1 Again. Pluto that is king of FAYRIE. Proferpine and all her FAYRIE. In the fame. And I, quoth the Quene, [Proferpine] am of FAYRIE. In the Knight's Tale, when the brazen horfe was brought into Cambufcan's hall, It was of FAYRIE, as the people deem'd*. That is," the people thought this wonderful horse "was the work of the devil, and made in hell." And in the romance of the Seven Champions, Proferpine is called the FAIRY Queen, and faid " to fit crowned amongft her FAYRIES +." In Harfenet's Declaration ‡, Mercury is called "Prince of the FAIRIES." This fiction of the Fairies, is fupposed to have been brought, with other fantastic extravagancies of the like nature, from the eastern nations, while the european christians were engaged in the holy war; thofe *V. 221. Part 1. ch. 16. Of Popish Imposture, &c, 1602. pag. 57. ch, 12, expeditions expeditions being the first subjects of the elder romance. These are the words of one who has shewn his masterly skill and penetration in every part of literature. "Nor ❝were the monftrous embellishments of enchantments, * &c. the invention of the romancers; but formed upon "eaftern tales, brought thence by travellers from their "crufades and pilgrimages, which indeed have a caft "peculiar to the wild imagination of the eastern people *”. That the fairies, in particular, came from the eaft, the teftimony of M. Herbelot will more fully confirm; who tells us, that the perfians call the Fairies Peri, and the arabs Ginn; that they feign, there is a certain country inhabited by them, called Ginnistian, which anfwers to our Fairy-land; and that the antient romances of Perfia, are full of Peri or Fairies +. See alfo Ginn, or Gian, in Herbelot; under the latter of which, that learned orientalift further informs us, that there is an arabian book, entitled, "Pieces de corail * Supplement to the Tranfl. Pref. ad Jarvis's Don Quixotte. + Littleness is not always implied in Fairy. Thus we have Morgan le FAY, Morgan the FAIRY, one of the queens in Morte Arthur, an ELFIN Lady. She is called Morgan la FEE in the french romance, "La TABLE RONDE, autrement dit LAUNCELOT du LAKE," in two folio volumes: The First of which was printed at Rouen, 1428, by John le Bourgeois. The Second, at Paris, in the fame year, by John de Pre. They are said [fol. ult. vøl, 2.] to be extracted from many true hiftories, by GUALTIER DE MAP. There is a french romance of the Atchievement of the SANGRAAL, by ROBERT DE BORRON. "amaffées "amaffées fur ce qui regarde le GINNES, ou "Genies." The notions however, fo effential to books of chivalry, of giants, necromancers, enchantments, &c. were perhaps established, although not universally, in Europe, before the time of the crusades. All the Sagas, or antient iflandic hiftories, are full of them. The Fairies, in particular, held a very important rank in the old Celtic mythology*. The northern nations called them Duergar, or Dwarfs. Thus the fword Tirfing, in the fcaldic dialogue between Hervor and Angantyr, is called Duerga Smidi, the work of the Dwarfst. This ftrengthens the hypothefis of the northern part of Europe, particularly Scandinavia, being peopled by colonies from the east, under the command of their general, or god, ODIN. It is well known, how strongly the fuperftitious belief of fpirits, or invifible agents, affigned to different parts of nature, prevails even in Scotland at this day. Our old romantic hiftory supposes, that Arthur ftill reigns in Fairy-Land, from which he will one day re *See Hervarer Saga of Olaus Verelius, fol. pag. 44, 45. And Hickes's Thefaur. tom. 2. pag. 311, et feq. [per H. Wanley.] See alfo what is faid above, concerning ELFE. Hickes's Thefaur. vol. 1. pag. 193. cap. 23. turn turn to Britain, and reeftablish the round table in it's original fplendor. He is a king ycrownid in Fairie, With scepter, and fword: and with his regally Shall refort as lord and foveraigne Out of Fairie, and reigne in Britaine ; And repair again the old round table. By prophecy Merlin fet the date *. The fame tradition is mentioned by Cervantes in Don Quixote t. Many other examples might be alledged, from which it would be more abundantly manifested, that our author's imagination was entirely poffeffed with that species of reading, which was the fashion and the delight of his age. The lovers of Spenser, I hope, will not think I have been too tedious in a difquifition, which has contributed not only to illuftrate many particular paffages in their favorite poet, but to display the general caft and colour of his poem. Some there are, who will cenfure what I have collected on this fubject, as both trifling and uninteresting; but such readers can have no tafte for Spenser, * Lydgate, Fall of Princes, b. 8. ch, 25. + Part 1, ch. 5. K SECT. SECT. III. Of Spenfer's Ufe and Abufe of antient Hiftory and Mythology. A S Spenfer fought to produce furprise by extravagant incidents and fantastic descriptions, great part of claffical history and mythology afforded ample materials for fuch a defign, and properly coincided with the general aim of his romantic plan. He has accordingly adopted some of their most extraordinary fictions, in many of which he has departed from the received tradition, as his purpofe and fubject occafionally required or permitted. But with regard to our author's mifreprefentation of antient fable, it may be justly urged, that from those arguments which are produced against his fidelity, new proofs arife in favour of his fancy. Spenfer's native force of invention would not fuffer him to pursue the letter of prescribed fiction, with fcrupulous obfervation and fervile regularity. In many particulars he varies from antiquity, only to fubftitute new beauties; and from a flight mention of one or two leading circumstances in antient fable, takes an opportunity to display fome new fiction of his own coinage. He fometimes, in the fervour of compofition, mifrepresents these matters through |