Page images
PDF
EPUB

B. iii. c. vii. f. xvi.

Of the witches fon, who falls in love with Florimel.

Oft from the forreft wildings he did bring,
Whofe fides empurpled were with fmiling red;
And oft young birds, which he had taught to fing
His miftreffe prayfes fweetly caroled :

Girlands of flowres fometimes for her faire head

He fine would dight; fometimes the squirrel wild
He brought to her in bands, &c.

Such prefents as thefe are made by Coridon to Paftorell.

And oft when Coridon unto her brought,
Or little sparrows ftolen from their neft,

Or wanton squirrels in the woods farre fought.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

With ftoney eyes, and hartleffe hollow hewe,

Aftonisht ftood, as one that had espide
Infernal furies with their chains untide.

Spenfer often expreffes fear, or furprize, in this manner.

With hellish fiends, or furies mad uprore.

As one affright

2.5. 37.

The

The ftoney feare
Ran to his heart, and all his fenfe difmayd,
Ne thenceforth life, ne courage did appeare,
But as a man whom hellish fiends have frayd,
Trembling long time he food.

Oft out of her bed she did astart,

2. 8. 46.

As one with view of gaftly fiends affright. 3. 2. 29.

Ne wift he what to thinke, or to devife,

But like as one whom fiends have made afraid,
He long astonisht ftood; ne ought he said,

Ne ought he did; but with fast-fixed eyes
He gazed ftill upon that fnowy maid.

5. 3. 18.

From the paffages already alleged, and from fome others which I shall produce, it will appear, that Spenfer particularly excells in painting affright, confufion, and astonishment.

Abeffa's affright at seeing the Lion and Una.

Full faft fhe fled, ne ever lookt behind,

And home the came, where as her mother blind
Sate in eternall night; nought could shee say,
But fuddaine catching hold, did her dismay,
With quaking hands, and other figns of feare;
Who full of gaftly fright, and cold dismay,
Gan fhut the dore.

I.

3.

12.

The

The behaviour of Abeffa and Corecca, when Kirkrapine was torn in pieces by the Lion.

His fearful friends weare out the wofull night,
Ne dare to weepe, nor feeme to understande

The heavy hap, which on them is alight,
Afraid left to themselves the like mishappen might.

I. 3. 20.

DESPAIRE has juft perfuaded the red-croffe knight to kill himself. 1. 9. 48.

The knight was much enmoved with his fpeach,
That as a fwords point thro' his hart did pearce,
And in his confcience made a secret breach,
Well-knowing true all that he did reherfe,
And to his fresh remembrance did reverfe
The uglie hue of his deformed crimes,
That all his manly powres it did disperse,
As he were charmed with inchanted rimes,
That oftentimes he quakt, and fainted oftentimes.

xlix.

In which amazement, when the miscreant
Perceived him to waver weake and fraile,

Whiles trembling horror did his confcience dart,
And hellish anguish did his foule afsaile;
To drive him to defpaire, and quite to quaile,

He fhew'd him painted in a table plaine

The

The damned ghosts that do in torments waile, And thousand fiends that do them endlesse paine With fire and brimftone, which for ever fhall remaine.

1.

The fight whereof so throughly him dismaid,
That nought but death before his eyes he saw,
And ever-burning wrath before him laid,
By righteous fentence of th' almighties law ;
Then 'gan the villaine him to overawe,

And brought unto him fwords, ropes poyson, fire,
And all that might him to perdition draw,

And bade him chufe what death he would defire, For death was due to him, that had provokt gods ire.

li.

But when as none of them he saw him take,
He to him raught a dagger fharpe and keene,
And gave it him in hand; his hand did quake,
And tremble like a leaf of aspine greene;
And troubled blood through his pale face was feene
To come and goe, with tydings from the hart,
As it a running meffenger had beene;

At laft, refolv'd to work his final smart

He lifted up his hand, that back againe did start.

Experience proves, that we paint beft, what we have felt moft. Spenfer's whole life feems to have confifted

confifted of disappointments and distress. These miseries, the warmth of his imagination, and, what was its confequence, his fenfibility of temper, contributed to render doubly severe. Unmerited and unpitied indigence ever ftruggles hardest with true genius; and a refined taste, for the fame reasons that it enhances the pleasures of life, adds uncommon torture to the anxieties of that state, " in which, fays an incomparable moralift, "Every virtue is obfcured, and in which no "conduct can avoid reproach; a state in which chear

fulness is infenfibility, and dejection fullennefs; of "which the hardships are without honour, and the "labours without reward."

To these may be added his perfonage FEAR.

Next him was FEAR all arm'd from top to toe,
Yet thought himselfe not fafe enough thereby;
But fear'd each fhadow moving to and fro;
And his owne armes when glittering he did spy,
Or clashing heard, he fast away did fly,
As afhes pale of hew, and wingy-heel'd;
And evermore on DANGER fix'd his eye,

'Gainst whom he alwaies bent a brazen shield, Which his right hand unarmed fearfully did wield.

3. 12. 17.

Again,

When

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »