cels, caft down the defks of the monks, deface the altars, and destroy the images found in their churches. By the BLATANT BEAST is understood Scandal, and by the havock juft mentioned as effected by it, is implied the fuppreffion of religious houses and popish fuperftition. But how can this be properly said to have been brought about by fcandal? And how could Spenfer in particular, with any confistency say this, who was, as appears by his pastorals, a friend to the reformation, as was his heroine Elizabeth?

But there is another capital fault in our author's allegories, which does not immediately fall under the stated rules of criticism. "Painters, says a French "writer, ought to employ their allegories in religious "pictures, with much greater reserve than in pro"fane pieces. They may, indeed, in such subjects as "do not represent the mysteries and miracles of our "religion, make use of an allegorical compofition, "the action whereof fhall be expreffive of fome truth, "that cannot be reprefented otherwise, either in paint"ing or sculpture. I agree therefore to let them "draw FAITH and HOPE fupporting a dying perfon, "and RELIGION in deep affliction at the feet of a "deceased prelate. But I am of opinion, that artifts "who treat of the miracles and dogmas of our religion, "are allowed no kind of allegorical compofition.....

"

"The facts whereon our religion is built, and the "doctrine it delivers, are fubjects in which the "painter's imagination has no liberty to sport *. The conduct which this author blames, is practifed by Spenfer, with this difference only; that the painters here condemned are supposed to adapt human allegory to divine mystery, whereas Spenser has mingled divine mystery with human allegory. Such a practice as this, tends not only to confound facred and profane fubjects, but to place the licentious fallies of imagination upon a level with the dictates of divine infpiration; to debase the truth and dignity of heavenly things, by making Chriftian allegory fubfervient fubfervient to the purposes of Romantic fiction.

This fault of our author, through a defect of judgement rather than a contempt of religion, has moft glaringly committed throughout his whole first book, where the imaginary inftruments and expedients of romance, are perpetually interwoven with the myfteries contained in the Book of REVELATIONS. Dueffa, who is formed upon the idea of a romantic enchantrefs, is gorgeously arrayed in gold and purple, presented with a triple † crown by the giant Or

*Abbe du Bos, Reflexions, &c. tom. i. c. xxiv.
By the triple crown he plainly glances at popery.

goglio,

Orgoglio, and feated by him on a monstrous sevenheaded dragon, (1. 7. 16.) whose tail reaches to the fkies, and throws down the stars, (f. 18.) she bearing a golden cup in her hand. (1. 8. 25.) This is the SCARLET WHORE, and the RED DRAGON in the REVELATIONS. "Behold a great red dragon, "having seven heads, and ten horns, and feven

crowns upon his heads; and his tail drew the third 66 part of the ftars of heaven, and did caft them to "earth *." Again, "I faw a woman fit upon a "fcarlet-coloured beast, full of names of blafphemy, "having seven heads, and ten horms; and the wo"man was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and "decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls, "having a golden cup in her hands, full of abomi"nation, and filthinefs of her fornication +."

In Orgoglio's castle, which is described as very magnificent, Prince Arthur discovers,

An altar carv'd with cunning imagery,

On which true Chriftians blood was often spilt,
And holy martyrs often doen to die,

With cruel malice and ftrong tyranny;

Whose blessed sprites, from underneath the ftone,

To God for vengeance cride continually. 1. 8. 36.

Ch. 12. ver. 3. 4.

+ Ch. 17. ver. 3. 4. O 2

The

The inspired author of the above-named book mentions the fame of what he faw in heaven.

"I faw

"under the altar the fouls of them that were flain for "the word of God, and for the teftimony which “they held; and they cried with a loud voice, how " long, O Lord, holy and true, doft thou not judge, and avenge our blood on them that dwell " on earth * ?"

A hermit points out to the RED-CROSSE knight the New Jerufalem, (1. 10. 53.) which an angel difcovers to St. John, (c. 21. 10. &c.) This profpect is taken, fays the poet, from a mountain more lofty than either the mount of Olives or Parnaffus. These two comparisons thus impertinently linked together, ftrongly remind us of the abfurdity now spoken of, the mixture of divine truth, and profane invention; and naturally lead us to reflect on the difference between the oracles uttered from the former, and the fictions of thofe who dreamed on the latter.

Spenfer, in the vifionary dominions of Una's father, has planted the TREE of LIFE, and of KNOWLEDGE: from the first of the trees, he fays, a well flowed, whose waters contained a moft falutary virtue, and

Ch. 6. ver. 9. 10.

which the dragon could not approach. Thus in the fame fcripture," He fhewed me a pure river of wa"ter of life, clear as cryftal, proceeding out of the "throne of God, and of the lamb. In the midst "of the street of it, and on either fide of the river, <c was there the TREE of LIFE The circumftance, in particular, of the dragon not being able to approach this water, is literally adopted from romance, as has been before observed t. Thus alfo by the fteps and fictions of romance, we are conducted to the death of the dragon who befieged the parents of Una, by which is figured the deftruction of the old ferpent mentioned in the Apocalypfe.

་

The extravagancies of pagan mythology are not improperly introduced into a poem of this fort, as they are acknowledged falfities; or at beft, if expreffive of any moral truth, no more than the inventions of men. But the poet that applies the VISIONS of God in fuch a manner is guilty of an impropriety, which, I fear, amounts to an impiety.

If we take a retrospect of english poetry from the age of Spenfer, we shall find, that it principally confifted in visions and allegories 1. Fancy was a greater

This subject may, probably, be one day confidered more at large,

in a regular hiftory.