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Bure makes no mention of this fpiritual romance. And Du Frefnoy only gives an account of an edition of it, not dated, but placed between two modern books of 1681 and 1729, in his Bibliotheque des Romans, tom. ii. 172. "Le voyage du Chevalier errant, par Jean de Carthemi, Dominicain, in 8vo.' Spiritual allegories of this kind, I may add, became frequent in this country, and were read with avidity. Witnefs "THE ISLE OF MAN; or, The Legall Proceeding in Man-fhire against Sinne. Wherein, by way of a continued Allegorie, the chiefe Malefactors disturbing both Church and Commonwealth are detected and attached; with their Arraignment, and Judiciall Trial, according to the Lawes of England. The Spirituall ofe thereof, with an apologie for the manner of handling, moft neceffury to be first read, for direction in the right ofe of the Allegory thorowout, is added in the end. By Rich. Bernard, Rector of Batcomb, Somerfet. 1628." 12mo. The fifth edition of this work, is that which now lies before me. To this work I am of opinion we may attribute John Bunyan's PILGRIM'S PROGRESS; and alfo Benjamin Keach's TRAVELS OF TRUE GODLINESS, and his PROGRESS OF SIN. Perhaps P. Fletcher had alfo in mind the ISLE of MAN, when he denominated his allegorical poem The Purple ISLAND. There is, however, an elder work, entitled "ROOME FOR A MESSE OF KNAVES," 4to. 1610, in which is "A narration of a strange but true battell fought in the little Ile (or worlde) of Man." Man is reprefented as a "caftle beleaguer'd by two huge armies;" the Virtues, and the Vices. And the author feems to have had his eye on the foes of Alma in the FAERIE QUEENF.

Neither Mr. Spence nor Mr. Warton have made the lea mention of Henry More's PLATONICK SONG OF THE SOUL; a poem written avowedly in imitation of Spenfer, and often prefenting as juft an allegory and as sweet a stanza as the original which it profeffes to follow. This poem, in three Books, was first printed in 1642, and again in 1647. Milton, I think, appears to have read it with attention. More indeed was his fellow-collegia, and friend. The criticks have also neglected to notice the PSYCHE, OR LOVE'S MYSTERIE, by Jof. Beaumont, fol. 161.

It remains, hat I should mention the allegorical defign of one of Spenfer's citemporaries, viz. John Day, whom I fuppofe to be the dramatck writer of that name, and who was a member of Caius Collige, Cambridge. The work, of which I am to give an account, is in manufcript; and is one of the many literary curiofties which belonged to the late Duke of Bridgewater, and now belong to his Grace's nephew, Earl Gower. It is entitled, PEREGRINATIO SCHOLASTICA, or, Learninges Pillgrimadge. Containeinge the ftraunge Aduentures, and various

Entertainements, he founde in his trauailes towardes the fhrine of Latria. Compofede, and deuided into feuerall Morrall Tractates, by John Daye, Cantabr." It is not dated. In his dedication to Mr. Thomas Dowton, gentleman, he calls his compofition "a morall poeme;" but he could not mean a metrical compofition, for the whole is in profe. The Tractates are twenty in number. The first contains " Learninges parentage, his occafion of Trauaile, his attendants, and entertaine ment amongst the Cofmophili, or world. louers." The fecond, "An inuitation from Poneria; his purpoffe to visit her, with the loffe of Time, &c." The fifth, "what mafques and dances Ponerias 7 champeons entertaine him withall; at which he fell in loue with Poneria." The fixth, "Alethe incaftrata, or Truthe in prifoun, discouering Poneria to be a strumpett; and her feven champeons, the 7 deadlie fins." The characters of the feven deadly fins are drawn with reference to Gower, Chaucer, Lydgate, &c. In the laft Tractate, “Experience directs Learning the next and onelie way to the shrine of Latria." This account may ferve to fhow the fondness for allegory in Spenfer's days. TODD.

MR. WARTON'S

REMARKS

ON

SPENSER'S STANZA, VERSIFICATION, AND

LANGUAGE.

ALTHOUGH Spenfer's favourite Chaucer had made use of the ottava rima, or ftarza of eight lines; yet it seems probable, that Spenfer was principally induced to adopt it, with the addition of one line, from the practice of Ariofto and Taffo,

* Chaucer's stanza is not strictly fo. Betuff in his life of Boccace, acquaints us, that Boccace was the inventor of the ottava rima, and that the Thefeide of that autho was the first poem in which it was ever applied. T. WARTOS,

the most fashionable poets of his age. But Spenfer, in choofing this ftanza, did not fufficiently confider the genius of the English language, which does not easily fall into a frequent repetition of the fame termination; a circumftance natural to the Italian, which deals largely in identical cadences.

Befides, it is to be remembered, that Taffo and Ariofto did not embarrafs themselves with the neceffity of finding out fo many fimilar terminations as Spenfer. Their ottava rima has only three fimilar endings, alternately rhyming. The two laft lines formed a diftinct rhyme. But, in Spenfer, the fecond rhyme is repeated four times, and the third three. This conftraint led our author into many abfurdities; the most striking and obvious of which feem to be the following.

I. It obliged him to dilate the thing to be expreffed, however unimportant, with trifling and tedious circumlocutions, viz. F. Q. ii. ii. 44.

"Now hath fair Phoebe with her filver face
"Thrife feene the fhadowes of this neather world,
"Sith laft I left that honourable place,

"In which her roiall presence is enrold."

That is, It is three months fince I left her palace. II. It neceffitated him, when matter failed towards the close of a ftanza, to run into a ridiculous redundancy and repetition of words, as in F. Q. ii. ix. 33.

"In which was nothing pourtrahed nor wrought, "Nor wrought nor pourtrahed, but eafie to be thought." III. It forced him, that he might make out his complement of rhymes, to introduce a puerile or impertinent idea, as in F. Q. ii. ix. 45.

b See examples of the measures of the Provencial poets, in, Petrarch. Spenfer forms a compound of many of these. T. WARTON.

"Nor that proud towre of Troy, though richly GUILT." Being here laid under the compulfion of producing a confonant word to fpilt and built, which are preceding rhymes, he has mechanically given us an image at once little and improper.

To the difficulty of a stanza fo injudicioufly chofen, I think we may properly impute the great number of his elleipfes; and it may be easily conceived, how that constraint, which occafioned fuperfluity, fhould at the fame time be the caufe of omiffion.

Notwithstanding these inconveniencies flow from Spenfer's measure, it must yet be owned, that fome advantages arife from it; and we may venture to affirm, that the fullness and fignificancy of Spenfer's descriptions, is often owing to the prolixity of his stanza, and the multitude of his rhymes. The difcerning reader is defired to confider the following ftanza, as an inftance of what is here advanced. Guyon is binding FUROR, F. Q. ii. iv. 15.

"With hundred yron chaines he did him bind, "And hundred knots, that did him fore constraine: "Yet his great yron teeth he ftill did grind, "And grimly gnash, threatning revenge in vaine: "His burning eyen, whom bloody ftrakes did ftaine, Stared full wide, and threw forth fparkes of fyre; "And, more for ranck defpight then for great paine, "Shakt his long locks colourd like copper-wyre, "And bit his tawny beard to fhew his raging yre.'

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In the fubfequent stanza there are fome images, which perhaps were produced by a multiplicity of rhymes. F. Q. iv. v. 45.

"He all that night, that too long night, did passe :
"And now the day out of the ocean-mayne

"Began to peepe above this earthly maffe,

"With pearly dew fprinkling the morning graffe:
"Then up he rofe like heavie lump of lead,
"That in his face, as in a looking glaffe,

"The figns of anguish one might plainely read."

Dryden, I think, fomewhere remarks, that rhyme often helped him to a thought; an obfervation, which, probably, Spenfer's experience had likewife fupplied him with. Spenfer, however, must have found more affiftance in this refpect, from writing in rhyme, than Dryden, in proportion as his stanza obliged him to a more repeated use of it.

In fpeaking of Spenfer's rhyme, it ought to be remarked, that he often new-fpells a word to make it rhyme more precifely. Take thefe fpecimens, F. Q. v. xii. 31.

"And of her own foule entrailes makes her meat, "Meat fit for fuch a monster's monsterous DYEAT.".

Again, F. Q. iii. iii. 48.

"Tho when the term is full ACCOMPLISHID,

"Then shall a fpark of fire, which hath long while
"Bene in his afhes raked
up and hid."

Again, F. Q. iii. iv. 42.

"Then all the reft into their coches CLIM,

"And through, &c.

"Upon great Neptunes necke they foftly swim."

Again, F. Q. iv. iii. 26.

Mightily amate,

"As faft as forward erft, now backward to RETRATE.'

Again, F. Q. iv. ii. 27.

"Shall have that golden girdle for reward,

"And of, &c.

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Shall to the fairest ladie be PREFAR'D." And, to be short, we meet with YCLED for yclad, DARRE for dare, PREJUDIZE for prejudice, SAM for fame, LAM for lamb, DENAY for deny, PERVART for pervert, HEARE for hair, and numberless other inftances of orthography destroyed for the fake of rhyme. This was a liberty which Chaucer, Gower, and Lydgate, frequently made ufe of; and it may

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