fonages, fo beautifully drawn, that, in all probability, they contributed to direct, at least to stimulate, Spenfer's imagination in the conftruction of the like reprefentations. Thus much may be truly faid, that Sackville's Induction approaches nearer to the Faerie Queene in the richness of allegorick defcription, than any previous or fucceeding poem. After the Faerie Queene, allegory began to decline, and by degrees gave place to a fpecies of poetry, whofe images were of the metaphyfical and abftracted kind. This fafhion evidently took its rife from the predominant studies of the times, in which the difquifitions of fchool divinity, and the perplexed fubtilities of philofophick difputation, became the principal purfuits of the learned. "Then Una fair gan drop her princely mien3.” James I. is contemptuously called a pedantick monarch. But, furely, nothing could be more ferviceable to the interefts of learning, at its infancy, than this fuppofed foible. "To ftick the doctor's Urgeth his melting mufe, with folemn tears, a Mafon's Mufæus. But the Spirit of chivalry, of which prince Henry was remarkably fond, together with fhows and pageantries, ftill continued, yet in a lefs degree. Hence G. Wither introduces Britannia thus lamenting the death of prince Henry, Prince Henries Obfeq. El. 31. p. 368, Lond. 1617. b "Alas, who now fhall grace my Turnaments, 66 My Ceremonies, Showes of Heraldrie, "And other Rites ?" T. WARTON. See Davies on the Immortality of the Soul, Lord Brooke's Treatife of Human Learning, Donne's Works, &c. T. WARTON. VOL. II. h 4 chair into the throne," was to patronise the literature of the times. In a more enlightened age, the fame attention to letters, and love of fcholars, might have produced proportionable effects on fciences of real utility. This caft of mind in the king, however indulged in fome cafes to an oftentatious affectation, was at least innocent. Allegory, notwithstanding, unexpectedly rekindled fome faint fparks of its native fplendour, in the Purple Iftand of Phineas Fletcher, with whom it almoft as foon difappeared: when a poetry fucceeded, in which imagination gave way to correctnefs, fubli mity of defcription to delicacy of fentiment, and majeftick imagery to conceit and epigram. Poets began now to be more attentive to words, than to things and objects. The nicer beauties of happy expreffion were preferred to the daring ftrokes of great conception. Satire, that bane of the fublime, was imported from France. The Mufes were de bauched at court; and polite life, and familiar man • Printed in the year 1633. The principal fault of this poem is, that the author has difcovered too much of the anatomift. The Purple Ifand, is the Ifle of Man, whofe parts and conftruction the poet has deferibed in an allegorical manner, viz. the bones are the foundation of it, the veins its brooks, &c. Afterwards the intellectual faculties are reprefented as perfons; but he principally thines where he perfonifies the paffions and evil concupifcencies of the heart, who attack the good qualities of the heart alike perfonified, which, under the conduct of their leader Intellect, rout the former. In this poem there is alfo fomewhat of a metaphyfical turu. As the whole is fuppofed to be fung by two fhepherds, the poet has found an opportunity of adorning the beginnings and endings of his cantos with fome very pleafing pastoral touches. This poem feems to bear fome refemblance to the Pfycomachia of Prudentius. T. WARTON. See more concerning the Purple land, and works of fimilar defcription, in my concluding note on thefe Remarks relating to Spenfer's allegorical character. ToDD. ners, became their only themes. The fimple dignity of Milton was either entirely neglected, or e Thus when Voltaire read his Henriade to Malezieuz, that learned man affured him, his work would not be tafted; for, fays he, "Les François n'ont pas le tete epique." In other words, "The French have no idea of folemn and fublime poetry; of fiction and fable: the Satires of Boileau will be preferred to the best Epick poem." T. WARTON. 46 e Even Dryden, blinded by the beauties of verfification only, feems not to have had a just idea of Milton's greatness. It is odd, that in praifing Milton, he should infift on thefe circumftances. "No man has fo copiously tranflated Homer's Grecifms, and the Latin elegancies of Virgil." By what follows it appears, that he had no notion of Milton's fimplicity. He runs into a flat thought fometimes for a hundred lines together, but 'tis when he is got into a track of Scripture." He afterwards ftrangely mifreprefents Milton's reafon for writing in blank verfe. "Neither will I juftifie Milton for his writing in blank verfe; for, whatever caufes he alleges for the abolishing of rhime, (which I have not now the leisure to examine,) his own particular reafon is plainly this, that Rhime was not his talent." Whether rhyme was Milton's talent or not, I shall not enquire, but fhall infer, from this reason affigned by Dryden, that had Dryden compofed the Paradife Loft he would have written it in rhyme, and that confequently, with Burnet, he judged the want of it an imperfection in Milton's poem. See dedication to Dryden's Juvenal. T. WARTON. Swift, in his Advice to a Young Poet, admirably ridicules a defign, then publickly announced, he fays, of turning the PARADISE LOST into rhyme. The attempts have shown the impotence of the Reformers. Even Dryden's Fall of Man is dif gufting, when we think on the unfhackled lines of Milton. Other rhymers have pretended to improve the fame of the blind bard. Their jingle has excited only ridicule or contempt. One of thefe worthies mentions that he was induced to put Milton into rhyme, partly for the fake of obliging the ladies! See the edition of Milton, 1801. vol. i. p. ccvii. In the Royal Grammar, published in 1715, Milton's blank verfe is not altogether relished; and the felf-complacent author adds, "It is not impoffible, but the Paradife may admit a second cultivation, and, perhaps receive new beauties from another dress; at least be generally read with more pleasure; and, which is no fmall benefit of rhyme, be retained with more ease: of which take this 'fhort Effay upon that paffage, B. ii. p. 42. edit. 1674. miftaken for bombast and infipidity, by the refimed readers of a diffolute age, whofe tafte and morals were equally vitiated. From this detail it will appear, that allegorical poetry, through many gradations, at laft received its ultimate confummation in the Faerie Queene. Under this confideration therefore, I hope what I have here collected on this fubject, will not feem too great a deviation from the main fubject of the prefent remarks; which I conclude with the juft and pertinent fentiments of the Abbè du Bos, on allegorical action, Reflexions, tom. i. c. 25. The paffage, though properly refpecting dramatick poets, is equally applicable to the action of the Faerie Queene. "It is impoffible for a piece, whofe fubject is an allegorical action, to intereft us very much. Thofe, which writers of approved wit and talents have hazarded in this kind, have not fucceeded fo well as others, where they have been dispofed to be lefs ingenious, and to treat hiftorically their fubject.-Our heart requires truth even in fiction itself; and, when it is prefented with an allegorical fiction, it cannot determine itself, if I may be allowed the expreffion, to enter into the fentiments of thofe chimerical perfonages. A theatrical piece, were it to fpeak only to the mind, would never be capable of engaging our attention O fhame to men! Devil with devil damn'd, &c. By bloody wars earth making defolate, "And facrificing thousands to their hate, &c." We fhall be led to make the fame remark on such a refiner, as Smith does on Bayes in the Rehearsal: "I can hold no longer; I must gag this rogue; there's no enduring of him!" TODD. through the whole performance. We may therefore apply the words of Lactantius upon this occafion. Poetick licence has its bounds, beyond which you are not permitted to carry your fiction. A poet's art confifts in making a good reprefentation of things that might have really happened, and embellishing them with elegant images. Totum autem, quod referas, fingere, id eft ineptum effe et mendacem, potius quam poetam T. WARTON. *To Mr. Warton's REMARKS ON ALLEGORY I fhall venture to add fome circumftances, which may not be found uninteresting. It has efcaped the notice of the commentators, that a Latin poem was published many years before the FAERIE QUEENE, the fubject of which might poffibly give a hint to Spenfer. This poem, representing Popery as a Cyclops, relates, in feven books, the tyranny and artifices of it; affuming claffical names to defcribe papal perfons and things. The author, at the end of the poem, explains his allegory, by the following lines, to which there is a marginal note, viz. Allegorica expofitio de Cyclopibus. "Hactenus effictam tibi rem narramus, at ipfa "Cortice fub tenui mystica sensa latent. "Arguit obfcuro vates fermone Tyrannos, "Temporibus noftris, temporibúfque fuis. "Libera enim nulla eft monftris à talibus ætas : "Sed nihil in forteis iuris habere queunt. "Quanvis fortunas infractaque corpora frangant, "Non poffunt fimili frangere corda modo. "Atque ab eis tandem pœnas Deus ipfe repofcit, "In quoduis vitium, qui fine lege ruunt. "Enceladus docet hoc flammanti preffus ab Ætna: "Hoc et Typhonis fabula ficta notat. The "Hoc tibi Centauri, Lapithæque, maligna propago, Exprimit hoc celebris fontum pictura Gigantum, poem itself is written in hexameters, and is thus entitled: "SEPTEM CYCLOPEIDON LIBRI, Originem, Ingenium, Inftitutionem, Leges, et Regnum fatale bis nati CYCLOPIS, iucundo fatyrici generis figmento repræfentantes, olim in gratiam INTERIM cæpti, nunc autem demum Heroico Carmine elaborati, recenfque editi, per Menfonem Poppium Eurothalaffium alias Ofterzeenfem, |