VII.

But far in land a falvage nation dwelt

Of hideous giaunts, and halfe-beasily men, That never tafted grace, nor goodnes felt; But wild like beaftes lurking in loathsome den, And flying faft as roebucke through the fen, All naked without fhame or care of cold, By hunting and by fpoiling liveden; Of ftature huge, and eke of corage bold, That fonnes of men amazd their sterneffe to be

hold.

VIII.

But whence they fprong, or how they were begott,

Uneath is to affure; uneath to wene

That monftrous error which doth some affott,

VII. 1. But far in land a falvage nation dwelt

Of hideous giaunts,] This puts me in mind of Geoffry of Monmouth's account of the original state of Albion: “Erat tunc nomen infulæ Albion, quæ a nemine nifi a paucis gigantibus inhabitabatur." A few giants in that hiftorian's opinion were but of little confideration. T. WARTON.

VII. 7. By hunting and by spoiling liveden ;] So the first edition but the fecond, and folios, lived then. This alteration perhaps was Spenfer's own; though it must be allowed that he often follows Chaucer and the old poets, as fearen, F. Q. ii. xii. 25. Spredden, F. Q. iii. i. 20, and in many other paffages; from the Anglo-Sax. Ex. gr. pæɲon, weren, were; lufodon, loveden, did love; and thus Chaucer, Kn. T. 1200. "So well they lovedyn as olde bokys feyn:" But altered in Urry's edition," they lovid." Dr. Hicks is very angry with Mr. Urry for fuch arbitrary alterations. UPTON.

VIII. 3. That monftrous error &c.] So Camden calls it, in his Britannia; and Milton fays it is a story too abfurd and unconfcionably grofs. UPTON.

Ibid.

affott,] Beguile, bewitch,

That Dioclefians fifty daughters shene
Into this Land by chaunce have driven bene;
Where, companing with feends and filthy
fprights

Through vaine illufion of their luft unclene, They brought forth geaunts, and such dreadful wights

As far exceeded men in their immeafurd mights.

IX.

They held this Land, and with their filthineffe

Polluted this fame gentle foyle long time; That their owne mother loathd their beastli

And

neffe,

gan

abhorre her broods unkindly crime,

All were they borne of her owne native slime :
Until that Brutus, anciently deriv'd

From roiall ftocke of old Affaracs line,
Driven by fatall error here arriv'd,

And them of their unjuft poffeffion depriv'd.

Thus, in the Hift. "How Merlin was

or deceive; a word frequent in romance. of Kynge Arthur, bl. 1. fol. B. iv. Ch. i. aflotted and doted on one of the ladies of the lake." Again, B. xi. Ch. ii. "And, as foone as he had droncke that wine, he was fo afotted, and so madde, &c. TODD. of old Affaracs line,]

IX. 7. Brutus was defcended from Æneas, "Affaraci proles," Virg. Georg. iii. 35. This story is all taken from Geoffry of Monmouth.

UPTON. IX. S. Driven by fatall error] That is, by wandering (Lat. error) as the fates directed. So, in F. Q. iii. ix. 41.

"Where he through fatall error long was led

"Full many yeares, and weetleffe wandered
"From fhore to fhore." CHURCH.

It may be a question whether Spenfer meant, by "driven by

X.

But ere he had established his throne,

And fpred his empire to the utmost shore, He fought great batteils with his falvage fone; In which he them defeated evermore, And many giaunts left on groning flore: That well can witnes yet unto this day The westerne Hogh, befprincled with the Of mighty Goëmot, whome in ftout fray Corineus conquered, and cruelly did flay.

gore

fatall error," that Brutus was banished for killing his father by a fatal mischance; or that he was a fugitive hither by the will of the fates and the oracle of Diana. UPTON.

"Driven by fatall error," is, driven by error ordained by the fates. So, in F. Q. iii. ix. 49. "At laft by fatall courfe they driven were." See alfo F. Q. ii. viii. 24, iii. iii. 15, iv. xii. 27. Fatalis has sometimes the fame fignification as Spenfer's fatal; as in Virg. Æn. xi. 232, and in other places of the Eneid. T. WARTON. Ibid. here arriv'd,] This happened about the year of the world 3083, and 1132 years before the Birth of Chrift, according to our oldest chronicler, who lived in the reigns of Henry 3d. and Edward 1ft. See Robert of Gloucefter's Chronicle, publifhed by Hearne in 1724, p. 20. CHURCH, X. 7. The westerne Hogh;] That is, as Camden calls it, the Haw. See alfo Drayton, Polyolb. p. 12.

"Upon that loftie place at Plimmouth call'd the Hoe,
Those mighty wraftlers met." CHURCH.

X. 8.

Goëmot, &c.] This giant is named Goëmagot; and the place where he fell, Lam-Goemagot, that is, Goëmagot's leap. See Geoff. of Monmouth's Brit. Hift. B. i. Ch. 16. Compare Carew's Survey of Cornwall, and Drayton's Polyolbion, p. 12. Corineus, Debon, and Canutus, were the chief captains whom Brutus brought with him into Albion, and among whom he divided the conquered country. UPTON.

X. 9. Corineus] The word must be pronounced as a trifyllable, and again in ft. 12: but in ft. 18, it is to be pronounced as having four fyllables. CHURCH.

XI.

And eke that ample pitt, yet far renownd

For the large leape which Debon did compell : Coulin to make, being eight lugs of grownd,

Into the which retourning backe he fell:

But thofe three monftrous ftones doe moft

excell,

Which that huge fonne of hideous Albion, Whofe father Hercules in Fraunce did quell, Great Godmer threw, in fierce contention, At bold Canutus; but of him was flaine anon.

XII.

In meed of thefe great conquefts by them gott,
Corineus had that province utmost west
To him affigned for his worthy lott,
Which of his name and memorable gest
He called Cornwaile, yet fo called best:
And Debons fhayre was, that is Devonshyre:
But Canute had his portion from the rest,
The which he cald Canutium, for his hyre;
Now Cantium, which Kent we comenly inquyre.

XIII.

Thus Brute this Realme unto his rule fubdewd, And raigned long in great felicity,

XI. 3. lugs] A lug is a pearch or rod with which land is measured, containing fixteen feet and an half. CHURCH.

XII. 4. Which of his name &c.] So Drayton relates, Polyolb. p. 12. But fee Selden's notes on the paffage, p. 21. CHURCH. XIII. 2. And raigned long] Hardyng thinks fixty years.

CHURCH.

Lov'd of his freends, and of his foes efchewd: He left three fonnes, his famous progeny, Borne of fayre Inogene of Italy; Mongft whom he parted his imperiall ftate, And Locrine left chiefe lord of Britany.. At laft ripe age bad him furrender late His life, and long good fortune, unto finall fate.

XIV.

Locrine was left the foveraine lord of all;
But Albanact had all the northerne part,
Which of himfelfe Albania he did call;

And Camber did poffeffe the westerne quart,
Which Severne now from Logris doth depart:
And each his portion peaceably enioyd,

Ne was there outward breach, nor grudge in hart,

That once their quiet government annoyd; But each his paynes to others profit ftill employd.

XV.

Untill a Nation ftraung, with visage swart
And corage fierce that all men did affray,
Which through the world then fwarmd in

F. Q. iii. iv. 6, vi. ii. 4. So Chaucer, edit. Urr. p. 571. "For in gode foth of corage I purfue

"To ferve my Make, tyll Deth us must depart :"

So, in our first Liturgy, "Till Death us DEPART;" which was altered (in the laft Review, Ch. II.) to "Till Death us do part." CHURCH.