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 serve 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 Squadrons 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 βελὰς,

Εσθλοί, ἐπιχθόνιοι, φύλακες θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων.

Italian poetry, I fhould obferve, delights in defcribing angelick fquadrons. See my note on Milton's Par. L. B. iv. 977. Milton, indeed, before he had become deeply verfed 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 nimble (quadrons," 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 purpose with little tafte 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 elfewhere ;

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 refpect 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 haftily!"

Which perhaps fhould thus be printed:

"Come hither, hither O come hastily!"

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

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

laft,

Where Mammon earst did funne his threa

fury:

There the good Guyon he found flumbring faft

In fenceles dreame; which fight at first him fore aghaft.

V.

Befide his head there fatt a faire young man, Of wondrous beauty and of freshest yeares, Whose tender bud to bloffome new began, And florish faire above his equall peares: His fnowy front, curled with golden heares, Like Phoebus face adornd with funny rayes, Divinely fhone; and two fharpe winged fheares,

think, must be pleased with the hasty repetition of the words, Come hether. CHURCH.

V. 1. Befide his head there fatt a faire young man,

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

Decked with diverfe 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 herfelfe through fleepe beguild to bee, The whiles the other ladies mind theyr mery glee.

V. 9.

vias, Ovid, Art. Am. ii. 44.

to cut his ayery ways.] Aerias

"Quis crederet unquam

"Aërias hominem carpere poffe vias." UPTON.

VI. 1. Like as Cupido &c.] Compare F. Q. i. Introduct. ft. 3, F. Q. ii. ix. 34, iii. vi. 49. T. WARTON.

VI. 6. And with his goodly fifters, Graces three:] I have often obferved how Spenfer 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 Hefiod. Concerning this genealogy, the reader may at his leisure confult Falkenburg. Ad Nonnum, p. 539. And Boccace, L. iii. C. 22. "Dicunt Venerem Gratias peperiffe: nec mirum; quis unquam amor abfque gratia fuit ?" So Milton:

"But come, thou Goddess fair and free,
"In heaven yclepd Euphrofyne,

"And by men heart-eafing Mirth,

"Whom lovely Venus at a birth,

"With two fifter-Graces more,

"To ivy-crowned Bacchus bore." UPTON.

VII.

Whom when the Palmer faw, abafht he was Through fear and wonder, that he nought could fay,

Till him the Childe bespoke; "Long lackt, alas,

Hath bene thy faithfull aide in hard affay! Whiles deadly fitt thy Pupill doth dismay, Behold this heavy fight, thou reverend Sire! But dread of death and dolor doe away;' For life ere long shall to her home retire, And he, that breathleffe feems, fhal corage bold

: respire.

VIII.

"The charge, which God doth unto me arrett,
Of his deare fafety, I to thee commend ;
Yet will I not forgoe, ne yet forgett
The care thereof myfelfe unto the end,
But evermore him fuccour, and defend

VII. 3. Long lackt, alus, &c.] The fenfe, I think, is this. "Alas! your faithful aid has been much wanted in Guyon's late adventures. But contemplate this melancholy fight! And yet, be not apprehensive that he is dead; he is only in a fwoon, and fhall foon come to himfelf." All the editions place a comma only after afsay; Spenfer's own editions, a femicolon after difmay; the first folio, Hughes, and the edition of 1751, a colon; and the fubfequent folios, a full ftop. All place a comma only after Sire. But the lines fhould be pointed as we have given them.

CHURCH. VIII. 1. arrett] Appoint, allot. Fr. arrefter, arreter. See alfo F. Q. ii. xi. 7, iii. viii. 7.

UPTON.