on the floore, unfitte through his rusticity for a better place. Soone 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 adventure: whereat the Queene much wondering, and the Lady much gainesaying, yet he earnestly importuned his desire. In the end the Lady told him, that unlesse that armour which she brought would serve him (that is, the armour of a Christian man specified by Saint Paul, vi. Ephes.), that he could not succeed in that enterprise: which being forthwith put upon him with dewe furnitures 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 adventure: where beginneth the First Booke, vz.

A gentle knight was pricking on the playne, &c.

The second day ther came in a palmer bearing an infant with bloody hands, whose parents he complained to have bene slayn by an enchaunteresse called Acrasia: and therfore craved of the Faery Queene, to appoint him some knight to performe that adventure; which being assigned to Sir Guyon,

he presently went forth with that same palmer: which is the beginning of the Second Booke, and the whole subiect thereof. The third day there came in a groome, who complained before the Faery Queene, that a vile enchaunter, called Busirane, had in hand a most faire lady, called Amoretta, whom he kept in most grievous torment, because she would not yield him the pleasure of her body. Whereupon Sir Scudamour, the lover of that lady, presently tooke on him that adventure. But being unable to performe it by reason of the hard enchauntments, after long sorrow, in the end met with Britomartis, who succoured him, and reskewed his Love.

But, by occasion hereof, many other adventures are intermedled; but rather as accidents then intendments: as the Love of Britomart, the Overthrow of Marinell, the Misery of Florimell, the Vertuousnes of Belphobe, the Lasciviousnes of Hellenora; and many the like.

Thus much, Sir, I have briefly overronne 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 craving the continuaunce of your honourable favour towards me, and th' eternall establishment of your happines, I humbly take leave.

23. January, 1589.

Yours most humbly affectionate,

Ed. Spenser.

VERSES

ADDRESSED TO THE AUTHOR.'

A Vision upon this Conceipt of the Faery Queene.

ME thought I saw the grave where Laura lay,
Within that Temple where the vestall flame
Was wont to burne; and passing by that way
To see that buried dust of living fame,
Whose tumbe faire Love, and fairer Vertue kept,
All suddeinly I saw the Faery Queene:

At whose approch the soule of Petrarke wept,
And from thenceforth those Graces were not seene;
For they this Queene attended; in whose steed
Oblivion laid him downe on Lauras herse:
Hereat the hardest stones were seene to bleed,
And grones of buried ghostes the hevens did perse:
Where Homers spright did tremble all for griefe.
And curst th' accesse of that celestiall theife.

1 The first two of these complimentary poems are by Sir Walter Raleigh, and the third by Gabriel Harvey. The authors of the others are unknown. C.

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 herselfe can best discerne to whom they writ

en bin.

If thou hast Beauty praysd, let Her sole lookes divine Iudge if ought therein be amis, and mend it by Her

eine.

If Chastitie want ought, or Temperaunce her dew, Behold Her Princely mind aright, and write thy Queene anew.

Meane while She shall perceive, how far Her vertues

sore

Above the reach of all that live, or such as wrote of

yore:

And thereby will excuse and favour thy good will; Whose vertue can not be exprest but by an Angels

quill.

Of me no lines are lov'd, nor letters are of price,
Of all which speak our English tongue, but those of thy

device.

W. R.

To the learned Shepeheard.

COLLYN,1 I see, by thy new taken taske,

Some sacred fury hath enricht thy braynes, That leades thy Muse in haughty verse to maske,

And loath the layes that longs to lowly swaynes; That lifts thy notes from Shepheardes unto Kinges: So like the lively larke that mounting singes.

Thy lovely 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 trusty mates, that loved thee so well; Whom thou gav'st mirth, as they gave thee the bell.2

Yet, as thou earst with thy sweete roundelayes
Didst stirre to glee our laddes in homely bowers,
So moughtst thou now in these refyned layes
Delight the daintie eares of higher powers:
And so mought they, in their deepe skanning skill,
Alow and grace our Collyns flowing quyll.

And faire befall that Faery Queene of thine!

In whose faire eyes Love linckt with Vertue sittes; Enfusing, by those bewties fyers devyne,

Such high conceites into thy humble wittes,

1 In these verses allusion is made to the Shepheards Calender, Spenser's first published work, in which he speaks of himself as Colin Clout.

H.