He much reioyft, and courd it tenderly, As chicken newly hatcht, from dreaded destiny,

X.

At last he spide where towards him did pace Two Paynim Knights al armd as bright as fkie,

And them befide an aged Sire did trace, And far before a light-foote Page did flie That breathed ftrife and troublous enmitie. Those were the two fonnes of Acrates old, Who, meeting earft with Archimago flie Foreby that Idle Strond, of him were told That he, which earft them combatted, was Guyon bold,

IX. 8.

and courd it tenderly,

As chicken newly hatcht,] And protected it, as a hen fits couring over her young chicken. Skinner, To coure, ab Ital. covare, Fr. couver, incubare; metaphora fumpta a gallinis ovis incubantibus." See Menage in v. 'Couver. But Junius brings it from the old British word, currian. Milton applies this expreffion to the beasts bending or cowring down, Par. Loft, B. viii. 530. But I believe Spenfer ufes it in the former fente, as Skinner and Menage explain it. In the Gloffary, usually printed with Spenfer's Works, it is faid to be put for covered, as if corrupted from it. Spenfer plainly had in view the affecting fimile of our Lord, Matt. xxiii. 37. UPTON,

In the first edition of Gammer Gurton's Needle, we find "They coure fo over the coles;" which in all the fubfequent ones is very improperly altered to cover. To coure, is to bend, ftoop, hang or lean over. See Beaumont and Fletcher's Monfieur Thomas, A. iv. S. vi. and Nafh's Pierce Pennileffe's Supplication to the Devil, 1592, p. 8. (Old Pl. edit. 1780, vol. ii. p. 9.) REED.

X. 7. Who meeting earft &c.] See before, C. iv. ft. 41, and C. vi. ft. 47. UPTON,

XI.

Which to avenge on him they dearly vowd, Whereever that on ground they mote him find:

Falfe Archimage provokt their corage prowd, And ftryful Atin in their stubborne mind Coles of contention and whot vengeaunce tind,

Now bene they come whereas the Palmer fate,

Keeping that flombred corfe to him affind: Well knew they both his perfon, fith of late With him in bloody armes they rafhly did debate,

XII.

Whom when Pyrochles faw, inflam'd with rage That Sire he fowl befpake; "Thou dotard vile,

That with thy bruteneffe fhendst thy comely

age,

Abandon foone, I read, the caytive spoile

XI. 4. And fryful Atin in their stubborne mind

Coles of contention and whot vengeaunce tind.] This defcription of the furious Atin is evidently drawn from the pure fountain of wisdom, Prov. xv. 18. "A wrathfull man ftirreth up ftrife." Prov. xxvi. 21. "As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; fo is a contentious man to kindle ftrife." TODD.

XI. 5.

tind.] Kindled, excited.

See the note on tind, F. Q. iii. vii. 15. TODD.

XII. 3.

bruteneffe] Sottishness, ftupidity of a

Of that fame outcaft carcas, that erewhile
Made itfelfe famous through falfe trechery,
And crownd his coward creft with knightly
ftile;

Loe! where he now inglorious doth lye,
To proove he lived il, that did thus fowly dye."

XIII.

To whom the Palmer feareleffe answered;

O Certes, Sir Knight, ye bene too much to blame,

Thus for to blott the honor of the dead, And with fowle cowardize his carcas fhame Whose living handes immortalizd his name. Vile is the vengeaunce on the ashes cold ; And envy base to barke at fleeping fame: Was never wight that treafon of him told: ' Yourfelfe his proweffe prov'd, and found him fiers and bold."

XIV.

Then fayd Cymochles; "Palmer, thou doeft dote,

Ne canft of proweffe ne of knighthood deeme,

XII. 9. To proove &c.] This fentiment is truly Pagan. In this and the four following ftanzas, the characters of the fpeakers are admirably fupported. CHURCH.

XIII. 6. Vile is the vengeaunce on the afhes cold;

And envy bafe to barke at fleeping fame:] "At fleeping fame," i. e. at the fame of a perfon now dead; of one now fallen asleep, xxμive, mortui. The fentence is proverbial, and perhaps from Homer, Ody. x. 412.

Οὐχ ὁσίη κταμένοισιν ἐπ' ἀνδράσιν ευχετάασθαι.

See alfo Virg. Æn. xi. 104, Tallo C. xix. 117. UPTON.

Save as thou feeft or hearft: But well I wote, That of his puiffaunce tryall made extreeme : Yet gold all is not that doth golden feeme; Ne al good Knights that shake well speare and fhield:

The worth of all men by their end esteeme; And then dew praife or dew reproch them yield: Bad therefore I him deeme that thus lies dead on field."

XV.

"Good or bad," gan his brother fiers reply, "What do I recke, fith that he dide entire ? Or what doth his bad death now fatisfy The greedy hunger of revenging yre, Sith wrathfull hand wrought not her owne defire?

Yet, fince no way is lefte to wreake my spight, I will him reave of armes, the victors hire, And of that fhield, more worthy of good Knight;

For why fhould a dead dog be deckt in armour bright?"

XV. 2.

-fith that he dide entire ?] That is,

feeing that he died a natural death. This fenfe is fuitable to the mind of the fpeaker. CHURCH.

Entire, not mangled, or wounded; as we fay, in a whole skin. And integer is thus ufed by Statius, Sylv. L. II. i. 156.

"Manefque fubivit

“Integer, et nullo temeratus corpora damno.”

XV.7.

UPTON.

the victors hire,] See the

XVI.

"Fayr Sir," faid then the Palmer fuppliaunt, "For knighthoods love doe not fo fowle a deed,

Ne blame

your honor with fo fhamefull vaunt Of vile revenge: To fpoile the dead of weed Is facrilege, and doth all finnes exceed : But leave these relicks of his living might To decke his herce, and trap his tomb-blacke fteed."

"What herce or fteed," faid he," should he have dight,

But be entombed in the raven or the kight?"

XVI. 3. Ne blame your honor] Caft not blame or reproach on your honour. Fr. blamer. Ital. biafimare, à Lat. blafphemare, βλασφημέιν. UPTON.

XVI. 4. of weed] Of raiment. We generally find the word used in the plural number. Thus, in Milton's Comus, the Spirit takes "the weeds and likeness of a fwain, &c." Again, in Allegro, we have "weeds of peace." See alfo Par. Reg. B. i. 314. So we now fay, a widow's weeds." TODD.

66

XVI. 7. To decke his herce, and trap his tombe-blacke fteede.] The horses of the dead Knights were decked out with black trappings, and with their armour; and thus walked in folemn proceffion to the tomb, where their arms and knightly honours were hung up: hence he fays, "tomb-black." Herfe is used for the tomb. The Sarazin replies, "What herce or steed should he have prepared for him, but be entombed in the raven or the kight?" Entombed, confidering the retorted repetition, is very elegant : "Talk not to me of tombs; he fhall have no other tomb but the ravenous birds of the air." UPTON.

XVI. 9. But be entombed in the raven &c.] Gorgias Leontinus called vulturs living fepulchres, γύπες ἔμψυχοι τάφοι for which he incurred the cenfure of Longinus; whether justly or no I shall not fay. JORTIN.