and intensity of this description arrest the attention perhaps even more than the marvellous power of invention which it displays. The cause of this, in my opinion, is that it is a piece of self-expression, and it is interesting to observe that at the head of the procession of figures, all representing unhappiness and disaster in one form or another, the poet places "Fansy" :

The first was Fansy, like a lovely Boy
Of rare aspect, and beautie without peare,

His garment nether was of silke nor say,
But paynted plumes in goodly order dight,
Like as the sunburnt Indians do aray

Their tawney bodies in their proudest plight :

As those same plumes so seemd he vaine and light,
That by his gate might easily appeare ;

For still he far'd as dauncing in delight,

And in his hand a windy fan did beare,

That in the ydle ayre he mov'd still here and theare.
(III. xii. 7, 8.)

The figure accompanies "Desyre," and is not included in the pageant as a mere poetical flourish, but, in my opinion, deliberately, in accordance with Bacon's ideas as to the nature of the soul, as will be hereafter explained.

The "grave personage," who appears before the entry of the Masque, is evidently the poet's idea of himself, outside and in control of the shapes which stream from his imaginative faculty. The action is taken from what was known as the "dumb show." The name "Ease" seen on his robe is, I think, the poet's way of hinting that the labourer is worthy of his hire, and that the work of this nature which he had in view could not be properly done except under conditions of leisure and independence. The anonymous Arte of English Poesie, addressed to the Queen, to which allusion has been made, contains hints of this kind, and they occur elsewhere. The stanzas (3 and 4) are as follow: All suddeinly a stormy whirlwind blew Throughout the house, that clapped every dore,

With which that yron wicket open flew,
As it with mighty levers had bene tore;
And forth yssewd, as on the readie flore
Of some Theatre, a grave personage
That in his hand a braunch of laurell bore,
With comely haveour and count'nance sage,
Yclad in costly garments fit for tragicke Stage.

Proceeding to the midst he stil did stand,
As if in minde he somewhat had to say;
And to the vulgare beckning with his hand,
In signe of silence, as to heare a play,
By lively actions he gan bewray
Some argument of matter passioned:
Which doen, he backe retyred soft away,
And, passing by, his name discovered,

Ease, on his robe in golden letters cyphered.

Among the various strange figures of the Masque there is one which is altogether human :

With him went Hope in rancke, a handsome Mayd,
Of chearefull looke and lovely to behold:

In silken samite she was light arayd,

And her fayre lockes were woven up in gold:
She alway smyld, and in her hand did hold
An holy-water-sprinckle, dipt in deowe,
With which she sprinckled favours manifold
On whom she list, and did great liking sheowe,
Great liking unto many, but true love to feowe.

It is not difficult to see that in this beautiful picture a portrait of Queen Elizabeth, as a young woman, is intended.

CHAPTER IV

SPENSER, SHAKESPEARE AND BACON

IN this chapter I shall say something on the attitude of Spenser, Shakespeare and Bacon towards the "crowd," and on their use of the word "spirits," which will involve an account of Bacon's ideas as to the nature of the soul.

Of

In the accepted theory of their identity both Spenser and Shakespeare were sprung from the people. Yet they both write of them in a tone which probably surpasses in contempt that of any other well-known writer. the two perhaps Spenser is the more uncompromising, and his expressions in this respect show a habit of mind, not the adoption of a theory. There is no lack of humanity in the abstract, or in matters indifferent, but where the social and political order are concerned the multitude are relegated by their nature to subordination, and there is practically no recognition of the possibility of their improvement as an element in the State. No doubt this was generally in accordance with the thought of the age, but even when due allowance for this has been made, the fact remains that the tone in this respect is harsher and morally lower than is usual in English writers, or than can be accounted for by imitation of Homer or Italian models. The expression "raskall many," which Spenser uses in describing the multitude, is a near approach to the French word canaille, for which there is no English equivalent. It is given as an instance by the writer of the Arte of English Poesie (1589) of a word used when a "naturall and proper terme" is lacking, which, in that case, "is not then spoken by

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Metaphore... but by plain abuse, as he that bad his man go into his library and fet him his bowe and arrowes, for in deede there was neuer a booke there to be found, or as one should in reproch say to a poore man, thou raskall knaue, where raskall is properly the hunters terme giuen to young deere, leane and out of season, and not to people." The following are examples of Spenser's use of the term and of the attitude above referred to:

But, when as overblowen was that brunt,
Those knights began afresh them to assayle,
And all about the fields like Squirrels hunt ;
But chiefly Talus with his yron flayle,
Gainst which no flight nor rescue mote avayle,
Made cruell havocke of the baser crew,
And chaced them both over hill and dale,
The raskall manie soone they overthrew ;

But the two knights themselves their captains did subdew.
F. Q. V. xi. 59.

Similarly, when the knight slays the dragon (I. xii. 9):

And after all the raskall many ran,
Heaped together in rude rabblement,
To see the face of that victorious man.

And again in the description of the house of Busyrane (III. xi. 46):

Kings, Queenes, Lords, Ladies, knights, and Damsels gent,
Were heap'd together with the vulgar sort,

And mingled with the raskall rablement,
Without respect of person or of port,

To shew Dan Cupids powre and great effort :
And round about a border was entrayld
Of broken bowes and arrowes shivered short;
And a long bloody river through them rayld,
So lively and so like that living sence it fayld.

After reading these passages it is amusing to find Gabriel Harvey expressing himself (in reference to Nashe's complaints) in similar terms about "sizars":

in these and such other most-base and shamefull complaints, scarcely beseeming the rascallest siser in an Vniversity, or the beggarliest mendicant frier in a country.-Foure Letters, 1592.

The fact is there is no important work in the English language written so exclusively and with such uncompromising ardour from the aristocratic standpoint as the Faerie Queene.

Similar language is used in this connection throughout Bacon's works. For example:

the natural depravity and malignant dispositions of the vulgar, which to kings is an envenomed serpent. Wisdom of the Ancients, "Typhon, or a Rebel."

the same vile and restless nature of the people.-Ibid. "Sister of the Giants, or Fame."

the vulgar, to whom no moderate measures can be acceptable.— Ibid. "Diomed, or Zeal."

the invidious and malignant nature of the vulgar. — Ibid. "Nemesis."

but for rascal people, they were cut off every man.-History of Henry the Seventh, p. 456 (Chandos edition).

for high conceits do sometimes come streaming into the imaginations of base persons, especially when they are drunk with news and talk of the people. Of the Lambert Simnel imposture, ibid. p. 397.

As for the severity used upon those which were taken in Kent, it was but upon a scum of people.—Ibid. p. 503.

On this the editor observes in a note: "Bacon's contempt for the people belonged to his age, but is certainly repulsive even with this excuse." Numerous passages, however, could be cited from Bacon's acknowledged writings to show that he was solicitous, in advance of his age, for the welfare of the people. The passages

above quoted all have reference to the business of government. Where the questions of government or power were not at stake Bacon was humane and gentle in disposition. Undoubtedly it is the portrait of himself, as idealised in his own mind, which he gives us in the New Atlantis in the person of "one of the fathers of Solomon's House":

The day being come he made his entry. He was a man of middle stature and age, comely of person, and had an aspect as if he pitied men.