he still kept his first and favourite acquaintance, the old Provencial poets, in his eye. Like his

own Rinaldo, who after he had gazed on the diamond shield of truth, and with seeming resolution was actually departing from Armida and her enchanted gardens, could not help looking back upon them with some remains of fondness. Nor did Tasso's Poem, though composed in some measure on a regular plan, give its author, among the Italians, at least, any greater share of esteem and reputation on that account. Arioste, with all his extravagancies, was still preferred. The superiority of the Orlando Furioso was at length established by a formal decree of the Academicians della Crusca, who, amongst other literary debates, held a solemn court of inquiry concerning the merit of both poems.

Such was the prevailing taste, when Spenser projected the Faerie Queene: a poem which, according to the practice of Ariosto, was to consist of allegories, enchantments, and romantick expeditions, conducted by knights, giants, magicians, and fictitious beings. It may be urged that Spenser måde an unfortunate choice, and discovered but little judgment, in adopting Ariosto for his example, rather than Tasso, who had so evidently exceeded his rival, at least in conduct and decorum. But our author naturally followed the poem which was most celebrated and popular. For, although the French criticks

universally gave the preference to Tasso, yet, in Italy, the partisans on the side of Ariosto were by far the most powerful, and consequently in England for Italy, in the age of queen Elizabeth, gave laws to our island in all matters of taste, as France has done ever since. At the same time it may be supposed, that, of the two, Ariosto was Spenser's favourite; and that he was. naturally biassed to prefer that plan which would admit the most extensive range for his unlimited imagination. What was Spenser's particular plan, in consequence of this choice, and how it was conducted, I now proceed to examine.

*The poet supposes, that the FAERIE QUEENE,, according to an established annual custom, held a magnificent feast, which continued twelve, days; on each of which, respectively, twelve several complaints are presented before her. Accordingly, in order to redress the injuries which were the occasion of these several complaints, she dis patches, with proper commissions, twelve dif-. ferent Knights, each of which, in the particular adventure allotted to him, proves an example of some particular virtue, as of holiness, temperance, justice, chastity; and has one complete Book assigned to him, of which he is the hero. But, besides these twelve knights, severally exemplifying twelve moral virtues, the poet has consti-,

See Spenser's Letter to Sir W. Raleigh, &c. T. WARTON

7

tuted one principal knight, or general hero, viz. PRINCE ARTHUR. This personage represents Magnificence; a virtue which is supposed to be the perfection of all the rest. He moreover assists in every Book, and the end of his actions is to discover and win GLORIANA, or Glory. In a word, in this character the poet professes to pourtray, THE IMAGE OF A brave Knight PER-"FECTED IN THE TWELVE PRIVATE MORAL VIR"TUES.'

It is evident that our author, in establishing one hero, who seeking and attaining one grand end, which is GLORIANA, should exemplify one grand character, or a brave Knight perfected in the twelve private moral virtues, copied the cast and construction of the ancient Epick. But, sensible as he was of the importance and expediency of the unity of the hero and of his design, he does not, in the mean time, seem convinced of the necessity of that unity of action, by the means of which such a design should be properly accom plished. At least, he has not followed the method practised by Homer and Virgil, in conducting their respective heroes to the proposed end.

It may be asked with great propriety, how does ARTHUR execute the grand, simple, and ultimate design, intended by the poet? It may be answered, with some degree of plausibility, that by lending his respective assistance to each of the twelve Knights, who patronize the twelve

the reward. The brave Knight' the

virtues, in his allotted defence of each, ARTHUR approaches still nearer and nearer to Glory, till at last he gains a complete possession. But surely to assist is not a sufficient service. This secondary merit is inadequate to poet ought to have made this leading adventurer. ARTHUR should have been the principal agent in vindicating the cause of Holiness, Temperance, and the rest. If our hero had thus, in his own person, exerted himself in the protection of the twelve virtues, he might have been deservedly styled the perfect Pattern of all, and consequently would have succeeded in the task assigned, the attainment of Glory. At present he is only a subordinate or accessory character. The difficulties and obstacles which we expect him to surmount, in order to accomplish his final achievement, are removed by others. It is not he who subdues the dragon, in the first Book, or quells the magician Busirane, in the third. These are the victories of St. George and of Britomart. On the whole, the twelve Knights do too much for ARTHUR to do any thing; or at least, so much as may be reasonably required from the promised plan of the poet. While we are attending to the design of the hero of the book, we forget that of the hero of the poem. Dryden remarks, 'We must do Spenser that justice to ⚫ observe, that magnanimity [magnificence] which is the true character of Prince Arthur, shines

throughout the whole poem; and succours the rest when they are in distress*.' If the magnanimity of Arthur did, in reality, thus shine in every part of the poem with a superiour and steady lustre, our author would fairly stand acquitted. t At present it bursts forth but seldom, in obscure and interrupted flashes. To succour the rest

when they are in distress,' is, as I have hinted, a circumstance of too little importance in the chafracter of this universal champion. It is a service to be performed in the cause of the hero of the Epick Poem by some dependant or inferiour chief, the business of a Gyas or a Cloanthus.

On the whole, we may observe, that Spenser's adventures, separately taken as the subject of each single Book, have not always a mutual dependance upon each other, and consequently do not properly edutribute to constitute one legitimate poem. Hughes, not considering this, has advanced a remark in commendation of Spenser's critical conduct, which is indeed one of the most blameable parts of it. • If we consider the first Book as an entire work of itself, we shall find it to be no 'irregular contrivance. There is one principal action, which is completed in the twelfth Canto, ' and the several incidents are proper, as they tend either to obstruct or promote it.'

As the heroick poem is required to be one

Dedication to the Translation of Juvenal. T. WARTON.