Frifium, verbi miniftrum in Manflacht Frifia Orientalis. Anno 1555." The palace of Night, who reprefents the influence of Popery, is defcribed in the first Book with much spirit; and Night is attended with the following allegorical perfonages: "Ipfa fatellitio ftipatur utrinque frequenti: "Primo dextra loco iacet Ignorantia veri. "Hinc fine iudicio fine mente recumbit ovillis, "Moribus et nugas Perfuafio difcit aniles. "Inde Superftifo tetro fedet impia visu : "Falfaque iuftitiæ propriæ patrona, fuique "Admiratrix, externoque Philautia cultu "Splendida, at interius vivæ virtutis inanis: "Et foror huius amans tremulis replicare labellis Murmura, continuo vocis prolata fufurro

"Ac humeris inflexa caput Simulatio vana:

"Securoque placens fibi Confidentia geftu,

"Impiaque ignitis Truculentia fpectat ocellis, &c."

I know not whether THE VOYAGE OF THE WANDRING KNIGHT, a French fpiritual romance, was published in its own language before the FAERIE QUEENE. But the English translation of it was dedicated to Sir Francis Drake, Spenfer's cotemporary, who died in 1597. This work has alfo been unnoticed by the commentators. The following edition of it is in Sion College Library, London. "THE VOYAGE OF THE WANDRING KNIGHT. Shewing the whole courfe of Mans Life, how apt he is to follow Vanity, and how hard it is for him to attayn to Vertue. Devifed by John Cartheny, a Frenchman; and tranflated out of French into English, by IV. G. of Southampton, Merchant. A work worthy the reading; and dedicated to the Right Worshipfull Sir Francis Drake, Knight. Lond. 1650." 4to. bl. 1. The dedication contains many allufions to Sir Francis's acquaintance with the fea. The work is divided into three parts. In the first part, "Folly apparelleth and armeth the Wandring Knight, Ch. iv. The Wandring Knight, finding two wayes and doubtfull whether of them to take, there chaunced to come to him Vertue and Voluptuoufneffe, either of them offering to conduct and guide him on the way, Ch. vi. How the Wandring Knight was received and welcomed to the pallace of worldly Felicity, Ch. viii." In the fecond part, "Gods-Grace fheweth Hell unto the knight, with all the voluptuous company that hee faw in the pallace of worldly Felicity, Ch. ii." In the third part, Faith, Hope, and Charity are described, Ch. ii. iii. iv. &c. As are the four Moral Virtues, Ch. vii. And, in the eighth Chapter, Faith, like Spenfer's hermit, "from the top of the tower of the pallace of Lady Vertue fheweth unto the Knight the City of Heaven." Dẹ

And Du

Bure makes no mention of this fpiritual romance. Frefnoy only gives an account of an edition of it, not dated, but placed between two modern books of 1681 and 1729, in his Bibliotheque des Romans, tom. ii. 172. "Le voyage du Chevalier errant, par Jean de Carthemi, Dominicain, in 8vo." Spiritual allegories of this kind, I may add, became frequent in this country, and were read with avidity. Witness "THE ISLE OF MAN: or, The Legall Proceeding in Man-fhire against Sinne. Wherein, by way of a continued Allegorie, the chiefe Malefactors difturbing both Church and Commonwealth are de tected and attached; with their Arraignment, and Judiciall Trial, according to the Lawes of England. The Spirituall vse thereof, with an apologie for the manner of handling, most ne ceffary to be first read, for direction in the right vfe of the Allegory thorowout, is added in the end. By Rich. Bernard, Rector of Batcomb, Somerfet. 1628." 12mo. The fifth edition of this work, is that which now lies before me. To this work I am of opinion we may attribute John Bunyan's PILGRIM'S PRO GRESS; and alfo Benjamin Keach's TRAVELS OF TRUE GOD LINESS, and his PROGRESS OF SIN. Perhaps P. Fletcher had also in mind the ISLE of MAN, when he denominated his allegorical poem The Purple ISLAND. There is, however, an elder work, entitled "ROOME FOR A MESSE OF KNAVES," 4to. 1610, in which is "A narration of a ftrange but true battell fought in the little Ie (or worlde) of Man." Man is reprefented as a "caftle beleaguer'd by two huge armies;" the Virtues, and the Vices. And the author feems to have had his eye on the foes of Alma in the FAERIE QUEENE.

Neither Mr. Spence nor Mr. Warton have made the leaft mention of Henry More's PLATONICK SONG OF THE SOUL; a poem written avowedly in imitation of Spenfer, and often presenting as just an allegory and as fweet a ftanza as the ori ginal which it profeffes to follow. This poem, in three Books, was first printed in 1642, and again in 1647. Milton, I think, appears to have read it with attention. More indeed was his fellow-collegian, and friend. The criticks have alfo neglected to notice the PSYCHE, OR LOVE'S MYSTERIE, by Jof. Beaumont, fol. 1651.

It remains, that I should mention the allegorical defign of one of Spenfer's cotemporaries, viz. John Day, whom I suppose to be the dramatick writer of that name, and who was a member of Caius College, Cambridge. The work, of which I am to give an account, is in manufcript; and is one of the many literary curiofities which belonged to the late Duke of Bridgewater, and now belong to his Grace's nephew, Earl Gower. It is entitled, PEREGRINATIO SCHOLASTICA, or, Learninges Pillgrimadge. Containeinge the ftraunge Aduentures, and various

Entertainements, he founde in his trauailes towardes the shrine of Latria. Compofede, and deuided into feuerall Morrall Tractates, by John Daye, Cantabr." It is not dated. In his dedication to Mr. Thomas Dowton, gentleman, he calls his composition "a morall poeme;" but he could not mean a metrical compofition, for the whole is in profe. The Tractates are twenty in number. The firft contains " Learninges parentage, his occasion of Trauaile, his attendants, and entertainement amongst the Cofmophili, or world. louers." The fecond, "An inuitation from Poneria; his purpoffe to vifit her, with the loffe of Time, &c." The fifth, "what mafques and dances Ponerias 7 champeons entertaine him withall; at which he fell in loue with Poneria." The fixth, "Alethe incaftrata, or Truthe in prifoun, difcouering Poneria to be a ftrumpett; and her feven champeons, the 7 deadlie fins." The characters of the feven deadly. fins are drawn with reference to Gower, Chaucer, Lydgate, &c. In the laft Tractate, "Experience directs Learning the next and onelie way to the shrine of Latria." This account may ferve to fhow the fonduefs for allegory in Spenfer's days. TODD.

MR. WARTON'S

REMARKS

ON

SPENSER'S STANZA, VERSIFICATION, AND

LANGUAGE.

ALTHOUGH Spenfer's favourite Chaucer had made ufe of the ottava rima, or stanza of eight lines; yet it seems probable, that Spenfer was principally induced to adopt it, with the addition of one line, from the practice of Ariofto and Taffo,

a Chaucer's ftanza is not ftrictly fo. Betuffi, in his life of Boccace, acquaints us, that Boccace was the inventor of the ottava rima, and that the Thefeide of that author was the firstpoem in which it was ever applied. T. WARTON.

the most fashionable poets of his age. But Spenfer, in choofing this ftanza, did not fufficiently confider the genius of the English language, which does not eafily fall into a frequent repetition of the fame termination; a circumftance natural to the Italian, which deals largely in identical cadences.

Befides, it is to be remembered, that Taffo and Ariofto did not embarrass themselves with the neceffity of finding out fo many fimilar terminations as Spenfer. Their ottava rima has only three fimilar endings, alternately rhyming. The two laft lines formed a diftinct rhyme. But, in Spenfer, the fecond rhyme is repeated four times, and the third three. This conftraint led our author into many abfurdities; the most striking and obvious of which feem to be the following.

I. It obliged him to dilate the thing to be ex preffed, however unimportant, with trifling and tedious circumlocutions, viz. F. Q. ii. ii. 44.

"Now hath fair Phoebe with her filver face
"Thrife feene the fladowes of this neather world,
"Sith laft I left that honourable place,

"In which her roiall presence is enrold."

That is, It is three months fince I left her palace. II. It neceffitated him, when matter failed towards the clofe of a ftanza, to run into a ridiculous redundancy and repetition of words, as in F. Qii. ix. 33.

"In which was nothing pourtrahed nor wrought, "Nor wrought nor pourtrahed, but eafie to be thought." III. It forced him, that he might make out his complement of rhymes, to introduce a puerile or impertinent idea, as in F. Q. ii. ix. 45.

See examples of the measures of the Provencial poets, in Petrarch. Spenfer forms a compound of many of thefe, T. WARTON.

"Nor that proud towre of Troy, though richly GUILT." Being here laid under the compulfion of producing a confonant word to Spilt and built, which are preceding rhymes, he has mechanically given us an image at once little and improper.

To the difficulty of a stanza fo injudiciously chofen, I think we may properly impute the great number of his elleipfes; and it may be easily conceived, how that constraint, which occafioned fuperfluity, fhould at the fame time be the caufe of omiffion.

Notwithstanding thefe inconveniencies flow from Spenfer's measure, it must yet be owned, that fome advantages arife from it; and we may venture to affirm, that the fullness and fignificancy of Spenser's descriptions, is often owing to the prolixity of his stanza, and the multitude of his rhymes. The difcerning reader is defired to confider the following ftanza, as an inftance of what is here advanced. Guyon is binding FUROR, F. Q. ii. iv. 15.

"With hundred yron chaines he did him bind, “And hundred knots, that did him fore constraine: "Yet his great yron teeth he still did grind, "And grimly gnafh, threatning revenge in vaine: "His burning eyen, whom bloody ftrakes did ftaine, "Stared full wide, and threw forth fparkes of fyre; "And, more for ranck defpight then for great paine, "Shake his long locks colourd like copper-wyre, "And bit his tawny beard to fhew his raging yre.'

In the subsequent ftanza there are fome images, which perhaps were produced by a multiplicity of rhymes. F. Q. iv. v. 45.

"He all that night, that too long night, did passe:
"And now the day out of the ocean-mayne

Began to peepe above this earthly maffe,

"With pearly dew fprinkling the morning graffe:
"Then up he rofe like heavie lump of lead,
"That in his face, as in a looking glaffe,

"The figns of anguifh one might plainely read."