!

Thus far he drew

But to return to our poet. from Gothick ideas; and these ideas, I think, would lead him no further. But, as Spenser knew what belonged to classick composition, he was tempted to tie his subject still closer together by one expedient of his own, and by another taken from his classick models.

His own was to interrupt the proper story of each book, by dispersing it into several ; involving by this means, and as it were intertwisting the several actions together, in order to give something like the appearance of one action to bis twelve adventures. And for this conduct, as absurd as it seems, he had some great examples in the Italian poets, though, I believe, they were led into it by different motives.i

The other expedient which he borrowed from the classicks, was by adopting one superiour character, which should be seen throughout. Prince Arthur, who had a separate adventure of his own, was to have his part in each of the other; and thus several actions were to be embodied by the interest which one principal Hero had in them all. It is even observable, that Spenser gives this adventure of Prince Arthur in quest of Gloriana, as the proper subject of his Poem. And upon this idea the late learned editor of the FAERIE QUEENE has attempted, but I think

* Mr. Upton.

classick

without success, to defend the Unity and simplicity of its fable. The truth was, the violence of sick prejudices forced the poet to affect this appearance of unity, though in contradiction to his Gothick system. And, as far as we can judge of the tenour of the whole work from the finished half of it, the adventure of Prince Arthur, whatever the author pretended, and his critick too easily believed, was but an after-thought; and at least with regard to the historical fable, which we are now considering, was only one of the expedients by which he would conceal the disorder of his Gothick plan.

And, if this was his design, I will venture to say that both his expedients were injudicious. Their purpose was to ally two things, in nature incompatible, the Gothick, and the classick, unity; the effect of which misalliance was to discover and expose the nakedness of the Gothick.

I am of opinion then, considering the FAERIE QUEENE as an epick or narrative Poem constructed on Gothick ideas, that the poet had done well to affect no other unity than that of design, by which his subject was connected. But his Poem is not simply narrative; it is throughout Allegorical: he calls it a perpetual allegory or dark conceit and this character, for reasons I may have occasion to observe hereafter, was even predominant in the FAERIE QUEENE. His nar

ration is subservient to his moral, and but serves This he tells us himself at setting

to colour it.

out;

Fierce wars and faithful loves shall moralize my song.'

that is, shall serve for a vehicle, or instrument, to convey the moral.

Now, under this idea, the unity of the FAERIE QUEENE is more apparent. His twelve knights are to exemplify as many virtues, out of which one illustrious character is to be composed. And, in this view, the part of Prince Arthur in each Book becomes essential, and yet not principal; exactly, as the poet has contrived it. They who rest in the literal story, that is, who criticise it on the footing of a narrative Poem, have constantly objected to this management. They say, it necessarily breaks the unity of design. Prince Arthur, they affirm, should either have had no part in the other adventures, or he should have had the chief part. He should either have done And the objection is unanswerable; at least I know of nothing that can be said to remove it but what I have supposed above might be the purpose of the poet, and which I myself havé rejected as insufficient.

nothing or more.

But how faulty soever this conduct be in the literal story, it is perfectly right in the moral:

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and that for an obvious reason, though his criticks seem not to have been aware of it. His chief hero was not to have the twelve virtues in the degree in which the knights had, each of them, their own; (such a character would be a monster;) but he was to have so much of each as was requisite to form his superiour character. Each virtue, in its perfection, is exemplified in its own knight: they are all, in a due degree, concentered in Prince Arthur.

This was the poet's moral: and what way of expressing this moral in the history, but by making Prince Arthur appear in each adventure, and in a manner subordinate to its proper hero? Thus, though inferiour to each in his own specifick virtue, he is superior to all by uniting the whole circle of their virtues in himself: and thus he arrives, at length, at the possession of that bright form of Glory, whose ravishing beauty, as seen in a dream or vision, had led him out into these miraculous adventures in the Land of Faery.

The conclusion is, that, as an allegorical Poem, the method of the FAERIE QUEENE is governed by the justness of the moral: as a narrative Poem, it is conducted on the ideas and usages of chivalry. In either view, if taken by itself, the plan is defensible. But from the union of the two designs there arises a perplexity

and confusion, which is the proper, and only considerable, defect of this extraordinary Poem.

No doubt Spenser might have taken one single adventure, of the Twelve, for the subject of his Poem; or he might have given the principal part in every adventure to Prince Arthur. By this means his fable had been of the classick kind, and its unity as strict as that of Homer and Virgil.

All this the poet knew very well, but his purpose was not to write a classick poem. He chose to adorn a Gothick story; and, to be consistent throughout, he chose that the form of his work should be of a piece with his subject.

Did the poet do right in this? I cannot tell; but, comparing his work with that of another great poet, I see no reason to be peremptory in condemning his judgment.

The example of this poet deserves to be considered. It will afford, at least, a fresh confirmation of the point, I principally insist upon; I mean, The pre-eminence of the Gothick manners and fictions, as adapted to the ends of poetry, above the classick.

I have observed of the famous Torquato Tasso that, coming into the world a little of the latest for the success of the pure Gothick manner, he thought fit to trim between that and the classick model. It was lucky for his fame, perhaps, that he did so. For the Gothick fables falling