plifhed. His method, at least, is very different from that which was practifed by Homer and Virgil, in conducting their heroes to their propofed end. If it fhould be enquired how it is that ARTHUR executes the grand, fimple, and ultimate defign intended by Spenfer, it may be alleged that the hero, by lending his refpective affiftance to each of the twelve knights, approaches, in his allotted defence of them, ftill nearer and nearer to glory, till at last he gains a complete poffeffion. But the reward in this cafe is fuperior to the merit. ARTHUR, inftead of merely giving his aid to the other knights, fhould have been the leading adventurer. If in his own perfon he had exerted himself in the protection of the twelve virtues, he might defervedly have been styled the perfect pattern of all, and have fucceeded in the task affigned, the attainment of glory. As matters now ftand, the difficulties which we expect Arthur to furmount, in order to accomplish his final atchievement, are removed by others; and therefore he only fuftains a fubordinate or acceffory character. On the whole it may be remarked, that the adventures in the "Fairy Queen," when separately taken as the fubject of each fingle book, have not always a mutual dependence upon each other, and confequently do not contribute, in the manner which they ought to have done, to form one legitimate poem. Spenfer was probably aware, that by conftituting twelve feveral adventures for twelve feveral heroes, the want of a general. connection would often be difcerned. Perhaps it was on this account that he was fometimes induced to refume and finish, in a distant book, a tale formerly begun and left imperfect. This conduct, however, is highly inartificial; as it destroys that repose of mind which is felt after having accompanied a hero, through a variety of struggles and diftreffes, to fuccefs and victory. To introduce him afterwards in a lower scene of action, is to derogate from his dignity, and to fully the tranfcendent luftre of his former exploits. It is probable that Spenfer would have involved both himself and his readers in lefs embaraffment, if he had made every book one entire detached poem of twelve cantos, without any reference to the reft. In that cafe he would would have written twelve different books, in each of which he might have completed the pattern of a particular virtue in twelve knights refpectively; whereas by the method he has adopted, his endeavour to reprefent all the virtues exemplified in one, has failed of fuccefs. Whatever truth there may be in thefe obfervations, it is not meant to apply them, in the way of condemnation, to the "Fairy Queen." It would not be reasonable to judge Spenfer by precepts which he did not attend to, and the authority of which was not acknowledged at the period wherein he lived. It would have been totally foreign to his defign, and to the nature of his fubject, to have conducted it according to the ftrict laws of claffical taste, and the rules of Ariftotle. Our great poet proceeded upon a plan which was derived from the established modes and ideas of chivalry; and in doing this he wrote with the exuberance of a warm imagination and a strong fenfibility. His bufinefs was to engage the fancy, and to interest the attention by bold and ftriking images; which were conceived with rapidity, and arranged without art. As the chief fources of delight were the various and the marvellous, Spenfer was naturally led to ranfack alike the regions of reality and romance, of truth and fiction, in order to find the proper decorations and furniture for his noble undertaking. Deftitute, therefore, as the "Fairy Queen" may be thought to be of that œconomy which epic feverity requires, we fcarcely regret the lofs, while it is fo amply fupplied by fomething more powerfully attracting; fomething' which engages the feelings of the heart, in preference to the cold approbation of the head. If there be any poem, the graces of which please, because they are fituated beyond the reach of art, and in which the force and faculties of creative imagination give the higheft delight, Spenfer's is that poem. Though the critic may not be fatisfied, the reader is tranfported; which is perhaps the best of all praises. Did the nature and limits of our article admit of it, we might, with the affiftance of the able writer who has paid the best and completeft attention to the fubject, enter into a long difcuffion of the " Fairy Queen." We might en large large on Spenfer's imitations from old romances, and from Chaucer and Ariofto; on his use and abuse of ancient history and mythology; on his allegorical character; and on various other particulars: but it must fuffice to take fone notice of his ftanza, verfification, and language. The ftanza, with the addition of one line, was adopted by him from the practice of Ariofto and Taffo, the fashionable poets of the age. But in chufing this ftanza, Spenfer did not pay a proper regard to the genius of the English language, which does not fall fo eafily as the Italian doés, into a frequent repetition of the fame términation. Nor did Ariofto and Taffo embarrass themfelves with the neceffity of finding out to many fimilar terminations as Spenfer. In their "Öttava Rima" there were only three fimilar endings, alternatively rhyming; and the two laft lines formed a diftinct rhyme whereas, in penfer, the fecond rhyme is repeated four times, and the third three. By this confraint, our poet was almost unavoidably led into feveral faults of confiderable magnitude. It hence happened, that however unimportant the thing might be which he intended to exprefs, he was fometimes obliged to dilate it with trifling and tedious circumftances. At other times, when matter failed towards the clofe of a ftanza, he was laid under the neceffity of running into a ridiculous redundancy and repetition of words; and he was occafionally forced to make out his compliment of rhymes, by intro ducing a puerile or impertinent idea. To the difficulty of a ftanza, so injudiciously chofen, may be properly imputed the great number of his ellipfes; for it is eafy to conceive, that the constraint which is productive of fuperfluity, fhould be likewife the caufe of omiffion. Though these inconveniences flowed from Spenser's measure, it must nevertheless be acknowledged, that fome advantages arofe from it; and it may in particular be affirmed, that the fullness and fignificancy of his descriptions are frequently owing to the prolixity of his ftanza. Laden as he was with fo many fhackles, it is indeed furprising that he should, upon the whole, execute a poem of fuch uncommon length with fo much ease and fpirit. He has not been fo carelels as to permit the fame word to be repeated as a rhyme to itself, in more than four or five inftances; which which is an extraordinary circumstance, when we confider the time wherein he wrote, and the nature of his stanza. Amidft his affected and too frequent ufe of obfolete words and phrases, his ftyle, in general, is diftinguished by its perfpicuity and facility. His lines are feldom broken by tranfpofitions, antithefes, or parentheses; and his fenfe and found are equally flowing and uninterrupted. In fhort, when every fault is pointed out which can be afcribed, either, to the author himself, or to the age in which he flourished, it will still be found, that he eminently excelled in the richness of his harmony, and the beauty of his verfification. In the character of a poet, Spenfer fuftains a very high and eminent rank. We fhould run no hazard of rational contradiction, were we to affert, that in powers of invention and richness of fancy, he has fcarcely ever been exceeded. To the difplay of thefe talents, the fubjects he was led to by the fashionable reading of the times were peculiarly accommodated. There could not be more admirable inftruments in the hands of a genuine poet, than the adventures and manners of chivalry, and the fuperftitions and enchantments of the dark ages. They gave fcope for all the wildness and beauty of imagery, and for all the fplendour and majefty of defcription; circumftances of which Spenfer hath availed himfelf in the highest degree. As, therefore, the "Fairy Queen" comes recommended to us by fo many excellencies, it may be thought furprising that, at prefent, it fhould, comparatively, have only a fmall number of readers. But this may be accounted for from several caufes. The customs and manners described by Spenfer are vanished away, and confequently are little understood by the bulk of mankind. His allusions, likewife, are often too abftrufe and learned for common apprehenfion; and fome degree of obfoleteness hangs upon his language. Nor is allegorical poetry adapted to the general understanding. Hence it is that Spenfer, with all his merit, can only be the lafting favourite of the few, who, by reading and true tafte, are fully qualified to appreciate, and to feel, his tranfcendent beauties. By fuch perfons, he will be admired and applauded, fo long as poetry fhall continue to be the object of admiration and applaufe. BRITISH |