We have shown that the action of the Faerie Queene is uniform, great, and important; but 'tis required that the fable should be probable. A story will have probability, if it hangs well together, and is consistent: And, provided the tales are speciously told, the probability of them will not be destroyed, though they are tales of wisards or witches, monstrous men and monstrous women; for who, but downright miscreants, question wonderful tales? and do you imagine that Homer, Virgil, Spenser, and Milton, ever thought of writing an epick poem for unbelievers and infidels? But if, after all, the reader cannot with unsuspecting credulity swallow all these marvellous tales; what should hinder the poet, but want of art, from so contriving his fable, that more might be meant, than meets the eye or ear? cannot he say one thing in proper numbers and harmony, and yet secretly intend something else, or (to use a Greek expression) cannot he make the fable allegorical? Thus Forms and Persons might be introduced, shadowing forth, and emblematically representing, the mysteries of physical and moral sciences: Virtue and Truth may appear in their original ideas and lovely forms; and even Vice might be decked out in some kind of dress, resembling Beauty and Truth; lest, if seen without any disguise, she appear too loathsome for mortal eyes to behold her.

It must be confessed that the religion of Greece

and Rome was particularly adapted to whatever figurative turn the poet intended to give it; and even philosophers mixed mythology with the gravest subjects of theology. Hesiod's Generation of the gods is, properly, the generation of the world, and a history of natural philosophy: he gives life, energy, and form, to all the visible and invisible parts of the universe, and almost to all the powers and faculties of the imagination; in a word his poem is a continued allegory.' When every part therefore of the universe was thought to be under the particular care of a tutelar deity; when not only the sun, moon, and planets, but mountains, rivers, and groves; nay, even virtues, vices, accidents, qualities, &c. were the objects of veneration and of religious dread; there was no violation given to publick belief, if the poet changed his metaphor, or rather continued it, in an allegory. Hence Homer, instead of saying that Achilles, had not wisdom checked him, would have slain Agamemnon, continues the metaphor; and, consistently with his religion, brings Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, down from heaven, on purpose to check the rage of the angry hero. On the same system is founded the well-known Fable of Prodicus: and the Picture of Cebes is a continued allegory, containing the most interesting truths relating to human life.

As it is necessary that the poet should give

VOL. IX.

his work all that variety, which is consistent with its nature and design, so his allegory might be enlarged and varied by his pointing at historical events under concealed names; and, while his story is told consistently, some historical characters and real transactions might, emblematically and typically, be signified. Thus though in one sense you are in Fairy Land, yet in another you may be in the British dominions.

And here methinks a fair opportunity offers of laying before the reader, at one view, some of the historical allusions, that lie concealed in this mystical Poem. That there are historical allusions in this Poem, Spenser himself tells us.

In that Faerie Queene,' says he in his letter to Sir W. R., 'I mean Glory in my general intention: but in my particular I conceive the most excellent and glorious person of our Soveraine the Queene, and HER KINGDOME in Faery Land.' See also his introduction to the second Book of the Faerie Queene, st. iv. and likewise his Introduction to the Third Book, st. iii. This subject I formerly mentioned in a letter to Mr. West, concerning a new edition of Spenser; and from that letter 1 shall here borrow what is to my present purpose, adding some things and altering others.

What reader is ignorant that kingdoms are often imagined by their arms and ensigns? When

therefore I suppose the Lion, Una's defender, to be the defender of the faith, our English king, I make no question but this will be as readily allowed me, as when I suppose the Raven, the Danish arms, to stand for the Dane himself, F. Q. iii. iii, 46. Thus, in the Ruines of Time:

What now is of th' Assyrian Lyonesse,

Of whom no footing now on earth appeares? "What of the Persian Beares outrageousnesse, Whose memory is quite worne out with yeares? "Who of the Grecian Libbard now ought heares That over-ran the East with greedy powre, 'And left his Whelps their kingdoms to devoure?'

The Assyrian Lyonesse images the Assyrian and Chaldean empire. See Daniel vii. 4. • The first was like a Lion; [the Assyrian and Chaldean empire ;] A second like a Bear; [the Persian;] Another like a Leopard;' [Alexander K. of Macedon:] His whelps, his captains who divided among themselves the vast empires that he had conquered. From considering that arms and ensigns image kingdoms and knights, I found out as I thought the clew, directing me to the allusion of the Babes bloody hands: the adventure of the second day, assigned to Sir Guyon. He is called the bloudy-handed babe, and hence Ruddymane, F. Q. ii. iii. 2. And this will appear from Spenser's words in his View of

2

Ireland,

The Irish under Oneal cry Laundergabo, that is the BLOODY-HAND, which is Oneals 'badge.' The rebellion of the Oneals seems to be imaged in this episode: They all drank so deep of the charm and venom of Acrasia, that their blood was infected with secret filth, F. Q. ii. ii. 4. The ungovernable tempers of the Oneals hurried them into constant insurrections; as may be seen in Camden's account of the rebellion of the Irish Oneals. But, to make this historical allusion still clearer, I will cite a passage from Camden in the life of Q. Elizabeth. Ann. 1567. 6 Thus did Shan Oneal come to his bloody end: A man he was who had stained his hands with blood, and dealt in all the pollutions of unchast embraces.-The children he left by his wife, were Henry and Shan: but he ' had several more by O-donell's wife, and others of his mistresses." His wife Spenser has introduced in F. Q. ii. i. 35, &c. The Lion in F. Q. v. vii. 16. points out a British king, and particularly the king mentioned in F. Q. iii. iiì. 29. Mercilla, who is attended by a Lion in F. Q. v. ix. 33, is Queen Elizabeth; and the Lady brought to the bar, Mary Queen of Scots. Her two paramours, faithless Blandamour and Paridell, are the Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland. Blandamour is plainly the Earl of Northumberland, because the poet calls him, in F. Q. v. i. 35, The Hot-Spurre Youth,'