Page:Gesta Romanorum - Swan - Hooper.djvu/73

Rh 'And thou, O fairest princess under sky, In this fayre mirrour maist behold thy face, And thine own realms in lond of Faēry, And in this antique image thy great ancestry.'

"It was not, however, solely from an unmeaning and a wanton spirit of refinement that the fashion of resolving everything into allegory, so universally prevailed. The same apology may be offered for cabalistical interpreters, both of the classics and of the old romances. The former, not willing that those books should be quite exploded which contained the ancient mythology, laboured to reconcile the apparent absurdities of the pagan system to the Christian mysteries, by demonstrating a figurative resemblance. The latter, as true learning began to dawn, with a view of supporting for a while the expiring credit of giants and magicians, were compelled to palliate those monstrous incredibilities, by a bold attempt to unravel the mystic web which had been wove by fairy hands, and by shewing that truth was hid under the gorgeous veil of Gothic invention."