dirus Hydrops of Horace. But it is plain, that dry Dropsie is the species of the Dropsy so called, the dry Dropsy or Tympanites; which Spenser has inaccurately confounded with the other species of the Dropsy, and which may not improperly be said to flow through the flesh; not considering the inconsistency of making a dry thing flow. As to Mr. Upton's correction dire, I cannot perceive how dire could be easily mistaken by the compositors for dry. Mr. Upton might, with equal propriety, have objected to the following words, dry Drops. And with dry drops congealed in her eye. 2. 1. 49. By the way, it will be difficult also to determine what Spenser means by congealed, which occurs again in the same sense, and on the same occasion, But upon supposition that the tears were actually frozen in her eye, we should think dry a very odd epithet for ice, To return: By dry Dropsie, may not the poet also mean, a Dropsie, which is the cause of thirst? Him angry, says Mr. Upton, means the Paynim, who is said to be enraged above, Pardon the error of enraged wight. S. 41. But because the Paynim is angry, does it necessarily follow that the elfin knight should not be so too? He certainly has reason to be enraged and angry after that insult which provokes him to throw down his gauntlet, as a challenge. It is surely wrong to alter the text, when there is neither necessity to require, nor authority to support, the correction. B. i. c. v. s. v. On th' other side in all mens open view Sans foy his shield is hang'd with bloody hew, Mr. Upton thus reads the last line, Both those and th' lawrel garlands to the victor due. But surely Duessa, and Sans foy his shield, are the laurel garlands, that is, the rewards to be given to the conqueror. Laurel garlands are metaphorically used, and put in apposition with Duessa, and Sans foy hig shield. It may be urged, as another objection to Mr. Upton's alteration; that Spenser never cuts off the vowel in the before a con sonant; upon which account I would reject Hughes's reading of the following line. The Nemean forest 'till th' Amphitryonide. 7.7.36. That editor reads, Th' Nemæan Indeed there was no necessity of this elision, unless Spenser had written Nemæean; for Nemaan, with a dipthong, is plainly misprinted for Nemean. Nemeus occurs Nemea occurs in Statius. "Nemees fron dentis Alumnus*." This place was sometimes called Νεμέας, and sometimes Νεμεαίος, but never Neuios. But if Spenser had really by mistake written Nemaan, he would not have scrupled to have made the second syllable, though a dipthong, short; for he frequently violates the accents of proper names, Which she in Stygian lake, aye burning bright, Mr. Upton, upon supposition that we refer aye burning to Fier-brond, does not ap Sylv. Lib. i. iii. v. 6. |