English Poet Laureate Thomas Warton died on May 21st,
1790. The following comment on Thomas
Warton, made by Sir Walter Scott, is found on the Spenserians.cath.vt.edu
website:
‘Although every thing belonging to the reign of the
Virgin Queen carries with it a secret charm to Englishmen, no commentator of
the Faery Queen has taken the trouble to go very deep into those annals, for
the purpose of illustrating the secret, and, as it were, esoteric allusions of
Spenser's poem. Upton is the only one who has pointed out some of these
relations and allusions; but he has neither been sufficiently particular, nor
is the low vulgar familiarity of his style a fit accompaniment to the lofty
verse of Spenser. Church and Hughes both remain in the court of the Gentiles;
and the present worthy commentator adds little to their labours, save a few
crumbs of verbal criticism. We fear they have verified the saying of Hamlet,
that a knavish speech sleeps in a foolish ear. Those political inuendos which
Spenser wrapt up in mystery and allegory, may even remain like unexpounded
oracles, for all the light these learned gentlemen can throw upon them. They
have not even followed the clue thrown out by Upton. As for the late Laureate,
it is well known that he could never follow a clue of any kind. With a head
abounding in multifarious lore, and a mind unquestionably imbued with true
poetic fire, he wielded that most fatal of all implements to its possessor, a
pen so scaturient and unretentive, that we think he himself must have been
often astonished, not only at the extent of his lucubrations, but at their
total and absolute want of connexion with the subject he had assigned to
himself. Thus, instead of a history of poetry, he presented the world with
three huge volumes of mingled and indigested quotations and remarks, in which
the reader, like the ancient alchemists in their researches, is sure to meet
every thing but what he is seeking for. Had Mr. Warton, therefore, sat down to
explain the political allusions, of Spenser, he would probably have commenced
with an erudite history of Croesus, king of Lydia. So useless are parts and
erudition, when not directed soberly and steadily to the illustration of the point
in hand. It may be expected that we should produce some examples of the crimes
of omission imputable to Mr. Todd and his predecessors.’
