which we have already found noticed in his letter explaining the plan and allegory of the Fairy Queen—

that sweet verse, with nectar sprinkeled,

In which a gracious servant pictured
His Cynthia, his heaven's fairest light.

Only, he concludes, let "that same delicious poet" permit a rustic muse for a little while to appropriate his high theme, and let the fairest Cynthia not refuse to view herself in more mirrors than one

But either Gloriana let her choose,

Or in Belphœbe fashioned to be;

In the one her rule, in the other her rare chastity. These introductions to the several Books of the Fairy Queen, we may here observe, have all the appearance of having been written after the poem itself, and inserted, like the Dedicatory Sonnets, by the author when he was preparing it for the press.

Canto I. (67 stanzas).-From what is said at the commencement of this Canto, Guyon and the Palmer must be supposed to have returned, after their capture of Acrasia, to the house of Alma, and there rejoined Prince Arthur. Soon after the Briton Prince and Fairy Knight take leave of their fair hostess and set out again on their way together, the enchantress being at the same time sent forward by another road, and under a strong guard, to Fairy Court. After long wandering and many adventures, they see in an open plain a knight advancing towards them, attended by an aged squire, crouching, as if overladen by the burthen of his years, under his threesquare or triangular shield. This shield, "bearing a lion passant in a golden field" (the legendary arms of the old British kings), the stranger knight assumes as soon as he sees the Prince and Guyon approaching, as was customary in such circumstances; but he manifests no hostile intent. Somewhat remarkably, nevertheless, Guyon at once proposes to attack him, beseeching "the prince, of grace, to let him run that turn;" and upon his companion assenting he sharply spurs forward

His foamy steed, whose fiery feet did burn
The verdant grass as he thereon did tread.

The issue, however, is that the Fairy Knight, much to his surprise as well as shame and vexation, is in an instant thrown from his saddle, and

ere well he was aware,

Nigh a spear's length behind his crouper fell, although without mischance to life or limb. It is the first time,

sith warlike arms he bore,

And shivering spear in bloody field first shook,

that he has ever suffered such dishonour. But ah, exclaims the poet,

Ah! gentlest knight, that ever armour bore,
Let not thee grieve dismounted to have been,
And brought to ground, that never wast before;
For not thy fault, but secret power unseen:

That spear enchanted was which laid thee on the green! His grief and shame, in truth, would be much greater if he knew by whom it is that he has been thus discomfited -if he were aware that it is a woman with whom he has fought for his successful opponent is indeed the famous Britomart, who has come on strange adventure all the way from Britain

To seek her lover (love far sought, alas!)

Whose image she had seen in Venus' looking-glass.

Upon all this Upton, the most learned of the commentators on the Fairy Queen, has a curious observation. The poem, he remarks, is full of allusions, either moral or historical. It is singular conduct in a courteous knight, like Guyon, to attack another by whom he has not been defied, and whom he has not himself defied. Some secret history is probably alluded to. "In Britomart," says Upton, "I suppose imaged the Virgin Queen; in Sir Guyon the Earl of Essex. Sir Guyon is dismounted, presuming to match himself against Britomart. If Guyon historically and covertly (now and then) means the Earl

of Essex, will it not bear an easy allusion to his presuming to match himself with Queen Elizabeth? And has not the poet with the finest art managed a very dangerous and secret piece of history?"

Guyon, snatching his sword, is about to renew the combat, but the Palmer, knowing that "Death sate on the point of that enchanted spear," hastens to him and counsels him to desist; and, the Prince also joining in the same advice, and laying the blame, not on his own carriage, but on "his starting steed that swarved aside," and on "the ill purveyance of his page," he is at last pacified. On this they all agree to make friends, and to pursue their journey together.

O, goodly usage of those antique times,

In which the sword was servant unto right;
When not for malice and contentious crimes,
But all for praise and proof of manly might,
The martial brood accustomed to fight:
Then honour was the meed of victory,
And yet the vanquished had no despite.

They travel through many lands, till at last they enter a forest, in whose gloomy shades they ride a long while without seeing tract of any living thing, save bears, lions, and bulls, which roamed them around."

All suddenly out of the thickest brush,
Upon a milk-white palfrey all alone,
A goodly lady did foreby them rush,

Whose face did seem as clear as crystal stone,
And eke, through fear, as white as whales bone:
Her garments all were wrought of beaten gold,
And all her steed with tinsel trappings shone,
Which fled so fast that nothing mote him hold,
And scarce them leisure gave her passing to behold.

Still as she fled her eye she backward threw,
As fearing evil that pursued her fast;
And her fair yellow locks behind her flew,
Loosely dispersed with puff of every blast:
All as a blazing star doth far outcast
His hairy beams, and flaming locks dispread,
At sight whereof the people stand aghast;

But the sage wizard tells, as he has read,

That it importunes death and doleful drearihead.

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They soon perceive that she is pursued by "a griesly foster," or forester, mounted on a tireling* jade," which he fiercely urges on

Through thick and thin, both over bank and bush,
In hope her to attain by hook or crook,
That from his gory sides the blood did gush:
Large were his limbs, and terrible his look,

And in his clownish hand a sharp boar-spear he shook. The two gentle knights, seeing this, we are told, instantly set forth together after the lady,

in hope to win thereby

Most goodly meed, the fairest dame alive

leaving the Prince's squire, Timias, to manage the foul foster. Meanwhile Britomart,

whose constant mind

Would not so lightly follow beauty's chase,

after waiting for them a short time, sets forward on her way by herself. Having got nearly out of the wood, she perceives fronting her a stately castle, before the gate of which a spacious plain is wide outspread; and there six knights are fighting with one, who, though sore beset, is yet neither dismayed nor driven back, but, on the contrary, keeps them all at bay and forces them to recoil. Britomart immediately runs to his rescue, calling at the same time upon the six to forbear; but they do not heed her till she rushes amongst them and soon compels them to be at peace. The single knight then informs her that he loves a lady, "the truest one on ground "-her name the Errant Damsel-and that the six would force him, "by odds of might," to fix his affections on another dame. Certes, says Britomart, ye six are to blame in thus attempting to accomplish by force a thing by no means to be so gone about:

* The editors do not explain or notice this word.

For knight to leave his lady were great shame
That faithful is; and better were to die.
All loss is less, and less the infamy,

Than loss of love to him that loves but one:
Ne may love be compelled by maistery;

For, soon as maistery comes, sweet love anon
Taketh his nimble wings, and soon away is gone.

[The reader will recognise in these two last fine lines the origin of Pope's couplet in the Epistle of Eloisa : Love, free as air, at sight of human ties,

Spreads his light wings, and in a moment flies.]

But the six now state their case by the mouth of one of their number. In the castle dwells

— a lady fair,

Whose sovereign beauty hath no living peer;
Thereto so bounteous and so debonnaire,
That never any mote with her compare:

and she has ordained a law, approved by them her servants, that every knight passing this way shall," in case he have no lady nor no love," devote himself to her service; or, if he have another love, either give her up, or maintain in fight with them that she is fairer than the lady of the castle.

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Perdy," said Britomart, "the choice is hard!

But what reward had he that overcame?"

"He should advanced be to high regard,"

Said they," and have our lady's love for his reward.

"Therefore aread, sir, if thou have a love."

"Love have I sure," quoth she,

"but lady none;

Yet will I not fro mine own love remove,

Ne to your lady will I service done,

But wreak your wrongs wrought to this knight alone,
And prove his cause." With that, her mortal spear
She mightily aventred towards one,

And down him smote ere well aware he were;

Then to the next she rode, and down the next did bear.

After this she throws a third to the ground, and a fourth is disposed of in like manner by the single knight; upon which the two that remain yield themselves prisoners.