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

mercy

doth embrace, That blessed Angels he sends to and fro, To serve to wicked man, to serve his wicked foel

II.

How oft do they their silver bowers leave
To come to succour us that succour want !
How oft do they with golden pineons cleave
The fitting skyes, like flying pursuivant,
Against fowle feendes to ayd us militant !
They for us fight, they watch and dewly ward,
And their bright squadrons round about us

plant;

1. 9. To serve to wicked man,] The old English writers, as they said “ to obey to," so they faid " to serve to." See Wickliff, Matt. iv. 10. “ Thou schalt worschippe thi Lord God, and to him aloone thou Malt serve.”. UPTON. II. 6. They for us fight, they watch and dewly ward,

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

Δαίμονες είσι Διός μεγάλε δια βελάς, , 'Εσθλοι, επιχθόνιοι, φύλακες θνητών ανθρώπων. Italian poetry, I should observe, delights in defcribing angelick fquadrons. 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 Spenser, this disposition of the heavenly hoft into squadrons bright. See his Ode Natio. ver. 21. “ And all the fpangled host keep watch in Squadrons bright." We may therefore no louger fuppose that Milton could here be much indebted to, Sylvester's “ heaven's glorious host in nimble squadrons," Du Bart. p. 13. See Confiderations on Milton's early Reading, 1800, p. 46. The fact is, that Sylvester often plunders Spenser, but often also accommodates the theft to his purpose with little taste or judgement. TODD.

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

regard !

III. During the while that Guyon did abide In Mammons House, the Palmer, whom

whyleare That wanton Mayd of paffage had denide, By further search had passage found elfe

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

hastily !" That all the fields resounded with the ruefull cry.

II. 9. 0, why Mould hevenly God to men have such regard !] See Psal. cxliv. 3. “ Lord, what is man that thou haft such refpect unto him; or the fon of man, that thou so regardest him !” UPTON. III. 3. That wanton Mayd] Phædria. See C. vi. 19.

CHURCH. III. 6.

when suddeinly He heard a voyce that called lowd and cleare,] Browne bas elegantly imitated this paffage, Brit. Paft. 1616. B. 1. S. 5.

“ When sodainly a voice as sweet as cleare

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

“ Come hither, hither, O come hastily !” Which perhaps should thus be printed :

Come hither, hither O come hastily!” Printers and transcribers are often guilty of repeating the same words, which is an errour to be met with in all books, more or less. Upton.

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

IV.

The Palmer lent his eare unto the noyce,

To weet who called fo impórtunely:
Againe he heard a more efforced voyce,
That bad him come in haste: He by and by
His feeble feet directed to the cry;
Which to that shady delve him brought at

last,
Where Mammon earst did sunne his threa-

fury: There the good Guyon he found slumbring

fast In fenceles dreame; which fight at first him

fore aghaft.

V.

Beside his head there fatt a faire young man,

Of wondrous beauty and of fresheft yeares,
Whose tender bud to bloffome new began,
And forish faire above his equall peares :
His snowy front, curled with golden heares,
Like Phoebus face adornd with funny rayes,
Divinely shone; and two sharpe winged

fheares,

think, must be pleased with the hasty repetition of the words,
Come hether. CHURCH.
V. 1. Befde his head there fatt a faire young man,

Of wondrous beauty &c.] Milton, in his description of Satan under the form of a stripling-cherub, has highly improved upon Spenfer's angel, and Taflo's Gabriel, c. i. ft. 13; both which he seems to have had in his eye, as well as in his Raphael, Par. L. B. v. 276. T. WARTON.

Decked with diverse plumes, like painted

jayes, Were fixed at his backe to cut his ayery wayes.

VI.

Like as Cupido on Idæan hill,

When having laid his cruell bow away
And mortall arrowes, wherewith he doth fill
The world with murdrous spoiles and bloody

pray,
With his faire mother he him dights to play,
And with his goodly fifters, Graces three ;
The goddeffe, pleased with his wanton play,

Suffers herselfe through sleepe beguild to bee, The whiles the other ladies mind theyr mery

glee.

V.9.

to cut his ayery ways.] Aerias vias, Ovid, Art. Am. ii. 44.

“ Quis crederet unquam “ Aërias hominem carpere poffe vias.” Upton. VI. 1. Like as Cupido &c.j Compare F. Q. i. Introduct. ft. 3, F. Q. ii. ix. 34, iii. vi. 49. T. WARTON. • VI. 6. And with his goodly hifters, Graces three :) I have often observed how Spenser varies his mythological tales, and makes them always fubfervient to his poem. Another genealogy of the Graces is mentioned in F. Q. vi. x. 22, according to Hesiod. Concerning this genealogy, the reader may at his leisure consult Falkenburg. Ad Nonnum, p. 539. And Boccace, L. iii. C. 22. “ Dicunt Venerem Gratias peperise : nec mirum; quis unquam amor absque gratia fuit ;” So Milton:

“ But come, thou Goddess fair and free,
“ In heaven yclepd Euphrofyne,
“ And by men heart-easing Mirth,
" Whom lovely Venus at a birth,
“ With two hejter-Graces more,
“ To ivy-crowned Bacchus bore." UPTON,

VII.
Whom when the Palmer faw, abasht he was
Through fear and wonder, that he nought

could say,
Till him the Childe bespoke ; « Long lackt,

alas,
Hath bene thy faithfull aide in hard assay!
Whiles deadly fitt thy Pupill doth dismay,
Behold this heavy sight, thou reverend Sire !
But dread of death and dolor doe away;

For life ere long shall to her home retire,
And he, that breathleffe seems, shal corage bold

: respire.

VIII.

6. The charge, which God doth unto me arrett,

Of his deare safety, I to thee commend ;
Yet will I not forgoe, ne yet forgett
The care thereof myselfe unto the end,
But evermore him succour, and defend

VII. 3.

.

Long lackt, alus, &c.] The fense, I think, is this, “ Alas! your faithful aid has been niuch wanted in Guyon's late adventures. But contemplate this melancholy fight! And yet, be not apprehenfive that he is dead; he is only in a fwoon, and shall foon come to himfelf." All the editions place a comma only after afay; Spenfer's own editions, a semicolon after dismay; the first folio, Hughes, and the edition of 1751, a colon; and the fubfequent folios, a full stop. All place a comma only after Sire. But the lines should be pointed as we have given them.

CHURCH. VIII. 1.

arrett] Appoint, ullot. Fr. arrester, arreter, See also F. Q. ii. xi. 7, iii. viii. 7.

UPTON.