The stanza of Spenser, as used by that poet, was by no means the perfect musical stave that it is at present, so exquisitely attuned with the dominant quadruple rhyme for its key-note. Thomson appears to me to have brought it very nearly to perfection--his sole drawback being a too frequent indulgence in imperfect rhymes. In Byron’s fourth canto of _Childe Harold_ I conceive it to be brought to perfection. Spenser indulges constantly in imperfect rhymes, and though sometimes musical as well as often charmingly fanciful and suggestive, he was by no means such a master of language and rhythm as Shakspeare, whose influence, followed up by the examples of Milton, Dryden, and Pope, is felt in the excellence of the poetical diction of the poets of this century. Though Spenser in some degree discovered the stanza which bears his name, he did not complete the discovery, for his Alexandrine is commonly deficient in the cæsural pause, which is absolutely essential to the satisfaction of the ear and to the majestic close of the stanza, and now almost as much _de rigueur_ as it is in the French Alexandrine, which is the common heroic measure of our neighbours. The Alexandrine in every second stanza of Spenser is without it, and the effect is very bad, as may be seen from the following examples:-- “So shall wrath, jealousy, grief, love, die and decay.” “You shame-faced are but Shame-facedness itself is she.” “Save an old nymph, hight Panope, to keep it clean.” “Of turtle doves, she sitting in an ivory chaire.” “And so had left them languishing ’twixt hope and feare.” “Excludes from faire hope withouten further triall.” “All mindless of the golden fleece which made them strive.” “The other back retired, and contrary trode.” “With which it blessed concord hath together tied.” “Did waite about it, gaping griesly, all begor’d.” “Yet spake she seldome, but thought more the less she said.” “But of her love to lavish, little have she thank.” “And unto better fortune doth herself prepare.” “Fails of her souse, and passing by doth hurt no more.” “Forgetful of his safety hath his right way lost.” “But with entire affection, and appearance plaine.” “Great liking unto many, but true love to few.” “Into most deadly danger and distressed plight.” “Whilst loving thou mayst loved be with equal crime.” “They have him taken captive, tho’ it grieve him sore.” “So kept she them in order, and herself in hand.” “’Mongst which crept the little angels through the glittering gleames.” “And thereout sucking venom to her parts intire.” “Ease after war, death after life, does greatly please.”