But although Spenfer disapproved of this corrupt adulteration of style, so fashionable in his age, yet we find him notwithstanding, frequently introducing words from a foreign tongue, fuch as, vifnomie, amen, ance, arret, mefprife, fovenance, afrap, aguife, amenage, obafe, and the like; but these words the frequent return of his rhyme obliged him to introduce, and accordingly they will generally be found at the end of his lines. The poverty of our tongue, or rather the unfrequency of it's identical terminations, compelled him likewife, for the fake of rhyme, perpetually to coin new english words, fuch as damnify'd, unmercify'd, wonderment, warriment, unruliment, habitaunce, hazardrie, &c. &c. To this caufe his many latinisms alfo may be attributed, which, like all the reft, are substituted to make out the neceffary jingle. no translation, I prefume, of fuch a novel into english; if then it be granted, that Shakespeare generally took his italian ftories from their english translations, and that the arguments above, concerning the prior antiquity of this ballad are true, it will follow that Shakespeare copied from this ballad. I fhall only add, that it appears from S. Goffon's Schoole of Abuse, printed in 1579; that the character of a cruel and covetous Few had been exhibited with good applaufe, before Shakespeare's Shylock appeared. The author is commending fome plays, and among the reft, "The JEWE and Ptolome fhewne at the bull; the one reprefenting the greedineffe of worldly chufers, and bloudy minds of Ufurers, the other, &c.” The The cenfure of Jonson, upon our author's ftyle, is perhaps unreasonable: "Spenser, in affecting the an❝tients, writ no language*." The ground-work and fubftance of his style is the language of his age. This indeed is feafoned with various expreffions, adopted from the elder poets; but in fuch a manner, that the language of his age was rather strengthened and dignified, than debased or difguifed, by fuch a practice. In truth, the affectation of Spenfer in this point, is by no means fo ftriking and visible, as Jonson has infinuated; nor is his phraseology fo difficult and obfolete, as it is generally fuppofed to be. For many ftanzas together, we may frequently read him with as much facility, as we can the fame number of lines in Shakespeare. But although I cannot subscribe to Jonson's opinion concerning Spenfer's language, I must confefs that the following fentiments of that critic, concerning the use of old words in poetry, are admirable. "Words "borrowed of antiquity do lend a kind of majesty to ❝ftyle, and are not without their delight fometimes. "For they have the authority of yeares, and out of ❝ their intermiffion do lend a kind of grace-like newneffe. BUT THE ELDEST OF THE PRESENT, " AND THE NEWEST OF THE PAST LANGUAGE “IS THE BEST*." But Jonson has literally tranflated the latter part of the paragraph, from Quintilian, "ERGO UT NOVORUM without acknowledgment. "OPTIMA ERUNT MAXIME VETERA, ITA VETE"RUM MAXIME NOVA†.” I conclude this Section with a paffage from the nervous, poetical, and witty Satires of bifhop Hall; who having cenfured the petty poets of his age, for their various corruptions, and licentious abuses, of the english language, makes this compliment to Spenfer. 66 But lett no rebel fatyr dare traduce * DISCOVERIES. + Inftit. Or. 1. 1. cap. 6. B. 1. f. 4. These fatires [the three first books] were first printed by T. Creede, for R. Dexter, Lond. 1597. 12mo. The three last books appeared in an edition entitled, " Virgidemiarum, The three laft bookes of byting Satyres, Anon. Lond. printed by R. Eradocke, for R. Dexter, "&c. 1598." 12mo. It begins with fat. 1. of lib. 4. The next edition [of the whole] is, "Virgidemiarum, The three laft [in reality all the fix] bookes of the byting Satyres, corrected and amended, with fome T has been before obferved in general, that Spen I fer copied the language of Chaucer and it is evident, that in many paffages he has imitated Chaucer's fentiment. It is frequently true, that parallelists mistake Refemblances for Thefts. But this doctrine by no means affects the inftances which I fhall give in this fection, of Spenser's imitations from Chaucer, and which I fhall produce in the next, of the paffages he has copied from Ariofto. Spenfer is univerfally acknowledged to have been an attentive reader, and a profeffed admirer, of both these poets. His imitations from the former are most commonly literal, couched in the expreffions of the original. What he has drawn from Ariofto are artificial fictions, which In a additions, by J. H, Lond. for R. Dexter, &c. 1599." 12mo. copy I have seen of this last edition, at the end are bound up, "Certaine "worthye manuscript poems of great antiquitie, reserved long in the "studie of a Northfolke Gentleman, now first published by J. S. Lond. "R. D. 1597." 12mo. The poems are, "The ftately Tragedy of "The "Guifcard and Sifmond." In two books, in the feven-lined stanza, It is Dryden's ftory, and feems about the age of Henry vii. "Northern Mother's Blefting, written nine yeares before the death of "G. Chaucer." "The Way to Thrift." They are dedicated to the worthieft poet MAISTER ED, SPENSER, confifting confifting of unnatural combinations, could not, on account of their fingularity, be fallen upon by both poets accidentally, as natural appearances might be, which lie exposed and obvious to all, at all times. We may therefore fafely pronounce the resemblances in the sections here mentioned, to have been intended. But I proceed to collect fome specimens of Spenser's imitations from Chaucer, both of language and fentiment. B. i. c. i. f. viii. Much can they praise the trees fo ftraight and high, The vine-prop elme, the poplar never dry, The builder oake, fole king of forests all, The afpine good for ftaves, the cypreffe funeral. ix. The laurell, meed of mighty conquerours, The carver holme, the maple fildom inward found. |