To sharpe my fence with fundry Beauties vew, And steale from each fome part of ornament. If all the world to feeke I overwent, A fairer crew yet no where could I fee Then that brave Court doth to mine eie prefent ; That the world's pride feemes gathered there to bee. Of each a part I ftole by cunning thefte: Forgive it me, faire Dames, fith leffe ye have not lefte. E. S. Ver. 7. To sharpe my fence &c.] Hence perhaps Milton's expreffion, "Sharpen'd his visual ray," Par. L. B. iii. 620. THE FIRST BOOK OF THE FAERIE QUEENE CONTAYNING THE LEGEND OF THE KNIGHT OF THE RED CROSSE, OR OF HOLINESSE LO! I, the man whofe Mufe whylome did maske, I. 1. Lo! I, the man &c.] Spenfer opens his poem, and addresses his reader, after the manner of Virgil; if thofe are Virgil's verfes prefixed to the Æneid: He feems to have thought them (if not genuine) yet deferving his imitation; and of the fame opinion feems Milton, who thus begins his Paradife Regained. I know not whether it be worth mentioning, that the learned Sandys, who translated the first book of Virgil, plainly imitates our poet, "Lo I, who whilom foftly-warbling plaid "On oaten reeds It might be more worth our while to pay fome regard to our poet's expreffions. He fays; Am now enforft,-Who enforft him? The Muse, whofe facred raptures and dictates he must neceffarily follow, ἔνθεος καὶ κατεχόμενος, as Plato in Io expreflies it? or his friend Sir Philip Sidney, whofe request was a command and an enforcement? One of Sir Philip Sidney's learning and character could easily prevail on fo free a genius as Spenfer's, to try his talents in Epick poetry, and to celebrate either directly, or in fome covert manner, their renowmed queen, and her no less renowmed courtiers: and to this gentle enforcement allude the verfes prefixed to the Faerie Queene by his friend W. L. "So Spenfer was by Sidney's fpeaches wonne "To blaze her fame " Having thus changed his oaten pipe for the trumpet's fterner ftrain, he purposes to fing of " knights and ladies gentle deeds." This is expreffed after Ariofto, Canto 1. St. 1. "Le donne, i cavalier, l' arme, gli amori, "Le cortefie, l'audaci imprefe, io canto." UPTON. VOL. II. B As time her taught, in lowly fhepheards weeds, And fing of Knights and Ladies gentle deeds; Whofe praises having flept in filence long, Me, all too meane, the facred Mufe areeds To blazon broade emongft her learned throng: Fierce warres and faithful loves fhall moralize my fong. II. Help then, O holy virgin, chiefe of nyne, I. 2. in lowly fhepheards weeds,] Spenfer, about the age of 26, published his Shepheards Calender in 4to. 1579; eleven years before the first publication of the Faerie Queene. CHURCH. I. 9. Shall moralize my fong.] Mr. Warton has obferved that, by the word moralize, Spenser declares his defign of writing an allegorical poem, as if he had faid; "though my subject confift of fierce warres and faithful loves, yet under these fhall be couched moral doctrine, and the precepts of virtue;" and that the poet styles his Faerie Queene a morall lay in his Colin Clouts come home again, v. 86. Perhaps Spenfer adopted the expreffion from the old poets. Thus in The Maydens Croffe rewe, bl. 1. 4to. Imp. by Rob. Wyer, without date, ftanza the firft: II. 1. "Janus Byfrons, amyddes January, "With his frofty berde, and thycke loches rore, "Began the colde calendas of February. "Right than I thought, how longe me before, "To fhew the euyll theyr iniquyte." TODD. chiefe of nyne,] This invocation is addreffed to Clio. So, in vii. vii. 1, Thou greater Muse." See too F. Q. iii. iii. 4, and vii. vi. 37. CHURCH. Compare alfo F. Q. iv. ii. 10, and Statius, Theb. x. 630. "Memor incipe, Clio, "Sæcula te quoniam penes, et digefta vetuftas." UPTON. Thy weaker novice to perform thy will; That I muft rue his undeferved wrong: O, helpe thou my weake wit, and sharpen my dull tong! III. And thou, moft dreaded impe of higheft Iove, Come, both; and with you bring triumphant II. 3. thine everlasting fcryne] An escriture, and fuffered fo much ill,] The poet desk, from the Latin fcrinium. "Scryn, a fhrine; anciently a cheft or cofer:" Verftegan. UPTON. II. 7. should have faid "and FOR WHOM he suffered so much ill.” T. WARTON. III. 5. Lay now thy deadly heben bowe apart,] Tibullus, addreffing himself to Cupid, ii. i. 81. "Sancte, veni dapibus feftis; fed pone fagittas, JORTIN, III. 7. Come, both; and with you bring &c.] This formulary In loves and gentle iollities arraid, After his murdrous fpoyles and bloudie rage allayd. IV. And with them eke, O Goddeffe heavenly bright, Mirrour of grace and majeftie divine, Great ladie of the greatest ifle, whofe light Like Phœbus lampe throughout the world doth fhine, Shed thy faire beames into my feeble eyne, To thinke of that true glorious type of thine,' has been elegantly tranfplanted, by Spenfer's poetical fon, into his Allegro: Hafte thee, Nymph, and bring with thee Quips, &c." TODD. triumphant Mart,] So the Italians, Marte, the god of war; and fo too our poets: Fairfax, Tuss: ii. 89. "Thou proud defpifer of inconftant Marte,” Chaucer, Kn. Tale, v. 2023. "Nought was forgett the infortune of Mart." `And Lydgate, Of the Troj. War, B. ii. For aye of Mart doubtous is the cure." UPTON. IV. 7. that true glorious type of thine,] Una, or Truth. See F. Q. i. ii. ix. CHURCH. IV. 8. mine afflicted ftile:] Afflicted file means low and jejune, Ital. Stilo aflitto. He calls Queen Elifabeth 'the argument of his ftile, as in iii. iv. 3. "Thee, O Queen, the matter of my fong" which feems expreffed after Dante, Parad. C. i. "Sarà ora materia del mio canto." |