle to affail.] I believe Spenfer wrote, The castle - The and that are often confounded. Thefe villains were fo numerous that they covered the land and fo fowle and ugly that exceed ing feare their vifages impreft. i. e. Fear fat in perfon on their countenances; fo that to behold their fowl and ugly vifages would caufe fear and dread. Fear (in Homer) is an attendent on Mars, to strike terror on his beholders. VI. Them in twelve troupes their captein did difpart.] Maleger, captain of this miscreated crew, divided them into twelve troops. Why into twelve? -Seven of them, i. e. the feven deadly Sins, attacked the caftle gate: the other five, imaging the vices that attack the fenfes, he fet against the five great bulwarks of the castle. VIII. The first troupe-] This stanza is imitated from IX. -they that bulwarke forely rent.] The 1ft quarto reads, they against that bulwarke lent. But the 2d quarto and Folio 1609, as I have printed. This reading is plainly Spenfer's own alteration. The verse just above is hardly expreffed, because our poet was hardly put to it to find four fuch rhimes; That is each thing, by which the eyes may fault. Their wicked engines, meaning each thing by which the eyes may offend, or be in fault. The fubftantive is changed into a verb. Fayre mote he thee.] Thrive, profper. See note And therewithall attonce at him let fly FLOW With fudden fury all the fertile playne, Adowne Adowne the ftreame, and all his vores make vayne; Sic tauriformis volvitur Aufidus, As Bentley reads. XIX. As withered leaves drop from their dryed flockes, Ibid. The fierce Spumador born of heavenly feed; Such as Laomedon of Phoebus race did breed.] Heroes of old gave names to their horfes; as Arion, Cyllarus, Xanthus, &c. So Heroes in romance call their horfes by particular names, Bayardo, Frontin, Brigliadore (the nome of Orlando's and Sir Guyon's fteed.) Hence (by way of ingenious irony) you find in Don Quixote how follicitous he was to find a proper name for his horfe, which at length he calls Rofinante. The Prince's horfe Spumador, feems to have received his name from his froth and foam, fhewing his fiery nature. Seu Spumantis equi foderet calcaribus armos. Virg. vi. 881. The fierce Spumador born of heavenly feed, Semine ab aetherio, Æn. viii. 281. Such as Laome don of Phoebus race did breed, Jupiter gave to Tros, king of Troy, horses of heavenly feed, bred from the horfes of the Sun; Laomedon, his grandfon, preferved this breed with great care. See Hom. Il. v. 265. Æneas call them, ver. 222. Tpwïos e, not Trojan horfes, but horfes of the breed of king Tros.. |