as well as in that moral allegory, which is more obvious. In the last verse of this book, the Palmer fays, "But let us hence depart whilft weather ferves and wind." Sir Guyon and the Palmer leave the Island of Acrafia, taking the Enchantrefs along with them, whom they immediately fend to the Queen of Fairy land: they then repair to the house of Alma, and join the Briton Prince. UPTON. THE THIRDE BOOKE OF THE FAERIE QUEENE CONTAYNING THE LEGEND OF BRITOMARTIS, OR OF CHASTITY. I. IT falls me here to write of Chastity, The Legend of Britomartis,] Britomartis, among the Cretans, was another name for Diana, the goddess of Chastity. I think he is fo called in Claudian. It is not improbable, as our author has copied the greateft part of the fecond canto of this book from the Ceiris of Virgil, that he found, from the fame poem, that Britomartis was a name for Diana, viz. "Dycinnam dixere tuo de nomine Lunam." She was a Cretan nymph, and the daughter of Jupiter and Charme, whom Virgil has introduced, in his Ceiris, as the nurfe of Scylla, and from whom our author has copied his Glauce, Britomart's nurse, in the Canto mentioned above. She was called Dictynna, because the invented nets for hunting, which being also one of Diana's names, Britomartis and Diana were looked upon as the fame. Callimachus fpeaks of her as one of the nymphs of Diana's train, but adds, that she was called by the Cydonians, Dictynna. He has left the hiftory of Britomartis in his hymn to Diana, ver. 189. Εξοχα δ' αλλαων Γορτυνίδα φιλαο νυμφην Ελλοφονον ΒΡΙΤΟΜΑΡΤΙΝ, ἓυσκοπον κ. τ. λ. We may read nearly the fame account of this nymph in thé METAMOPONEEIE of Antoninus Liberalis, Fab. 40. p. 50. Bafil, 1568. Upon the word Bpilopaplis, fays the fcholiaft on Callimachus, ΒΡΙΤΟΜΑΡΤΗΣ ονομά το κύριον της νύμφης αφ' ἧς καὶ ἡ ΑΡΤΕΜΙΣ εν Κρήτη ΒΡΙΤΟΜΑΡΤΙΣ τιμαΐαι, ὡς Διογενιαν@. And Solinus fpeaks to the fame effect. "Cretes Dianam religiofiffime venerantur, Bpiloual gentiliter nominantes; quod fer For which what needes me fetch from Faëry ́ Forreine enfamples it to have exprest? mone noftro fonat virginem dulcem." Polyhift. C. 17. But although Spenfer in Britomartis had fome reference to Diana, yet at the fame time he intended to denote, by that name, the martial BRITON ESSE. The reader is defired to take notice, that the paffage which Spenfer has copied from the Ceiris of Virgil, begins at this verfe of that poem, "Quam fimul Ogygii Phænicis filia CHARME;"And ends at, 66 Defpue ter, virgo: numero deus impare gaudet." I. 1. It falls me here to write of Chastity, &c.] Our poet addreffes the Fairy Queen in his Introduction to every book; and here his fubject led him more particularly to fuch an addrefs; which explains what he fays below, ft. 3. "Yet now my luckleffe lott doth me conftrayne 66 He calls it lucklefje lott, because, apprentice only of the poetical art, he fears to mar fo divine a fubject, though fhadowing his Virgin Queen in coloured fhewes" and now neceffarily led to treat of her by the nature of his fubject. Queen Elizabeth was pleafed with this appellation of Virgin: When the Commons of England petitioned her to marry, he told them that fhe fhould be well contented if her marble told pofterity, Here fies a Queene who reigned fo long, and lived and died a Virgin. Hence you will fee the force and elegance of what he fays, F. Q. iii. v. 50, 51. UPTON. I. 2. That fayreft] The first edition reads, " The faireft," to which the editions of 1751 and Mr. Church adhere. All the reft read, "That faireft," which is more emphatick. ToDD. Ibid. far above the reft;] In whatever ftyle or manner Spenfer chofe to pay his court to Queen Elizabeth, he never would pay it at the expence of truth: when he took up the poet, he did not lay down the philofopher, in a philofophical poem too: nor would he fay, that Chastity was far above Justice; much less that Chastity was far above all the Virtues: doubtless it would be an address fufficient to his Virgin Queen, if he faid of Chastity, "That fayreft virtue, FAYRE above the reft:" Nay, the very turn of the verfe, and the addrefs, require this reading; and I only want authority to print it fo. UPTON. Sith it is fhrined in my Soveraines breft, And formd fo lively in each perfect part, That to all Ladies, which have it profeft, Need but behold the pourtraict of her hart; If pourtrayd it might bee by any living art: II. But living art may not least part expreffe, <His dædale hand would faile and greatly faynt, Spenfer follows his old mafter, p. 128. edit. Urr. "Lo! I Nature "Thus can yforme and paintin a creture, 46 "To grave or painte, or for to forge or bete, "If they prefumid me to counterfete." CHURCH. Zeuxis was a famous painter, and Praxiteles a statuary: fo that the life-refembling pencill may refer to Zeuxis, and the living art to Praxiteles; "Spirantia figna," Virg. Georg. iii. 36. "Vicos ducent de marmore vultus," En. vi. 848. Nor is it contrary to Spenfer's manner to make, in construction, his dædale hand refer to living art, that is, to the artist's ingenious hand. UPTON. The punctuation of Mr. Church, which I have adopted, gives a greater perfpicuity to this paffage. He places a colon after paynt, and a comma only after Praxiteles. Most editions place a colon or femicolon after the latter word, and a comma after the former; by which pointing the fenfe has appeared to be embaraffed. TODD. . II. 4. His dædale hand] Dædale hand, i. e. ingenious, cunning hand, and to dadán, artificiofe fingere. See Hom. Il, í. 60. |