er bowre the Sunne received;

hot Syrian Dog on him awayting, 5

er the chafed Lyons cruell bayting,

Corrupted had th'

ayre with his noyfome breath, And powr'd on th' earth plague, peftilence, and

death.

Emongst the reft a wicked maladie

Raign'd emongst men, that manie did to die, 10

* Mother Hubberds Tale.] In this Poem we have a fpecimen of Spenfer's genius in Satire, a talent he very feldom exercised. This Fable is after the old manner of Chaucer, of whom it is an excellent imitation; and perhaps the antiquated stile has no ill effect in improving the humour of the Story. The Morality of it is admirable. Every one will obferve that keennefs of wit, with which he has reprefented the arts of ill Courtiers. In the defcription of a good Courtier, which is fo finely fet off by the contrary characters, it is believed the author had in his view Sir Philip Sidney, of whom this feems to be a very just as well as beautiful picture. HUGHES.

,

R

F

PROSOP ΟΡΟΙΑ:

OR

MOTHER HUBBERDS TALE *.

IT was the month, in which the righteous

Maide,

That for difdaine of finfull worlds upbraide Fled back to heaven, whence fhe was firft conceived,

Into her filver bowre the Sunne received;
And the hot Syrian Dog on him awayting, 5
After the chafed Lyons cruell bayting,
Corrupted had th' ayre with his noyfome breath,
And powr'd on th' earth plague, peftilence, and
death.

Emongst the rest a wicked maladie

Raign'd emongit men, that manie did to die, 10

Mother Hubberds Tale.] In this Poem we have a fpecimen of Spenfer's genius in Satire, a talent he very feldom exercised. This Fable is after the old manner of Chaucer, of whom it is an excellent imitation; and perhaps the antiquated stile has no ill effect in improving the humour of the Story. The Morality of it is admirable. Every one will obferve that keennefs of wit, with which he has reprefented the arts of ill Courtiers. In the defcription of a good Courtier, which is fo finely fet off by the contrary characters, it is believed the author had in his view Sir Philip Sidney, of whom this feems to be a very juft as well as beautiful picture. HUGHES.

Depriv'd of fenfe and ordinarie reason;
That it to leaches feemed ftrange and geafon.
My fortune was, mongst manie others moe,
To be partaker of their common woe;
And my weake bodie, fet on fire with griefe, 15
Was rob'd of rest and naturall reliefe.

In this ill plight, there came to visite mee
Some friends, who, forie my fad cafe to fee,
Began to comfort me in chearfull wife,
And meanes of gladfome folace to devife. 20
But feeing kindly fleep refufe to doe

His office, and my feeble eyes forgoe,

They fought my troubled fenfe how to de

ceave

25

With talke, that might unquiet fancies reave; And, fitting all in feates about me round, With pleasant tales (fit for that idle stound) They caft in courfe to waste the wearie howres:Some tolde of Ladies, and their Paramoures; Some of brave Knights, and their renowned Squires;

Some of the Faeries and their strange attires; 30

Ver. 12.

geafon.] Uncommon. See the note on F. Q. vi. iv. 37, and Vif. of the Worlds Vanity, ver. 5. TODD.

Ver. 28. Some tolde of Ladies, &c.] Stories of this kind were among the favourite paftimes of our ancestors. See Burton's Anat. of Melancholy, edit. 1624, p. 230. "The ordinary recreations which we have in Winter, &c. are-merry tales of errant Knights, Kings, Queens, Louers, Lords, Ladies, Giants, Dwarfes, Theeves, Fayries, &c." TODD.