An essay on the life and writings of Edmund Spenser, with a special exposition of the Fairy queen

Preface

The present Essay is an attempt to reproduce, under modern forms, some of those agreeable ideas which instructed and entertained a former generation. Spenser was once regarded as one of the great store-houses of moral and intellectual truth. But the fashion of literature changes, and the Fairy Queen has now become not unlike a halfdecayed and unfrequented Cathedral of the olden time. The object of the Essayist is to remove something of the repulsive gloom that has gathered around this venerable pile, to brush away a portion of the dust and cobwebs, and to throw once more the cheerful light of heaven upon its untold splendours ■ — in short, to make this famous shrine, if possible, once more a favourite resort, not merely for the lovers of the antique and the curious, but for all the genuine votaries of truth and goodness. The aim is, in a word, and to drop the metaphor, not so much to advance opinions about this great work of art, as to show the work itself, to put the reader in possession of some of those glorious and ennobling ideas which vi PREFACE.

the work contains. These ideas are here presented partly in prose, in the language of the Essayist, and partly by extracts, in the language of the author, with the spelling modernized so far as the rhythm and the rhyme of the verse would permit. The extracts are not introduced as mere isolated specimens, but are intimately mixed up with the tissue of the argument, the whole being woven together into one connected and continuous story. By these means, the legendary exploits and scenes of Fairy Land are contemplated through a medium that brings their truths home to the " business and bosoms" of the men and women of the present day. The Essay, in other words, is, as already stated, an attempt to reproduce, rather than describe, the ideas of which it treats. It does not aspire to the dignity of a Critique. Its humbler office is to set forth some of the materials from which an intelligent judgment may be formed by the reader himself. To the devout lovers of Spenser, the method by which this has been attempted, may seem in some instances to savour of irreverent familiarity. They will, however, regard the offence with less severity, if they shall at the same time find in the work anv evidence of its havino- been a labour of love, or any probability of its increasing the number of admirers and readers of the great original.

Contents

LIFE AND MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS.

Chapter I

Early Life — Education — Career in the University — Acquaintance with Gabriel Harvey — Two Years' Residence in the North of England — Love Affair — Return to London — Publication of the Shepherds' Calendar — Account of this Poem, . . . . . . . .19

Chapter II

Connexion with Sidney — Leicester House — Proposed Visit to the Continent — Correspondence with Harvey — The New Versification — Lost Poems — The Dying Pelican — The Dreams — The Stemmata Dudleiana — The Nine English Comedies — The English Poet — Minor Poems — The Fairy Queen commenced — Harvey's Opinion of it — Harvey — Evidences of Industry — Grants of Land in Ireland— Kilcolman Castle — Raleigh's Visit — Publication of the First Three Books of the Fairy Queen, 31

Chapter III

Return to Ireland — Publication of Miscellaneous Poems — The Ruins of Time— The Tears of the Muses— Virgil's Gnat— Mother Hubberd's viii CONTENTS.

Tale — The Ruins of Rome — Visions of Bellay, Petrarch and Spenser — Muiopotmos, or the Fate of the Butterfly, 48

Chapter IV

Spenser again visits London — Publication of the Daphnaida — Account of

this Poem Colin Clout's Come Home Again — Astrophel and other

Elegies in honour of Sir Philip Sidney — The Sonnets — Elizabeth — Courtship — Marriage — The Epithalamium — Prothalamium — Hymns — Anacreontics — View of the State of Ireland — Two Cantos of Mutability Kilcolman burnt by the Rebels — Spenser's Death and Monument, .... ... ...

THE FAIRY QUEEN.

Book I

The Legend of the Red-Cross Knight, or of Holiness.

Analysis and Synthesis — The latter Method applied to the Fairy Queen — The opening Scene — The Wandering Wood — Adventure with Error — Archiinago— The Hermitage — Magic — The False Dream — Saint George and Una separated-— Battle of Saint George and Sansfoy — Fidessa — The Bleeding Trees — Una and the Lion — Corceca and Kirkrapine — Archimago under the Guise of Saint George — Sansloy and Una — Saint George in the House of Pride — Battle with Sansjoy — Una in Awful Danger — Rescued by the Fauns and Satyrs — Saint George made Captive by Orgoglio — Interposition of Prince Arthur —

CONTENTS. } x

Cave of Despair — Argument for Suicide — House of Holiness — Final Adventure — Plan of the Poem shown by Synthesis, . . . .115

BOOK II. The Legend of Sir Guyon, or of Temperance

Review of the First Book — Definition of Temperance — The Palmer — The Babe with Bloody Hands — The Three Sisters, Elissa, Perissa, and Medina — Braggadochio and Trompart — First Appearance of Belphcebe — Furor and Occasion — Atin and Pyrochles — The Merry Mariner — The Idle Lake— Cymochles ferried to the Islet — Sir Guyon and Phaedria — Horrible situation of Pyrochles — The Cave of Mam. mon — The House of Riches — The Temptation — Intervention of Prince Arthur — His Exploit — Sir Guyon and the Palmer embarked for the Island— The Gulf of Greediness— The Wandering Islands— The Monsters of the Deep — The Weeping Maiden — The Bay of the Mermaids — The Unclean Birds— The Wild Beasts— They reach the Island— The Gardens — The Fair Portress — The Lakelet and the Bathing Damsels — The Bower of Bliss — Capture of the Enchantress, Acrasia — The Adventure completed — Character of Sir Guyon, . . . 159

BOOK III. The Legend of Britomart, or of Chastity

The Third Book not Periodique — First Appearance of Britomart — The Enchanted Spear — Flight of Florimel — Britomart and Guyon at Castle

CONTENTS.

Joyous — Britomart's History — Combat with Marinel — Arthur's Pursuit ofFlorimel — Night in the Woods — Arthur's History— FlorimeFs History Timias and the Forester — Timias and Belphcebe — Characters

of Belphcebe and Amoret — Florimel in the Witch's Hut — The Witch's

Son Florimel's Flight and Escape in the Fisherman's Boat — The

Giantess Argante — The Squire of Dames — The Snowy Florimel — Florimel rescued from the Fisherman by Proteus — Elopement of Hellenore with Paridel — Scudamour — Amoret in the Enchanted Castle of Busyrane — Rescued by Britomart, 221

Book IV

The Legend of Cambel and Triamond, or of Friendship.

Spenser's Letter to Raleigh explanatory of the Plan of the Poem — Review — Difficulties of the Subject — Reason why the Third and Fourth Books are not Periodique — Adventure of Britomart and Amoret resumed — Description of Ate — Combat between Britomart and Blandamour — Blandamour wins the Snowy Florimel — Announcement of the Tournament of Sir Satyrane — Story of Cambel and Triamond — The Tournament — Artegal and Britomart at the Tournament — The Cestus of Venus— The Contest for the Palm of Beauty— Gold Pens— The Girdle awarded to the Snowy Florimel — Strange conduct of the Girdle — Scudamour in the House of Care — Fight between Britomart and Artegal — The Disclosure — Amoret carried off by Lust — Attempt of Timias to rescue her — Lust slain by Belphoebe — Timias in Doubtful Circumstances — The Rebuke — Amoret again deserted — Interposition of Prince Arthur — The Hut of Slander — Commentator's Episode — Castle of Corflambo — Britomart about to be overpowered — Rescued by Prince Arthur — Meeting of Amoret and Scudamour — Scudamour's

COXTENTS. " x i

Exploit — History of Amoret — The Island and Temple of Venus- Character of Scudamour — The Story of Florimel resumed — The Story of Marinel — The Great .Meeting of the Submarine Deities in the Hall of Proteus — Marinel present as a Spectator — Discovery, Rescue, and Espousals of Florimel, 276

BOOK V, The Legend of Artegal, or of Justice

Intimate Connexion between the Third and Fourth Books — The Reasons for this — Mission of Artegal — Definition of Justice — Artegal's Education by Astraea — His sword Chrysaor — The Iron Man, Talus — Punishroent of Sangliere — Battle with Pollente — Execution of Munera — The Giant Innovation — Nuptials of Florimel — Tournament of Sir Marinel — Braggadochio's Imposture — Vanishing of the Snowy Florimel — Decision of Artegal between the Brothers, Amidas and Brasidas — Artegal and Talus beset by Female Warriors — Radigund — Her Character— Her Battle with Artegal — Artegal in Thraldom — Radigund — Love Agencies — Poor Clarin — Britomart's Uneasiness at the Absence of Artegal — She goes to his Rescue — The House of Dolon — Battle be^ tween Britomart and Radigund — King Philip and the Spanish Armada — Artegal and Prince Arthur rescue Samient — Arthur's Battle with the Soudan — Punishment of Adicia — Synopsis of the Whole Book 369 x ij CONTENTS.

BOOK VI. The Legend of Sik Calidore, or of Courtesy

Definition of the Subject — Character and Mission of Sir Calidore — The Story of Crudor and Briana — The Swain in Lincoln Green — Calepine and Serena — The Blatant Beast — The Savage Man — Mirabclla — Calidore among the Shepherds — Pastorella — Her Character — Colin's Shepherd's Lass — Conclusion — General Remarks, 463

LIFE

MISCELLANEOUS WEITINGS.

AN ESSAY

ON

THE LIFE AND WRITINGS

EDMUND SPENSER.

Chapter I

Early Life— Education— Career in the University— Acquaintance with Gabriel Harvey — Two Years' Residence in the North of England — Love Affair — Return to London — Publication of the Shepherds' Calendar — Account of this Poem.

This gifted son of song was born in East Smithfield, London, in the year 1553. Of his family and his early life, almost nothing is known, and very little is even conjectured. There is an illustrious family of the name of Spencer in the interior of England, the Spencers of Northamptonshire. Our poet seems in some of his poems, to lay claim to being connected with this ancient family — a claim which, to the honour of their good sense, they have never been disposed to question. "The nobility of the Spencers," says Gibbon, " has been illustrated and enriched by the trophies of Marlborough; but I exhort them to consider the Fairy Queen as the most precious jewel of their coronet." The precise connexion between this family and the author of the Fairy Queen, has not yet been ascertained, nor is it certainly known that any connexion at all existed.

Our author was evidently born in moderate circumstances. The proof of this is found in the fact that at College he was a sizer. This word is used at Cambridge to denote a class of students who are admitted to the privileges of the University on easier pecuniary terms than others, and in consideration, formerly at least, of performing certain offices of a menial character. The " sizer" at Cambridge corresponds, in many important particulars, to the " charity student" of our American Colleges.

Spenser was admitted a sizer of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, in 1569, at the age of sixteen. Little is known of his academical career, except that at College he made the acquaintance of Gabriel Harvey, a man who exerted an important influence upon the poet's future course, and whose name will frequently occur in this essay. Harvey was a man of considerable learning, and possessed that sort of rough strong sense which so often enables its possessor to exert a controlling influence over another infinitely his superior in genius.

There has been a tradition that Spenser was an unsuccessful candidate for a fellowship in Pembroke Hall, his competitor being Lancelot Andrews, one of the men afterwards employed in making the English version of the Bible now in use. More careful investigations have shown this statement to be without foundation.

Spenser took his degree of A. B., in due course, January, 1573, at the age of twenty; and his degree of A. M., in June, 1576, at the age of twenty-three. It is noticeable that, although Spenser in his writings repeatedly mentions the University with affectionate regard, he never either in his letters or his poetry makes any mention of Pembroke Hall, the particular College to which he belonged. From this it has been inferred that he left it on not very good terms, though from what cause or with whom, is, like the fact itself, entirely a matter of conjecture.

On leaving the University, Spenser went to some place in the north of England, where he resided about two years ; where exactly, or with whom, or for what purpose, is not known. The general traditionary belief is, that it was a temporary residence with a branch of the Spencer family living in Lancashire, perhaps as a guest, not impossibly as a private tutor. The only things certain about this two years' sojourn in the "hill country" of England, are that the youthful poet fell in love with some lady whom he celebrates under the fictitious name of " Rosalind," -and that on his return to London at the end of the two years, he had ready for the press a volume of poetry, in the composition of which his love affair had doubtless been of no disadvantage to him.

Spenser is reputed to have been induced to return to London by the advice and solicitation of his friend Gabriel Harvey. This shrewd observer doubtless saw in the precincts of the court, both a better prospect of his friend's promotion, and a more suitable sphere for the exercise of his talents, than in the limited range of rural and provincial life.

In 1579, the year of his return to London, Spenser made his first publication, being a poem or a series of poems, of the pastoral kind, written during his residence in the country. This poem is called the Shepherds' Calendar. It is in twelve books, or eclogues, according to the number of months in the year ; viz. : eclogue first, for January; eclogue second, for February; eclogue third, for March; and so on to eclogue twelfth, for December. The subjects of these eclogues, and the illustrations are drawn to some extent from the season indicated by the month. Each eclogue is a separate poem, not connected with the others, except that the same characters are found frequently recurring. By an eclogue is usually meant a poem representing real and generally cultivated and city people, under the garb of plain country people, particularly of shepherds. Such at least seems to have been Spenser's idea of it, and upon this idea he has modelled his poem. The shepherds, who bear the rustic names of Colin Clout, Cuddie, Thenot, Willie, Thomalin, Hobbinol, Palinode, Piers, &c, are described as attending to occupations suited to shepherds, cracking jokes, bantering each other about feats of skill upon the pipe, or singing the praises of their Phillises and Amaryllises. Most of the characters so described, represent, however, real persons, the intention of the poet being to clothe the feelings of refined and artificial life, in the simple and unsophisticated garb of rustic manners. Colin Clout is Spenser himself; Hobbinol represents Gabriel Harvey ; and so of the others.

The Shepherds' Calendar was published to a certain extent anonymously, the author signing himself merely Immerito. It was necessary, therefore, to explain in some manner the meaning of the allusions. For this purpose, it was introduced to the public with a prefatory epistle and annotations in various parts, explanatory of the views of the author, written by some intimate friend, who signs himself E. K. Who this E. K. was, has been a matter of no little speculation. He was evidently on terms of the greatest intimacy with the author ; was fully acquainted with his views ; and indeed speaks in such an authoritative way of the author's intentions and plans, as to give some little weight certainly to the conjecture of one of the most judicious of the poet's biographers. This conjecture does not indeed seem to have met with general favour. Still it is far from being an impossible supposition. At all events, if there is some hardihood in asserting, there is some also in denying, that this unknown annotator E. K., is none other than Spenser himself. An objection to such a supposition may be found in the terms of praise with which E. K. sometimes speaks of the new poet. But Spenser had no mean opinion of his own abilities, and modern literature at least could furnish more questionable examples of authors' devices to make known their merits as well as their meaning.

The Shepherds' Calendar is dedicated to Sir Philip Sidney. The origin of the friendship between this noble person and Spenser, will be the subject of some remarks in another chapter. The epistle prefatory by E. K., is addressed to Gabriel Harvey, who of course, as well as Sidney, was in the secret in regard to the unknown annotator. There is besides by this same E. K., a general argument or explanation prefixed to the whole collection, and a special argument prefixed to each eclogue.

The whole work, including the epistle dedicatory, and the arguments and annotations of E. K., is about equal, in amount of matter, to eight cantos in the Fairy Queen.

The diction in the Shepherds' Calendar, is evidently more ancient than that which was current in the days of Queen Elizabeth. Indeed, the author, or his friend E. K., admits the fact, and attempts to defend it. Spenser in all his poetry has something of this quality, but in none so much as in his first publication. In maintaining and acting upon this theory, Spenser forgot the law of progress inseparable from language. Under the influence of this law, Chaucer had become in a great measure a sealed book, even in the days of Elizabeth, just as the language that prevailed in common life in the time of Elizabeth, has become partially antiquated now. Consequently language which even then w r as intentionally antedated, has now T become to a considerable extent unintelligible to the ordinary reader. Spenser, indeed, never abandoned the idea that some poetical beauty is to be gathered from the use of words slightly off the popular lip, as we find the diction of all his poems rather older than that of his contemporaries; still, after the publication of the Calendar, he seems to have modified his views a little, and to have used in his subsequent poems language not quite so far behind the times.

In the Shepherds' Calendar, there is a great variety of versification, both in regard to the stanza and the metre. There is too, what I do not recollect to have seen noticed by any of the critics, very frequent and decisive evidence of an attempt to recur to the old Saxon poetical alliteration in connexion with rhyme. The whole poem indeed seems to be of a tentative character, the author trying at the same time both his own powers and the temper of the public. Among all the varieties of versification introduced into the Calendar, it is noticeable, that he has not once used the immortal stanza that bears his name.

To give the reader some more definite idea of this poem, the first eclogue is quoted entire. This particular eclogue is selected because it is the shortest, and the least antiquated, and consequently most readable; and also, because it brings clearly to view his love affair, which had much to do with his subsequent history.

JANUARY.

AEGLOGA PRIMA.

Argument. — In this first Eclogue, Colin Clout, a Shepherd's Boy, complaineth himself of his unfortunate love, being but newly (as seemeth) enamoured of a Country Lass called Rosalind : with which strong affection being very sore travailed, he compareth his careful case to the sad season of the year, to the frosty ground, to the frozen trees, and to his own winter-beaten flock. And lastly, finding himself robbed of all former pleasance and delight, he breaketh his Pipe in pieces, and casteth himself to the ground.

COLIN CLOUT.

A Shepherd's Boy, (no better do him call), When winter's wasteful spite was almost spent, All in a sunshine day, as did befall, Led forth his flock, that had been long ypent : So faint they waxed, and feeble in the fold, That now uneath 1 their feet could them uphold.

All as the sheep, such was the shepherd's look,

For pale and wan he was, (alas the while !)

May seem he loved, or else some care he took ;

Well could he tune his pipe and frame his style ; Then to a hill his fainting flock he led, And thus him plained, the while his sheep there fed :

"Ye gods of love ! that pity lovers' pain, (If any gods the pain of lovers pity,)

1 Uneath, (un-easily,) not easily, scarcely.

Look from above, where you in joys remain, And bow your ears unto my doleful ditty.

And, Pan ! thou shepherds' god, that once didst love,

Pity the pains that thou thyself didst prove.

" Thou barren ground, whom winter's wrath hath wasted,

Art made a mirror to behold my plight ;

Whilom thy fresh spring flowered, and after hasted

Thy summer proud, with daffodillies dight ; And now is come thy winter's stormy state, Thy mantle marred wherein thou maskedst late.

" Such rage as winter's reigneth in my heart, My life-blood freezing with unkindly cold ; Such stormy stours 1 do breed my baleful smart, As if my year were waste and waxen old ;

And yet, alas ! but now my spring begun,

And yet, alas ! it is already done.

" You naked trees, whose shady leaves are lost, Wherein the birds were wont to build their bower, And now are clothed with moss and hoary frost, Instead of blossoms, wherewith your buds did flower ;

I see your tears that from your boughs do rain,

Whose drops in dreary icicles remain.

"All so my lustful leaf is dry and sere, My timely buds with wailing all are wasted ; The blossom which my branch of youth did bear, With breathed sighs is blown away and blasted ;

And from mine eyes the drizzling tears descend,

As on your boughs the icicles depend.

1 Stours, fits.

" Thou feeble flock ! whose fleece is rough and rent,

Whose knees are weak through fast and evil fare,

Mayst witness well, by thy ill government,

Thy master's mind is overcome with care :

Thou weak, I wan ; thou lean, I quite forlorn : With mourning pine I ; you with pining mourn.

" A thousand sithes 1 I curse that careful hour Wherein I longed the neighbour town to see, And eke ten thousand sithes I bless the stour 2 Wherein I saw so fair a sight as she :

Yet all for nought ; such sight hath bred my bane.

Ah, God ! that love should breed both joy and pain !

" It is not Hobbinol wherefore I plain, Albe' my love he seek with daily suit ; His clownish gifts and curtsies I disdain, His kids, his cracknels, 3 and his early fruit.

Ah, foolish Hobbinol ! thy gifts be vain ;

Colin them gives to Rosalind again.

" I love thilk 4 lass, (alas ! why do I love ?)

And am forlorn, (alas ! why am I lorn ?)

She deigns not my good will, but doth reprove,

And of my rural music holdeth scorn.

Shepherd's devise she hateth as the snake,

And laughs the songs that Colin Clout doth make.

" Wherefore, my Pipe, albe' rude Pan thou please, Yet for 5 thou pleasest not where most I would ;

1 Sithes, times. 2 Slour, (lit. stir) fit, attack, occasion. 3 Cracknels, crackers. 4 Thilk, this. 5 For, because.

And thou, unlucky Muse, that wont'st to ease My musing mind, yet canst not when thou should ; Both Pipe and Muse shall sore the while abye." — So broke his oaten pipe, and down did lie.

By that, the welked 1 Phoebus 'gan avale 2 His weary wain ; and now the frosty Night Her mantle black through heaven 'gan overhale : 3 Which seen, the pensive Boy, half in despite, Arose, and homeward drove his sunned sheep, Whose hanging heads did seem his careful case to weep.

The affair of Rosalind was not a mere poetical fiction — something imagined, in order to give point to his verses, — but a real and painful history, which affected the author seriously and for many years. From the manner in which Spenser alludes to the subject in different parts of his works, I judge that Rosalind was a woman of high consideration for her personal qualities, and at the same time of high birth ; and that she rejected his suit on account of the difference between them in the latter respect. Spenser never speaks of her in terms of reproach, but on the contrary, even after he was in the height of his reputation, reproaches himself for presumption in aspiring so high. The attention of the curious has been not a little awakened to ascertain who she was. The only clue to the sub-

1 Welked, (lit., revolved) decreased, setting. 2 Avale, (ad, vallis) to fall, and to cause to fall, i. e. to lower. 3 Overhale, (overhaul) draw over.

ject, is that given by E. K., who propounds in regard to it the following enigma :

Rosalind is a feigned name, which being well ordered, will bewray the very name of his love and mistress, whom by that name he coloureth.

Leaving the solution of this grave question to those more interested or more skilled in such matters, I proceed with the narrative.

Spenser, it is clear, had not yet found his place, when he wrote the Calendar. Nature had designed him for something different. Pastoral poetry is, in its very nature, simple and unaffected. Spenser's genius was one suited rather to the description of stately splendours, abounding almost beyond parallel in the power of magnificent adornment. It is not to be wondered at, therefore, that in his Shepherds' Calendar, he has fallen far behind the exquisite models which he had professedly in his eye. At the same time, this poem is, in my opinion, of a much higher order of merit than some of the critics have been disposed to assign to it. It is probably less regarded than it would have been, had not the author afterwards so immeasurably outstripped himself by his own Fairy Queen.

Chapter II

Connexion with Sidney — Leicester House — Proposed Visit to the Continent — Correspondence with Harvey — The New Versification — Lost Poems — The Dying Pelican — The Dreams — The Stemmata Dudleiana — The Nine English Comedies — The English Poet — Minor Poems — The Fairy Queen commenced — Harvey's Opinion of it — Evidences of Industry — Grants of Land in Ireland — Kilcolman Castle — Raleigh's Visit — Publication of the First Three Books of The Fairy Queen.

Somewhere about the year 1579, the gallant and accomplished Sir Philip Sidney was seated in one of the halls of his uncle, the powerful Earl of Leicester, A modest stranger presented himself at the portal, and without announcing his name sent in by the servant a parcel to Sir Philip, containing the manuscript of an unpublished poem. Sir Philip commenced reading the manuscript, and immediately discovered in it marks of genius of the highest order. After reading a few stanzas, he turned to his steward and bade him give the person that brought those verses fifty pounds, but upon reading the next stanza, he ordered the sum to be doubled. The steward, surprised at the strange conduct of his master, thought it his duty to make some delay in executing so sudden and lavish a bounty ; but upon reading one stanza more, Sir Philip raised his gratuity to two hundred pounds, and commanded the steward to give it immediately, lest as he read farther, he might be tempted to give away his whole estate. The poem was The Fairy Queen, the modest stranger was Edmund Spenser.

Such is the romantic origin of the friendship between Sidney and Spenser, as handed down to us by the earlier biographers. It seems a pity to disturb a story so agreeable. But as it is presumed, the reader desires to be instructed rather than amused, it is necessary, however ungracious, to add that on careful investigation the whole story is found to be without adequate foundation. Spenser was indebted, for his introduction to Leicester House, to instrumentality of a much more every-day character, having made the acquaintance of Sir Philip simply through the kindness of a common friend, Gabriel Harvey. Under the influence, however, of warm hearts and kindred tastes, acquaintance soon ripened into friendship, and friendship into intimacy ; — and few months elapsed after the first interview, before the young poet was at home in the hospitable mansion of the most powerful earl in England.

No nobleman in England enjoyed at that time greater personal favour with Queen Elizabeth than the Earl of Leicester; and no man in England probably combined in a higher degree the qualities of a gallant soldier and an elegant scholar, than his accomplished nephew, Sir Philip Sidney. It was under the auspices

LIFE A X D MIS C ELL A N^O U S WRITING S. 33

of these friends, that Spenser first came into public notice ; and all the patronage that at any time he received from the government, emanated from the same source.