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natural English words, as have been long time out of use, and almost cleane difherited; which is the only cause that our mother-tongue, which truly of itselfe is both full enough for profe, and stately enough for verfe, hath long time beene counted moft bare and barren of both; which default, when as fome have endeavoured to falve and recure, they patched up the holes with peeces and ragges of other languages; borrowing here of the French, there of the Italian, and every where of the Latine; not weighing how ill thofe tongues accord with themfelves, but much worfe with ours; fo now they have made our Englishe tongue a gallimaufrey, or hodge-podge of all other fpeeches." Thus that, which induced Spenfer to adopt fo much obfolete language in the Paftorals, induced him likewife to do the fame in the Faerie Queene. Hence too it appears, that he was difgufted with the practice of his contemporary writers, who had adulterated, according to his judgement, the purity of the English tongue, by various innovations from the Spanish, French, Latin, and Italian. And, that this was a prevailing affectation in the age of queen Elizabeth, may be concluded from the following paffages.; Thus Marston in his Satires, Proem. b. 2.

"I cannot quote a motte Italianate ;

"Or brand my Satires with a Spanish terme." Bishop Hall in his Satires, published in 1597.

"There if he can with termes Italianate,

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Big-founding fentences, &c."

And Camden, having given us a fpecimen of the Lord's prayer in old English, has thefe words: "Hitherto will our fparkfull youth laugh at their great grand-fathers English, who had more care to do well, than to fpeak minion-like; and left more glory to us by their exploiting great actes, than we

fhall by our forging new words, and uncouth phrafes." Remains, Artic. Languages. A learned gentleman, one R. C. [Carew] who has addreffed. a letter to Camden, inferted in that author's Remains, thus fpeaks. "So have our Italian travellers brought us acquainted of their sweet-relished phrases; even we feeke to make our good of our late Spanish enemie, and fear as little the hurt of his tongue, as the dint of his fword." Again, "We within thefe fixty years have incorporated fo many Latin and French words, as the third part of our tongue confifteth now in them." And Afcham, in his Schole-Mafter, informs us, that not only the language, but the manners, of Italy had totally infected his country-men, where he is defcribing the ITALIANIZED ENGLISHMAN.

Our author's difapprobation of this practice appears more fully from his own words, where he exprefsly hints that Chaucer's language, which he fo closely copied, was the pure English, F. Q. iv. ii. 32.

"Dan Chaucer WELL OF ENGLISH UNDEFILDE","

But although Spenfer difapproved of this corrupt adulteration of ftyle, so fashionable in his age, yet we find him notwithstanding frequently introducing

The fame author acquaints us, that about this time an infinite number of Italian books were tranflated into English : among the reft, were many Italian novels; the tranflations of which, Shakspeare manifeftly made use of for some of his plots, T. WARTON.

h A learned and fagacious lexicographer gives a very different account of the purity of Chaucer's style. "Chaucerus, peffimo exemplo, integris vocum plauftris ex eadem Gallia in noftram linguam invectis; eam, nimis antea à Normannorum victoria adulteratam, omni fere nativa gratia et nitore fpoliavit, pro genuinis coloribus fucum illinens, pro vera facie larvam induens." Skinner, Præfat. ad Etymolog. Ling. Anglic. T. WARTON,

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words from a foreign tongue, fuch as, vifnomie, amenance, arret, me/prife, fovenance, affrap, aguife, amenage, abafe, and the like; but thefe words the frequent return of his rhyme obliged him to introduce, and accordingly they will generally be found at the end of his lines. The poverty of our tongue, or rather the unfrequency of its identical terminations, compelled him likewise, for the fake of rhyme, perpetually to coin new English words, fuch as damnify'd, unmercify'd, wonderment, warriment, unruliment, habitaunce, hazardrie, &c. To this caufe his many Latinifms alfo may be attributed, which, like all the reft, are substituted to make out the neceffary jingle.

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The cenfure of Ben Jonfon, in his Discoveries, upon our author's ftyle, is perhaps unreasonable: Spenfer, in affecting the ancients, writ no language." The ground-work and fubftance of his ftyle is the language of his age. This indeed is feasoned with various expreffions, adopted from the elder poets; but in fuch a manner, that the language of his age was rather strengthened and dignified, than debated or difguifed, by fuch a practice. In truth, the affectation of Spenfer in this point, is by no means fo ftriking and vifible, as Jonfon has infinuated nor is his phrafeology fo difficult and obfolete, as it is generally fuppofed to be. For many stanzas together, we may frequently read him with as much facility, as we can the fame number of lines in Shakspeare.

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i fuch as, vifnomie, &c.] He was probably led to this practice, in many instances, by preceding writers. In the very first word here cited by Mr. Warton, vifnomie, he is authorised by Hawes, Hift. of Graunde Amoure, &c. edit. 1554. Sign. Q. ii. b. "And, when that he vnto vs drewe nye,

"I beheld his body and his visenamye."

We are therefore not to condemn the poet too haftily. See alfo these words noticed in their refpective places, TODD.

But although I cannot fubfcribe to Jonfon's opinion concerning Spenfer's language, I muft confefs that the following fentiments of that critick, concerning the ufe of old words in poetry, are admirable. "Words borrowed of antiquity, do lend a kind of majefty to style, and are not without their delight fometimes. For they have the authority of yeares, and out of their intermiffion do lend a kind of grace-like newneffe. But the eldest of the present, and the newest of the past language is the best." But Jonfon has literally tranflated the latter part of the paragraph, from Quintilian, without acknowledgment, Inft. Or. 1. i. cap. 6. Ergo ut novorum optima erunt maxime vetera, ita veterum maxime

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I conclude thefe Remarks with a paffage from the nervous, poetical, and witty fatires of bifhop Hall; who, having cenfured the petty poets of his age for their various corruptions, and licentious abufes, of the English language, makes this compliment to Spenfer:

"But lett no rebel fatyr dare traduce

"Th' eternall Legends of thy FAERIE MUSE,
"Renowned SPENSER! whom no earthly wight
"Dares once to emulate, much less despight.

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Saluft of France, and Tufcan Arioft ! "Yield up the lawrel-girlond ye have loft: "And lett all others willows wear with mee, “Or lett their undeserving temples bared bee *.' T. WARTON.

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* B. i. f. 4. These fatires [the three first books] were first printed by T. Creede, for R. Dexter, Lond. 1597. 12mo. The three last books appeared in an edition entitled, "Virgidemiarum, The three last bookes of byting Satyres, Anon. Lond. printed by R. Bradocke, for R. Dexter, &c. 1598" 12mo. It begins with fat. 1. of lib. 4. The next edition [of the whole] is, "Virgidemiarum, The three laft [in reality all the fix] bookes of the byting Satyres, corrected and amended, with some

additions, by J. H. Lond. for R. Dexter, &c. 1599." 12mo. In a copy I have seen of this last edition, at the end are bound up, "Certaine worthye manufcript poems of great antiquitie, referved long in the ftudie of a Northfolke Gentleman, now first published by J. S. Lond. R. D. 1597." 12mo. The poems are, The ftately Tragedy of Guifcard and Sifmond:" In two books, in the feven-lined ftanza. It is Dryden's story, and feems about the age of Henry VII. "The Northern Mother's Bleffing, written nine yeares before the death of G. Chaucer." "The Way to Thrift."-They are dedicated to the worthiest poet Maister Ed. Spenfer. T. WARTON.

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A few additions may be made to the preceding REMARKS ON SPENSER'S LANGUAGE AND VERSIFICATION.

Indeed it is proper to inform the reader that, in confequence of the poet's frequently converting words of one fyllable into two, words of two fyllables into three, &c. and in confequence alfo of his remarkable accentuation of words; the feveral words, fo employed, will be found thus diftinguished, armës, fafety, inchantement, infamous, proftráte, courage, &c. In pronunciations of this kind likewise, Spenfer fellows his old mafter. See Tyrwhitt's Effay on the Language and Verfification of Chaucer, prefixed to the Canterb. Tales, 4to. edit. Oxford, 1798, p. 61. Nor will the reader omit to observe that Spenfer, like Chaucer and all our elder writers, uses no apoftrophe in his genitive cafes. By elifions intended in the pronunciation, however, he fometimes reduces words of two fyllables into one, as iron, which must be read ir'n; and cruelly, which must be read cru'lly, &c. This practice has been abundantly imitated by Milton.

Alexander Gill, master of St. Paul's fchool, London, (under whom Milton was educated,) published in 1621 a treatise in quarto, entitled LOGONOMIA ANGLICA, quá Gentis fermo faciliùs addifcitur:" His numerous examples, under the various figures of Syntax, are principally drawn from the FAERIE QUEENE; and I am furprised that the work fhould have escaped the notice of the commentators, especially Mr. Upton, who delighted fo much in accommodating old English expreffions to learned rules and conftruction. Take an example or two from Mr. Gill's illuftration of Figures in found: I muft previously obferve, however, that the fpelling adopted by the critick would hardly be legible; as he was an advocate for a new English orthgraphy, formed partly in fubferviency to the pronunciation

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