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THE SECOND BOOK OF

THE FAERIE QUEENE

CANTO VIII.

Sir Guyon, layd in fwowne, is by
Acrates fonnes defpoyld;

Whom Arthure foone hath refkewed,
And Paynim brethren foyld.

I.

AND is there care in heaven? And is there love

In heavenly fpirits to thefe creatures bace, That may compaffion of their evils move? There is-elfe much more wretched were the cace

Of men then beafts: But O! th' exceeding

grace

1. 1. And is there care in heaven? And is there love &c.1 These fine-turned verses must be felt by every one, that knows the least thing belonging to the power of words and dignity of fentiment. And, in the beginning of a fentence, is expreflive of paffion; fometimes of admiration, fometimes too of indignation. UPTON.

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Of Highest God that loves his creatures fo,
And all his workes with mercy doth embrace,

That bleffed Angels he fends to and fro,
To ferve to wicked man, to ferve his wicked foe!

II.

How oft do they their filver bowers leave
To come to fuccour us that fuccour want!
How oft do they with golden pineons cleave
The flitting fkyes, like flying purfuivant,
Against fowle feendes to ayd us militant!
They for us fight, they watch and dewly ward,
And their bright fquadrons round about us
plant;

I. 9. To ferve to wicked man,] The old English writers, as
they faid" to obey to," fo they faid "to ferve to." See
Wickliff, Matt. iv. 10. "Thou fchalt worfchippe thi Lord
God, and to him aloone thou shalt ferve." UPTON.
II. 6. They for us fight, they watch and dewly ward,

And their bright fquadrons round about us plant ;] The guardianship of angels is a favourite theme of Spenfer and of Milton. It is difficult to pronounce which of them has decorated the fubject with greater elegance and fenfibility. Spenfer probably might here remember the following lines of Heliod, Op. et Dies, ver. 121.

Δαίμονες εἰσι Διὸς μεγάλε διὰ βυλὰς,

Εσθλοί, ἐπιχθόνιοι, φύλακες θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων.

Italian poetry, I fhould obferve, delights in defcribing angelick Squadrons. See my note on Milton's Par. L. B. iv. 977. Milton, indeed, before he had become deeply versed in Italian literature, borrowed from his favourite Spenfer, this difpofition of the heavenly hoft into Squadrons bright. See his Ode Nativ. ver. 21. "And all the fpangled hoft keep watch in Squadrons bright.” We may therefore no longer fuppofe that Milton could here be much indebted to Sylvefter's "heaven's glorious hoft in Dimble fquadrons," Du Bart. p. 13. See Confiderations on -Milton's early Reading, 1800, p. 46. The fact is, that Sylvefter often plunders Spenfer, but often alfo accommodates the theft to his purpofe with little tatte or judgement. TODD.

And all for love and nothing for reward: O, why should Hevenly God to men have fuch regard!

III.

During the while that Guyon did abide

In Mammons Houfe, the Palmer, whom whyleare

That wanton Mayd of paffage had denide, By further fearch had paffage found elfe

where;

And, being on his way, approached neare Where Guyon lay in traunce; when fuddeinly He heard a voyce that called lowd and cleare, "Come hether, come hether, O! come haftily!"

That all the fields refounded with the ruefull

cry.

II. 9. O, why should hevenly God to men have fuch regard !] See Pfal. cxliv. 3. "Lord, what is man that thou haft fuch respect unto him; or the fon of man, that thou so regardest him!" UPTON.

III. 3. That wanton Mayd] Phædria. See C. vi. 19.

III. 6.

CHURCH.

when fuddeinly

He heard a voyce that called lowd and cleare,] Browne has elegantly imitated this paffage, Brit. Paft. 1616. B. 1. S. 5. "When fodainly a voice as fweet as cleare

"With words divine began entice his eare." TODD. III. 8. Come hether, come hether, &c.] So Spenfer's own editions read. But the folio of 1609, [and later editions,] "Come hither, hither, O come hastily !"

Which perhaps fhould thus be printed:

"Come hither, hither O come haftily!"

Printers and transcribers are often guilty of repeating the fame words, which is an errour to be met with in all books, more or lefs.

UPTON.

I prefer Spenfer's own reading; and the judicious reader, I

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