WHOLE, Compounded of many various parts, relative and dependant, it is expedient that not one of those parts should be so regularly contrived, and so completely finished, as to become a WHOLE of itself. For the mind, being once satisfied in arriving at the consummation of an orderly series of events, acquiesces in that satisfaction. Our attention and curiosity are in the midst diverted from pursuing, with due vigour, the final and general catastrophe. But while each part is left incomplete, if separated from the rest, the mind, still eager to gratify its expectations, is ir resistibly and imperceptibly drawn from part to part, till it receives a full and ultimate satisfaction from the accomplishment of one great event, which all those parts, following and illustrating each other, contributed to produce.

Our author was probably aware, that by constituting twelve several adventures for twelve several heroes, the want of a general connection would often appear. On this account, as I presume, he sometimes resumes and finishes, in some distant Book, a tale formerly begun and left imperfect. But, as numberless interruptions necessarily intervene, this proceeding often occasions infinite perplexity to the reader. And it seems to be for the same reason, that, after one of the twelve Knights has achieved the adventure of his proper Book, the poet introduces him, in the next Book, acting perhaps in an inferiour sphere,

and degraded to some less dangerous exploit. But this conduct is highly inartificial: for it destroys that repose which the mind feels after having accompanied a hero, through manifold struggles and various distresses, to success and victory. Besides, when we perceive him entering upon any less illustrious attempt, our former admiration is in some measure diminished. Having seen him complete some memorable conquest, we become interested in his honour, and are jealous concerning his future reputation. To attempt, and even to achieve, some petty posterfour enterprise, is to derogate from his dignity, and to sully the transcendant lustre of his former victories.

Spenser perhaps would have embarrassed himself and the reader less, had he made every Book one entire detached poem of twelve Cantos, without any reference to the rest. Thus he would have written twelve different Books, in each of which he might have completed the pattern of a particular virtue in twelve Knights respectively: at present he has remarkably failed, in endeavouring to represent all the virtues exemplified in one. The poet might either have established TWELVE KNIGHTS without an ARTHUR, or an ARTHUR without TWELVE KNIGHTS. Upon supposition that Spenser was resolved to characterise the twelve moral virtues, the former plan perhaps would have been best: the latter is defective, as it necessarily wants simplicity. It is an action

consisting of twelve actions, all equally great and unconnected between themselves, and not compounded of one uninterrupted and coherent chain of incidents, tending to the accomplishment of one design.

I have before remarked, that Spenser intended to express the character of a hero perfected in the twelve moral virtues, by representing him as assisting in the service of all, till at last he be comes possessed of all. This plan, however in judicious, he certainly was obliged to observe. But in the third Book, which is styled the Legend of Chastity, Prince Arthur does not so much as lend his assistance in the vindication of that virtue. He appears indeed; but not as an agent, or even an auxiliary, in the adventure of the Book.

Yet it must be confessed, that there is something artificial in the poet's manner of varying from historical precision. This conduct is rationally illustrated by himself*. According to this plan, the reader would have been agreeably surprised in the last Book, when he came to discover that the series of adventures, which he had just seen completed, were undertaken at the command of the FAERIE QUEENE; and that the Knights had severally set forward to the execution of them, from her annual birth-day festival. But Spenser, in most of the Books, has injudiciously

* Letter to Sir W. Raleigh. T. WARTON.

forestalled the first of these particulars; which certainly should have been concealed till the last Book, not only that a needless repetition of the same thing might be prevented, but that an opportunity might be secured of striking the reader's mind with a circumstance new and unexpected.

But notwithstanding the plan and conduct of "Spenser, in the poem before us, is highly exceptionable, yet we may venture to pronounce, that the scholar has more merit than his master in this respect; and that the Faerie Queene is not so confused and irregular as the Orlando Furioso. There is indeed no general unity which prevails in the former: but, if we consider every book, or adventure, as a separate poem, we shall meet with so many distinct, however imperfect, unities, by which an attentive reader is less bewildered, than in the maze of indigestion and incoherence, of which the latter totally consists, where we seek in vain either for partial or universal integrity:

Cum nec pes nec caput uni

'Reddatur forma.' Hor. Art. Poet. v. 8.

Ariosto has his admirers, and most deservedly. Yet every classical, every reasonable critick must acknowledge, that the poet's conce, tion in celebrating the MADNESS, or, in other words, de

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scribing the irrational acts, of a hero, implies extravagance and absurdity. Orlando does not make his appearance till the eighth book, where he is placed in a situation not perfectly heroick. He is discovered to us in bed, desiring to sleep. His ultimate design is to find Angelica, but his pursuit of her is broken off in the thirtieth book; after which there are sixteen books, in none of which Angelica has the least share. Other heroes are likewise engaged in the same pursuit. After reading the first stanza, we are inclined to think, that the subject of the poem is the expedition of the Moors into France, under the emperor Agramante, to fight against Charlemagne; but this business is the most insignificant and inconsiderable part of it. Many of the heroes perform exploits equal, if not superiour, to those of Orlando; particularly Ruggiero, who closes the poem with a grand and important achievement, the conquest and death of Rodomont. But this event is not the completion of a story carried on, principally and perpetually, through the work.

This spirited Italian passes from one incident to another, and from region to region, with such incredible expedition and rapidity, that one would think he was mounted upon his winged steed Ippogrifo. Within the compass of ten stanzas, he is in England and the Hesperides, in the earth and the moon. He begins the history of a knight