F

EW poets appear to have composed with greater rapidity than Spenser. Hurried away

by the impetuosity of imagination, he frequently cannot find time to attend to the niceties of construction; or to stand still and revise what he had before written, in order to prevent contradictions, inconsistencies, and repetitions. Hence it is, that he not only fails in the connection of single 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

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

I shall begin with his elleipses, in which the reader will find his omission 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 said, a greedy wolf who through hunger fell.

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

A gentle youth, his dearely loved squire,
His speare of heben wood behind him bare,
A goodly person, and could menage faire,
His stubborne fteede, &c.

Who is omitted before could menage faire.

B. i. c. X. f. xlii.

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

That is, into WHOSE hand he gave all.

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

He cryde as raging seas aro 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 such word as WHILE is to be understood before the roaring billowes.

B. i. c. a. f. . .

Whose staggering steps thy steadie hand doth lead

And shews the way, his sinfull soule to save. He should have said, and to WHICH IT Anews the way.

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

Which lovst the shadow 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 strooke, and th' other strooke withall,
That nothing seemd mote beare fo monstrous might,
The one upon his cover'd field did fald
And glauncing downe did not his owner bite,
But th' other did upon his troncheon smite.

The

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(6) The one upon his,. &c. That is, the stroke, or

опе,

&c.

ŚWORD of the

And afterwards,

But thother, i. e. the STROKE of the otber, &c.

So again,

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

4. 6. 13.

That is, the WEAPON glaunct, &c.

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

Ne in his face, nor blood or life appear’d,
But fenfelesse stood, &c.

That is, he senselese stood.

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

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 so long

Sought through the world, and fuffred fo much ill. He fhould have said, and FOR WHOM he suffred, &c.