'I was promised on a time To have reason for my rhyme; Hereupon the queen gave strict orders The life of a poet depending on a patron is proverbially uncertain and unhappy. Sir Philip Sidney was a man who might be relied upon; but unhappily he was very much abroad. The queen's great minister, Raleigh, took lasting offence at some passages in the poems, of a political and polemical nature, and Spenser still further exasperated him by speaking of "a mighty peer's displeasure," in that canto of his poem where a description of Detraction is given. Thus, too, the poet sums up the uneasiness and unhappiness of his an excellent Latin secretary, and Sir Walter Scott made an excellent clerk of session. Upon his return an important political appointment was procured for Spenser, which was a most promising opening for a young man of twentyseven. In 1580, Arthur, Lord Grey, of Walton, was appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland. Spenser became his secretary, and afforded every evidence of political sagacity, and of abilities that might have served the State well in the highest positions. The kind administration of Lord Grey did not last more than two years. Spenser returned with him to England, and appears to have lived in London for about four years. He was not forgotten, and it was determined to make a provision for him in Ireland. The Council of Munster was busily engaged in settling the country after an unhappy era of war and rebellion. They allotted lands to men who were able to spend money in their cultivation, and who were likely to possess a civilizing influence over a then barbarous region. Many thousand acres out of the confiscated estate of the Earl of Desmond were allotted to Sir Walter Raleigh, in acknowledgment of his important military services. A most modest proportion fell to the lot of Spenser. An estate of 3028 acres, in the county of Cork, was assigned to him, together with the castle of Kilcolman. Mr. Howitt has personally examined the locality, and his report is not very favorable. "When we hear Kilcolman described by Spenser's biographers as romantic and deTo eat thy heart through comfortless de-lightful, it is evident that they judged life: "To lose good days that might be better spent ; To waste long nights in pensive discontent; To speed to-day, and to be put back to morrow; To feed on hope, to pine with fear and sorrow; To have thy princess' grace, yet want her To have thy asking, yet wait many years; care; spair; To fawn, to crouch, to wait, to ride, to run, To spend, to give, to want, to be undone." Sir Philip Sidney was not, however, a man permanently to neglect a meritorious and suffering poet. Sidney was the nephew of the powerful favorite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and he commended the poet to his uncle's good offices. In 1579 Lord Leicester sent Spenser abroad on some political service, the nature of which is unknown, but in which he appears to have acquitted himself well. Indeed, he appears to have been an excellent man of business. It is quite a mistake to suppose that a poet is naturally incapacitated for the ordinary business of life. Milton made of it from mere fancy; and when all writers about him talk of the Mulla flowing through his grounds and past his castle, they give the reader a most erroneous idea. The castle, it must be remembered, is on a wide plain, the hills are a couple of miles or more distant, and the Mulla is more than two miles off. We see nothing at the castle but the wide boggy plain, the distant, naked hills, and the weedy pond under the castle walls." In the denuded state of the country the scene may at present appear barren and desolate; but we still cling to the idea that when the castle was still standing, and there were waving woods between the grounds and the hills and the river, Kilcolman would not be ill adapted to fulfil the popular notion of a poet's residence. Spenser and Raleigh had probably some business relations, since they were both sharers in the confiscated lands. But these two great men had, beyond any business, much in common. Raleigh, through all his life of adventure, retained his love for the Muse; and Spenser, though his life was devoted to the Muse, had also seen something of adventure. Raleigh now came to visit Spenser. It was in a season unfortunate for himself. This was in 1589; and a MS. letter at Lambeth, of that year, says: My lord of Essex hath chased Mr. Raleigh from court, and confined him into Ireland." Raleigh was one of those "that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters." He gave himself the appropriate title, according to the quaint fashion of those days, The Shepherd of the Ocean." Spenser was then busy with his continuation of his great poem, and in the quiet retreat of Kilcolman Raleigh himself seems at this time to have touched the lute. How interesting and instructive must have been the conversation of those two marvellous men; and often, we are persuaded, as they wandered along the banks of the Mulla, would their conversation deepen into heartfelt earnestness. For each felt deeply the marvellous providence that characterized that wonderful transition age in which they lived, each possessed the sensibilities of an enlightened conscience, and each, through various errors and through many sorrows, clung fast to the hope of redemp tion through the Saviour. Doubtless it is on account of Raleigh that we find in the "Faerie Queene" an eloquent allusion to Virginia. To Spenser the coming of Raleigh must have realized one of his own beautiful lines, and have "Made a sunshine in a shady place." he relates this incident of his life have Whom, when I asked from what place he And how he hight, himself he did ycleep He, sitting me beside, in that same shade, Hitherto we have chiefly spoken of the "Faerie Queene," which only in a subordinate sense can be called a sacred poem, and which Spenser himself speaks of as 66 a work in heroical verse, tending to represent all the moral virtues, assigning to every virtue a knight, to be patron and defender of the same, in rie the operations of that virtue whereof whose actions, feats of arms and chivalhe is the protector are to be expressed, and the vices and unruly appetites that oppose themselves against the same to be beaten down and overcome." We now turn aside from this noble poem, which, according to Campbell, makes Spenser the Rubens of poetry, and to which nearly all our great, poets have acknowledged their obligations: Cowley, Pope, Dryden, Addison, Shenstone, Thomson, Gray, Beattie, Collins. Referring to those poems which are of a professedly religious character, we first make some selections from the "Hymn of Heavenly Love." The poet, in the dedication to the Countesses of Cumberland and Warwick, gives the following account of its production: "Having, in the green times of my youth, composed finding that the same too much pleased in the praise of love and beauty, and those of like age and disposition, which, being too vehemently carried with that kind of affection, do rather suck out poison to their strong passion than honey to their honest delight, I was moved by the one of you two most excellent ladies to call in the same; but being unable The autobiographic verses in which to do so, by reason that many copies thereof were formerly scattered abroad, I resolved at least to amend, and, always been highly valued for their ex-by way of retraction, to reform them, quisite taste and feeling: "I saile, as was my trade, Under the foot of Mole, that mountain hoar. Keeping my sheep amongst the coolly shade Of the green alders by the Mulla's shore: There a strange shepherd chanced to find me out, making (instead of those two hymns of earthly or material love and beauty) two others on heavenly and celestial, the which I do dedicate jointly unto you two honorable sisters." "Love, lift me up upon thy golden wings Man, forgetful of his Maker's grace, No less than angels whom he did ensue, Fell from the hope of promised heavenly place Into the mouth of Death, to sinners due, And all his offspring into thraldom threw, Where they for ever should in bonds remain Of never-dead, yet ever-dying pain. "Till that great Lord of Love which him at first Made of mere love, and after liked well, Seeing him lie like creature long accurst In that deep horror of despaired hell, Him wretch in dool would let no longer dwell, But cast out of that bondage to redeem, And pay the price all were his debt extreme. "Out of the bosom of eternal bliss, In which he reigned with his glorious He down descended, like a most demyss And him restore unto that happy state In which he stood before his hapless fate. "O blessed Well of Love! O Flower of Grace ! O glorious Morning Star! O Lamp of Light! แ Most lively image of thy Father's face, Eternal King of Glory, Lord of Might, Meek Lamb of God, before all worlds behight, How can we thee requite for all this good? Or what can prize that thy most precious blood? "Yet nought thou ask'st in lieu of all this love, But love of us for guerdon of thy pain: Ay me! what can us less than that behove? Had he requirèd life for us again, Had it been wrong to ask his own with He "But he our life hath left unto us free; Free that was thrall, and blessed that was bond; Nor aught demands but that we loving be, "Him first to love great right and reason is, save; And last, the food of life, which now we have, love of God to be manifested in the love of man, made after God's image. The following is from one of Spenser's sonnets: "Most glorious Lord of Life! that on this day Didst make thy triumph over death and sin; And, having harrowed hell, did bring away Captivity thence captive, us to win: This joyous day, dear Lord, with joy begin, And grant that we, for whom thou diddest die, Being with thy dear blood clean washed from sin, May live for ever in felicitie ! And that thy love we weighing worthily, May likewise love thee for the same again." One more brief quotation from the other of his hymns: "But lowly fall before His mercy-seat, Close covered with the Lamb's integrity, From the just wrath of his avengeful threat That sits upon the righteous throne on high: "His sceptre is the rod of righteousness, With which he bruiseth all his foes to dust, And the great dragon strongly doth repress From whence proceed her beams so pure That all about him sheddeth glorious light." It was probably through the kindly offices of Sir Walter Raleigh that Spenser obtained a pension. The grant of this pension was discovered by Mr. Malone, in the chapel of the Rolls. He appears also to have happily married during his stay in Ireland. His wife's name was Elizabeth, the same name as his mother. In his studious retirement he projected some important works, which, had his life been spared to accomplish them, would have greatly added to his fame. Several of the subjects are entirely sacred: translations of Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs; "The House of our Lord;" "The Seven Psalms;" "The Sacrifice of a Sinner." In the year in which Raleigh visited him he had the great misfortune to lose his illustrious friend Sir Philip Sidney. He was mortally wounded at the battle of Zutphen, in a most glorious cause, fighting in aid of the Dutch, in their heroic attempts to achieve national in "In dependence and the free use of the Protestant religion. Fuller relates - but I am not aware of his authority—that Sir Philip might have been raised to the throne of Poland. He was a man of most sweet nature, that "gentle shepherd born in Arcady;" his work, Arcadia, being the reflex of his mild genius and eminently pleasing disposition. A most striking anecdote is told of him on the fatal field of Zutphen. Mr. Motley, in his history of the United Netherlands, says that he has not been able to discover a trace of the anecdote. He might have found it in the writings of Lord Broke, Sidney's friend, and also his biographer. Lord Broke says: which sad progress, passing along by the rest of the army where his uncle the general was, and being thirsty with excess of bleeding, he called for some drink, which was presently brought him; but, as he was putting the bottle to his mouth, he saw a poor soldier carried along, who had eaten his last at the same feast, ghastly casting up his eyes at the bottle; which, Sir Philip perceiving, took it from his head before he drank, and delivered it to the poor man with these words: 'Thy necessity is yet to Arnheim, where, after severe suffergreater than mine.”” He was removed ing, he died in the arms of his wife. Spenser lamented him in a collection of poems entitled Astrophel. The following is taken from them, a noble description of the face of a Christian man : "A sweet attractive kind of grace, A full assurance given by looks, Continual comfort in a face, The lineaments of gospel books; I trow that countenance cannot lie Whose thoughts are legible in the eye.” The "Astrophel" poems are the earliest examples in our language of that mournful poetry which afterwards became so famous by the "Lycidas" of Milton, and in our own days by Mr. Tennyson's "In Memoriam." There is no place oftener visited than Penshurst, dear from the familiar memory of Sidney, and very few that are more celebrated. In old days Spenser may have visited Sidney there. "And who would dissolve the dream of Spenser and Sidney walking together in sweet converse on the broad terrace, or under the beechen shade ?" According to the terms of his grant, Spenser was obliged to reside upon the property which he had acquired. He appears to have loved the country, and has given a glowing description of it. "And sure it is yet a most beautiful and sweet country as any is under heaven, being stored throughout with many goodly rivers, replenished with all sorts of fish; most abundantly sprinkled with many very sweet islands and goodly lakes like little inland seas, that will carry even ships upon their waters; adorned with goodly woods, even fit for building of houses and ships; also full of very good ports and havens opening upon England, as inviting us to come unto them, to see what excellent commodities that country can afford; besides, the soil itself most fertile, fit to yield all kind of fruit that shall be committed thereunto; and lastly, the heavens most mild and temperate, though somewhat more moist than the parts towards the west." Spenser saw that the unhappiness of the country lay in the sinfulness of the inhabitants themselves: "so little feeling have they of God or their own souls' good." He speaks earnestly of the blessing of Christianity, "to make, as it were, one blood and kindred of all people, and each to have knowledge of Him." "The care of the soul and soul matters is to be preferred before the care of the body, in consideration of the worthiness thereof." Spenser bitterly regrets that so few ministers of religion come over from England, and that those few were so ill provided for. His only hope for the Irish people is through the regenerating effects of religion. "Nothing will bring them from their uncivil life sooner than learning and discipline, next after the knowledge and fear of God; according to the saying of Christ, Seek first the kingdom of heaven and the righteousness thereof." " Then, too, he deplores the lukewarmness that then subsisted on this great subject, and compares it with the proselytizing system of the Church of Rome. "It is expedient that some discreet ministers of their own countrymen be sent over amongst them, which, by their meek persuasions and instructions, as also by their sober lives and conversations, may draw them first to understand, and afterwards to embrace, the doctrine of their salvation. For if that the ancient godly fathers, which first converted them when they were infidels to the faith, were able to pull them from idolatry and paganism to the true belief in Christ, as St. Patrick and St. Columb, how much more easily shall godly teachers bring them to the true understanding of that which they already possessed? . . . Some of our idle ministers, having a way for credit and estimation open for them, and having the livings of the country offered unto them, without pains and without peril, will neither for the same, nor any love of God, nor zeal of religion, nor for all the good they may do, by winning souls to God, be drawn forth from their warm nests to look out into God's har vest, which is ever ready for the sickle, and all the fields yellow long ago." We are sure our readers will admire "the sweet and voluble prose " of Spenser. These extracts are from his View of the State of Ireland, the only prose work the poet ever attempted. It illustrates the familiar criticism, that the prose of poets is generally very good. According to Isaac Disraeli this work should make us regret that Spenser only wrote verses. The historical value of this little book is very great. All historical writers who deal with the state of Ireland during the time of Queen Elizabeth are in absolute dependence upon it. For instance, Mr. Hallam, in his Constitutional History, follows Spenser with the utmost strictness. Spenser's two last visits to London show his life in that phase of sorrow and uncertainty by which it is most frequently characterized. On the first of these occasions he was engaged in a law suit respecting some lands on which he was accused of wasting corn and timber. He had the vexation of losing his cause, which must also have involved a heavy pecuniary loss. His second visit was his last, and in it he died, and under circumstances than which it is difficult to imagine anything more tragic and affecting. The flames of rebellion burst out in Ireland. The fight at Blackwater ended disastrously for the English arms. Tyrone and his adherents attacked Kilcolman Castle, and set it on fire. The poet and most of his family hurriedly effected their escape. The last six cantos of the immortal poem are believed to have been |