"unless it be in small and popular mufickes fong by "these cantabanqui upon benches and barrels heads, "where they have none other audience than boyes, "or country fellowes, that paffe by them in the streete; "or elfe by blind harpers, or fuch like taverne-min«ftrels, that give a fit of mirth for a groat; and their "matters being, for the most part, stories of old time; "as, the Tale of Sir Topas, the Reportes of Bevis of "Southampton, Guy of Warwicke, Adam Bell, and "Clymme of the Clough, and fuch other old Ro❝mances or hiftorical Rhymes, made purpofely for "recreation of the common people at christmasse "diners, and brideales; and in tavernes, and alehouses, "and such places of base refort: also they be used in "carols and rounds, and fuch light or lafcivious po❝emes, which are commonly more commodiously "uttered by these buffoons and VICES in plays, than

by any other perfon: fuch were the rimes of Skelton "(ufurping the name of a poet laureate) being in deede "but a rude rayling rimer, and all his doings ridicu "lous; he ufed both short distances and fhort mea"fures, pleasing only the popular eare; in our courtly ' MAKER we banish them utterly *." Hence it appears, that Chaucer's pieces, or at least legends drawn from him, were, at that time, fung to the harp; for

the tale, or rime, of Sir Topas is a poem of Chaucer now extant: fo the Italians, at prefent, fing Taffo and Ariofto. Adam Bell and Clym of the Clough were two famous archers: the former of which is, on that account, alluded to by Shakespeare.

The fame author, in another place, fpeaks of this kind of entertainment, by which we may conjecture that it was not always confined to so vulgar an audience. "We ourselves, who compiled this treatise, "have written for pleasure, a little brief romance, or "historical ditty, in the English tong, of the isle of "Great-Britaine, in fhort and long meeters; and by "breaches or divifions to be more commodiously fung "to the harpe in places of affembly, where the com"pany shall be defirous to hear of old adventures, and "valiaunces of noble knights in times paft; as are "those of king Arthur, and his knights of the round "table; Sir Bevys of Southampton, Guy of War"wicke, and such other like *.'

But to return: the circumstance of the Dragon not being able to approach within feven feet of this well, is imitated by our author St. 49. below, where another water is mentioned, which in like manner preferves the knight.

But nigh thereto the ever-damned beaft
Durft not approache, for he was mortal made,
And all that life preferved did deteft,

Yet he it oft adventur'd to invade.

We feel a fort of malicious triumph in detecting the latent and obfcure fource, from whence an original author has drawn fome celebrated description; yet this, it must be granted, foon gives way to the rapture that naturally refults from contemplating the chymical energy of true genius, which can produce fo noble a transmutation; and whofe virtues are not lefs efficacious and vivifying in their nature, than those of the miraculous water here displayed by Spenser.

I take this opportunity of mentioning, by the way, that our author, in his Dragon-encounters, circumstantially adopts all the incidents which occur on this article in romances.

An ingenious correfpondent has communicated to me an old ballad, or metrical romance, called the Boy and the mantle, on which Spenser's conceit of Florimel's girdle is evidently founded. A boy brings into king Arthur's hall, at Cairleoln, a magical mantle, by which trial is made of the fidelity of each of the ladies of the feveral

feveral knights. But this fiction is as manifeftly taken from an old french piece, entitled, Le Court Mantel; part of which is quoted by M. de la Curne de Sainte Palaye †, in his learned and entertaining memoirs of ancient chivalry, and who informs us, that it is form

ed on the tale of the Enchanted Cup. Most of these old romantic ftories in english, I prefume, first existed in french or italian.

Several other incidental imitations of romance, will be pointed out occafionally. As to Spenser's original and genealogy of the fairy nation, I am inclined to conjecture, that part of it was supplied by his own inexhaustible imagination, and part from some fabulous hiftory.

He tells us, (b. 2. 10. 70.) that man, as first made by Prometheus, was called ELFE, who wandering over the world, at length arrived at the gardens of "Adonis, where he found a female, whom he called FAY. Elfe, according to Junius, is derived from the runic Alfur; who likewise endeavours to prove, that the faxons called the ELFES, or spirits, of the Downs, Dunelfen; of the Fields, Feldelfen; of the Hills,

* Manuscript Collection of old Ballads, No. 89.

A Paris, 1760, 12mo, tom. prem, pag. 119.

Muntelfen;

Muntelfen; of the Woods, Wudelfen, &c*. ELFE, fignifies quick. FAY, or FAIRY, I shall explain hereafter.

The iffue of ELFE and FAY were called Fairies, who foon grew to be a mighty people, and conquered all nations. Their eldeft fon Elfin governed America; and the next to him, named Elfinan, founded the city of Cleopolis, which was enclosed with a golden wall by Elfiline. His fon Elfine overcame the Gobbelines; but, of all Fairies, Elfant was moft renowned, who built Panthea, of cryftal. To these fucceeded Elfar, who flew two brethren-giants; and to him Elfinor, who built a bridge of glafs over the fea, the found of which was like thunder. At length Elficleos ruled the Fairy land with much wisdom, and highly advanced it's power and honour: He left two fons, the eldest of which, fair Elferon, died a premature death, his place being fupplied by the mighty Oberon; a prince, whose "wide memorial" ftill remains; and who dying, left Tanaquil to fucceed him by will, fhe being alfo called Glorian, or GLORIANA.

In the ftory of Enfinel, who overcame the Gobbelines, he either alludes to the fiction of the Guelfes

*See Janius, Etymolog. in ELFE. Etymologifts greatly differ about the word.

and