"Sub-divifions of the Sermon; and far'ther, I think there was not one beau'tiful Thought in it but what we had. But then, Sir, this Gentleman made fo many pretty Additions; and he could never give us a Paragraph of the Sermon, 'but he introduced it with fomething which, methought, look'd more like a Defign to fhew his own Ingenuity, than to inftruct the People. In fhort, he added and curtailed in fuch a manner that he vexed me; infomuch that 'I could not forbear thinking (what, I confefs, I ought not to have thought of in fo holy a Place) that this young Spark was as justly blameable as Bul"lock or Penkethman when they mend a noble Play of Shakespear or Johnson. Pray, Sir, take this into your Confi'deration; and if we must be entertain'ed with the Works of any of those great Men, defire thefe Gentlemen to give them us as they find them, that fo, when we read them to our Families at home, they may the better remem"ber they have heard them at Church. SIR,

Your humble Servant.

Wednes

No 540. Wedenesday, November 19.

Non deficit Alter.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

T

Virg

HERE is no part of your Writings which I have in more Efteem than your Criticism upon Milton, It is an honourable and candid Endeavour to fet the Works of

our noble Writers in the graceful 'Light which they deferve. You will lofe much of my kind Inclination to"wards you, if you do not attempt theEncomium of Spenfer alfo, or at least indulge my Paffion for that charming Author fo far as to print the loofe Hints I now give you on that Sub•ject.

SPENSER's general Plan is the Representation of fix Virtues, Holinefs, Temperance, Chaftity, Friendfhip, Juftice and Courtefy, in fix Legends by fix Perfons. The fix Perfo

nages

t

nages are fuppofed under proper Allegories fuitable to their refpective Charaters, to do all that is neceffary for the full Manifeftation of the respective • Virtues which they are to exert. THESE one might undertake to fhew under the feveral Heads, are admirably drawn; no Images improper, and moft furprisingly beautiful. The Red-crofs Knight runs through the whole Steps of the Chriftian Life; Guyon does all that Temperance can poffibly require; Britomartis (a Woman) obferves the true Rules of unaf fected Chastity; Arthegal is in every refpect of Life ftrictly and wifely just; Calidore is rightly courteous.

IN fhort, in Fairy-Land, where Knights Errant have a full fcope to range, and to do even what Ariefto's or Orlando's could not do in the World without breaking into Credibility, Spenfer's Knights have, under thofe fix Heads, given a full and a tru ly Poetical Syftem of Chriftian, Publick, and low Life.

HIS Legend of Friendship is more diffufe, and yet even there the Allegory is finely drawn, only the Heads various,

C various, one Knight could not there fupport all the Parts.

6

TO do honour to his Country, Prince Arthur is an univerfal Hero; in Holiness, Temperance, Chastity, ' and Justice super-excellent. For the fame reason, and to compliment Queen • Elizabeth, Gloriana, Queen of Fairies, 'whose Court was the Afylum of the Oppreffed, reprefents that glorious Queen. At her Commands all these Knights fet forth, and only at hers the 'Red-crofs Knight deftroys the DraC gon, Guyon overturns the Bower of Blifs, Arthegal (i. e. Justice) beats 'down Geryoneo (i. e. Phil. II. King of Spain) to rescue Belge (i. e. Holland) and he beats the Grantorto (the fame Philip in another Light) to restore Irena (i. e. Peace to Europe.)

'CHASTITY being the first Female Virtue, Britomartis is a Briton; her Part is fine, though it requires Explication. His Style is very Poetical; no Puns, Affectations of Wit, 'forced Antithefes, or any of that low 'Tribe.

HIS old Words are all true English, ' and Numbers exquifite; and fince of • Words there is the Multa RenafcenVOL. XIV. K

tur,

4

tur, fince they are all proper, fuch a 'Poem fhould not (any more than Milton's) fubfift all of it of common ördinary Words. See Inftances of Defcriptions.

Cauflefs Jealoufy in Britomartis, V. 6, 14. in its Reftleffness.

Like as a wayward Child whofe founder Sleep
· Is broken with fome fearful Dream's. Affright,
With froward Will doth fet himself to' weep,
Ne can be ftill'd for all his Nurse's Might,
But kicks, and fqualls, and fprieks for fell De-
Spight;

Now feratching her, and her loofe Locks misusing,
Now feeking Darkness, and now seeking Light;
Then craving Suck, and then the Suck refufing;
Such was this Lady's Loves in her Love's fond
accufing.

Curiofity occafioned by Jealoufy, upon occafion of her Lover's Abfence. Ibid. Stan. 8, 9.

Then as he looked long, at last she spy'd
One coming towards her with hafty Speed,
Well ween'd she then, e'er him she plain descry'd,
That it was one fent from her Love indeed;

Whereat