Niccols terms the cock Daies harbinger. Milton fays of May, Who from her green lap throwes The yellow cowflip, &c. Niccols of May, And from her fruitfull lap eche day she threw Milton, I suppose, had been reading this little poem of the Cuckow, just before he wrote his fong, and fo perhaps imperceptibly adopted fome of it's thoughts and expreffions. This obfervation by no means affects the merit of Milton's original genius. It is matter of curiosity to trace out an original author's track of reading. Thus in the following paffage of the Paradife Loft. Yet unfpoil'd Guiana, whofe great city Geryon's fons I doubt not, but the poet was induced to make this allufion to the riches and fertility of Guiana, in the *Paradife Loft, b. 11. p. 409. words words UNSPOIL'D Guiana, from the impreffion made upon him by the perufal of Sir Walter Raleigh's book, entitled, "The Discoverie of the large, rich "and bewtifull empyre of Guiana, with a relation "of the great and golden citie of Manoa, which the Spaniards call El Dorado*, performed in the year "1595, by Sir W. Raleigh. London, 1596." B. i. c. ii. f. xxxv. Now not a ladie, but a feeming tree. Thus in the Seven Champions †, Eglantine, the king's daughter of Theffaly, is transformed into a mullbery-tree of the fruit of which St. Dennis eats, and afterwards hears a voice from the tree. This fiction is originally from the claffical story of Polidorus. B. i. c. iii. f. v. A ramping lion, &c. A lion here fawns upon Una. It is the doctrine of romance, that a lion will offer no injury to a true *This city was named EL DORADO, by Martines, a Spaniard, who firft difcovered Manoa, pag. 13 and 16, of the faid book. Another account of this opulent country was published in the year 1613, by R. Harcourt; to whom James I. granted a patent for settling a plantation there; and afterwards by many others, virgin. Two lions, after this manner, fawn upon Sabra, in the Seven Champions, at which, fays St. George, "Now, Sabra, I have by this fufficiently << proved thy true virginitie: for it is the nature of a "lion, be he never so furious, not to harme the unfpotted virgin, but humbly to lay his bristled "head upon a maiden's lap *." B. i. c. iv. f. xiv. Her lords and ladies. What court does Spenfer here intend? As reflections on the improvements of modern times must be agreeable to modern readers, I cannot forbear tranfcribing the account which Harrison, a cotemporary writer, has left us concerning the maids of honour, in Elizabeth's court. "Befides these things, queen "I could in like fort fet downe the waies and meanes, "whereby our ancient ladies of the court doo fhun " and avoid idleneffe; fome of them exercising their 66 fingers with the needle, others in caule-worke, "diverfe in fpinning of filke, fome in continual read"ing, either of the holie fcriptures, or hiftories of 66 our owne and forrein nations about us, and diverse "in writing volumes of their owne, and tranflating "of other mens into our english and latin toong VOL. II. * Ibid. c. 11. "while "while the youngest fort, in the meantime, applie "their lutes, citharnes, prickfong, and all kinds of "muficke, which they use only for recreation fake, "when they are free from attendance on the queen's "majeftie...... How manie of the eldest fort alfo are fkillfull in furgerie, and diftillation of strong "waters; befides fundrie other artificial practices, "pertaining to the ornature and commendation of "their bodies!...... There is in manner none of "them, but, when they be at home, can help to 66 supply the ordinary want of the kitchen, with a "number of dishes of their own devifing, &c *." B. i. c. iv. f. xiv. Some frounce their curled haire in courtly guife, According to the fashion of drefs which prevailed in the poet's age. B. i. c. iv. f. xxxvi. And underneath their feet all scattred lay Dead fculs and bones of men, Thus again in Mammon's Cave. And all the ground with fculs was scattered, 2.7.30. * Description of England, prefixed to Hollingfhed's Chron. Thus Thus the champions, when they are betrayed by the necromancer of the Black Caftle into an enchanted cave. "And as they went groping and feeling up "and down, they found that they did tread on no "other things but dead mens bones*." B. i. c. v. f. x. At laft the painim chaunct to caft his eye, This beautiful circumftance was probably suggested by one fomewhat analagous to it in the Æneid. - Infelix bumero cum apparuit ingens Ille oculis poftquam fævi monumenta doloris But it must be allowed, that Spenfer's spirit fuffers but little here from the imputation of imitation. • Seven Champions, b. 2. c. 8. † Æn. 12. v. 940. B. i. |