THE SWORD OF JUSTICE, i. e. according to the fable, the fword of gold given him by Aftræa; according to the moral, the fword he received as Lord Deputy of Ireland, and the enlign of his command. But I have ftill farther proofs: for what is Irena, but Ierna, a kingdom or state that stands in need of fuccour, as much as Belge? See likewife how the fituation of the Ifland is pointed out, B. v. C. 6. St. 7. She to a window came that opened weft Towards which coaft her love his way addreft. i. e. (in the historical view) Arthegal was going towards Ireland, which lay west of England. See likewife C. 12. St. 3. gan bis way apply. To the fea fhore he And, C. 12. St. 26, he calls it a ragged common-weale; as certainly it was, diftracted with civil wars, and torn in pieces with perpetual rebellions, fomented by the K. of Spain, and the Pope. If any fhould think that Irena means Peace in general, his interpretation might seem to be countenanc'd by the old quarto; which in one place (viz. B. v. C. 1. St. 4.) fpells it Eirena. But this is the fame name with the fair lady that attends Mercilla's throne, in B. v. C. 9. St. 32. And in all other places 'tis fpelt Irena, or Irene; and fo perpetually in all the Folio editions. Old Sir Sergis, I take to be Walfingham. The K. of Spain is imaged in the fon of Geryon. C. 10. St. 8, in the foldan, C. 8. St. 28. and in Grandtorto. The fenefchal in C. 10. St. 30. feems the Duke of Alva. complished, yet ended in a maffacre, and was begun at midnight, at a certain fignal given, on the eve of St. Bartholomew, anno 1572. What shall we fay of the tilts and tourneyments at the fpoufal of fair Florimel? Had the poet his eye on thofe tiltings, performed at a vaft expence, by the Earl of Arundel, Lord Windfor, Sir Philip Sidney, and Sir Fulk Grevil, who challenged all comers; and which were intended to entertain the French nobility, and the ambaffadors, who came to treat of Anjou's marriage with the queen? [See Cambden, p. P. 265.] Methinks I fometimes fee a faint refemblance between Braggadochio and the Duke of Anjou, and their buffoon fervants, Trompart and Simier. In the vth Canto Arthegal is imprisoned by an Amazonian dame, called by a French name Radigund; for Radegonda was a famous queen of France. Now as Spenfer carries two faces under one hood, and means more always than in plain words he tells you; why, I fay, does he who writes in a continued allegory,' give you this episode, if there is not more meant than what the dull letter contains? The ftory, I think, is partly moral, but chiefly historical, and alludes to Arthegal's father being taken prifoner in France; who almoft ruin'd his patrimony to pay his ranfom [See Cambden, pag. 68; and Lloyd's life of Arthur Grey, Baron of Wilton.] 'Tis not at all foreign to the nature of this poem to mix family hiftories, and unite them in one perfon. ، 'paths and crossways whereof are scarce known to the dwellers there abouts (Cambden, pag. 241. Compare B. v. C. 9. St. 6.) This villain is deftroyed without mercy or remorse, as the rebels were with their accomplices. In the ixth Canto we read of a wicked villain which wonned in a rocke, and pilfered the country all around: he is named Melengine, Will it appear too refining, if we fuppofe from his mifchievous difpofition. Is not this that the Sarazin Pollente, with his trap-falls, robber a type of thofe rebels, who had taken and his groome of evil guize, hence named Gui their refuge in Glandilough, befet round zor (B. v. C. 2. St. 6.] alludes to Charles the about with eraggy rocks, and a steep downIXth. K. of France, who by fleights did underfongfal, and with trees and thickets of wood, the the proteftants, and thus perfidiously maffacred them? If this is allowed, who can help applying the name of Guizor, to the head of the Popish league, and chief perfecutor, the Duke of Guife? And to carry on ftill this allufion, what is all that plot laid in the dead of night, by the fame fort of mifcreants, to murder the British virgin (B. v. C. vi. St. 27.) but a type of that plot laid against the chief of the British, as well as other proteftant noblemen, that being thus brought into the net, both they, and with them the evangelical religion, might with one stroke, if not have their throats cut, yet at least receive a mortal wound.' [Cambden, p. 187] a plot, which though not fully ac Crying in vain for help, when help was paft. But if the reader has a mind to fee how far types and fymbols may be carried, I refer him to my own note on B. v. C. 8. St. 45 And upon a review of what is here offered relating to hiftorical allufions, if the reader thinks my arguments too flimfy, and extended beyond their due limits, and fhould laugh To To fee their thrids fo thin, as fpyders frame, came, I would defire him to confider what latitude of interpretation all typical and fymbolical writings admit; and that this poem is full of hiftorical allufions, as the poet hints in many places. NOTES ΟΝ ΤΗΕ SIXTH BOOK of the FAIRY QUEEN, A Containing the Legend of Sir Calidore, or of Courtefie. II. ND goodly fury into them infufe] Negat enim fine furore Democritus quenquam poetam magnum effe poffe. Cicer. de Divin. i. 37. Ergo ubi fatidicos concepit mente furores Incaluitque Deo. Ov Met. ii. 640 Ibid. In thefe frange wayes where never foot did ufe.] Nothing is fo common as this boaft of the poets; they all walk in paths untrodden before; Lucretius, Virgil, Manilius, &c. with a thousand others, fcorn to tread in any man's fteps. But of all commend me to Ariofto, who in the very entrance of his work, fays he fings, Things unattempted yet in profe or rhyme.' Cofa non detta in profa mai ne in rima. But the Orlando Furiofo is founded upon the ftory of the Orlando Innamorato; and this very verfe is imitated from Boyardo, Lib. ii. C. 29. St. 1. and L. 2. C. 30. St. 1. La piu ftupenda guerra, e la maggiore III. Sith it at firft was by the gods with paine Planted in earth-] with paine, i. e. difficultly. The virtues are tranfplanted from heaven; Which fee not perfect things but IN a glass.] not perfect things, i. e. not perfectly, darkly: ἐν ἀινίγματι, i. e. ἀιμιγματωδῶς, 1 Cor. xiii. 12. for now we fee THROUGH a glass darkly. BrémoμEL yag äρto di ivónies in áiníyμatı. Our tranflators take. olgov, not for what reflects the image, fpeculum; as Spenfer does: but for fpeculare, a transparent crystal, or ftone, or horn. VI. But meriteth indeed an higher NAME, fhould have been printed a higher FAME: 'tis Yet fo from high to low uplifted is your name.] It an error frequently erred in printing this poem, of repeating the fame word twice. VII. Right fo from you all goodly virtues well Into the reft, which round about you ring] As all rivers come from the sea [Ecclef. i. 7.] So from you, O queen, all goodly virtues do originally pour themfelves [doe well] into the rest of the 4 M 2 no OF F court it feems men courtefie do call.] To this etymology of courtefy he alludes in B. iii. C. 6. St. 1. where he calls the court, The great fchoole mistresse of all curtesy. And Milton has the fame allufion in his Mask.] And truft thy honeft offer'd courtefie, See Junius in Courtefie. IX. Then fince the falvage island-] In which island he refcued Irene. How plainly does the poet point at Ireland in the hiftorical view of this poem, and alludes to the calumny and false accufations flung on Arthur Lord Grey of Wilton ? XI. But firft him loos'd-] The first adventure that Sir Calidore meets with is exactly like the firft adventure of Don Quixote. I believe both Spenfer and Cervantes had some old romance in their view. XV. Untill a mantle fhe for him doe fynd Romance writers tell us of giants and uncourWith beards of knights, and locks of ladies lynd. teous knights, that had mantles made of the beards of thofe they conquered. 'Tis ftrange that Jeffry of Monmouth, who pretends to write a true hiftory, fhould from filly romances infert this tale of Prince Arthur; namely that he conquered a giant who had a mantle made of the beards of kings. See likewife Drayton's Polyolb. pag. 62. Strada has in his prolufion ridiculed this ftory. XVII. -unto the cry to left.] to lift, to liften: fpelt fo for the rhyme. XXI. Like as a water ftreame, whofe fwelling fourse Breaks forth.-] I hardly doubt but Spenfer wrote IPENT or YPENT: like a water ftream being pent, &c. This error we have mentioned already. XXII. Whom Calidore perceiving He him perfu'd-So Homer ufes öy, and Virgil ille. See note on B. ii. C. 8. St. 6. After his favourite poet in the rhyme of Sir With whom those graces did fo goodly fit.] I believe His fhone of cordewayne. i. e. of fine Spanish leather, fuch as is made at Corduba in Spain: ocrea cordubenfes, pick'd upon gold, i. e. with gold eylet holes: acu pictas. See Virg. xi. 777. Paled part per part, i. e. divided by a pale, as in heraldry; by ftrait lines drawn from top to bottom. XXVIII. And Triftram is my name.-] There is scarce a romance but mentions Sir Triftram de Lyones, one of the knights of the round table. From Amadis de Gaul we learn the name of the uncourteous knight here flain, and of the lady rescued in B. iv. C. 34. 'tis mentioned that that Bravor le Brun was flain by Sir Triftram, as he conducted fayre feult, wife of K. Marke, into Cornwall. Compare the hiftory of Prince Arthur, part II. C. xxv. and xxvi. she is called Beale fond. And to the ftory told in the hiftory of Prince Arthur [viz. in C. 24.) Gower alludes, Fol. xxx. 2. In everie mans mouth it is, Sir Triftram de Lyones was fon of king Meliodas, and of Elizabeth, king Marke's fifter of Cornwall: fhe died at his birth, and defired that the fon born of her might be called Triftram, i. e. as much as to fay forrowful birth. See the Hift. of Prince Arthur, Part II. C. 1, 2, and 3. He gives an account of himself in Ch. 71. Sir Triftram is faid firft to have invented all the terms of hawking and of venery. See C. 138. To this Spenfer alludes in St. 31. and 32. XXXIX. But Triftram then defpoyling that dead knight Of all thofe goodly implements of prayle, Long fed his greedie eyes with the fayre fight Of THE bright meitall fbyning like funne rayes, Handling and turning them a thousand ways] Implements of prayle, is the reading of the old quarto: but the following editions have ornaments of prayfe. Arms are the implements or inftruments of praise, as the means by which praise is procured: So in B. ii. C. 12. St. 80. His warlike arms, the idle inftruments Of fleeping praife, were hong upon a tree. This is a fufficient reafon for my not altering the reading of the oldest edition: though arms may be properly faid to be ornaments of praife. He says, I Long fed his greedie eyes with THE faire fight Of THE faire mettall fhyning like funne rayes. believe the poet gave it, Long fed his greedie eyes with the faire fight Of that faire mettall fbyning like fun-rays. Fed his greedie eyes, is a Latinifm; pavit oculos avidos: animum picturâ pavit. As Sir Tristram feeds his greedy eyes with the bright fpoils and goodly armour of this knight, handling and turning them a thoufand ways; fo Mandricardo pleafed his fancy in viewing the radiant arms of Hector. Forbite eran quell' armi e luminose, Ŏrl. inn. L. iii. C. z. St. 33. It feems to me that Mr. Pope, when he tranflated that beautiful paffage in Homer, where Thetis brings to her fon his arms, juft as they came from the forge of Vulcan, had his eye on this paffage of Spenfer; for he uses his words: the verses are very harmonious, and well worth tranfcribing : Then drops the radiant burthen on the ground ; HE TURNS THE RADIANT GIFT; AND FEEDS |