OBSERVATIONS

ON THE

FAIRY QUEEN

E

LIAARY
SPENSER
UNIVERSITY

By THOMAS WARTON, M. A.

FELLOW OF TRINITY-COLLEGE, and PROFESSOR OF POETRY
in the UNIVERSITY of OXFORD.

THE

EDITION,

SECOND
Corrected and Enlarged.

VOL. II.

LONDON,

Printed for R. and J. DODSLEY, in Pall-Mall;
And J. FLETCHER, in the Turl, OXFORD.

MDCCLXII.

ΟΝ ΤΗΕ

FAIRY

QUEEN

O F

SPENSER.

SEC T. VII.

Of Spenfer's Inaccuracies.

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 ftand ftill 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

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