tion of which, little labour or art was applied. The various and the marvellous were the chief fources of delight. Hence we find our author ranfacking alike the regions of reality and romance, of truth and fiction, to find the proper decorations and furniture for his fairy ftructure. Born in fuch an age, Spenfer wrote rapidly from his own feelings, which at the fame time were naturally noble. Exactnefs in his poem would have been like the cornice which a painter introduced in the grotto of Calypfo. Spenfer's beauties are like the flowers in Paradife: "Which not nice Art "In beds and curious knots, but Nature boon "Pour'd forth profufe, on hill, and dale, and plain, "Both where the morning fun firft warmly finote “The open field, and where the unpierc'd fhade "Imbrown'd the noon-tide bowers." Par. L. B. iv. 241, If the Faerie Queene be deftitute of that arrangement and economy which epick feverity requires, yet we fcarcely regret the lofs of thefe while their place is fo amply fupplied, by fomething which more powerfully attracts us: fomething, which engages the affections, the feelings of the heart rather than the cold approbation of the head. If there be any poem, whofe graces pleafe, because they are fituated beyond the reach of art, and where the force and faculties of creative imagination delight, because they are unaffifted and unrestrained by thofe of deliberate judgement, it is THIS. In reading Spenfer if the critick is not fatisfied, yet the reader is tranfported. T. WARTON. "taine delicateffe que donne le gout: on y trouveroit quelque "chofe qui approcheroit plus de la force de M. Ange, que de "la grace du Raphael."L'Efprit du Loix. liv. 19. chap. 27. The French criticks are too apt to form their general notions of English poetry, from our fondnefs for Shakspeare. T. WARTON. MR. WARTON'S REMARKS ON SPENSER'S IMITATIONS FROM OLD ROMANCES. ALTHOUGH Spenfer formed his Faerie Queene upon the fanciful plan of Ariofto, yet it must be confeffed, that the adventures of his knights are a more exact and immediate copy of thofe which we meet with in old romances, or books of chivalry, than of those which form the Orlando Furiofo. Ariofto's knights exhibit surprising examples of their prowefs, and achieve many heroick actions. But our author's knights are more profeffedly engaged in revenging injuries, and doing juftice to the diftreffed; which was the proper business, and ultimate end of the ancient knight-errantry. And thus though many of Spenfer's incidents are to be found in Ariofto, fuch as that of blowing a horn, at the found of which the gates of a castle fly open, of the vanishing of an enchanted palace or garden after fone knight has destroyed the enchanter, and the like; yet these are not more peculiarly the property of Ariofto, than they are common to all ancient ro mances in general. Spenfer's firft Book is, indeed, a regular and precife imitation of fuch a feries of action as we frequently find in books of chivalry. For inftance; A king's daughter applies to a knight, that he would relieve her father and mother, who are clofely confined to their castle, upon account of a vaft and terrible dragon, that had ravaged their country, and perpetually laid wait to deftroy them. The knight fets forward with the lady, encounters a monfter in the way, is plotted againft by an enchanter, and, after furmounting a variety of difficulties and obftacles, arrives at the country which is the fcene of the dragon's devaftation, kills him, and is prefented to the king and queen, whom he has juft delivered; marries their daughter, but is foon obliged to leave her, on account of fulfilling a former vow. It may be moreover obferved, that the circumftance of each of Spenfer's twelve knights, departing from one place, by a different way, to perform a different adventure, exactly resembles that of the feven knights entering upon their feveral expeditions, in the well-known romance, entitled The Seven Champions of Chriftendom. In fact, these miraculous books were highly fashionable; and chivalry, which was the fubject of them, was ftill practifed and admired, in the age of queen Elizabeth. See Holinfhead's Chronicles, vol. iii. p. 1315.. Among others, there is one romance which Spenfer feems more particularly to have made ufe of. It k entitled The Seven Champions of Christendom.] Mr. Warton, in a note on his Hiftory of English Poetry, vol. ii. p. 230, fays that this hiftory was compiled in the reign of James the first, by one Richard Johnfon. But this is a mistake. For I have feen the original fecond Part of this romance, which is dated feveral years before James came to the throne. Richard Johnfon, a poetafter both in the reigns of Elizabeth and James, was indeed the author; as appears by the dedication of the fecond Part, which feems to have been published some time after the firft. Of the firft Part I have never feen a copy. Of the fecond, the following is the title, "The fecond Part of the famous Hiftory of the feauen Champions of Christendome. Likewife fhewing the princely proweffe of Saint Georges three Sonnes, the liuely Sparke of Nobilitie. With many other memorial atchieuements worthy the golden fpurres of knighthood. Lond. Printed for Cuthbert Burbie, &c. 1597." Bl. 1. 4to. In the poffeffion of Ifaac Reed, Efq. TODD. is entitled, [La] MORTE [d] ARTHUR, The Lyfe of King Arthur, and of his noble Knyghtes of the round table, and in thende the dolorous deth of them all. This was translated into English from the French, by one Sir Thomas Maleory, Knight, and printed by W. Caxton, 1485. It has been reprinted twice or thrice: the laft edition is dated 1634. From this fabulous hiftory our author has borrowed many of his names, viz. Sir Triftram, Placidas, Pelleas, Pellenore, Percivall, and others. As to Sir Triftram, he has copied from this book, the circumftances of his birth and education with much exactness. Spenfer informs us that Sir Triftram was born in Cornwall, &c. F. Q. vi. iit 28. 28.ta And Triftram is my name, the onely heire Of good king Meliogras, which did rayne "In Cornewale." And afterwards, ft. 30. "The countrie wherein I was bred, The which the fertile Lioneffe is hight." Thefe particulars are drawn from the romance abovementioned. "There was a knight Meliodas [Meliogras], and he was lord and king of the country of Lyones-and he wedded king Markes fifter of Cornewale:" The iffue of which marriage, as we are afterwards told, was Sir Triftram, B. ii. C. 1. Mention is then made, in our romance, of Sir Triftram's banishment from Lyons into a diftant country, by the advice, and under the conduct, of a wife and learned counfellor named Governale. A circumftance alluded to by Spenfer in thefe verses, F. Q. vi. ii. 30. So taking counfell of a wife man red, She was by him adviz'd to fend me quight "Out of the countrie, wherein I was bred, "The which the fertile Lioneffe is hight." Sir Triftram's education is thus defcribed in the: next ftanza. "All which my daies I have not lewdly spent, "Nor fpilt the bloffome of my tender yeares "In ydleffe, but as was convenient "Have trained bene with many noble feres To hunt the falvage chace among my peres "Of all that raungeth in the foreft greene, "Of which none is to me unknowne that e'er was feene. "Ne is there hauke that mantleth her on pearch, "Whether high-tow'ring, or accoafting low, "But I the meafure of her flight doe fearch, “And all her pray and all her dyet knowe." All this is agreeable to what is related in the romance. After mention being made of Triftram's having learned the language of France, courtly behaviour', and skill in chivalry, we read the following paffage. "As he growed in might and ftrength, he laboured ever in hunting and hawking; fo that we never read of no gentleman, more, that fo used himfelfe therein.-And he began good measures of blowing of blafts of venery [hunting] and chafe, and of all manner of vermeins; and all these termes have we yet of hawking and hunting, and therefore the booke of venery, of hawking and hunting, is called the book of Sir Triftram." B. ii. C. 3. And in another place King Arthur thus addreffes Sir Triftram. "For of all manner of hunting thou beareft the prife; and of all measures of blowing 1 courtly behaviour, &c.] Neither Spenfer nor Mr. Warton have particularifed a circumstance in the education of this knight, which the old book records. See the Hift. of Kynge Arthur, bl. 1. fol. Impr. by Tho. Eaft, without date. B. viii. C. 3. "How Sir Tryftram de Lyones was fent into Fraunce and had one to gouerne him, named Gouernale; and how he learned to harpe, hawke, and hunte." TODD. |