quently introduces an allegory, under which no meaning is couched; viz. 2. 9. 21. Alma is the mind, and her Castle the body. The tongue is the porter of this castle, the nose the portcullis, and the mouth the porch about the inside of which are placed twice sixteen warders clad in white, which are the teeth; these Alma passes by, who rise up, and do obeisance to her. st. 26. But how can the teeth be said to rise up and bow to to the mind? Spenser here forgot, that he was allegorising, and speaks as if he was describing, without any latent meaning, a real Queen, with twice sixteen real warders, who, as such, might, with no impropriety, be said to rise and bow to their Queen. Many instances of his confounding allegory with re ality occur through this whole canto, and the two next; particularly where he is describing the kitchen of this castle, which is the belly, he gives us a formal description of such a kitchen as was to be seen in his time

in castles, and great houses, by no means expressive of the thing intended. Again, the occult meaning of his bringing Scudamore to the house of Care, 4. 5. 32. clashes with what he had before told us. By this allegory of Scudamore coming to Care's house, it should be understood, that "Scudamore, from a happy, passed into a miserable. state." For we may reasonably suppose, that before he came to Care's house he was unacquainted with Care; whereas the poet had before represented him as involved in extreme misery. It would be tedious, by an allegation of particular examples, to demon-strate how frequently his allegories are mere descriptions; and that, taken in their literal sense, they contain an improper, or no signification. I shall, however, mention one. The Blatant Beast is said to break into the monasteries, to rob their chancels, cast down the desks of the monks, deface the altars, and destroy the images found in their

churches. By the Blatant Beast is understood Scandal, and by the havock just mentioned as effected by it, is implied the suppression of religious houses and popish superstition. But how can this be properly said to have been brought about by Scandal? And how could Spenser, in particular, with any consistency say this, who was, as appears by his pastorals, a friend to the reformation, as was his heroine Elizabeth?

But there is another capital fault in our author's allegories, which does not immediately fall under the stated rules of criticism.

Painters, says a French writer, ought to employ their allegories in religious pictures with much greater reserve than in profane pieces. They may, indeed, in such subjects as do not represent the mysteries and miracles of our religion, make use of an allegorical composition, the action whereof shall be expressive of some truth that cannot be

represented otherwise, either in painting or sculpture. I agree therefore to let them draw Faith and Hope supporting a dying person, and Religion in deep affliction at the feet of a deceased prelate. But I am of opinion, that artists who treat of the miracles and dogmas of our religion are allowed no kind of allegorical composition."The facts whereon our religion is built, and the doctrine it delivers, are subjects in which the painter's imagination has no liberty to sport*" The conduct which this author blames is practised by Spenser, with this difference only; that the painters here condemned are supposed to adapt human allegory to divine mystery, whereas Spenser has mingled divine mystery with human allegory. Such a practice as this tends not only to confound sacred and profane subjects, but to place the licentious sallies of imagination

Abbe du Bos, Reflexions, &c. tom. i. c. 24.

upon a level with the dictates of divine inspiration; to debase the truth and dignity of heavenly things, by making Christian allegory subservient to the purposes of Romantic fiction.

This fault our author, through a defect of judgment rather than a contempt of religion, has most glaringly committed throughout his whole first book, where the imaginary instruments and expedients of romance are perpetually interwoven with the mysteries contained in the Book of Revelations. Duessa, who is formed upon the idea of a romantic enchantress, is gorgeously arrayed in gold and purple, presented with a triple* crown by the giant Orgoglio, and seated by him on a monstrous seven-headed dragon, (1. 7. 16.) whose tail reaches to the skies,

By the triple crown he plainly glances at Popery,