57

MR. SPENCE'S

DISSERTATION

ON THE

DEFECTS OF SPENSER'S ALLEGORY,

THE faults of Spenser, in relation to his Machinery or Allegories, seem to me to be all reducible to three general heads. They arise either from the poet's mixing the fables of Heathenism with the truths of Christianity; or from his misrepresenting the Allegories of the ancients; or from something that is wrong in the Allegories of his own invention. As to the two former, I shall not have much to say; but shall beg leave to be a little more diffuse, as to the third.

The strongest instance I can recollect of the first kind, his mixing Christianity and Hea thenism together, is in that short view, which he gives of the infernal regions, in the seventh Canto of the second Book. The particular part I mean, is where he speaks of Jupiter and Tan

* where he speaks, &c.] If any should be offended to find Pontius Pilate, and Tantalus, in the same place of punishment, I think it might be said, by way of apology, that wicked men will suffer hereafter in some state or place of punishment, proportionable to their crimes; and that the pect, who describes such a place, is at liberty to send thither what wicked persons soever he pleases, provided he acts according to poetical decorum. UPTON.

talus, and of Pontius Pilate and our Saviour, almost in the same breath.

The instances of Spenser's misrepresenting the stories, and allegorical personages, of the ancients, are not uncommon in this poem. Thus, in a former view of hell, he speaks of Esculapius as in eternal torments, B. i. C. v. st. 40 to 43. In another place, he introduces a company o of Satyrs, to save a Lady from a rape (B. i. C. vi. st. 6 to 19); though their distinguishing character was lust: and makes Sylvanus the god or govenour of the Satyrs, (B. i. C. vi. st. 15.) a dignity which the ancients never speak offor him; no more than of the ivy-girdle, which he gives him, round his waist, B. i. C. vi. st. 14. It is with the same sort of liberty, as I take it, that he describes the day, or morning, as having purple hair, B. i. C. v. st. 10; the Sirens, as halffish, B. ii. C. xii. st. 31; * and Bacchus, as fat, B. iii. C. i. st. 51: that he speaks of Clio, as Apollo's wife, B. i. C. xi. st. 5; and of Cupid

* and Pacchus, as fat;] This is a misrepresentation, very common among the modern artists; and from them, I sup pose, has stolen into the works of our poets. It is not only to be proved from our sign-posts: for some tolerable statuaries, and some very good painters, even in Italy, have given into it. SPENCE.

Fat is a proper epithet for Bacchus; because drinking makes people fat-bellied: hence he is called TAETPON by Charon in Aristophanes, Bar. v. 202. He is likewsse pictured plump and fat in Gorlæus, Gemm. 205. Which gem Casaubon has printed and illustrated in his treatise, De Satyrica Presi.

UPTON.

as brother to the Graces, B. ii. C. viii. st. 6 :: and that he represents Orion, in one place, * as flying from a snake, in the heavens, B. ii. C.ii. of. st. 46; and, in another, as a water-god, and one. the attendants of Neptune. The latter is in Spenser's account of the marriage of the Thames and Medway; in which he bas greatly increased Neptune's court; and added several deities as at-s tendants to that god; which were never regarded as such by any of the ancients, B. iv.: C. xi. st. 15.

This may be sufficient to show, that, where' Spenser does introduce the Allegories of the ancient poets, he does not always follow them so exactly as he might; and in the Allegories which are purely of his own invention, though his invention is one of the richest and most beautiful. that perhaps ever was, I am sorry to say, that he does not only fall very short of that simplicity. and propriety which is so remarkable in the works of the ancients; but runs now and then into thoughts, that are quite unworthy so great a genius. I shall mark out some of these faults, that appear even through all his beauties; and which may, perhaps, look quite gross, when they are thus taken from them, and laid together by themselves: but if they should prejudice a reader

as fying from a snake,] The poet means that the sun was almost beginning to rise, and that Orion was setting Orion flying from the snake, alludes to his figure and position on the sphere or globe. UPTON.

at all against so fine a writer; let him read almost any one of his entire Cantos, and it will reconcile him to him again. The reason of my producing these instances, is only to show what faults the greatest Allegorist may commit; whilst the manner of allegorising is left upon so unfixed and irregular a footing as it was in his time, and is still among us.

The first sort of fault I shall mention, from such Allegories of Spenser as are purely of his own invention, is their being sometimes too complicated, or over-done. Such for example are his representations of Scandal, Discord, and Pride.

Scandal is, what Spenser calls, the Blatant Beast and indeed he has made a very strange beast of him. He says, that his mouth was as wide as a peck, B. vi. C. xii. st. 26: and that he had a thousand tongues in it; of dogs, cats, bears, tygers, men, and serpents, B. vi. C. xii. st. 28.

There is a duplicity in his figure of Discord, which is carried on so far as to be quite preposterous. He makes her hear double, and look two different ways; he even her heart, in two;

splits her tongue, and and makes her act con

trarily with her two hands; and walk forward with one foot, and backward with the other, at the be same time, B. iv. C. i. st. 29.

There is a great deal of apparatus in Spenser's

manner of introducing Pride, in a personal cha-, racter: and she has so many different things and, attributes about her, that was this show to be represented, (in the manner of our old Pageants,) they would rather set one a guessing what they meant themselves, `than serve to point out who the principal figure should be. She makes her appearance, exalted in a high chariot, drawn by six different creatures: every one of them carrying a Vice, as a postilion, on his back; and all drove on by Satan, as charioteer, B. i. C. iv. st. 18, &c. The six Vices are Idlenesse on an ass; Gluttony, on a hog; Lechery, on a goat; Avarice, on a camel laden with gold; Envy, eating a toad, and riding on a wolf; and Wrath, with a fire-brand in his hand riding on a lion. The account of each of these particular Vices in Spenser, is admirable: the chief fault I find with it is, that it is too complex a way of characterising Pride' in general; and may possibly be as improper in some few respects, as it is redundant in others.

There is another particular in some of Spenser's' Allegories which I cannot but look upon as faulty, though it is not near so great a fanit as the former. What I mean is his affixing such filthy ideas to some of his personages, or characters, that it half turns one's stomach to read his account of them. Such, for example, is the description of Errour, in the very first Canto of the poem;