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SECT. II.

Of Spenser's Imitations from old Romances.

ALTHOUGH Spenser formed his Faerie Queene upon the fanciful plan of Ariosto, yet it must be confessed, that the adventures of his knights are a more exact and immediate copy of those which we meet with in old romances, or books of chivalry, than of those which form the Orlando Furioso, Ariosto's knights exhibit surprising examples of their prowess, and achieve many heroic actions. But our author's knights are more professedly engaged in revenging injuries, and doing justice to the distressed; which was the proper business, and ultimate end of the ancient knight-errantry. And thus, though many of Spenser's incidents are to be found in Ariosto, such as that of blowing a horn, at the sound

of which the gates of a castle fly open, of the vanishing of an enchanted palace or garden, after some knight has destroyed the enchanter, and the like; yet these are not more peculiarly the property of Ariosto, than they are common to all ancient romances in general. Spenser's first book is, indeed, a regular and precise imitation of such a series of action as we frequently find in books of chivalry. For instance-a king's daughter applies to a knight, that he would relieve her father and mother, who are closely confined to their castle upon account of a vast and terrible dragon, that had ravaged their country, and perpetually laid wait to destroy them. The knight sets forward with the lady, encounters a monster in the way, is plotted against by an enchanter, and after surmounting a variety of difficulties and obstacles, arrives at the country which is the scene of the dragon's devastation, kills him, and is presented to the king and queen

whom he has just delivered; marries their daughter, but is soon obliged to leave her, on account of fulfilling a former vow.

It may be moreover observed, that the circumstance of each of Spenser's twelve knights departing from one place by a different way, to perform a different adventure, exactly resembles that of the seven knights entering upon their several expeditions, in the well-known romance, entitled the Seven Champions of Christendom. In fact, these miraculous books were highly fashionable, and chivalry, which was the subject of them, was still practised and admired, in the age of Queen Elizabeth*.

Among others, there is one romance which Spenser seems more particularly to have made use of. It is entitled, " Morte Arthur, The

* See Hollinshead's Chronicles, vol. iii. p. 1315.

Lyf of Kyng Arthur, of the noble Knyghtes of the round table, and in thende the dolorous deth of them all."-This was translated into English from the French, by one Sir Thomas Maleory, knight, and printed by W. Caxton, 1484*. From this fabulous history our author has borrowed many of his names, viz. Sir Tristram, Placidas, Pelleas, Pellenore, Percivall, and others. As to Sir Tristram, he has copied from this book the circumstances of his birth and education with much exactness. Spenser informs us, that Sir Tristram was born in Cornwall, &c.

And Tristram is my name, the only heire
Of good king Meliogras, which did raigne

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-The contrie wherein I was bred

The which the fertile Lionesse is hight. St. 30.

* This Book has been reprinted twice or thrice. The last edition is dated 1634.

These particulars are drawn from the romance above-mentioned." There was a knight Meliodas [Meliogras], and he was lord and king of the country of Lyones—and he wedded King Marke's sister, of Cornewale.” The issue of which marriage, as we are afterwards told, was Sir Tristram*. Mention is then made in our romance, of Sir Tristram's banishment from Lyones into a distant country, by the advice, and under the conduct, of a wise and learned counsellor named Governale. A circumstance alluded to by Spenser in these verses.

So taking counsel of a wise man red,

She was by him adviz'd, to send me quight
Out of the countrie, wherein I was bred,

The which the fertile Lionesse is height. 6.2.30.

Sir Tristram's education is thus described

below. St. 31.

* Book ii. chap. i.

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