Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

mp we our vengeance deep, and ratify his

"doom.

III. 1.

Edward, lo! to sudden fate

Jeave we the woof. The thread is spun.)
Half of thy heart we consecrate (h).
The web is wove. The work is done.")
ay, oh stay! nor thus forlorn

ave me unbless'd, unpitied, here to mourn:

(f) -the rose of snow, &c.

white and red roses, devices of York and Lancaster.

(g) The bristled boar

silver boar was the badge of Richard the Third; whence he was known in his own time by the name of the Boar.

(h) Half of thy heart we consecrate.

nor of Castile died a few years after the conquest of Wales. The proof she gave of her affection for her lord is well known. The nents of his regret and sorrow for the loss of her, are still to be Northampton, Gaddington, Waltham, and other places.

nborn Ages, crowd not on my soul! -e our long-lost Arthur we bewail (i). , ye genuine Kings, Britannia's Issue,

hail (k).

III. 2.

with many a Baron bold

e their starry fronts they rear; gorgeous Dames, and Statesmen old,

ded majesty, appear.

midst a Form divine!

proclaims her of the Briton-Line;

more our long-lost Arthur we bewail.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

mmon belief of the Welsh nation, that King Arthur was iryland, and would return again to reign over Britain. "-hail, ye genuine Kings, Britannia's issue, hail!

and Talliessin had prophesied, that the Welsh should wereignty over this island; which seemed to be accomhouse of Tudor.

And Truth severe, by

Her lion-port, her awe-com
relating an audience gi
ambassador of Poland, sa
ed the malapert orator no l
porture, than with the tar
Hear from the grave, gra
en, chief of the Bards, f
are still preserved, and his
countrymen.

Fierce War, and faithfu
Fierce wars and faithful 1

Spen

hey breathe a soul to animate thy clay. ght Rapture calls, and soaring as she sings, ves in the eye of Heav'n her many-colour'd "wings.

III. 3.

≈ verse adorn again

Fierce War, and faithful Love (n),
d Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.

Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face.

, relating an audience given by Queen Elizabeth, to Paul ki, ambassador of Poland, says, " And thus she, lion-like rising, ed the malapert orator no less with her stately port and majesdeporture, than with the tartnesse of her princelie checkes."

) Hear from the grave, great Talliessin.

ssin, chief of the Bards, flourished in the sixth century. His re still preserved, and his memory held in high veneration is countrymen.

) Fierce War, and faithful Love.

Fierce wars and faithful loves shall moralize my song.

Spenser's Proem to the Fairy Queen.

stant warblings lessen on my ear, (q) lost in long futurity expire.

mpious Man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud,

d by thy breath, has quench'd the Orb
of day?

rrow he repairs the golden flood,
warms the nations with redoubled ray.
for me: With joy I see
different doom our Fates assign.
e Despair, and sceptred Care,
riumph, and to die, are mine."

uskin'd measures move.

-ice, as of the cherub-choir.

distant warblings lessen on my ear. ion of Poets after Milton's time.

e appearance of

of an inaccessible rock, w
as the king with all the
on his country; foretells
prophetic spirit declare
the noble ardour of po
all never be wanting to
anal strains, to expose vice
tyranny and oppression
from the mountain, and

[ocr errors]

says Mr. Mason) as the ca would have been still iner this plan; but, unhappily Pere wanting. Spenser had arly calculated to celebra are them, not literally, but revery thing, was undou Pleasure; and the dram do not ever find that he p that, in one inimitable ices of the worst kind, suc and lewdness, not only laug ins on his head, who ca gat Poets, was the only on : but he chose to deliv Dryden was a mere court Pope, with all his laudab Tory; and Addison, t y not enough of a Poet f Gray was necessitated t

-pped by the appearance of a venerable figure seated on the it of an inaccessible rock, who, with a voice more than human, aches the king with all the misery and desolation which he had ght on his country; foretells the misfortunes of the Norman race, vith prophetic spirit declares, that all his cruelty shall never exish the noble ardour of poetic genius in this island; and that shall never be wanting to celebrate true virtue and valour in ortal strains, to expose vice and infamous pleasure, and boldly re tyranny and oppression. His song ended, he precipitates elf from the mountain, and is swallowed up by the river that at its foot."

e (says Mr. Mason) as the conclusion of this Ode is at present, I would have been still finer, if he could have executed it acto this plan; but, unhappily for his purpose, instances of English were wanting. Spenser had that enchanting flow of verse which culiarly calculated to celebrate Virtue and Valour; but he chose brate them, not literally, but in allegory. Shakespeare, who had for every thing, was undoubtedly capable of exposing Vice and us Pleasure; and the drama was a proper vehicle for his satire: do not ever find that he professedly made this his object; nay, ow that, in one inimitable character, he has so contrived as to vices of the worst kind, such as cowardice, drunkenness, disho and lewdness, not only laughable, but almost amiable; for with se sins on his head, who can help liking Falstaff? Milton, of all eat Poets, was the only one who boldly censured Tyranny and sion: but he chose to deliver this censure, not in poetry, but in Dryden was a mere court parasite to the most infamous of all Pope, with all his laudable detestation of corruption and briwas a Tory; and Addison, though a Whig and a fine writer, was ily not enough of a Poet for his purpose. On these consideraMr. Gray was necessitated to change his plan towards the conclu

« AnteriorContinuar »