THE POETICAL WORKS OF EDMUND SPENSER EDITED WITH CRITICAL NOTES BY J. C. SMITH AND E. DE SELINCOURT WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY E. DE SELINCOURT AND A GLOSSARY DOM ILLU MEA HENRY FROWDE OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO MELBOURNE BOMBAY 1916 951003 PREFACE. THE Faerie Queene is here reproduced from the text edited by Mr. J. C. Smith and published by the Clarendon Press in 1909; the text of Spenser's Minor Poems, save for the correction of a few errors, follows my edition of 1910. To the poems has been added the Correspondence of Spenser and Harvey, printed from the original editions of 1580. The Glossary has been compiled by Mr. H. Alexander. I have prefixed to the volume a biographical and critical essay. My excuse is that of late years the poetry of Spenser has occupied far less attention than is warranted either by its own intrinsic beauty or by its importance as a vital influence upon the development of our literature. Since the publication in 1884 of Grosart's Life of Spenser little has been written in England either to advance our knowledge or to increase our appreciation of his life and work; and I gladly recognize the debt owed. by me, as by all students of Spenser, to the valuable researches of American scholars, in particular of Mr. R. A. Neil Dodge, Mr. E. A. Greenlaw, and Mr. P. Long. A full interpretation of his genius, worthy of its theme, is yet to be written. I wish to record my thanks to Mr. J. C. Smith for reading the proofs of my essay, and to acknowledge my debt to my friend Miss Darbishire of Somerville College for many suggestions made in the course of its composition. GRASMERE, Sept. 1912. E. DE SELINCOURT. CONTENTS. PAGE BOOK II. THe Legend of Sir Gvyon, or of TEMPERAVNCE BOOK III. THE LEGEND OF BRITOMARTIS, OR OF CHASTITIE APPENDIX. STANZAS OMITTED IN THE SECOND EDITION (1596) BOOK IV. THE LEGEND OF CAMBEL AND TELAMOND, OR OF FRIENDSHIP 213 BOOK V. THE LEGEND OF Artegall, or of IvstICE 276 BOOK VI. THE LEGEND OF S. CALIDORE, OR OF COVRTESIE 336 |