Now Mars that valiant man is changed most: For, he some times so far runs out of square, That he his way doth seem quite to haue lost, And cleane without his vsuall sphere to fare; That euen these Star-gazers stonisht are At sight thereof, and damne theirlyingbookes: So likewise, grim Sir Saturne oft doth spare Hissterne aspect, and calme his crabbed lookes: So many turning cranks these haue, so many crookes. ensew, Meane while, all creatures, looking in her face, 1 1 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 have clowdily enwrapped in Allegoricall deuises. But such, me seeme, should be satisfide with the use of these dayes, seeing all things accounted by their showes, and nothing esteemed of, that is not delightfull and pleasing to commune sence. For this cause is Xenophon preferred before Plato, for that the one in the exquisite depth of his iudgement, formed a Commune welth such as it should be, but the other in the person of Cyrus and the Persians fashioned a gouernement such as might best be: So much more profitable and gratious is doctrine by ensample, then by rule. So have I laboured to doe in the person of Arthure: whome I conceive after his long education by Timon, to whom he was by Merlin deliuered to be brought up, so soone as he was borne of the Lady Igrayne, to have seene in a dream or vision the Faery Queen, with whose excellent beauty rauished, he awaking resolued to seeke her out, and so being by Merlin armed, and by Timon throughly instructed, he went to seeke her forth in Faerye land. In that Faery Queene I meane glory in my generall intention, but in my particular I conceive the most excellent and glorious person of our soueraine the Queene, and her kingdome in Faery land. And yet in some places els, Idoe otherwise shadow her. For considering she beareth two persons, the one of a most royall Queene or Empresse, the other of a most vertuous and beautifuil Lady, this latter part in some places I doe expresse in Belphœbe, fashioning her name according to your owne excellent conceipt of Cynthia, (Phæbe and Cynthia being both names of Diana.) So in the person of Prince Arthure I sette forth magnificence in particular, which vertue for that (according to Aristotle and the rest) it is the perfection of all the rest, and conteineth in it them all, therefore in the whole course I mention the deedes of Arthure applyable to that vertue, which I write of in that booke. But of the xii. other vertues, I make xii. other knights the patrones, for the more variety of the history: Of which these three bookes contayn three, The first of the knight of the Redcrosse, in whome I expresse Holynes: The seconde of Sir Guyon, in 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 Historiographer discourseth of affayres orderly as they were donne, accounting as well the times as the actions, but a Poet thrusteth into the middest, euen where it most concerneth him, and there recoursing to the thinges forepaste, and diuining of thinges to come, maketh a pleasing Analysis of all. The beginning therefore of my history, if it were to be told by an Historiographer, should be the twelfth booke, which is the last, where I deuise that the Faery Queene kept her Annuall feaste xii. dayes, uppon which xii. seuerall dayes, the occasions of the xii. seuerall aduentures hapned, which being undertaken by xii. seuerall knights, are in these xii books seuerally handled and discoursed. The first was this. In the beginning of the feast, there presented him selfe a tall clownishe younge man, who falling before the Queen of Faries desired a boone (as the manner then was) which during that feast she might not refuse: which was that hee might have the atchieuement of any aduenture, which during that feaste should happen, that being graunted, he rested him 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 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 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 aduenture: 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 haue bene slayn by an Enchaunteresse called Acrasia: and therfore craued of the Faery Queene, to appoint him some knight, to performe thataduenture, 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 grieuous torment, because she would not yield him the pleasure of her body. Whereupon Sir Scudamour the louer of that Lady presently tooke on him that aduenture. But being unable to per forme it by reason of the hard Enchauntments, after long sorrow, in the end met with Britomartis, who succoured him, and reskewed his loue. But by occasion hereof, many other aduentures are intermedled, but rather as Accidents, then intendments. As the love of Britomart, the ouerthrow of Marinell, the misery of Florimell, the vertuousnes of Belphœbe, the lasciviousnes 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 favour towards me, and th'eternall establishment of your happines, Í humbly take leaue. 23. Ianuary. 1589. Yours most humbly affectionate. Ed. Spenser. M A Vision vpon this conceipt of the Faery Queene. E thought I saw the graue, where Laura lay, | And from thenceforth those graces were not seene. Within that Temple, where the vestall flame Was wont to burne, and passing by that way, At whose approch the soule of Petrarke wept, brings, For they this Queene attended, in whose steed Another of the same. The prayse of meaner wits this worke like profit | 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 praysd, 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, Queene anew. Behold her Princely mind aright, and write thy vertues sore Aboue the reach of all that liue, or such as wrote And thereby will excuse and fauour thy good will: Angels quill. Of me no lines are low'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, So like the liuely Larke that mounting sings. bell. in scorne, Alow and grace our Collyns flowing quill. such high conceites into thy humble wits, So mought thy Redcrosse knight with happy hand mightie foes, Yet still with people, peace, and plentie flowes. W. R. |