Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 8.djvu/131

 10 s. vni. AUG. 10, 1907.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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the huge war indemnity, and Germany was establishing a gold coinage, the Bank rate reached 9 per cent. On Saturday, Novem- ber 15th, 1890, Baring Brothers failed. They were up till that time " regarded virtually as one of the great powers." The crisis was of short duration : the liabilities of the firm (21,000,0007.) were guaranteed ; and although Consols fell to 93, there was no panic. The City has since experienced many troublous times, but has never so far had to face a like contingency.

In 1888 Mr. Goschen converted the 3 per Cents to a new stock to bear 2f interest till 1903, and thereafter 2 per cent. This change caused a drop in "price from 10l to 97! ; but in 1897 Consols actually exceeded 112, and remained above 100 until 1900, when they dropped to 99|. Since then there has been an almost continuous decline, and on Monday, the 29th of July last, they actually fell to 82, and there was a rumour that a large line changed hands at 82 J. This price is the lowest since 1831, when they were 79J. Even in the year of revolutions, 1848, Consols did not fall below 85. JOHN C. FBANCIS.

(To be continued.)

SPENSER'S 'FAERIE QUEENE.' MACATJLAY, admirable as a writer, did not show himself to be a good critic when he wrote the following : " Bunyan is indeed as decidedly the first of allegorists, as Demosthenes is the first of orators, or Shakspeare the first of dramatists." Spenser is not only superior to Bunyan as an alle- gorist, but he is also partly his original. It has been noticed that there is a resem- blance between the Red Cross Knight and Christian. The personification in ' The Faerie Queene ' of Pride and the Passions, of Faith, Hope, Charity, Mercy ; the jour- ney to the house of Holiness ; the view of the sacred city ; the temptation by Despair all have their likenesses in ' The Pilgrim's Progress.' Dr. Johnson said that there was reason to think that Bunyan had read Spenser ; and it seems evident that he had read him. The first and the second books of ' The Faerie Queene ' are much the best. Perhaps the second book is better than the first. The author in the third book, probably perceiving that he grows weaker, becomes decidedly lascivious. The story of the squire of dames and that of Hellenore amongst the satyrs are very lewd. The fifth book is the dullest

Spenser is often puerile 'or childish more- so than any other great poet. No doubt le made his poem too long ; yet he intended to make it twice as long. Nobody ever wrote a long poem which was equally good many another poet after him. The second lalf of the ' ^Eneid ' is inferior to the first. The first two books and the fourth book of
 * hroughout. Homer sometimes sleeps, and

Paradise Lost ' are superior to the others. Spenser's classical learning was extensive, 3ut he makes many mistakes ; and in the ollowing notes I shall point out some of them. I do not mention, however, all that [ have observed. In the twenty-fifth stanza of the fifth

anto of the first book of ' The Faerie Queene/ Spenser makes Jove rule at the same time as the God of the Christians. There is confusion in this. Milton does better. In his great sacred epics he makes Jove a. devil, ruling only as a god before Christianity. It must be admitted, however, that in ' Comus ' Jove is made to rule quite in modern times of Christianity.

To heare the warlike feates which Homere spake Of bold Penthesilee.

Book III. canto iv. stanza 2.

Homer never mentions Penthesilea either in the ' Iliad ' or in the ' Odyssey.'

And thou, faire Phoebus ! in thy colours bright Wast there enwoven, and the sad distresse In which that boy thee plonged, for despight That thou bewrayd'st his mother's wantonnesse When she with Mars was meynt in joyfulnesse : Forthy he thrild thee with a leaden dart To love fair Daphne, which thee loved lesse.

Book III. canto ii. stanza 36.

Spenser should have known that the sun- god, who betrayed Mars and Venus, was the son of Hyperion, and was not Apollo, the son of Latona, and the lover of Daphne. Moreover, the leaden arrow was for Daphne, not for him. Of the two arrows of Cupid, mentioned in Ovid's ' Metamorphoses,' that of gold caused love, that of lead caused insensibility to love.

But certes was with milke of wolves and tygres fed.

Book IV. canto vii. stanza 7. Dry den, in translating the eighth eclogue of Virgil, has :

I know thee, Love ! in deserts thou wert bred : And at the dugs of savage tigers fed. But Virgil in the eclogue says nothing about the tigers. Pope, in his pastorals, has the couplet :

I know thee, Love ! on foreign mountains bred, Wolves gave thee suck, and savage tigers ted. He imitates Dryden, and seems to remember