*

But notwithstanding the plan and conduct of Spenfer, in the poem before us, is highly exceptionable, yet we may venture to pronounce, that the fcholar has more merit than his master in this refpect; and that the Faerie Queene is not fo con→ fufed and irregular as the Orlando Furiofo. There is indeed no general unity which prevails in the former: but, if we confider every book, or adventure, as a separate poem, we shall meet with fo many distinct, however imperfect, unities, by which an attentive reader is lefs bewildered, than in the maze of indigeftion and incoherence, of which the latter totally confifts, where we feek in vain either for partial or univerfal integrity:

"Cum nec pes nec caput uni

"Reddatur forme." Hor. Art. Poet. v. 8.

Ariofto has his admirers, and most deservedly. Yet every claffical, every reafonable critick muft acknowledge, that the poet's conception in celebra ting the MADNESS, or, in other words, deferibing the irrational acts, of a hero, implies extravagance and abfurdity. Orlando does not make his appearance till the eighth book, where he is placed in a fituation not perfectly heroick. He is difcovered to us in bed, defiring to fleep. His ultimate design is to find Angelica, but his purfuit of her is broken off in the thirtieth book; after which there are fixteen books, in none of which Angelica has the leaft fhare. Other heroes are likewife engaged in the fame purfuit. After reading the first stanza, we are inclined to think, that the fubject of the poem is the expedition of the Moors into France, under the emperor Agramante, to fight against Charle→ magne; but this bufinefs is the moft infignificant and inconfiderable part of it. Many of the heroes perform exploits equal, if not fuperiour, to thofe of

:

Orlando; particularly Ruggiero, who clofes the poem with a grand and important achievement, the conqueft and death of Rodomont. But this event is not the completion of a story carried on, princi, pally and perpetually, through the work.

This fpirited Italian paffes from one incident to another, and from region to region, with fuch incredible expedition and rapidity, that one would think he was mounted upon his winged fteed Ippogrifo. Within the compass of ten stanzas, he is in England and the Hefperides, in the earth and the moon. He begins the hiftory of a knight in Europe, and fuddenly breaks it off to refume the unfinished catastrophe of another in Afia. The reader's imagination is diftracted, and his attention harraffed, amidst the multiplicity of tales, in the relation of which the poet is at the fame inftant equally engaged. To remedy this inconvenience, the compaffionate expofitors have affixed, in fome of the editions, marginal hints, informing the bewildered reader in what book and stanza the poet intends to recommence an interrupted episode.. This expedient reminds us of the aukward artifice practifed by the firft painters. However, it has proved the means of giving Ariofto's admirers a

h

However, it has proved the means of giving Ariofto's admirers a clear comprehenfion of his flories, &c.] There was a work of another kind published, in the age of Spenfer, calculated to augment the fame of Ariofto, and to excite a defiré in the reader, by the curious expofitions given of particular paffages, to perufe the whole of fuch a marvellous compofition, It was entitled "Bellezze del Furiofo di M. Lodovico Ariofto; Scielte da Oratio Tofcanella: Con gli Argomenti et Allegorie de i Conti: Con l'Allegorie de i nomi proprii principali dell' opera: et co'i luochi communi dell'autore per ordine di alfabeto; del medefimo." Printed at Venice, in 1574. 4to. The work is embellished with the ufual ornaments of that pe riod, wooden cuts well defigned and well finished, TODD.

clear comprehenfion of his ftories, which otherwife they could not have obtained, without much difficulty. This poet is feldom read a fecond time in order; that is, by paffing from the first canto to the fecond, and from the fecond to the reft in fucceffion by thus purfuing, without any regard to the proper courfe of the books and ftanzas, the different tales, which though all fomewhere finished, yet are at prefent fo mutually complicated, that the incidents of one are perpetually clashing with those of another. The judicious Abbe du Bos obferves happily enough, that "Homer is a geometrician in comparison of Ariofto." His mifcellaneous contents cannot be better expreffed than by the two firft verfes of his exordium.

"Le Donne, i Cavalier, l'Arme, gli Amori,
"Le Cortefie, l'audaci Imprese, io canto.'

But it is abfurd to think of judging either Ariofto or Spenfer by precepts which they did not attend to. We, who live in the days of writing by rule, are apt to try every compofition by thofe laws which we have been taught to think the fole criterion of excellence. Critical tafte is univerfally diffused, and we require the fame order and defign which every modern performance is expected to have, in poems where they never were regarded or intended. Spenfer, (and the fame may be faid of Ariofto,) did not live in an age of planning. His poetry is the careless exuberance of a warm imagination and a ftrong fenfibility. It was his business to engage the fancy, and to intereft the attention by bold and ftriking images, in the formation, and the difpofi

i Montefquieu has partly characterised Spenfer, in the judgement he has paffed upon the English poets, which is not true with regard to all of them. "Leurs poetes auroient plus fouvent cette rudeffe originale de l'invention, qu'une cer

tion of which, little labour or art was applied. The various and the marvellous were the chief fources of delight. Hence we find our author ranfacking alike the regions of reality and romance, of truth and fiction, to find the proper decorations and furniture for his fairy ftructure. Born in fuch an age, Spenfer wrote rapidly from his own feelings, which at the fame time were naturally noble. Exactness in his poem would have been like the cornice which a painter introduced in the grotto of Calypfo. Spenfer's beauties are like the flowers in Paradife:

"Which not nice Art

"In beds and curious knots, but Nature boon "Pour'd forth profufe, on hill, and dale, and plain, "Both where the morning fun firft warmly fmote "The open field, and where the unpierc'd fhade "Imbrown'd the noon-tide bowers." Par. L. B. iv. 241, If the Faerie Queene be deftitute of that arrangement and economy which epick feverity requires, yet we fcarcely regret the lofs of thefe while their place is fo amply fupplied, by fomething which more powerfully attracts us: fomething, which engages the affections, the feelings of the heart rather than the cold approbation of the head. If there be any poem, whofe graces pleafe, because they are fituated beyond the reach of art, and where the force and faculties of creative imagination delight, because they are unaffifted and unreftrained by thofe of deliberate judgement, it is THIS. In reading Spenfer if the critick is not fatisfied, yet the reader is tranfported. T. WARTON.

"taine delicateffe que donne le gout: on y trouveroit quelque "chofe qui approcheroit plus de la force de M. Ange, que de la grace du Raphael." L'Efprit du Loix. liv. 19. chap. 27. The French criticks are too apt to form their general notions of English poetry, from our fondness for Shakspeare. T. WARTON.

VOL. II.

MR. WARTON'S

REMARKS

ON

SPENSER'S IMITATIONS FROM OLD ROMANCES.

ALTHOUGH Spenfer formed his Faerie Queene upon the fanciful plan of Ariofto, yet it must be confeffed, that the adventures of his knights are a more exact and immediate copy of thofe which we meet with in old romances, or books of chivalry, than of thofe which form the Orlando Furiofo. Ariofto's knights exhibit furprising examples of their prowefs, and achieve many heroick actions. But our author's knights are more profeffedly engaged in revenging injuries, and doing juftice to the diftreffed; which was the proper bufinefs, and ultimate end of the ancient knight-errantry. And thus though many of Spenfer's incidents are to be found in Ariofto, fuch as that of blowing a horn, at the found of which the gates of a castle fly open, of the vanifhing of an enchanted palace or garden after fome knight has deftroyed the enchanter, and the like; yet these are not more peculiarly the property of Ariofto, than they are common to all ancient romances in general. Spenfer's firft Book is, indeed, a regular and precife imitation of fuch a feries of action as we frequently find in books of chivalry. For inftance; A king's daughter applies to a knight, that he would relieve her father and mother, who are closely confined to their caftle, upon account of a vaft and terrible dragon, that had ravaged their country, and perpetually laid wait to destroy them.