Clough, and fuch other old Romances or hiftorical Rhymes, made purposely for recreation of the common people at chriftmaffe diners, and brideales; and in tavernes, and alehoufes, and fuch places of bafe refort: alfo they be used in carols and rounds, and fuch light or lafcivious poemes, which are commonly more commodiously uttered by thefe buffoons and VICES in plays, than by any other perfon: fuch were the rimes of Skelton (ufurping the name of a poet laureate) being in deede but a rude rayling rimer, and all his doings ridiculous; he used both fhort diftances and fhort measures, pleafing only the popular eare; in our courtly MAKER we banish them utterly." B. ii. c. 9. Hence it appears, that Chaucer's pieces, or at least legends drawn from him, were, at that time, fung to the harp; for the tale, or rime, of Sir Topas is a poem of Chaucer now extant: fo the Italians, at prefent, fing Taffo and Ariofto. Adam Bell and Clym of the Clough were two famous archers: the former of which is, on that account, alluded to by Shakspeare. The fame author, in another place, fpeaks of this kind of entertainment, by which we may conjecture that it was not always confined to fo vulgar an audience. "We ourselves, who compiled this treatise, have written for pleasure, a little brief romance, or hiftorical ditty, in the English tong, of the isle of Great-Britaine, in fhort and long meeters; and by breaches or divifions to be more commodioufly fung to the harpe in places of affembly, where the company fhall be defirous to hear of old adventures, and valiaunces of noble knights in times paft; as are f two famous archers:] The kill in archery of these two noted outlaws rendered them formerly as famous in the North of England, as Robin Hood and his companions were in the midland counties. See Percy's Reliques of Anc. Eng. Poetry, 4th ed. vol. i. p. 154. TODD. thofe of king Arthur, and his knights of the round table; Sir Bevys of Southampton, Guy of Warwicke, and fuch other like." B. i. c. 19. But to return the circumftance of the Dragon not being able to approach within feven feet of this well, is imitated by our author, where he mentions another, water, which in like manner preferves the knight, F. Q. i. xi. 49. "But nigh thereto the ever-damned beaft “ Durift not approache, for he was mortal made, "Yet he it oft adventur'd to invade." We feel a fort of malicious triumph in detecting the latent and obfcure fource, from whence an original author has drawn fome celebrated description: yet this, it must be granted, foon gives way to the rapture that naturally refults from contemplating the chymical energy of true genius, which can produce fo noble a tranfmutation; and whofe virtues are not less efficacious and vivifying in their nature, than thofe of the miraculous water here difplayed by Spenfer. I take this opportunity of mentioning, by the way, that our author, in his Dragon-encounters, circumftantially adopts all the incidents which occur on this article in romances. An ingenious correfpondent has communicated to me an old ballad, or metrical romance, called The Boy and the Mantle, on which Spenfer's conceit of Florimel's girdle is evidently founded. A boy brings into king Arthur's hall, at Cairleon, a magical mantle, by which trial is made of the fidelity of each of the ladies of the several knights, Manufcript Collection of old Ballads, No. 89. T. WARTON. The Boy and the Mantle is now the first piece in the third volume of Percy's Reliques of Ancient English Poetry; to whom the Manufcript collection belongs. TODD. h But this fiction is as manifeftly taken from an old French piece, entitled, Le Court Mantel; part of which is quoted by M. de Sainte Palaye, in his learned and entertaining memoirs of ancient chivalry, and who informs us, that it is formed on the tale of the Enchanted Cup. Most of these old romantick ftories in English, I prefume, first existed in French or Italian. * Several other incidental imitations of romance, will be pointed out occafionally. As to Spenfer's original and genealogy of the FAIRY NATION, I am inclined to conjecture, that part of it was fupplied by his own inexhauftible imagination, and part from fome fabulous history. He tells us, that man, as firft made by Prometheus, was called ELFE, who, wandering over the world, at length arrived at the gardens of Adonis, where he found a female, whom he called FAY, F. Q. ii. x. 70. Elfe, according to Junius, is derived from the Runick Alfur; who likewife endeavours to prove, that the Saxons called the Elfes, or fpirits of the Downs, Dunelfen; of the Fields, Feldelfen; of the Hills, Muntelfen; of the Woods, Wudelfen, &c. ELFE, fignifies quick. FAY, or h But this fiction, &c.] The ftory of Le Court Mantel is alfo recorded in many manufcript Welch chronicles, as I learn from original letters of Lhuyd in the Afhmolean Museum. And from the fame authority I am informed, that the fiction of the Giant's coat compofed of the beards of the kings whom he had conquered, is related in the legends of the bards of both countries. T. WARTON. p. the tale of the Enchanted Cup,] See the note on this tale, lxxxi. TODD. * Several other incidental imitations of romance will be pointed but occafionally.] Thofe, which Mr. Warton collected, are accordingly introduced into the notes on the poem; as are many other imitations, gleaned from SEVERAL ROMANCES tinnoticed by him, TODD. 1 See Junius, Etymolog. in v. ELFE. Etymologists greatly differ about the word. T. WARTON.. FAIRY, I fhall expiain hereafter. The iffue of ELFE and FAY were called Fairies, who foon grew to be a mighty people, and conquered all nations. Their eldeft fon Elfin governed America, and the next to him, named Elfinan, founded the city of Cleopolis, which was enclofed with a golden wall by Elfiline. His fon Elfine overcame the Gobbelines; but, of all Fairies, Elfant was most renowned, who built Panthea, of cryftal. To thefe fucceeded Elfar, who flew two brethren-giants; and to him Elfinor, who built a bridge of glafs over the fea, the found of which was like thunder. At length Elficleos ruled the Fairy land with much wisdom, and highly advanced its power and honour: He left two fons, the eldest of which, fair Elferon, died a premature death, his place being fupplied by the mighty Oberon; a prince, whofe "wide memorial" ftill remains; and who, dying, left Tanaquil to fucceed him by will, fhe being alfo called Glorian, or GLORIANA. In the ftory of Enfinel, who overcame the Gobbelines, Spenfer either alludes to the fiction of the Guelfes and Gibbelines in Italy; or to another race of fairies, called Goblins, and commonly joined with Elfes. His friend and commentator, E. K., remarks", that our Elfes and Goblins were derived from the two parties Guelfes and Gibbelines. This etymology I by no means approve. The mention of it however may ferve to illuftrate Spenfer's meaning in this paffage. Elfinan perhaps is king Lud, who founded London, or Cleopolis: Aikin, in his notes on Tacitus's Germany, fays that Alff, or Alp, is the name which the northern nations ftill apply to the fancied Genii of the mountains. Keyfler fays that the word equally fignifies a mountain, or a demon of the mountains. TODD. m Eclogue Jane. T. WARTON. "In which the faireft FAERIE queené doth well," F. Q. i. x. 58. Elfant built her palace Panthea, probably Windfor-caftle. The bridge of glass may mean London-bridge. But thefe images of the golden wall, the cryftal tower, &c. feem to be all adopted from romance. At leaft, they all flow from a mind ftrongly tinctured with romantick ideas. In the latter part of this genealogy, he has manifeftly adumbrated fome of our English princes. Elficleos is king Henry VII., whofe eldest fon, prince Arthur, died at fixteen years of age, in Ludlow-caftle; and whose youngest fon Oberon, that is Henry VIII., fucceeded to the crown, marrying his brother Arthur's widow, the princess Katherine. This Spenfer particularly specifies in thefe verfes, F. Q. ii. x. 75. "Whofe emptie place, the mightie Oberon "Doubly fupplide, in SPOUSALL and DOMINION." And that the fame of this king was very recent in our author's age, is obvious. It is remarkable that Spenfer fays nothing of Edward VI. and queen Mary, who reigned between Henry VIII. and queen Elizabeth; but that he paffes immediately from Oberon to Tanaquil, or GLORIANA, i. e. Elizabeth, who was excluded from her fucceffion by thofe two intermediate reigns. There is much addrefs and art in the poet's manner of making this omiffion. "He dying left the fairest Tanaquill, "Him to fucceed therein by his last will; As to the Fairy QUEEN, confidered apart from the race of fairies, the notion of fuch an imaginary perfonage was very common. Chaucer, in his Rime of Sir Thopas, mentions her, together with a |