The preceding line is, The mark of fool set on his front? Perhaps we should read, The mark of fool set on his front? but I To return to the line of this remark. He bound that piteous lady prisoner now releast. It is probable that prisoner was absurdly thrown in by the printers; and as the measure is preserved, so is the sense equally clear, if not more so, without it. A poet who read Spenser with true taste, Mr. James Thompson, had struck it out, and I suppose for this reason, in his Spenser, as superfluous. B. iv. c. ii. s. ii. Such musick is wise words with time concented. Concented, from the substantive concent, which is often repeated in our author. All which together sung full chearfully 3. 12. 5. And in Virgil's Gnat, But the small birds in their wide boughs embowring, Chaunted their sundry tunes with sweet concent *. Probably in the Epithalamion, where Spenser is speaking of many birds singing together, So goodly all agree with sweet consent, Instead of consent, we should read concent↑ * The verses in the original are, At volucres patulis residentes dulcia ramis V. 144. Which I produce, to shew, that the word was dictated to Spenser by cantus in the Latin. † Ver. 497. Milton uses the word in his poem, at a So lemn Music, That undisturbed song of pure concent Aye sung before the sapphire-colourd throne As it has been restored instead of content, upon the best authority; in the late very useful edition of Milton's poetical works. Our author has concent in the Hymne in Honour of Beautie. For love is a celestial harmonie Of likewise harts composd of starres concent. Almost in the same sense, consent should be read concent in this passage of Jonson. When lookd the yeare at best So like a feast? Or were affaires in tune, By all the sphears consent, so in the heat of June * Epithalamion on Mr. Weston, &c. B. iv. c. ii. s. xlv. As she sate carelesse by a crystall flood, Thus Dulcippa is forcibly carried away by the knight of the two heads. "So sitting down upon a green banke under the shaddow of a myrtle tree, she pulled a golden cawl from her head, wherein her hair was wrapped, and taking out from her crystalline breast an ivory comb, she began to combe her hair, &c*." Milton's image of Ligea, in Comus, was drawn, and improved, from some romantic description of this kind. By faire Ligea's golden combe, Wherewith she sits on diamond rocks B. iv. c. vii. s. xxxvi. Is this the faith? -- Seven Champ. b. ii. c. 16. The secret history of this allegory is evidently the disgrace of Sir Walter Raleigh, for a criminal amour with one of Queen Elizabeth's maids of honour. The lady was brought to bed in the court, and Sir Walter was dismissed. The Queen's anger on this occasion was extremely natural. Nothing more strongly characterizes the predominant tendency of the Queen's mind than the account given by Sir Robert Naunton, of the first appearance and reception of the young Lord Mountjoy at court. "He was then much about twenty yeares of age, brown haired, of a sweet face, and of a most neate composure, tall in his person. The Queene was then at White-hall, and at dinner, whither he came to see the fashion of the court; and the Queene had soone found him out and, with a kind of affected favour, asked her carver what he was? He answered, he knew him not; insomuch that an enquiry was made from one to another, who he might 2 1 |