Both Warton and Campbell have detailed the plan and execution of the Confessio Amantis, and which the latter says is peculiarly ill contrived. A lover, whose case has not a particle of interest, applies according to the Catholic ritual to a Confessor, who, at the same time, whimsically enough, bears the additional character of a Pagan Priest of Venus, and like the Mystagogue in the Picture of Cebes, is called Genius. The Holy Father, it is true, speaks like a good Christian, and communicates more scandal about the intrigues of Venus than Pagan Author ever told. A pretext is afforded by the ceremony of confession, for the Priest not only to initiate his Pupil in the duties of a lover, but in the wide range of ethical and physical knowledge; and at the mention of every virtue and vice, a tale is introduced by way of illustration. Does the Confessor wish to warn the Lover against impertinent curiosity? He introduces a propos to that failing, the History of Actæon, of peeping memory. The Confessor inquires if he is addicted to a vain glorious disposition; because if he is, he can tell him a story about Nebuchadnezzar. Does he wish to hear of the virtue of conjugal patience? it is aptly inculcated by the anecdote respecting Socrates, who, when he received the contents of Xantippe's pail upon his head replied to the provocation only by a witticism. Thus with shrieving narrations, and didactic speeches, the work is extended to thirty thousand lines, in the course of which the virtues and vices are all regularly allegorized.* The Confessio Amantis (says Warton) was written at the command of Richard 2d, who, meeting our Poet Gower Campbell's Essay. rowing on the Thames near London, invited him into the royal barge, and after much conversation requested him to book some new thing. Gower's particular model (says Warton) appears to have been John of Meun's Romaunt de la Rose. He has, however, seldom attempted to imitate the picturesque imageries, and expressive personifications, of that exquisite allegory. His most striking portraits, which yet are conceived with no powers of creation, nor delineated with any fertility of fancy, are idleness, avarice, micherie or thieving, and negligence the secretary of sloth. Instead of boldly clothing these qualities with corporeal attributes, aptly and poetically imagined, he coldly, yet sensibly, describes their operations and enumerates their properties. What Gower wanted in invention he supplied from his common-place Book, which appears to have been stored with an inexhaustible fund of instructive maxims, pleasant narrations, and philosophical definitions. It seems to have been his object to croud all his erudition into this elaborate perform ance; and there is often some degree of contrivance and art in his manner of introducing and adapting subjects of a very distant nature, and which are totally foreign to his general design. Considered in a general view, the Confessio Amantis' may be pronounced to be no unpleasing miscellany of those shorter tales which delighted the readers of the middle age. 6 The only Classics which our Author cites are Virgil, Ovid, Horace, and Tully. Amidst his grave Literature, he appears to have been a great reader of Romances.* The Rev. Mr. Todd, in his Account of the Lives and Wri * Warton. tings of Gower and Chaucer, has aptly illustrated Warton's preceding remark, by citing from the Lambeth MSS. a bequest by Guy Beauchamp Earl of Warwick, to the Abbey of Bordesley in Worcestershire, of a long list of Romances, some of which are alluded to by Gower himself, and it is therefore reasonable to suppose that he was well acquainted with many others in this collection. It is an exceedingly curious illustration of Ancient Literary History, and will amply repay the inquisitive reader for the trouble of turning to p. 161, of the "Illustrations of Gower and Chaucer," 8vo. London, 1810. Mr. Ellis, in his Specimens of the Early English Poets, vol. i. has pointed out some portions of Gower's work, which he thinks might be reprinted with advantage Danse Macabre. La Danse Macabre. First Edition. Small folio. Paris. 1485. Ce présent Livre est appelé Miroer salutaire pour toutes gens.-La Danse Macabre nouvelle.-La Danse Macabre des Femmes, et le debat du Corps et de l'Ame. Folio. Impr. à Paris par Guyot Marchant. 1486. At the Valliere sale 45 francs. A copy on vellum, with 35 highly finished illuminations, is in the Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth. There was also a copy of the first part of this volume printed on vellum, with 19 illuminations, sold at the Valliere sale for 220 francs. The dates of some of the other editions of this rarity are 1490, 1491, 1499, 1501, 1531, 1550, and 1589. Edit. de Troyes. Folio. Sans date. Nicholas Le Rouge. Sold for 19 francs at the Gaignat sale. La Grande Danse Macabre des Hommes et des Femmes, Historiée et Renouvellée de vieux Gaulois en Langage le plus poly de notre tems. Le debat du Corps et de l'Ame. avec L'Exhortation de bien vivre et de bien mourir. La Vie du mauvais Ante-Christ. Les quinze signes. Le Jugement. A Troyes Chez la Veuve Oudot. 4to. 1723. This is a very singular and curious production, as much on account of the spirited wood cuts, which resemble in form those ornamenting the earliest Speculum, as for the French Versification or Dialogues by Marot, in explanation of this Dance of Death-the original of which evidently appears to have been Hans Holbein's exemplar in his " Triomphe de la Mort," wherein he has taken pretty nearly all the personages in the Danse Macabre, and amplified the subject; but to my mind the story is much better and more distinctly told in its rude original, than in what seems to be only a more polished copy. Hans Holbein was born 1498, and the first edition of the Danse Macabre appeared 1485. It is Warton's opinion that the Dance of Death cut in Wood was the work of Albert Durer and not of Hans Holbein. Rubens set the highest value on it and recommended it to Sandraart, informing him at the same time that he in his youth had copied it. See more on this subject in War ton's Observations, vol. ii. p. 117, &c. 、 The Troyes edition of 1723, by the Widow Oudot, I have; it consists of 38 leaves, having wood-cut head-pieces to almost every page: each cut of the Danse Macabre contains four figures, viz. two of Death and two of the Personages he is addressing. The Vignette to the Title-page represents four Skeletons playing in concert, on bagpipe, hurdy gurdy, harp, pipe and tabor. At the back of the Title, is a representation of the Author, and facing him three emblematical figures, and beneath are 16 lines in verse. The next leaf begins the Work by a repetition of the Vignette on the Title, and a Poetical Quartetto by these Skeleton Performers, and, as a specimen, I shall give the chant of Le Troisiéme Mort. Ces cent ans sont bientot passez. These four relentless personages then quit their troubadour occupation, and begin to lay violent hands on the Pope, the Emperor, the Cardinal, and the King: the Pope wishes to excuse himself from quadrilling with Death, and pleads ineffectually his sanctity as God's Vicar, and the bearer of St. Peter's keys.-The Emperor seems less unwilling, as he does not know where to appeal against Death's unmannerly citation, and thinks a death bed easier and lighter than an Emperor's throne and diadem.-The Cardinal is told he must throw off his rich robes with his astonishment, and join in the dance, Death then addresses the King as follows; |