out lowering or deepening the voice, as though we were going to bed ourselves, or thinking of the rainy night that has lulled us. happy pause in the last line, A long rest at the and then a strong accent on the word far, put us in possession of all the remoteness of the scene; and it is improved, if we make a similar pause at heard: No other noise, or people's troublous cries, As still are wont to annoy the walled town, Upton, one of Spenser's commentators, in reference to the trickling stream, has quoted in his note on this passage some fine lines from Chaucer, in which, describing the "dark valley" of Sleep, the poet says there was nothing whatsoever in the place, save that, A few wells Came running fro the clyffes adowne, That made a deadly sleeping sowne. Sowne (in the old spelling) is also Spenser's word. In the text of the present volume it is written soun', to show that it is the same as the word sound without the d; like the French and Italian, son suono. "'T is hardly possible," says Upton, "for a more picturesque description to come from a poet or a painter than this whole magical scene."-See Todd's Variorum Spenser, vol. ii. p. 38. Meantime, the magician has been moulding a shape of air to represent the virtuous mistress of the knight; and when the dream arrives, he sends them both to deceive him, the one sitting by his head and abusing "the organs of his fancy," (as Milton says of the devil with Eve), and the other behaving in a manner very unlike her prototype. The delusion succeeds for a time. 11 A fit false dream, that can delude the sleepers' sent. Scent, sensation, perception. Skinner says that sent, which we falsely write scent, is derived a sentiendo. The word is thus frequently spelt by Spenser.TODD. 12A diverse dream." “A dream,” says Upton, "that would occasion diversity or distraction; or a frightful, hideous dream, from the Italian, sogno diverso."-Dante, Inferno, canto vi. Cerbero, fiera crudele e diversa. (Cerberus, the fierce beast, cruel and diverse.) Berni, Orlando Innamorato, Lib. i. canto 4, stanza 66. Un grido orribile e diverso. (There rose a cry, horrible and diverse), &c. See Todd's Edition, as above, p. 42. The obvious sense, however, as in the case of Dante's Cerberus, I take to be monstrously varied, inconsistent with itself. The dream is to make the knight's mistress contradict her natural cha racter. THE CAVE OF MAMMON AND GARDEN OF PROSERPINE. Sir Guyon, crossing a desert, finds Mammon sitting amidst his gold in a gloomy valley. Mammon, taking him down into his cave, tempts him with the treasures there, and also with those in the Garden of Proserpine. 66 Spenser's strength," says Hazlitt, "is not strength of will or action, of bone and muscle, nor is it coarse and palpable; but it assumes a character of vastness and sublimity seen through the same visionary medium” (he has just been alluding to one), "and blended with the appalling associations of preternatural agency. We need only turn in proof of this to the Cave of Despair, or the Cave of Mammon, or to the account of the change of Malbecco into Jealousy."-Lectures, p. 77. That house's form within was rude and strong, 13 Like a huge cave hewn out of rocky clift, From whose rough vault the ragged branches hung That heavy ruin they did seem to threat; And over them Arachne high did lift Her cunning web, and spread her subtle net, Enwrapped in foul smoke, and clouds more black than jet. Both roof and floor, and walls were all of gold, But overgrown with dust and old decay, And hid in darkness, that none could behold The hue thereof; for view of chearful day Did never in that house itself display, But a faint shadow of uncertain light; In all that room was nothing to be seen, But huge great iron chests and coffers strong, All barr'd with double bands, that none could ween On every side they placed were along : But all the ground with skulls was scattered, And dead men's bones, which round about were flung, Whose lives (it seemèd) whilome there were shed, And their vile carcases now left unburièd. They forward pass, nor Guyon yet spake word, As eye of man did never see before, The charge thereof unto a covetous sprite From other covetous fiends it to defend, Then Mammon turning to that warrior, said: "Certes" (said he)" I n'ill thine offered grace,14 Another bliss before mine eyes I place, To them that list, these base regards I lend; Than them to have myself, and be their servile slave. The Knight is led further on, and shown more treasures, and afterwards taken into the palace of Ambition; but all in vain. Mammon emmovèd was with inward wrath; With herbs and fruits, whose kinds must not be read : There mournful cypress grew in greatest store;16 14 N'ill, ne-will, will not. |