lack than jet.

Both roof and floor, and walls were all of gold,
But overgrown with dust and old decay, [4]
And hid in darkness that none could behold
The hue thereof: for view of cheerful day
Did never in that house itself display,
But a faint shadow of uncertain light;
Such as a lamp whose life doth fade away;
Or as the moon clothed with cloudy night
Does shew to him that walks in fear and sad affright.

* * * * * * *

And over all sad Horror with grim hue
Did always soar, beating his iron wings;
And after him owls and night-ravens flew,
The hateful messengers of heavy things,
Of death and dolour telling sad tidings;
Whiles sad Celleno, sitting on a clift,
A song of bitter bale and sorrow sings,
That heart of flint asunder could have rift;
Which having ended, after him she flieth swift."

___
[4] "That all with one consent praise new-born gauds,
Tho' they are made and moulded of things past,
And give to Dust, that is a little gilt,
More laud than gold o'er-dusted."
_Troilus and Cressida_.
___

The Cave of Despair is described with equal gloominess and power of
fancy; and the fine moral declamation of the owner of it, on the evils
of life, almost makes one in love with death. In the story of Malbecco,
who is haunted by jealousy, and in vain strives to run away from his own
thoughts--

"High over hill and over dale he flies"--

the truth of human passion and the preternatural ending are equally
striking.--It is not fair to compare Spenser with Shakspeare, in point
of interest. A fairer comparison would be with Comus; and the result
would not be unfavourable to Spenser. There is only one work of the same
allegorical kind, which has more interest than Spenser (with scarcely
less imagination): and that is the Pilgrim's Progress. The three first
books of the Faery Queen are very superior to the three last. One would
think that Pope, who used to ask if any one had ever read the Faery
Queen through, had only dipped into these last. The only things in them
equal to the former, are the account of Talus, the Iron Man, and the
delightful episode of Pastorella.

The language of Spenser is full, and copious, to overflowing; it is
less pure and idiomatic than Chaucer's, and is enriched and adorned with
phrases borrow