Observations on the Fairy Queen of Spenser, Volume 1

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C. Stower, 1820

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Page 342 - Through the dear might of him that walked the waves. Where other groves and other streams along, With nectar pure his oozy locks he laves, And hears the unexpressive nuptial song, In the blest kingdoms meek of joy and love. There entertain him all the saints above, In solemn troops, and sweet societies, That sing, and singing in their glory move, And wipe the tears for ever from his eyes.
Page 302 - AND I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Page 23 - With mazy error, under pendent shades Ran nectar, visiting each plant, and fed Flowers worthy of Paradise ; which not nice art In beds and curious knots, but Nature boon Pour'd forth profuse on hill, and dale, and plain...
Page 350 - Albracca, as romances tell, The city of Gallaphrone, from thence to win The fairest of her sex Angelica, His daughter, sought by many prowest knights, Both Paynim, and the peers of Charlemain.
Page 72 - ... blind harpers or such like taverne minstrels that give a fit of mirth for a groat, and their matters being for the most part stories of old time, as the tale of sir Topas, the reportes of Bevis of Southampton, Guy of Warwicke, Adam Bell, and Clymme of the Clough, and such other old romances or historicall rimes, made purposely for recreation of the common people at christmasse diners and brideales, and in tavernes and alehouses, and such other places of base resort.
Page 348 - Sirens' harmony, That sit upon the nine infolded spheres, And sing to those that hold the vital shears, And turn the adamantine spindle round On which the fate of gods and men is wound. Such sweet compulsion doth in music lie, To lull the daughters of Necessity, And keep unsteady Nature to her law, And the low world in measured motion draw After the heavenly tune, which none can hear Of human mould with gross unpurged ear.
Page 190 - The birch for shaftes, the sallow for the mill, The mirrhe sweete bleeding in the bitter wound, The warlike beech, the ash for nothing ill, The fruitful olive, and the platane round, The carver holme, the maple seeldom inward sound.
Page 21 - We who live in the days of writing by rule, are apt to try every composition by those laws which we have been taught to think the sole criterion of excellence.
Page 344 - How charming is divine Philosophy! Not harsh and crabbed, as dull fools suppose, But musical as is Apollo's lute, And a perpetual feast of nectar'd sweets, Where no crude surfeit reigns.
Page 113 - Therefore a God him sage Antiquity Did wisely make, and good Agdistes call ; But this same was to that quite contrary, The foe of life, that good envyes to all, That secretly doth us procure to fall...

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