A Letter of the Authors expounding his whole intention in the course of this worke: which annexed. To the Right noble, and Valorous, Sir Walter Raleigh knight, Lo. Wardein of the Stanneryes, and her Maiesties liefetenaunt of the County of Cornewayll. SIr knowing how doubtfully all Allegories may cepts, or sermoned at large, as they use, then thus be construed, and this booke of mine, which I haue clowdily enwrapped in Allegoricall deuises. But entituled the Faery Queene, being a continued such, me seeme, should be satisfide with the vse of Allegory, or darke conceit, I have thought good" these dayes, seeing all things accounted by their aswell for auoyding of gealous opinions and mis- showes, and nothing esteemed of, that is not deconstructions, as also for your better light in lightfull and pleasing to commune sence. For reading therof, (being so by you commanded,) to this cause is Xenophon preferred before Plato, discouer vnto you the general intention and for that the one in the exquisite depth of his meaning, which in the whole course thereof Iiudgement, formed a Commune welth such as it haue fashioned, without expressing of any par- should be, but the other in the person of Cyrus picular purposes or by-accidents therein occa- and the Persians fashioned a gouernement such sioned. The generall end therefore of all the as might best be: So much more profitable and booke is to fashion a gentleman or noble person gratious is doctrine by ensample, then by rule. invertuous and gentle discipline: Which for So haue I laboured to doe in the person of that I conceived shoulde be most plausible and Arthure: whome I conceive after his long educa pleasing, being coloured with an historicall tion by Timon, to whom he was by Merlin defiction, the which the most part of men delight to liuered to be brought up, so soone as he was borne read, rather for variety of matter, then for of the Lady Igrayne, to haue seene in a dream or profite of the ensample: I chose the historye of vision the Faery Queen, with whose excellent king Arthure, as most fitte for the excellency of beauty rauished, he awaking resolued to seeke her his person, being made famous by many mens out, and so being by Merlin armed, and by Timon former workes, and also furthest from the throughly instructed, he went to secke her forth daunger of enuy, and suspition of present time. in Faerye land. In that Faery Queene I meane In which I have followed all the antique Poets glory in my generall intention, but in my parti historicall, first Homere, who in the Persons of cular I conceive the most excellent and glorious Agamemnon and Vlysses hath ensampled a good person of our soueraine the Queene, and her gouernour and a vertuous man, the one in his kingdome in Faery land. And yet in some places Ilias, the other in his Odysseis: then Virgil, els, Idoc otherwise shadow her. For considering whose like intention was to doe in the person of she beareth two persons, the one of a most royall Aeneas: after him Ariosto comprised them both Queene or Empresse, the other of a most vertuous in his Orlando: and lately Tasso disseuered them and beautifull Lady, this latter part in some againe, and formed both parts in two persons, places I doe expresse in Belphabe, fashioning her namely that part which they in Philosophy call name according to your owne excellent conceipt of Ethice, or vertues of a priuate man, coloured in Cynthia, (Phabe and Cynthia being both names his Rinaldo: The other named Politice in his of Diana.) So in the person of Prince Arthure Godfredo. By ensample of which excellente Poets, sette forth magnificence in particular, which I labour to pourtraici in Arthure, before he was vertue for that (according to Aristotle and the king, the image of a braue knight, perfected in the rest) it is the perfection of all the rest, and contwelue priuate morall vertues, as Aristotle hath de- teineth in it them all, therefore in the whole course uised, the which is the purpose of these first twelue I mention the deedes of Arthure applyable to that bookes: which if I finde to be well accepted, I may vertue, which I write of in that booke. But of be perhaps encoraged, to frame the other part of the xii. other vertues, I make xii. other knights polliticke vertues in his person, after that hee the patrones, for the more variety of the history: came to be king. To some I know this Methode Of which these three bookes contayn three, The will seeme displeasaunt, which had rather haue first of the knight of the Redcrosse, in whome I good discipline deliuered plainly in way of pre-expresse Holynes: The seconde of Sir Guyon, in he could not succeed in that enterprise, which being forthwith put upon him with dewe furni tures thereunto, he seemed the goodliest man in al that company, and was well liked of the Lady. And eftesoones taking on him knighthood, and mounting on that straunge Courser, he went forth with her on that aduenture: where begin whome I sette forth Temperaunce: The third of Britomartis a Lady knight, in whome I picture Chastity. But because the beginning of the whole worke seemeth abrupte and as depending upon other antecedents, it needs that ye know the occasion of these three knights seuerall aduentures. For the Methode of a Poet historical is not such, as of an Historiographer. For an Historio-neth the first booke, vz. grapher discourseth of affayres orderly as they A gentle knight was pricking on the playne. &c. were donne, accounting as well the times as the actions, but a Poet thrusteth into the The second day ther came in a Palmer bearing middest, euen where it most concerneth him, an Infant with bloody hands, whose Parents he and there recoursing to the thinges forepaste, complained to haue bene slayn by an Enchaunand diuining of thinges to come, maketh a pleas-teresse called Acrasia: and therfore craued of ing Analysis of all. The beginning therefore of the Faery Queene, to appoint him some knight, my history, if it were to be told by an Historio- to performe thataduenture, which being assigned grapher, should be the twelfth booke, which is the to Sir Guyon, he presently went forth with that last, where I deuise that the Faery Queene kept same Palmer: which is the beginning of the her Annuall feaste xii. dayes, vppon which xii. second booke and the whole subiect thereof. The seuerall dayes, the occasions of the xii. seuerall third day there came in, a Groome who comaduentures hapned, which being undertaken by plained before the Faery Queene, that a vile Enxii. seuerall knights, are in these xii books seuerchaunter called Busirane had in hand a most ally handled and discoursed. The first was this. faire Lady called Amoretta, whom he kept in most In the beginning of the feast, there presented him grieuous torment, because she would not yield selfe a tall clownishe younge man, who falling him the pleasure of her body. Whereupon Sir before the Queen of Faries desired a boone (as the Scudamour the louer of that Lady presently tooke manner then was) which during that feast she on him that aduenture. But being unable to per might not refuse: which was that hee might haue forme it by reason of the hard Enchantments, the achievement of any aduenture, which during after long sorrow, in the end met with Britothat feaste should happen, that being graunted, martis, who succoured him, and reskewed his he rested him on the floore, vnfitte through his loue rusticity for a better place. Some after entred a faire Ladye in mourning weedes, riding on a white Asse, with a dwarfe behind her leading a warlike steed, that bore the Armes of a knight, and his speare in the dwarfes hand. Shee falling before the Queene of Faeries, complayned that her father and mother an ancient King and Queene, had bene by an huge dragon many years shut up in a brasen Castle, who thence suffred them not to yssew: and therefore besought the Faery Queene to assygne her some one of her knights to take on him that exployt. Presently that clownish person upstarting, desired that aduenture: whereat the Queene much wondering, and the Lady much gainesaying, yet he earnestly importuned his desire. In the end the Lady told him that vnlesse that armour which she brought, would serue him (that is the armour of a Christian man specified by Saint Paul v. Ephes.) that But by occasion hereof, many other aduentures are intermedled, but rather as Accidents, then intendments. As the loue of Britomart, the ouerthrow of Marinell, the misery of Florimell, the vertuousnes of Belphabe, the lasciuiousnes of Hellenora, and many the like. Thus much Sir, I haue briefly ouerronne to direct your understanding to the wel-head of the History, that from thence gathering the whole intention of the conceit, ye may as in a handfull gripe al the discourse, which otherwise may happily seeme tedious and confused. So humbly crauing the continuaunce of your honorable fauour towards me, and th'eternall establishment of your happines, I humbly take leaue. 23. Ianuary. 1589. Yours most humbly affectionate. Ed. Spenser. SA Vision vpon this conceipt of the Faery ME thought I saw the graue, where Laura lay, Queene. And from thenceforth those graces were not seene. For they this Queene attended, in whose steed Obliuion laid him downe on Lauras herse: Hereat the hardest stones were seene to bleed, And grones of buried ghostes the heauens did perse. Where Homers spright did tremble all for griefe, And curst th'accesse of that celestiall theife. Another of the same. THe prayse of meaner wits this worke like profit | brings, As doth the Cuckoes song delight when Philumena sings. If thou hast formed right true vertues face herein: Vertue her selfe can best discerne, to whom they written bin. If thou hast beautie prays, let her sole lookes diuine Iudge if ought therein be amis, and mend it by her eine: If Chastitie want ought, or Temperance her dew, Behold her Princely mind aright, and write thy Queene anew. Meane while she shall perceiue, how farre her vertues sore Aboue the reach of all that liue, or such as wrote of yore: And thereby will excuse and fauour thy good will: Whose vertue can not be exprest, but by an Angels quill. Of me no lines are lou'd, nor letters are of price, Of all which speake our English tongue, but those of thy deuice. To the learned Shepheard. Collyn I see by thy new taken taske, some sacred fury hath enricht thy braynes, That leades thy muse in haughtie verse to maske, and loath the layes that longs to lowly swaynes. That lifts thy notes from Shepheardes vnto kings, So like the liuely Larke that mounting sings. Thy louely Rosolinde seemes now forlorne, and all thy gentle flockes forgotten quight, Thy chaunged hart now holdes thy pypes in scorne, those prety pypes that did thy mates delight. Those trustie mates, that loued thee so well, Whom thou gau'st mirth: as they gaue thee the bell. Alow and grace our Collyns flowing quill. And fare befall that Faerie Queene of thine, in whose faire eyes loue linckt with vertue sits: Enfusing by those bewties fiers deuyne, such high conceites into thy humble wits, As raised hath poore pastors oaten reede, From rusticke tunes, to chaunt heroique deedes. So mought thy Redcrosse knight with happy hand victorious be in that faire Ïlands right: Which thou doest vaile in Type of Faery land Elyzas blessed field, that Albion hight. That shieldes her friends, and warres her mightie foes, Yet still with people, peace, and plentie flowes. W. R. Runst paying tribute to the Ocean seas, Whose hand strowes Palme and neuer-dying bayes, And deepe conceites now singes in Faeries deedes. Hen stout Achilles heard W And what revenge the Statof Helens raped looke upon a worke of rare deuise Thinking by sleight the fatall warres to scape, To seeme a shepeheard then he made his choice, The which a workman setteth out to view, Doth either proue the judgement to be naught For when men know the goodnes of the wyne, I here pronounce this workmanship is such, And when your tast shall tell you this is trew, TH [DEDICATORY SONNETS.] To the right honourable Sir Christopher Hatton, Hose prudent heads, that with theire counsels So Maro oft did Casars cares allay. So you great Lord, that with your counsell sway And to these ydle rymes lend litle space, Which for their titles sake may find more To the right honourable the Lo. Burleigh Lo. high To you right noble Lord, whose carefull brest Tomenage of most graue affaires is bent, rest The burdein of this kingdomes gouernement, The labor of lost time, and wit vnstayd: And the dim 'vele, with which from comune vew To the right Honourable the Earle of Oxenford, gree, vnripe fruit of an vnready wit: And eke thine owne long liuing memory, And also for the loue, which thou doest beare That loues and honours thee, as doth behoue. |