He, much affeard, to her confeffed short
That 'twas Molanna which her fo bewraid.
Then, all attonce their hands upon Molanna laid.
52.

But him (according as they had decreed)

With a Deeres-skin they covered, and then chast With all their hounds that after him did speed; But he, more speedy, from them fled more faft Then any Deere; fo fore him dread aghast. They after follow'd all with fhrill out-cry, Shouting as they the heavens would have braft; That all the woods and dales, where he did flie, Did ring againe, and loud reeccho to the skie.

53.

So they him follow'd till they weary were;
When, back returning to Molann' againe,
They, by commaund'ment of Diana, there

Her whelm'd with ftones. Yet Faunus (for her paine)
Of her beloved Fanchin did obtaine,

That her he would receive unto his bed:

So now her waves paffe through a pleasant Plaine, Till with the Fanchin she her felfe doe wed, And (both combin'd) themselves in one faire river fpred. 54.

Nath'leffe Diana, full of indignation,

Thence-forth abandond her delicious brooke,

In whose sweete ftreame, before that bad occafion,
So much delight to bathe her limbes she tooke:
Ne onely her, but also quite forfooke

All thofe faire forrefts about Arlo hid;

And all that Mountaine, which doth overlooke

The richest champian that may else be rid;

And the faire Shure, in which are thousand Salmons bred.

55.

Them all, and all that fhe fo deare did way,

Thence-forth fhe left; and parting from the place, There-on an heavy hapleffe curfe did lay;

To weet, that Wolves, where she was wont to space, Shou'd harbour'd be and all thofe Woods deface, And Thieves should rob and spoile that Coast around. Since which," those Woods, and all that goodly Chafe Doth to this day with Wolves and Thieves abound: Which too-too true' that lands in-dwellers fince have found.

Since which, &c.] In "Colin Clouts come home again," where Spenfer is praifing England, he does it by an enumeration of fome of the miseries of Ireland :

"No wayling there, no wretchednesse is heard,

No bloodie iffues," &c.

Spenfer, speaking of the maffacres committed upon the people of Munfter, in Ireland, after the rebellion, paints alfo in the strongest colours, though in profe. See his " View of the State of Ireland." T. WARTON.

i Which too-too true.] Todd makes a special note upon "too-too," but nothing can be more common in old authors than this reduplication, fignifying excess. C.

Mufe,a

Me from these woods and pleafing for

refts bring,

And my fraile fpirit, (that dooth oft refuse

This too high flight, unfit for her weake wing)
Lift up aloft, to tell of heavens King
(Thy foveraine Sire) his fortunate fucceffe;
And victory in bigger noates to fing,
Which he obtain'd against that Titaneffe,
That him of heavens Empire fought to difpoffeffe?

2.

Yet, fith I needs must follow thy beheft,

Doe thou my weaker wit with skill inspire,
Fit for this turne; and in my fable breft"

a thou greater Mufe.] Clio. See C. vi. St. 37 [this vol. p. 255], F. Q. i. Introd. 2. 1 [vol. i. p. 173]. CHURCH.

b my fable breft.] So all the folios; and we do not prefume to amend a text which may very likely be right, though Spenfer elsewhere often has feeble breaft, which fome editors have, not unnaturally, preferred here. Drayton allowed "fable" to ftand as Spenfer's word in his copy of the folio 1611. C.

Kindle fresh sparks of that immortall fire
Which learned minds inflameth with defire
Of heavenly things: for who, but thou alone
That art yborne of heaven and heavenly Sire,
Can tell things doen in heaven so long ygone,
So farre past memory of man that may be knowne?
3.

Now, at the time that was before agreed,

The gods affembled all on Arlo Hill;

As well those that are sprung of heavenly feed,
As thofe that all the other world doe fill,
And rule both sea and land unto their will:
Onely th' infernall Powers might not appeare;
As well for horror of their count'naunce ill,
As for th' unruly fiends which they did feare;
Yet Pluto and Proferpina were present there.

4.

And thither also came all other creatures,

What-ever life or motion doe retaine,
According to their fundry kinds of features,
That Arlo scarfly could them all containe,
So full they filled every hill and plaine;
And had not Natures Sergeant (that is Order)d
Them well difpofed by his bufie paine,

And raunged farre abroad in every border,

They would have caufed much confufion and disorder.

5.

Then forth iffew'd (great goddeffe) great dame Nature With goodly port and gracious Majesty,

Being far greater and more tall of stature

the other world doe fill.] We may just note that Drayton, in his folio 1611, alters "other" to nether, but the change is needlefs. C. d (that is Order)]. Order is introduced as a marshal in F. Q. v. ix. 23 [vol. iii. p. 451]. And Luis de Camoëns, in his " Lufiad," Canto i. makes Order the herald and marshal of the deities. UPTON.

Then any of the gods or Powers on hie :
Yet certes by her face and phyfnomy,
Whether she man or woman inly were,
That could not any creature well defcry;
For with a veile, that wimpled every where,

Her head and face was hid that mote to none appeare. 6.

That, fome doe fay, was fo by skill devized,

To hide the terror of her uncouth hew

From mortall eyes that should be fore agrized ;
For that her face did like a Lion fhew,
That eye of wight could not indure to view :
But others tell that it fo beautious was,
And round about fuch beames of fplendor threw,
That it the Sunne a thousand times did pass,
Ne could be feene but like an image in a glass.

7.

That well may feemen true; for well I weene,
That this fame day when fhe on Arlo fat,
Her garment was so bright and wondrous sheene,
That my fraile wit cannot devize to what
It to compare, nor finde like ftuffe to that:
As those three facred Saints, though else most wise,
Yet on mount Thabor quite their wits forgat,
When they their glorious Lord in strange disguise
Transfigur'd fawe; his garments fo did daze their eyes.

8.

In a fayre Plaine upon an equall hill

She placed was in a pavilion;

Not fuch as Craftesmen by their idle skill
Are wont for Princes ftates to fashion;
But th' Earth herself, of her owne motion,
Out of her fruitfull bofome made to growe

e that should be fore agrized.] "Agrized" is terrified or confounded. We have already had it, vol. ii. p. 190. C.