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ENVY, and the like. Ariofto gives us but few fymbolical beings of this fort; for a picturesque invention was by no means his talent: while those few which we find in his poem, are feldom drawn with that characteristical fullness, and fignificant expreffion, fo ftriking in the fantastic portraits of Spenfer. And that Spenser painted these figures in fo diftinct and animated a style, may we not partly account for it from this caufe; That he had been long habituated to the fight of these emblematical perfonages, vifibly decorated with their proper attributes, and actually endued with fpeech, motion, and life?

As a more convincing argument in favour of this hypothefis, I fhall remark, that Spenfer exprefsly denominates his moft exquifite groupe of allegorical figures, the MASKE of CUPID *. Thus, without

* It is not improbable that Milton in Il Perferofo, took his thought of hearing mufic from the earth, produced by fome SPIRIT or GENIUS, And as I wake, fweet mufic BREATH,

Above, about, or UNDERNEATH ----

from fome machinery of Inigo Jones, in his MASQUES. Hollinfhed mentions fomething like this, in a very curious DEVISE prefented before queen Elizabeth, fpeaking of the music of fome fictitious nymphs; he adds, "which sure had been a noble hearing, and the more melodious "for the variety thereof, because it fhould come fecretlie and strangelie "out of the earth." Ubi fupr. p. 1297. It may perhaps be readily admitted, that Milton drew the whole from what had been represented in a mafque. This particular artifice, however, was not uncommon

*

recurring to conjecture, his own words evidently demonftrate that he fometimes had representations of this He tells us moreover, that these

fort in his eye. figures were,

A jolly company,

In manner of a maske enranged orderly.

3. 12. 5.

In his introduction to this groupe, it is manifest that he drew frow another allegoric fpectacle of that age, called the DUMB SHEW †, which was wont to be exhibited before every act of a tragedy. ft. 3.

And forth iffewd, as on the ready flore
Of fome theatre, a grave perfonage,
That in his hand a branch of laurel bore,
With comely haveour, and countnance fage,
Yclad in coftly garments, fit for tragicke stage.

us,

"In the

in an age which aimed to please by furprise. Sandys tells "garden of the Tuilleries, at Paris, by an artificial device under ground "invented for Muficke, I have known an echo repeate a verfe, &c." Sandys's Ovid. Notes, b. 3. fol. Oxon. 1632. pag. 103.

* Thus alfo, in the Ruines of Time, he calls his noble allegoric reprefentations of Empire, Pleasure, Strength, &c. TRAGICKE PAGEAUNTS, Before mine eyes frange fights presented were

Like TRAGICKE PAGEAUNTS feeming to appeare.

This confifted of dumb actors, who by their drefs and action prepared the fpectators for the matter and substance of each enfuing act respectively; as alfo of much hieroglyphical scenery calculated for the fame purpose. See GORDOBUCKE, a tragedy, written by T. Sackville, 1561, lately reprinted by Mr, Spence: JOCASTA, a tragedie, written

by

iv.

Proceeding to the midft he ftill did ftand,
As if in mind he fomewhat had to say;
And to the vulgar beckning with his hand,
In fign of filence, as to hear a play,
By lively actions he gan bewray
Some argument of matter paffioned;
Which doen, he backe retyred foft away;
And paffing by, his name discovered,
EASE on his robe in golden letters cyphered.

He afterwards styles these figures MASKERS. ft. 6.

The whiles the MASKERS marched forth in trim array.

vii.

The first was FANCY, like a lovely boy,

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by G. Gascoyne and F. Kinwelmarshe, and acted at Graies Inn, 1566: and the introduction to f. 7. act. 3. of Shakespeare's HAMLET.

Beaumont and Fletcher, in their Play, A Wife for a Month, a&. 2. f. ult. manifeftly copy from Spenfer's MASKE of CUPID. A Maske of Cupid is there introduced, in which Cupid appears at the head of his fervants or attendants, Fancy, Defire, Delight, Hope, Fear, Diftruft, Jealoufy, Care, Ire, Poverty, Despair. These are the Perfonages that attend Cupid in Spenser's Mask. Particularly Cupid says,

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From what has been faid, I would not have it objected, that I have intended to arraign the powers of our author's invention; or infinuated, that he fervilely copied fuch representations. All I have endeavoured to prove is, that Spenfer was not only better qualified to delineate fictions of this fort, because they were the real objects of his fight; but, as all men are influenced by what they fee, that he was prompted and induced to delineate them, because he saw them, efpecially as they were fo much the delight of his age.

Instead of entering into a critical examination of Spenfer's manner of allegorifing, and of the poetical conduct of his allegories, which has been done with an equally judicious and ingenious discernment by Mr. Spence *, I fhall obferve, that our author frequently introduces an allegory, under which no meaning is couched; viz. 2. 9. 21. ALMA is the mind, and her CASTLE the body. The tongue is the porter of this castle, the nose the portcullis, and the mouth the porch, about the infide of which are placed twice fixteen warders clad in white, which are the teeth; these ALMA paffes by, who rife up, and do obeifance to her. ft. 26. But how can the teeth be faid to rife up and bow to the mind? Spenfer here forgot, that he

* Polymet. b. 10. d. 4.

was

was allegorifing, and fpeaks as if he was defcribing, without any latent meaning, a real queen, with twice fixteen real warders, who, as fuch, might, with no impropriety, be faid to rife and bow to their queen. Many inftances of his confounding allegory with reality, occur through this whole canto, and the two next; particularly, where he is describing the kitchen of this castle, which is the belly, he gives us a formal description of fuch a kitchen, as was to be feen in his time in caftles, and great houses, by no means expreffive of the thing intended. Again, the occult meaning of his bringing Scudamore to the house of CARE, 4. 5. 32. clashes with what he had before told us. By this allegory of Scudamore coming to CARE'S houfe, it fhould be UNDERSTOOD, that "Scudamore, from a happy, paffed into a miserable "ftate." For we may reasonably suppose, that before he came to CARE's houfe, he was unacquainted with CARE; whereas the poet had before represented him as involved in extreme mifery. It would be tedious, by an allegation of particular examples, to demonftrate how frequently his allegories are mere defcriptions ; and that taken in their literal fenfe, they contain an improper, or no fignification. I shall, however, mention one. The BLATANT BEAST is faid to break into the monafteries, to rob their chancels,

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