but in this and in the following verfe, he had Virgil in view, vi. 617.

-Radiifque rotarum DESTRICTI PENDENT: SEDET, AETERNUMQUE SEDEBIT

Infelix Thefeus.

Which explains what he means by,
Thefeus condemn'd to endleffe flouth by law.

And the last verse of this ftanza mentions the punishment of the daughters of Danaus: [Ovid. Met. iv. 461. Hygin. Fab. 168.] he uses a round number; one of his daughters faved her husband and was exempted from the punishment inflicted on the rest.

XXXVII.

HIPPOLYTUS.] His story is told in Virg. vii. 765. to which paffage and to the commentators refer the reader. With refpect to his furgeon Aefculapius, there were feveral of that name; fee Cic. de Nat. Deor. iii. 22. with the notes of Davies. And as poets feldom agree in their fabulous hiftories, fo our poet differs I think, from all, in saying, that Aefculapius was emprifoned remedileffe: for he was made a god: Lucian introduces him and Hercules fcolding for priority of place: and Celfus fays, he was numbered among the gods for adding luftre to an art before rude. Eratofthenes relates that

he was taken into the number of the conftella

tions, and named Ophiuchus, and that Jupiter did this to please Apollo. Compare Hygin. Poet. Aftron. Cap. xiv. 'Tis well known he was worshipped in Epidaurus, and how in a ferpentine form he came to Rome, as Ovid tells the fable, Met. xv. Hence Milton, the god in Epidaurus, ix. 506. Shall we endeavour to reconcile Spenfer with the poets and mythologifts; or rather suppose (which he often does) that he makes a mythology of his own, fuitable to his own scheme or purpofe? But if we were to try to reconcile Spenfer with his brother poets, we might interpret this story of Æfculapius' being in hell, juft as the ftory of Hercules is interpreted in Homer's Odyffey, that his Idole is in hell, and his Spirit in heaven? fo let us reconcile Virgil to himself concerning Thefeus, as mentioned above, Sedet, aeternumque fedebitthat is, the Idole of Thefeus, was punifhed in hell for his prefumption to ravish Proferpina, but his Spirit as a hero or demigod was in hea

ven.

Let us return to Hippolytus, in order to explain fome of thefe verfes concerning him.-He was a huntfman, hence faid to be the favourite

of Diana, the goddess of hunters: he sometimes hunted in a chariot: fo the Garamantes wont in chariots to chafe the Ethiopian Troglodytes, who were reported swifter than any other nation, Herod. L. v. and as he now thus hunted,

From furging gulf two monsters freight were brought. Let us fee how Sir W. Raleigh in his hiftory of the world, p. 367. tells this tale. Neptune fent out HIS SEA-CALVES [Phocas fee Natal. Com, L. ii. C. 8.] as Hippolytus paffed by the fea-fhore, and fo affrighted his horfes, as cafting the coach over, he was by being intangled therein, torne in pieces, which miferable and undeferved deftinie, when Phedra had heard of, fhe ftrangled herself. After which it is fained that Diana intreated Æfculapius to fet Hippolytus his pieces together, and to reflore him to life; which done because he was chafte, he led him with her into Italie to accompany her in hunting.-But let us hear Virgil,

Quod litore currum

Et juvenem monftris pavidi effudere marinis.
Which Pitt translates,

Since the mad horfes ftartled as they flew,
And on the ground their mangled mafter threw.
This is too vague: Dr. Trapp, not fettered with
rime, nor indeed with good poetry, thus more
litterally,

Because by fea-born monsters fear'd, they flung The chariot and the youth upon the fore. The following is the note of Taubmannus, Monftris marinis] Egeus [Scrib. Neptunus. Spenf. his fea-god Syre] enim agitanti currum • Hippolyto, rogatu patris Thefei, immifit PHOCAS, quibus equi territi eum diftraxerunt.

From furging gulf Two monsters freight were brought, With dread whereof his chafing fteedes aghaft Both charett fwifte and huntsmen over-caft. Two monsters-feem an errour of the prefs of tranfcriber, instead of THE monsters, From furging gulf the monsters freight were brought, The monsters from the furging gulf, are the PHOCA: MONSTRA MARINA. The variation is not great and the correction fets all eafy; for there is If I were to conjecture that the poet wrote feaneither reafon nor rime to fay Two monsters. monsters,

From furging gulf fea-monfters freight were brought: The conjecture may feem too far from the received reading: however we leave our various readings and comments with the reader, to make of them what he thinks proper.-Let us go on to the next verse,

With dread whereof his chacing fteedes aghaft

Tur

So the 1ft quarto: the 2d chafing: and fo the folios 1609. 1611. 1617. 1679. But Hughes very right, chafing feedes, turbati equi, Virg. viii. 767. Turbantur equi, Ov. Met. xv. 517. bantur quadrupedes, Ov. Faft. 739. Solliciti terrentur equi. Compare the Hippol. of Eurip. ver. 1223. If Hughes is right in printing chafing here, he is as wrong in printing chafe in B. i. C. 6. St. 21. And chafe the falvage beaft. For there is not a fox-hunter in England, but would read, chafe. The last verse in this ftanza, That of Hippolytus was left no moniment, feems imitated from Ovid. Met. xv. 529. Nullafque in corpore partes

Nofcere quas poffes.

XXXIX.

His cruell ftep-dame feeing what was done Her wicked daies with wretched knife did end.] As knife is derived from pos and used by our old poets in that fenfe, it means, dagger or ponyard. Spenfer, perhaps thought it too infamous a way of going out of the world to fay that Phedra hang'd herfelf; he therefore follows Seneca in faying she stabb'd herself.-Mean while Thefeus too late repented of his imprecations, Tho gathering up the relicks of his fmart By Dians means, who was Hippolyt's friend— Some editions have, WHO gathering-But tho is ufed for then in a thousand places, and fo by the old English writers, whom Spenfer follows.

He fays that Diana was the friend of Hippolytus; and Diana, in Eurip. Hippol. ver. 1333, calls him, ärdga távtwy Qihtator. Hippolytus himself fays that he had the honour to converfe with her, which was denied to other mortals,

Μόνῳ γάρ ἐσι τῦτ ̓ ἐμοὶ γέρας βροτῶν,
Σὲ καὶ ξύνειμι, καὶ λόγοις ἀμείβομαι.

Soli enim mihi eft hoc munus mortalium,
Et tecum verfor, et tecum colloquor.

Which I rather mention, because hence is illuftrated and explained what Xenophon in his treatife of hunting writes of Hippolytus, viz. that Diana familiarly converfed with him: Kai hoyos-Let me add another inftance of Spenfer's departing from ftrictly adhering to the old mythology: Thefeus (he fays) by the means of Diana, gathered up the diffevered limbs of his son, and brought them to Æfculapius, who joyned the mangled carcafe together and healed Hippolytus. The reader may compare (if he has any mind to fee how the story differs) the

Hippolytus of Euripides. Ov. Faft. vi. 745.
Met. xv. 497. Virg. vii. 769. But Horace tells
you 'tis all a mere ftory, L. iv. Od. vii.
Infernis neque enim tenebris Diana pudicum
Liberat Hippolytum.

XLII.

Is not enough that thrust from heaven due.] Is not enough? non fatis eft? As in Latin id, illud is omitted, fo Spenfer omits it in English.-thruft from heaven DUE, i. e. due to him, not only as a demigod, and fon of Apollo, but likewise on account of his medicinal fcience: for fuperior science raised the ancients to be gods.-HAC ARTE Pollux et vagus Hercules Enifus arces obtigit aetheris-In ancient coins he is named, CoTHP

ACKAHNIOC.

XLV.

-albee (his woundes wyde

Not throughly heald) unready were to ryde.] This paffage, I believe, has been hitherto mifunderftood, if I can conjecture from the pointing in all the editions: as I have pointed it; his woundes wide not throughly heald is put abfolute; and the pronoun be omitted according to Spenfer's ufual manner: the conftruction is, Albeit (his wide wounds being not thoroughly heald) He were unready to ride. So the pronoun He is omitted in Milton, ii. 46. which place feems to have been misunderstood.

His truft was to the Eternal to be deem'd
Equal in firength; and rather than be less

Car'd not to be at all.

i. e. He cared not: to be fupplied from His in the first verse.-Woundes is of two fyllables.

XLVII.

There was that great proud king of Babylon.] In the dungeon of Pride the poet places, I. NEBUCHADNESSAR. See Daniel, C. iv. II. CROESUS.. III. ANTIOCHUS, furnamed Epiphanes. He polluted the temple and prophaned the altars with all thofe facrifices and rites, which the Jews held in the highest abominations. See an account of this perfecutor of the Jews in the book of Macchabees, and in Jofephus Antiq. L. xiii. c. 16. Perhaps Spenfer calls him proud for affuming the name of God to himself, and thus in his coins we read, BAZIAENE ANTIOXOY SEOT EIII ANQUE. IV. NIMROD, who dwelt long before the above-mentioned: the firft tyrant and oppreffor. See Gen. x. 8. a mighty hunter before the Lord, which fome expound as Spenfer, and Milton, xii. 30. See Sir W. Ral. hiftory of the

woC. x. St. i. V. NINUS, king of

the

the Affyrians; he reduced the greatest part of Afia under his power, the then chiefly known world; hence Spenfer hyperbolically adds, of all the world obey'd. VI. ALEXANDER the Great, fon of Philip king of Macedon, but would be thought fon of Jupiter Ammon, Scorn'd of God and man, he grew debauched and tyrannical; and died a fhameful death: he caught a fever from his intemperate manner of living, which occafioned his death; or, not unlikely, was poifoned.

XLIX.

Great Romulus-] Here likewife were the Roman heroes, I. ROMULUS, the firft king of Rome. II. TARQUINIUS, from his behaviour named Superbus, the laft king of Rome. III. LENTULUS, there were many eminent Romans of this name:-too lordly Lentulus-does he mean Cn. Cornelius Lentulus the dictator, who defeated the Samnites, and oppofed the Carthaginian peace? or rather Lentulus who was put to death in Cataline's confpiracy? IV. V. SCIPIO and HANNIBAL both the conqueror and conquered, he makes captives of Pride. Stubborn Hannibal; Stubborn in his inveterate hatred to the Romans, to which hatred he was folemnly initiated when a boy; and rather than be delivered up to them he poifoned himself. VI. VII. SYLLA and MARIUS; between whom the state was cruelly haraffed with civil wars: fterne Marius, what Plutarch fays of Marius in his life, will fufficiently fhew the propriety of this epithet: We have seen the effigies of Marius at Ravenna in Gaul, answering to his fowernefs and roughness of behaviour, remarked by all authors; for being naturally valiant and warlike, and more acquainted with the camp than the city, he could not govern his passion,

when in authority.' We may add likewise that ftory of the Cimbrian, who being fent to kill him, was fo frightened with his ftern look and fierce voice, Dareft thou, fellow to kill C. Marius? that he dropt his fword, and running into the ftreet declared, he could not kill C. Marius. There is a fine ftatue now at Oxford of Marius, that fhews plainly the propriety of this epithet. VIII. JULIUS CAESAR. IX. POMPEY the Great. X. MARCUS ANTONIUS, the triumvir: fierce, fo Florus, L. iv. C. vi. gravis paci, gravis reipublicæ. & Cap. XI. Furor Antonii.

L.

Amongst thefe-] With these proud men, he I. SEMIRAMIS: the places proud women. wife of Ninus, king of Affyria. After many conquefts fhe fell in love with her own fon, and was flain by him. II. STENOBOEA, whom Homer calls Antea, "Aтa, nobilis Antea. Il. . 160. Eigns, fays the Scholiaft. But Años may be referred to her greatness, or her beauty, as Dr. Clarke has well obferved: and Spenfer thus calls her Fayre Stenoboea; the epithet divine would be improper, as we now use it, nor could he apply it to her, who tempted Bellerophon and falfely accufed him to her husband: the real ftory being at length known, she put an end to her life. She hanged herfelf, fays Spenfer; poyfoned herself, fays Ariftophanes and the Scholiaft. in Bargax, ver. 1075. and Schol. and ver. 1083. III. CLEOPATRA, Highminded, fo Horace, whom he seems to have in his eye,

1.

S when a fhip, that flyes fayre under fayle, An hidden rocke efcaped hath unwares, That lay in waite her wrack for to bewaile, The mariner yet halfe amazed ftares At perill paft, and yet it doubt ne dares To joy at his fool-happie overfight, So doubly is diftreft twixt joy and cares

VI.

The dreadleffe corage of this elfin knight,

Having efcapt fo fad enfamples in his fight.] This elfin knight, the valiant St. George (for this is the meaning of

The dreadleffe corage of this elfin knight,

corage, is heart or mind; cor Ennii, is Ennius: Mens Catonis is Cato: See note on B. vi. C. 6. St. 1.) having escapt the perils of the palace of

Pride; yet ftill in a kind of distress between joy and cares, is aptly compared to the fituation of mind a mariner finds himfelf in, when his fhip is hardly efcapt from a rock: an hidden rocke, That lay in waite her wrack for TO BEWAILEher wrack to bewaile, means not to lament her wrack; but in old English, to waile or to bewail, means to make choice of, to felect, &c. So the Scotifh bishop in his version of Virgil, V. 716. Et quicquid tecum invalidum DELIGE: Wale out al thaym bene waik and unveildy. Virg. VII. 152. delectos centum oratores— Ane hundreth gay ambaffiatouris did wale.

In the complaint of Cref. Ch. v. 30. p. 337. wailid wine, is choice wine. Oppofite to wailid is outwailid, i. e. the refufe, the offscourings, &c. Now I am made an unworthy outwaile.

Teft. of Cref. v. 129. Germ. welen, eligere. Perhaps a latinift would bring it from velle to will: for what we will, we choose: a hellenift, from, F, among other fignifications, capeffere, eligere. In this fignification how poetically has Spenfer expreffed himself? the rock lays, as it were, in wait defignedly to make a wrack of her: chooses her out for that purpofe, &c. Poetry animates every thing; like the lyre of Orpheus, the gives rocks defign and choice: but in plain profe, her wrack for to bewaile, means no more than to make a wrack of her.

The mariner yet halfe amazed flares
At peril paft, and yet it doubt ne dares
To joy at his foole-happy oversight.
Spenfer corrected it among the Errata, in doubt,
i. e. and still in fear, doubt, and jeopardy.dares
not to joy, &c. Chaucer in the Rom. of the
Rofe, 4513, ufes it for jeopardy:
For him my life lieth all in dout.

Ital. dotta, dottare.-in fear or doubtful fear, does very well in this paffage: and yet in doubtful fear dares not to joy at his foolifh overfight though happily ended.-The whole fimile is very pertinent; and well worth a little criticism. III.

With beaftly fin thought her to have defilde, And made the vaffal of his pleasures vilde.] 'Tis requifite that the reader fhould be acquainted with Spenfer's manner of writing: let me then ftop him here for a moment, to put him in mind, that our poet's conftruction is to be often fupplied from the foregoing part of the fentence.

VOL. II.

With which her yron wheels did them affray, And her darke griefly looke them much difmay, i. e. did them much dismay. B. i. C. 5. St. 30. Great pity is to fee you thus difmayd, And marre the bloom of your beauty bright, i. e. and to see you thus to marre, &c. B. ii. C. 1. St. 14.

Forthy fhe oft him counfeld to forbear The bloody batteill, and to stirre up ftrife, i. e. and to forbear to ftirr up ftrife. B. iii. C. 4. St. 24. Whiles of a wanton lady I do writeAnd knighthood fowle defaced by a faithleffe knight, i. e. and whiles I write of knighthood, &c. B. iii. C. 9. St. 1.

Whofe curfed ufage and ungodly trade The heavens abborre, and into darknesse drive, i. e. and whofe curfed ufage do drive the heavens into darkness. B. iv. C. 7. St. 12.

Milton, who was a great reader and imitator of our poet, has followed him in this elliptical manner of writing, which is to be fupplied from the foregoing part of the sentence: not but that fuch figures are frequent too in ancient authors: Take this one inftance from Horace, L. i. S. 1.

Qui fit, Maecenas, ut nemo, quam fibi fortem
Seu ratio dederit, feu fors objecerit, illâ
Contentus vivat? Laudet diverfa fequentes? i. e,
Qui fit ut ille laudet fequentes diverfa?
And here let thofe

Who boaft in mortal things—
Learn how their greatest monuments of fame,
And ftrength and art are easily outdone
By fpirits reprobate-

Milt. I. 694.

. e. And learn how their strength and art, &c. With fongs to hymn his throne, And practis'd diftances to cringe, not fight.

IV. 945.

i. e. to hymn his throne with fongs, and to cringe with practised distances.

Well thou didst advise;
Yet not for thy advice or threats I fly
The wicked tents devoted; left the wrath
Impendent, raging into fudden flame
Ccc

Diftinguifl