the romantic manner of compofition
which had formerly prevailed, a new,
and what is commonly efteemed, a
more legitimate tafte of writing would
have fucceeded. But it was very flowly
that fuch a change was effected; nor
was any confiderable improvement
made in the ftate of criticism till a
long time after the restoration of anci-
ent learning. It was not to Homer, or
Virgil, or even to Taffo, that Spenfer.
looked up to for a model; but to
Ariofto: and it was confequently his
intention to produce a poem which
fhould confift of allegories, enchant-
ments, and romantic expeditions, con-
ducted by knights, giants, magicians,
and fictitious beings. If he was
blamable in this refpect, the fault is
not so much to be imputed to himself
as to the times in which he lived. It
was natural for him to follow the
mode of compofition which then was
most admired, and to adopt thofe
laws of tafte, which Italian critics had
approved for Italy, not France, was
in queen Elifabeth's reign the arbiter
of elegance; and in Italy, Ariofto was
greatly preferred to Taffo. Whether
this opinion was juft or not, we are
not here called upon to determine. It
is fufficient to our purpose to obferve,
that it was embraced by Spenfer;
and that upon this principle, the plan
of his poem, which is as follows, was
framed.

It is fuppofed by the poet, that the Faery Queene, according to an annual cuftom, held a magnificent feaft, that continued twelve days, in the course of which twelve feveral complaints are prefented before her. In order, therefore, to redress the injuries which occafioned these complaints, the difpatches, with proper, commifions, twelve knights, each of whom, in the adventure allotted to him, proves an example of fome particular virtue; and has one complete book affigned to him, of which he is the hero. Beside thefe twelve knights, feverally exemplifying twelve moral virtues, Spenier has conftituted one principal knight or general hero, viz,

Prince Arthur, who reprefents Mag nificence; a virtue which is fuppofed to be the perfection of all the reft. Arthur affifts in every book, and the end of his actions is to discover, and win Gloriana, or Glory. The character, in fhort, which the poet profeffes to pourtray, is the image of a brave knight perfected in the twelve private moral virtues.'

In eftablishing one hero, who should exemplify the grand character which the author had in view, he evidently copied the caft and conftruction of the ancient epic. But while he was fenfible of the importance of maintaining the unity of the hero and of his defign, he was not fufficiently convinced of the neceffity of preferving that unity of action, without which the former could not be properly accom plifhed. His method, at least, is very different from that which was practifed by Homer and Virgil, in conducting. their heroes to their propofed end. If it fhould be enquired how it is that Arthur executes the grand, fimple, and ultimate defign intended by Spenfer, it may be alleged that the hero, by lending his refpective affiftance to each of the twelve knights, approaches, in his allotted defence of them, ftill nearer and nearer to glory, till at last he gains a complete pof feffion. But the reward in this cafe is fuperior to the merit. Arthur, in ftead of merely giving his aid to the other knights, fhould have been the leading adventurer. If in his own perfon he had exerted himself in the protection of the twelve virtues, he might defervedly have been ftyled the perfect pattern of all, and have fuc ceeded in the task affigned, the at tainment of glory. As matters now ftand, the difficulties which we expect Arthur to furmount, in order to ac complish his final atchievement, are removed by others; and therefore he only fuftains a fubordinate or acceffory character. On the whole it remarked, that the adventures in the

may

be

Fairy Queen,' when separately taken as the fubject of each fingle book, have

not always a mutual dependence upon I each other, and confequently do not contribute, in the manner which they ought to have done, to form one legitimate poem. Spenfer was proba bly aware, that by conftituting twelve feveral adventures for twelve feveral heroes; the want of a general connection would often be difcerned: Per haps it was on this account that he was fometimes induced to refume and finish, in a diftant book, a tale formerly begun and left imperfect. This conduct, however, is highly inartificial; as it deftroys that repofe of mind which is felt after having accompanied a hero, through a variety of ftruggles and diftreffes, to fuccefs and victory. To introduce him afterward in a lower fcene of action, is to derogate from his dignity, and to fully the tranfcendent luftre of his former exploits.

It is probable that Spenfer would have involved both himself and his readers in lefs embarraffment, if he had made every book one entire detached poem of twelve cantos, without any reference to the reft. In that cafe he would have written twelve different books, in each of which he might have completed the pattern of a particular virtue in twelve knights refpectively; whereas by the method he has adopted, his endeavour to reprefent all the virtues exemplified in one, has failed of fuccefs.

gination and a strong fenfibility. His bufinefs was to engage the fancy, and to intereft the attention by bold and ftriking images; which were conceived with rapidity, and arranged without art. As the chief fources of delight were the various and the marvellous, Spenfer was naturally led to ranfack alike the regions of reality and romance, of truth and fiction, in order to find the proper decorations and furniture for his noble undertaking. Deftitute, there, as the Fairy Queen' may be thought to be of that economy which epic feverity requires, we fcarcely regret the lofs, while it is fo amply fupplied by fomething more powerfully attracting; fomething which engages the feelings of the heart, in preference to the cold approbation of the head. If there be any poem, the graces of which please, because they are fituated beyond the reach of art, and in which the force and faculties of creative imagination give the higheft delight, Spenfer's is that poem. Though the critic may not be fatisfied, the reader is tranfported; which is perhaps the best of all praises.

Did the nature and limits of our article admit of it, we might, with the affiftance of the able writer who has paid the beft and completest attention to the subject, enter into a long difcuffion of the Fairy Queen.' We might enlarge on Spenfer's imitations from old romances, and from Chaucer and Ariofto; on his use and abuse of ancient history and mythology; on his allegorical character; and on various other particulars: but it must fuffice to take fome notice of his ftanza, verfification, and language. The ftanza, with the addition of one line, was adopted by him from the practice of Ariofto and Taffo, the fashionable poets of the age. But in choosing this ftanza, Spenser did not pay a proper regard to the genius of the English language, which does not fall fo eafily as the Italian does, into a frequent repetition of the fame Nor did Ariofto and

Whatever truth there may be in thefe obfervations, it is not meant to apply them, in the way of condemnation, to the Fairy Queen.' It would not be reasonable to judge Spenfer by precepts which he did not attend to, and the authority of which was not acknowledged at the period wherein he lived. It would have been totally foreign to his defign, and to the nature of his fubject, to have conducted it according to the ftrict laws of claffical tafte, and the rules of Ariftotle. Our great poet proceeded upon a plan which was derived from the established modes and ideas of chivalry; and in doing this he wrote termination. with the exuberance of a warm ima.. Taffo embarrass themselves with the

neceffity of finding out fo many fimi
lar terminations as Spenfer. In their
Ottava Rima' there were only three
finilar endings, alternatively rhym-
ing; and the two laft lines formed a
diftinct rhyme: whereas, in Spenfer,
the fecond rhyme is repeated four
times, and the third three. By this
constraint, our poet was almoft un-
avoidably led into feveral faults of
confiderable magnitude. It hence
happened, that however unimportant
the thing might be which he intended
to exprefs, he was fometimes obliged
to dilate it with trifling and tedious
circumstances. At other times, when
matter failed toward the clofe of a
ftanza, he was laid under the necef-
fity of running into a ridiculous re-,,
dundancy and repetition of words;
and he was occafionally forced to
make out his compliment of rhymes,
by introducing a puerile or imperti
nent idea.
To the difficulty of a
ftanza, fo injudiciously chofen, may
be properly imputed the great num-
ber of his ellipfes; for it is eafy to
conceive, that the contraint which is
productive of fuperfluity, fhould be
likewife the cause of omiflion.

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Though thefe inconveniences flowed from Spenser's measure, it must nevertheless be acknowledged, that fome advantages arofe from it; and it may in particular be affirmed, that the full nefs and fignificancy of his defcriptions are frequently owing to the prolixity of his flanza. Laden as he was with fo many fhackles, it is indeed furprising that he should, upon the whole, execute a poem of fuch uncommon length with fo much eafe and fpirit. He has not been fo carelefs as to permit the fame word to be repeated as a rhyme to itself, in more than four or five inftances; which is an extraordinary circumftance, when we confider the time wherein he wrote, and the nature of his ftanza. Amid his affected and too frequent ufe of obfolete words and phrafes, his ftyle, in general, is diftinguished by its perfpicuity and facility. His lines are feldom broken by tranfpofitions, antithefes, or parenthefes; and his

fenfe and found are equally flowing and uninterrupted. In fhort, when every fault is pointed out which can be afcribed, either to the author himfelf, or to the age in which he flourished, it will still be found, that he eminently excelled in the richness of his harmony, and the beauty of his verfification.

In the character of a poet, Spenfer fuftains a very high and eminent rank. We thould run no hazard of rational contradiction, were we to affert, that in powers of invention and richness of fancy, he has fcarcely ever been exceeded. To the difplay of these talents, the fubjects he was led to by the fashionable reading of the times were peculiarly accommodated. There could not be more admirable instruments in the hands of a genuine poet, than the adventures and manners of chivalry, and the fuperftitions and enchantments of the dark ages. They gave fcope for all the wildness and beauty of imagery, and for all the fplendour and majefty of defcription; circumftances of which Spenfer hath availed himself in the highest degree. As, therefore, the Fairy Queen' comes recommended to us by fo many excellencies, it may be thought furprifing that, at prefent, it fhould, comparatively, have only a fmall number of readers. But this may be accounted for from feveral caufes. The customs and manners defcribed by Spenfer are vanished away, and confequently are little understood by the bulk of mankind. His allufions, likewife, are often too abstruse and learned for common apprehenfion; and fome degree of obfoletenefs hangs upon his language. Nor is allegorical poetry adapted to the general understanding. Hence it is that Spenser, with all his merit, can only be the lafting favourite of the few, who, by reading and true tafte, are fully quali fied to appreciate, and to feel, his tranfcendent beauties. By fuch perfons, he will be admired and applauded, fo long as poetry fhall continue to be the object of admiration and ap plaufe.

Ac

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ACCOUNT of an Extraordinary CONVERSION. To the EDITOR of the UNIVERSAL MAGAZINE.