A LETTER OF THE AUTHOR'S

Expounding his whole intention in the course of this Worke; which, for that it giveth great light to the Reader, for the better understanding is hereunto annexed.

TO THE RIGHT NOBLE AND VALOROUS

SIR WALTER RALEIGH, KNT.

Lord Warden of the Stanneryes and her Maieftie's lieftenaunt of the Country of Cornewayll.

SIR, knowing how doubtfully all Allegories may
be conftrued, and this booke of mine, which I
haue entituled The Faery Queene, being a conti-
nued Allegory, or darke conceit, I haue thought
good, as well for auoyding of gealous opinions and
mifconftructions, as alfo for your better light in
reading thereof, (being fo by you commanded)
to difcouer unto you the general intention and
meaning, which in the whole courfe thereof I
have fashioned, without expreffing of any par-
ticular purposes, or bye-accidents, therein occa
oned. The general end, therefore, of all the
booke, is to famion a gentleman or noble perfon
vertuous and gentle difcipline; which, for that
1 conceived, fhould be moft plaufible and pleafing,
being coloured with an hiftorical fiction, the which,
the most part of men delight to read, rather for
variety of matter, then for profite of the enfam
ple, I chofe the hiftorye of King Arthure, as moft
fitte for the excellency of his perfon, being made
famous by many mens former workes, and alfo
furtheft from the daunger of enuy, and fufpition

in

of prefent time. In which I haue followed all the antique poets hiftoricall; firft Homere, who in the perfons of Agamemnon and Ulyffes hath enfampled a good gouernour and a vertuous man, the one in his Ilias, the other in his Odyffeis; then Virgil, whose like intention was to doe in the per fon of Æneas; after him Ariofto comprised them both in his Orlando; and lately Taffo diffeuered them again, and formed both parts in two perfons, namely, that part which they in philofophy call Ethice, or Vertues of a private man, coloured in his Rinaldo; the other named Politice, in his Godfredo. By enfample of which excellente poets, I labour to pourtraict in Arthure, before he was king, the image of a braue knight, perfected in the twelue priuate morall vertues, as Ariftotle hath deuifed; the which is the purpofe of thefe first twelue bookes: which if I finde to be well accepted, I may be perhaps encouraged to frame the other part of politicke vertues in his perfon, after that hee came to be king. To fome know this methode will feem difpleafaunt, whils

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had rather haue good difcipline deliuered plainly
in way of precepts, or fermoned at large, as they
ufe, then thus clowdily enwrapped in allegorical
deuifes. But fuch, me feeme, fhould be fatisfide
with the ufe of thefe days, feeing all things ac-
counted by their fhowes, and nothing esteemed
of, that is not delightful and pleafing to commune
fcence. For this caufe is Xenophon preferred be-
fore Plato, for that the one, in the exquifite depth
of his judgment, formed a commune-wealth, fuch
as it should be; but the other in the perfon of Cy-
rus, and the Perfians, fashioned a gouerment fuch
as might beft be; fo much more profitable and
gratious is doctrine by enfample then by rule. So
haue I laboured to doe in the perfon of Arthure:*
whom I conceiue, after his long education by Ti-
mon, to whom he was by Merlin deliuered to be
brought up, fo foone as he was borne of the Lady
Igrayne, to haue feene in a dream or vision
the Faery Queene, with whofe excellent beauty
rauifhed, he awaking refolued to feeke her out;
and fo being by Merlin armed, and by Timon
throughly inftructed, he went to feeke her torth
in Faery Land. In that Faery Queene I meane
glory in my generall intention, but in my parti-
cular I concciue the moft excellent and glorious
perfon of our foueraine the Queene, and her king-
dom in Faery Land. And yet in fome places els,
I do otherwife fhadow her. For confidering the
beareth two perfons, the one of a most royal |
Queene or Empreffe, the other of a moft vertuous
and beautifull lady, this latter part in fome places
I doe expreffe in Belphebe, fashioning her name
according to your owne excellent conceipt of Cyn-
thia Phabe and Cynthia being both names of
Diana. So in the perfon of Prince Arthure I fette
forth magnificence in particular, which vertue for
that (according to Ariftotle and the reft) it is the
perfection of all the reft, and conteineth in it
them all, therefore in the whole courfe I mention
the deeds of Arthure applyable to that vertue,
which I write of in that bocke. But of the xii
other vertues, I make xi other knights the pa-
trones, for the more variery of the history of
which thefe three bookes contayn three.

The first of the Knight of the Red-croffe, in whom I expreffe Holyneffe: the feconde of Sir Guyen, in whom I fette forth temperaunce: the third of Britoniartis, a lady-knight, in whom I picture chastity. But because the beginning of the whole work fecmeth abrupte, and as depend-, ing upon other antecedents, it needs that ye know the occafion of thefe three knights feuerall aduen

tures.

For the methode of a poet Liftorical is not fuch, as of an hiftoriagrapher. Foran hiftoriographer difcourfeth of affayrs orderly as they were donne, accounting as well the times as the actions; but a poct thrufteth into the middeft, cuen where it most concerneth him, and there recourfing to the thinges forepafte, and diuining of thinges to come; maketh a pleafing analytis of all.

The beginning, therefore, of my hiftory, if it were to be told by an hiftericgrapher, fhould be the twelfth bocke, which is the laft, where I

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deuise that the Faery Queene kept her annual feafte xii days; uppon which xii feuerall dayes, the occafions of the xii feuerall aduentures hapned, which being undertaken by xii feueral knights, are in thefe xii books feuerally handled and difcourfed. The first was this: In the beginning of the feast, there prefented himfelfe a tall clownifhe young man, who falling before the Queene of Faeries defired a boone (as the manner then was) which during that feaft fhe might not refuse; which was that he might haue the atchicument of any aduenture, which during that feafte should happen. That being graunted, he refted him on the floore, unfitte through his rufticity for a bet. ter place. Soone after entred a faire ladye in mourning wcedes, riding on a white affe, with a dwarfe behind her leading a warlike fteed, that bore the arms of a knight, and his fpeare in the dwarfe's 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 fhut up in a brafen castle, who thence fuffered them not to yffew: and therefore befought the Faery Queene to affygne her fome one of her knights to take upon him that exployt. Presently that clownish person upstarting, desired that aduenture: whereat the Queene much wondering, and the lady much gainefaying, yet he earnestly importuned his defire. In the end the lady told him, that unleffe that armour which she brought would ferue him, (that is the armour of a Christian man specified by St. Paule, v. Ephes.) that he could not fucceed in that enterprise : which being forthwith put upon him with dew furnitures thereunto, he seemed the goodlicft man in al that company, and was well liked of the lady. And eftefoones taking on him knighthood, and mounting on that strange courfer, he went forth with her on that adventure: where beginneth the first booke, viz.

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

The fecond day there came in a palmer bearing an infant with bloody hands, whofe parents he complained to haue bene flayne by an enchauntreffe called Acrafia: and therefore craued of the Faery Queene to appoint him fome knight to performe that aduenture, which being affigned to Sir Guyon, he prefently went forth with that fame palmer: which is the beginning of the fecond booke, and the whole fubicct thereof. The third day there came in a groome, who complained before the Faery Queene, that a vile enchanter called Bufirane had in hand a moft faire lady called Amoretta, whom he kept in moft gricuous torment, becaufe fhe would not yield him the pleafure of her body. Whereupon Sir Scudamour the lover of that lady prefently tooke on him that aduenture. But being unable to performe it by reafon of the hard enchauntments, after long forrow, in the end met with Britomartis, who fuccoured him; and refkewed his love.

But, by occafion hereof, many other aduentures are intermedled, but rather as accidents, then in

To the Moft High, Mightie, and Magnificent

EMPRESSE,

Renowmed for Pictie, Vertve, and all Gracious Government,

ELISABETH,

By the Grace of God,

QVEENE OF ENGLAND, FRAVNCE

AND IRELAND, AND OF VIRGINIA;

Defendovr of the Faith, &c.

HER MOST HVMBLE SERVANT,

EDMVND SPENSER,

Doth, in all Humilitie,

DEDICATE, PRESENT, AND CONSECRATE

THESE HIS L'ABOVRS,

To live with the Eternitie of her Fame.

VERSES

TO THE

AUTHOR OF THE FAERY QUEENE.