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knight*. Of all the knights of the round table, Sir Triftram poffeffed these qualifications in the most eminent degree. Sir Ewaine is mentioned in the romance Court Mantel, as one,

Qui tant ama chiens et oiseaux †,

The prize at a jufting in Morte Arthur is, "a faire "maiden, and a far-Fawcon 1." But, in more modern times, the writer of the hiftory of Bayard, describing the dinner which Charles VIII. gave to the duke of Savoy at Lyons, fays, "qu'il y eut plufieurs propos tenus tant de chiens, d'oifauls, d'armes, que d'amours §.”

66

66

This fport was unknown to the Romans, and the firft use of it is mentioned about the time of Alaric the goth, by Julius Firmicus. It was imported into Europe from the turks, and other eastern nations, where it became chiefly cultivated by the english. It appears in Julian Barnes's Booke of Haukyng, &c. that there were hawks appropriated to all degrees of people,

* The very fenfible and ingenious author of Dialogues Moral and Political, [Lond. 1759. p. 114.] has promised a differtation on the Rife and Genius of Chivalry. Every reader of taste will be greatly disappointed, if he fhould not be fo good as his word.

La Curne de S. Palaye. tom. 2. p. 62.

Edit. Godefroi, ch. 5. p. 18.

B. 3. ch. 20.

from

from an emperor, down to the holy-water clerk *. To carry a hawk fair, was a principal accomplishment of a young nobleman. Stowe tells us, that "in "hunting and hawking many grave citizens [of Lon“don] have at this present great delight, and do ra"ther want leifure, than good will to follow it +." This diverfion was purfued to fuch an extravagance in the reign of James I. that Sir Thomas Monson, a famous falconer, was at the charge of a thousand pounds in gofhawks, only for one flight ‡. One of the claims at the coronation, ftill kept up, is to present the king, while at dinner, in Westminster-hall, with a pair of falcons.

B. iii. c. xi. INTROD.

Affayes the house of Bufyrane.

He feems to have drawn this Name from Bufiris, the king of Egypt, famous for his cruelty and inhofpitality.

B. iii. c. xi. f. xxv.

Her ample fhield she threw before her face;
And her fwords point directing forward right,

*Printed by Caxton, 1486. cap. ult.

Survey of London. ed. 1616. pag. 147.

Weldon's Character and Court of king James, 1650. 12mo. pag. 105,

Affaild

Affaild the flame, the which eftfoones gave place,
And did itself divide with equal fpace,

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The circumftance of the fire, mixed with a moft noisom fmoak, which prevents Britomart from entering into the Houfe of Bulyrane, is, I think, an obstacle, which we meet with in the Seven Champions of Christendom: And there are many incidents in this achievement of Britomart, parallel to thofe in the adventure of the Black Caftle, and the enchanted Fountain.

Milton, who tempered and exalted the extravagance of romance, with the dignity of Homer, has given us a noble image, which like that before us, feems to have had it's foundation in fome description which he had met with in books of chivalry. Satan emerges from the burning lake.

Forthwith upright he rears from off the pool
His mighty ftature; on each hand the flames
Driv'n backward flope their pointing fpires, and roll'ɖ
In billows, leave i' th' midst a horrid vale *.

B. iii. c. xii. f. i.

She heard a fhrilling trompet found aloud,
Signe of nighe battel, or got victory.

*Paradife Loft. b. 1. v. 222.

"After

"After this he heard the found of drums, and the " chearfull echoes of brazen trumpets; by which the "valiaunt champion expected some honourable paf"time, or fome great turnament to be at hand *”

B. iii. c. xii. f. xli.

He bound that piteous lady prifoner now releast.

Dr. Jortin obferves, that Spenfer, to the best of his knowledge, never uses verses of fix feet, except in the last line of the ftanza, and in this place. But he had forgot these instances,

And peril without fhowe; therefore your hardy ftroke.

Again,

1. I. 12.

But whilft his ftony heart was toucht with tender ruth.

Again,

Sad death revived with her sweet inspection.

4. 12. 13.

4. 12. 34.

We meet with an alexandrine in the Samfon Agonistes, which I believe was not left fo by the author.

But I god's counsel have not kept, his holy fecret
Prefumptuously have publish'd, &c †.

*Sev. Champ. b. 1. ch, 5.

+ 497.

The

The preceding line is,

The mark of fool fet on his front?

Perhaps we should read,

The mark of fool fet on his front? but I
God's counsel have not kept, his holy fecret
Presumptuously have publish'd, &c.

To return to the line of this remark.

He bound that piteous lady prifoner now releast.

It is probable that Prisoner was abfurdly thrown in by the printers; and as the measure is preserved, fo is the fenfe equally clear, if not more fo, without it. A poet who read Spenfer with true tafte, Mr. James Thomson, had struck it out, and I suppose for this reason, in his Spenfer, as fuperfluous.

B. iv. c. ii. f. ii.

Such mufick is wife words with time CONCENTED.

CONCENTED, from the fubftantive concent, which

is often repeated in our author.

All which together fung full chearfully

A lay of loves delight with sweet CONCENT.

And in Virgil's Gnat,

3. 12. 5.

But

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