F

EW poets appear to have compofed with greater rapidity than Spenfer. Hurried away by the impetuofity of imagination, he frequently cannot find time to attend to the niceties of conftruction; or to stand still and revife what he had before written, in order to prevent contradictions, inconfiftencies, and repetitions. Hence it is, that he not only fails in the connection of fingle words, but of circumstances; not only violates the rules of grammar, but of probability, truth, and propriety.

A review of these faults, which flow perhaps from that cause which produced his greatest beauties, will B 2 tend

tend to explain many paffages in particular, and to bring us acquainted with his manner in general.

I fhall begin with his elleipses, in which the reader will find his omiffion of the relative to be frequent.

B. i. c. vi. f. x.

As when a greedy wolf through hunger fell,
A filly lamb far from the flocke doth take,

Of whom he means his bloody feast to make,

A lyon spyes fast running towards him.

He should have faid, a greedy wolf WHO through hunger fell.

B. i. c. vii. f. xxxvii.

A gentle youth, his dearely loved fquire,
His fpeare of heben wood behind him bare,
A goodly perfon, and could menage faire,
His ftubborne fteede, &c.

WHO is omitted before could menage faire.

B. i. c. x. f. xlii.

Whofe face he made all beasts to feare, and gave
All in his hand.

That is, into WHOSE hand he gave all.

B

B. i. c. xi. f. xxi.

He cryde as raging seas are wont to roare,
When wintry storme his wrathfull wreck doth threat,
The roaring billowes beat the rugged shore,

As they the earth would shoulder from her seat
And greedy gulfe devoure.

Some fuch word as WHILE is to be understood before the roaring billowes.

B. i. c. x. f. li.

Whose staggering steps thy fteadie hand doth lead
And fhews the way, his finfull foule to fave.

He fhould have faid, and to WHICH IT fhews the way.

B. iii. c. ii. f. xlv.

Which lovft the fhadow of a warlike knight,
No fhadow, but a body hath in powre.

No fhadow, but WHICH a body, &c.

B. ii. c. viii. f. xxxviii.

With that he ftrooke, and th' other ftrooke withall,
That nothing feemd mote beare so monstrous might,
The one upon his cover'd fhield did fall
And glauncing downe did not his owner bite,
But th' other did upon his troncheon fmite.
B 2

The

The one upon his, &c. That is, the STROKE, or

SWORD of the one, &c.

And afterwards,

But th' other, i. e. the STROKE of the other, &c.

So again,

So forely he her ftrooke that thence it glaunct
Adowne her backe.

That is, the WEAPON glaunct, &c.

B. iv. c. vi. f. xxxvii.

Ne in his face, nor blood or life appear'd,
But fenfeleffe ftood, &c.

That is, HE fenfeleffe ftood.

B. iv. c. vii. f. vii.

4. 6. 13.

But certes was with milke of wolves and tigers fed.

But certes HE was, &c.

B. i. Introduct. f. ii.

Whom that most noble Briton prince fo long
Sought through the world, and fuffred fo much ill.

He fhould have faid, and FOR WHOM be fuffred, &c.