RetrcfpeSl of Domejl'ic Literature — M'Jcellaniti, 



.617 



torn" 5 Fallacj,'^ are In the more ordinary 

 clafs of our theatrical produflicns. Of 

 the rell we (hall lay nothing : the greater 

 part of them are already in oblivion. 



MISCELLANIES. 



" The IForks of Edmund Spenfer, in 

 Eight Folumes ; ivitk the principal lltuf- 

 trations of 'various Cammentators, T'o 

 •which are added. Notes, Jotne Account cf 

 the Life of Spenfer, and Glojfarial and 

 other Indexes,'"' by the Rev, H. J. Todd. 



When the w;itings oF a poet havepaffed 

 the ordeal of opinion thiough luccefilve 

 generations, and us fame continues unim- 

 p;'.ired, we have little die to do than to 

 hail him as one of the immortals : while 

 the man, who prefumcs to commtni on his 

 works, becomes the principal object of the 

 critic's notice. 



Of the life which is prefixed, Mr. Todd 

 cxpreflTes himfelf in a manner truly mo- 

 deft : " I have added," he Ays, " a very 

 humble account of tlie life cf Spenfer, 

 drawn from authentic records, the cu- 

 riofity and impo tance of which will, I 

 truft, be admitted by the liberal and cin- 

 did as an apology for the want of bi'i- 

 graphical elegance. The reader will, 

 with me, lament that even the rriatetials 

 which I have brought together, and that 

 materials ftill more interefting were not 

 obtained by Johnl' n; for Johnfon long 

 fince faid that he would have readily fa- 

 VJUied the world and gratified his fove- 

 reign, by a life of Spenfer, if he had been 

 able to obtain any ne* materials for the 

 purpofe." A» a narrative it is both cu- 

 rious and fober, and forms the principal 

 portion of oriei'ial matter which thewoik 

 contains. The Itrange ftorits of lord 

 Burleigh's interception of the Queen's 

 bounty, and the poet's extraordmaiy in- 

 trodiiclion to Sir Philip Sydney, aie prov- 

 ed to have been wiih.iut foundation; and 

 Spenfer reprtfented net to have dird 

 in poverty but affluence. The fails by 

 which thefe curious anecdotes are eUab- 

 lifned, only pro^e that the errors of Spen- 

 fer's f. rmcr biographer's are unfiardon?- 

 ble. Tiie port^a t with •J>'hich the life is 

 embellifhed is from the only origi.-.al 

 knovijj, in the pofTefnon of the E.irl of 

 Kinnoiil at D ippl.n Caifle. I" the chro- 

 nological enumeration of Spenfer'* woiks, 

 however, there are m>.ny p^rticu'nri vifhich 

 mi^ht have been lefcrrcd vvi:(i greater 

 propriety to li^of^quer,t portions ot the 

 work. In regard to the e<hti'jn of the 

 poems it is undoubtedly euiit'ed to the 

 cedit both of lafte aid judgment ; ami 

 though the cummentarie"! arc perhaps tro 

 numerous, and the margin overloaded, 



Monthly M&c. No. 138. 



the tf xt is given with a correflnefs v> hich 

 has ntvef before marktd the works of 

 Spenfer. The pains which Mr. Todd 

 has taken are accurately defcribed ir, th« 

 ftanza, which, after Mr. Warton's ex- 

 ample, he has adopted from the poet. 



•' The waies through which my weary fteps 



I guyde 

 In this delightful land of faery, 

 Are fo exceeding fpacious and wyde, 

 And fprinckled v;ith fuch fvveet variety 

 Of all thJt pleafant is to eare or eye. 

 That I, nigh ravilTit with rare thoughts de« 



light. 

 My tedious travel! doe forget thereby ; 

 And, when I gin to feele decay of might, 

 It ftrength to me fupplies and cheats my dulled 



fprght." 



In regaid to furh portions cf Italian 

 literature as v/eve moft likely to illuftrate 

 Spenfn's poems, Mr. Todd's refearches 

 appear to have been more extenfive than 

 fuccef?fu!. 



" Letters betiveen the Rev. James 

 Granger, M. A. Re^or of Shiplake, and 

 many of the mof eminent Literary Men of 

 his Time : comprifiug a copious Hifiory and 

 IHnJiration oj his Biographical Wflory of 

 Frigland. IFith Mifcellanies and Motes of 

 Tours in France, Holland and Spain, hy 

 the fame Gentleman." Edited by J. f. 

 Malcolm. 



Among the letters which are here pre- 

 ferved, fcarcely any are calculated to ex- 

 cite an interell with the general reader. 

 Thofe which relate to Mr. Gran»ei's 

 hiftory contain a few correftions and a few 

 additions; and the molt we gather from 

 them is, ih.t the work at its nrft appear- 

 ance was an incorrefl o^ie. Thrre is one 

 letter from Dr J hnfon ; another from 

 Wartoii, the poet-laure it ; and a ihitd, a 

 very ftiort one, from Mr. Horace Wal- 

 pole: the Utter of wnch, as it relates tr> 

 Mr. Gringer's death, is perhaps tlie moil 

 interelring in the volume. Of feVMal of 

 the mifctllanies Mr. Grainger cerninly 

 was not the writer ; and of the notes of 

 tours we prefer thofe which were made in 

 Spain. 



In the mifcellaneoiis clafs alfo' mud be 

 ranked the late Loid Chedv/orth's 

 " Nous upon fame of the 01 f cure Pafages 

 in Shnkefpenr^ s Plays.'''' They are, p_e- 

 neraliy ij caking, Hiort and immattriilj 

 and rather tch > the opinions cf former 

 cnmmentators, tisn pfelent original iib- 

 fcrvation. For a poifhumous publication 

 an Author is not always ani'werable. 



In the firfl volume of a work, entitled 



" Aca.lemiral ^ufjliojis,'" Mr. Drum- 



MONO has cu!tiva;cd the p!iili,fophy which, 



4 I was 



