THE THIRDE BOOKE OF THE FAERIE QUEENE. CANTO IX. Malbecco will no ftraunge Knights hoft, REDOUBTED Knights, and honorable Dames, To whom I levell all my labours end, Right fore I feare leaft with unworthy blames This odious argument my rymes should shend, Or ought your goodly patience offend, Whiles of a wanton Lady I doe write, Which with her loose incontinence doth blend The fhyning glory of your foveraine light; And knighthood fowle defaced by a faithleffe Knight. 1. 1. Redoubted Knights, and honorable Dames, &c.] This introduction feems tranflated from the Orlando Furiofo, C. xxii. 1, and C. xxviii. 1. UPTON. 1. 9. And knighthood fowle &c.] That is, And of knighthood foully defaced &c. CHURCH. II. But never let th' enfample of the bad As white feemes fayrer macht with blacke attone: Ne all are fhamed by the fault of one: II. 2. for good, by paragone Of evill, may more notably be rad ;] It is a maxim in the schools that things are knowable by their contraries : cadem eft fcientia contrariorum. Whether Spenfer had Chaucer before him or Berni, I leave to the reader: The fentiment and expreffions agree: See Troil. and Creff. i. 638. 66 By his contrarie' is every thing declared "For how might ever sweetnesse have be know "That never was in forrow' or fome distress: "Provali appreffo per filofofia, "Che quando due contrari fono accosto, "Più fi conofce, che stando discosto : "Intender non protraffi ben, che fia "Bianco color, fe'l nero non gli e opposto, "Il foco, e l'acqua, e' piaceri, e le pene, 66 E per dirlo in un tratto, il male e'l bene." UPTON. II. 4. with blacke attone:] The first edition reads attonce; but the second and folios, more agreeable to the rhyme, attone, that is, together, at once, at one. In Chaucer this word is variously written; atone, atoon, atenes, atones. UPTON. |