TO THE RIGHT Honourable SIR CHRISTOPHER HATTON,
LORD HIGH CHAUNCELOR OF ENGLAND ETC.

THOSE prudent heads, that with their counsels wise
Whylom the pillours of th' earth did sustaine,
And taught ambitious Rome to tyrannise
And in the neck of all the world to rayne;
Oft from those grave affaires were wont abstaine,
With the sweet Lady Muses for to play:
So Ennius the elder Africane;

So Maro oft did Caesars cares allay.

So you, great Lord, that with your counsell sway
The burdein of this kingdom mightily,
With like delightes sometimes may eke delay *
The rugged brow of carefull Policy;
And to these ydle rymes lend litle space,
Which for their titles sake+ may find more grace.
E. S.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORD BURLEIGH, LORD
HIGH THREASURER OF ENGLAND.

To you, Right Noble Lord, whose carefull brest
To menage of most grave affaires is bent;
And on whose mightie shoulders most doth rest
The burdein of this kingdome's governement,
(As the wide compasse of the firmament

On Atlas mightie shoulders is upstayd,)
Unfitly I these ydle rimes present,
The labor of lost time, and wit unstayd:
Yet if their deeper sence be inly wayd,

And the dim vele, with which from commune vew
Their fairer parts are hid, aside be layd,
Perhaps not vaine they may appeare to Yon.
Such as they be, vouchsafe them to receave,
And wipe their faults out of your censure grave.

E. S.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARLE OF OXENFORD,
LORD HIGH CHAMBERLAYNE OF ENGLAND ETC.

RECEIVE, most Noble Lord, in gentle gree,‡
The unripe fruit of an unready wit;

Which, by thy countenaunce, doth crave to bee
Defended from foule Envies poisnous bit.
Which so to doe may thee right well befit,
Sith th' antique glory of thine auncestry
Under a shady vele is therein writ,
And eke thine owne long living memory,
Succeeding them in true Nobility:

And also for the love which thou doest beare To th' Heliconian ymps, and they to thee; They unto thee, and thou to thein, most deare: may eke delay] May smooth or soften. TODD. for their titles sake] Their title being the Faerie Queene, who represented Queen Elizabeth. T. WARTON,

*

Į - gree,] Favour. TODD.

Deare as thou art unto thyselfe, so love
That loves § and honours thee; as doth behove.
E. S.

TO THE RIGHT HONCURABLE THE EARLE OF NOKTRUM

BERLAND.

THE sacred Muses have made alwaies clame
To be the Nourses of Nobility,

And Registres of everlasting fame,
To all that arines professe and chevalry.
Then, by like right, the noble Progeny,
Which then, succeed in fame and worth, are tyde
T'embrace the service of sweet Poetry,
By whose endevours they are glorifide;
And eke from all, of whom it is envide,

To patronize the authour of their praise, [dide, Which gives them life, that els would soone have And crownes their ashes with immortall baies. To thee therefore, Right Noble Lord, I send This present of my paines, it to defend.

E. S.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARLE OF CUMBERLAND. REDOUBTED Lord, in whose corageous mind

The flowre of chevalry, now bloosming faire, Doth promise fruite worthy the noble kind Which of their praises have left you the haire; To you this humble present I prepare,

For love of vertue and of martial praise;
To which though nobly ye inclined are,
(As goodlie well ye shew'd in late assaies,)
Yet brave ensample of long passed daies,
In which trew honor ye may fashiond see,
To like desire of honor may ye raise,
And fill your mind with magnanimitee.
Receive it, Lord, therefore as it was ment,
For honor of your name and high descent.

E. S.

TO THE MOST HONOURABLE AND EXCELLENT LORD THE EARLS
OF ESSEX, GREAT MAISTER OF THE HORSE TO HER
HIGHNESSE, AND KNIGHT OF THE NOBLE ORDER OF
THE GARTER, &c.

MAGNIFICKE Lord, whose vertues excellent
Doe merit a most famous Poets witt
To be thy living praises instrument ;
Yet doe not sdeigne to let thy name be writt
In this base Poeme, for thee far unfitt:

Nought is thy worth disparaged thereby.
But when my Muse, whose fethers, nothing flitt
Doe yet but flagg and lowly learne to fly,

8 That loves, &c.] Here is an ellipsis of him before that. T. WARTON.

1

- flitt,] Flitt is the adjective fleet, thus written for the sake of the rhyme; as the verb fleet, in other, places.

T. WARTON,

With bolder wing shall dare alofte to sty
To the last praises of this Faery Queene;
Then shall it make most famous memory
Of thine heroicke parts, such as they beene :
Till then, vouchsafe thy noble countenaunce
To their first labours needed furtheraunce.

E. S.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARLE OF ORMOND AND OSSORY.

RECEIVE, most Noble Lord, a simple taste

Of the wilde fruit which salvage soyl hath bred; Which, being through long wars left almost

waste,

With brutish barbarisme is overspredd : And, in so faire a land as may be redd, Not one Parnassus, nor one Helicone, Left for sweete Muses to be harboured, But where thyselfe hast thy brave mansione: There indeede dwel faire Graces many one,

And gentle Nymphes, delights of learned wits ; And in thy person, without paragone, All goodly bountie and true honour sits. Such therefore, as that wasted soyl doth yield, Receive, dear Lord, in worth, the fruit of barren field. E. S

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORD CHARLES HOWARD,
LORD HIGH ADMIRAL OF ENGLAND, KNIGHT OF THE
NOBLE ORDER OF THE GARTER, AND ONE OF HER
MAJESTIE'S PRIVIE COUNSEL, &c.

AND ye, brave Lord, whose goodly personage
And noble deeds, each other garnishing,
Make you ensample, to the present age,
Of th' old heroes, whose famous offspring
The antique Poets wont so much to sing;
In this same Pageaunt have a worthy place,
Sith those huge castles of Castilian King,
That vainly threatned kingdomes to displace,
Like flying doves ye did before you chace;†
And that proud people, woxen insolent
Through many victories, didst first deface:
Thy praises everlasting monument
Is in this verse engraven semblably,
That it may live to all posterity.

E. S.

TO THE MOST RENOWMED AND VALIANT LORD, THE LORD
GREY OF WILTON, KNIGHT OF THE NOBLE ORDER OF
THE GARTER, &c.

MOST Noble Lord, the pillor of my life,
And Patrone of my Muses pupillage;
Through whose large bountie, poured on me rife,
In the first season of my feeble age,

I now doe live bound yours by vassalage;
(Sith nothing ever may redeeme, nor reave
Out of your endlesse debt, so sure a gage :)
Vouchsafe, in worth, this small guift to receave,
Which in your noble hands for pledge I leave
Of all the rest that I am tyde t' account:
Rude rymes, the which a rustick Muse did

weave

In savadge soyle, far from Parnasso Mount, And roughly wrought in an unlearned loome: The which vouchsafe, dear Lord, your favourable doome. E. S.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORD OF BUCKHURST, ONE
OF HER MAJESTIE'S PRIVIE COUNSELL

In vain I thinke, Right Honourable Lord,
By this rude rime to memorize thy Name,
Whose learned Muse hath writ her owne record
In golden verse, worthy immortal fame :
Thou much more fit (were leasure to the same)
Thy gracious Soverains praises to compile,
And her imperiall Majestie to frame
In loftie numbers and heroicke stile.
But, sith thou maist not so, give leave a while
To baser wit his power therein to spend,
Whose grosse defaults thy daintie pen may file,
And unadvised oversights amend.

But evermore vouchsafe, it to maintaine
Against vile Zoilus backbitings vaine.

E. S.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORD OF HUNSDON, HIGH
CHAMBERLAINE TO HER MAJESTY.

RENOWMED Lord, that, for your worthinesse
And noble deeds, have your deserved place
High in the favour of that Emperesse,
The worlds sole glory and her sexes grace;
Here eke of right have you a worthie place,
Both for your nearnes to that Faerie Queene,
And for your owne high merit in like cace:
Of which, apparaunt proofe was to be seene,
When that tumultuous rage and fearfull deene

* the last praises] The last praises of the Faerie Queene, signify nine more Books which Spenser had proposed to complete, according to his original plan. These Sonnets, it must be remembered, were sent with the three first Books, which in the last line of this Sonnet the poet styles these first labours." T. WARTON.

Like flying doves ye did before, you chace; The lefeat of the Spanish Armada is here hinted at. T. WARTON. -deenel Din, noise. T. WARTON

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM,
KNIGHT, PRINCIPALL SECRETARY TO HER MAJESTY
AND ONE OF HER HONOURABLE PRIVY COUNSELL.

THAT Mantuane Poets incompared|| spirit,
Whose girland now is set in highest place,
Had not Mecænas, for his worthy merit,
It first advaunst to great Augustus grace,
Might long perhaps have lien in silence bace,
Ne bene so much admir'd of later age.
This lowly Muse, that learns like steps to tracą
Flies for like aide unto your patronage,
(That are the great Mecænas of this age,
As well to all that civil artes professe,
As those that are inspir'd with martial rage,)
And craves protection of her feeblenesse :

TO THE RIGHT Noble Lord anD MOST VALJAUNT CAPTAINE, SIR JOHN NORRIS, KNIGHT, LORD PRESIDENT OF MOUNSTER.

WHO ever gave more honourable prize

To the sweet Muse then did the Martiall crew, That their brave deeds she might immortalize In her shril tromp, and sound their praises dew? Who then ought more to favour her then you, Most Noble Lord, the honor of this age, And Precedent of all that armes ensuc ? Whose warlike prowesse and manly courage, Tempred with reason and advizement sage,

Hath fild sad Belgicke with victorious spoile ; In Fraunce and Ireland left a famous gage; And lately shakt the Lusitanian soile. Sith then each where thou hast dispredd thy fame, Love him that hath eternized your Name.

E. S.

TO THE RIGHT NOBLE AND VALOROUS KNIGHT, SIR WALTER
RALEIGH, LORD WARDEIN OF THE STANNERVES, AND
LIEFTENAUNT OF CORNEWAILE.

To thee, that art the Sommers Nightingale,
Thy soveraine Goddesses most deare delight,
Why doe I send this rusticke Madrigale,
That may thy tunefull eare unseason quite ?
Thou onely fit this Argument to write,

In whose high thoughts Pleasure hath built her bowre,

And dainty Love learnd sweetly to endite. My rimes I know unsavory and sowre, To tast the streames that, like a golden showre, Flow from thy fruitfull head of thy Love's praise; Fitter perhaps to thonder martiall stowre, Whenso thee list thy lofty Muse to raise : Yet, till that Thou thy Poeme wilt make knowne, Let thy faire Cinthias praises be thus rudely showne. E. S.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE AND MOST VERTUOUS LADY,
THE COUNTESSE OF PEMBROKE.

REMEMBRAUNCE of that most heroicke Spirit,
The hevens pride, the glory of our daies, [merit
Which now triumpheth (through immortall

* Let thy faire Cinthias praises, &c.] An allusion to the poem written by Sir Walter, entitled Cynthia. TODD.

Of his brave vertues) crown'd with lasting baies Of hevenlie blis and everlasting praies;

Who first my Muse did lift out of the flore,
To sing his sweet delights in lowlie laies;
Bids me, most Noble Lady, to adore
His goodly image living evermore

In the divine resemblaunce of your face;
Which with your vertues ye embellish more,
And native beauty deck with heavenly grace:
For His, and for your owne especial sake,
Vouchsafe from him+ this token in good worth to
take.
E. S.

TO THE MOST VERTUOUS AND BEAUTIFULL LADY, THE
LADY CREW.

NE may I, without blot of endlesse blame,
You, fairest Lady, leave out of this place ;
But, with remembraunce of your gracious Name,
(Wherewith that courtly garlond most ye grace
And deck the world,) adorne these verses base :
Not that these few lines can in them comprise
Those glorious ornaments of hevenly grace,
Wherewith ye triumph over feeble eyes
And in subdued harts do tyranyse;

(For thereunto doth need a golden quill
And silver leaves, them rightly to devise ;)
But to make humble present of good will:
Which, whenas timely meanes it purchase may,
In ampler wise itselfe will forth display.

E. S.

TO ALL THE GRATIOUS AND BEAUTIFULL LADIES IN THE
Court.

THE Chian Peincter, when he was requir'd
Tu pourtraict Venus in her perfect hew;
To make his worke more absolute, desir'd
Of all the fairest Maides to have the vew.
Much more me needs, (to draw the semblant trew
Of Beauties Queene, the worlds sole wonder-
ment,)

To sharpe my sence with sundry Beauties vew, And steale from each some part of ornament. If all the world to seeke I overwent,

A fairer crew yet no where could I see Then that brave Court doth to mine eie present; That the world's pride seemes gathered there to Of each a part I stole by cunning thefte: [bec. Forgive it me, faire Dames, sith lesse ye have not E. S.

lefte.

Vouchsafe from him] It should be me. CHURCH.

And thou, most dreaded impe of highest love,
Faire Venus sonne, that with thy cruell dart
At that good Knight so cunningly didst rove,
That glorious fire it kindled in his hart;
Lay now thy deadly heben bowe apart,
And, with thy mother mylde, come to mine ayde;
Come, both; and with you bring triumphant
Mart,

In loves and gentle iollities arraid,

To thinke of that true glorious type of thine,
The Argument of mine afflicted stile :

The which to heare vouchsafe, O dearest Dread, a while.

CANTO I.

The Patron of true Holinesse Foule Errour doth defeate; Hypocrisie, him to entrappe, Doth to his home entreate.

1.

A GENTLE Knight was pricking on the plaine,
Yeladd in mightie armes and silver shielde,
Wherein old dints of deepe woundes did remaine
The cruel markes of many' a bloody fielde;
Yet armes till that time did he never wield:
His angry steede did chide his foming bitt,
As much disdayning to the curbe to yield:
Full iolly knight he seemd, and faire did sitt,
As one for knightly giusts and fierce encounters fitt.

11.

And on his brest a bloodie crosse he bore,
The deare remembrance of his dying Lord,
For whose sweete sake that glorious badge he wore,
And dead, as living ever, him ador'd:
Upon his shield the like was also scor'd,
For soveraine hope, which in his helpe he had.
Right, faithfull, true he was in deede and word;
But of his cheere did seeme too solemne sad;
Yet nothing did he dread, but ever was ydrad.

IV.

And with them eke, O Goddesse heavenly bright,
Mirrour of grace and majestie divine,
Great ladie of the greatest isle, whose light
Like Phoebus lampe throughout the world doth
shine,

Shed thy faire beames into my feeble eyne,
And raise my thoughtes, too humble and too vile,

1. 2. in lowly shepheards weeds,] Spenser, about the age of 26, published his Shepheards Calender in 4to. 1579; eleven years before the first publication of the Faerie Queene, CHURCH.

n. 5. ————————— thine everlasting scryne] An escritoire, desk, 'rom the Latin scrinium. UPION.

That greatest Gloriana to him gave,
(That greatest glorious queene of Faery lond,)
To winne him worshippe, and her grace to have,
Which of all earthly thinges he most did crave:
And ever, as he rode, his hart did earne

IV. 7. --that true glorious type of thine,] Una, or Truth. CHURCH.

IV. 8.

mine afflicted stile:] Afflicted stile means low and jejune. Ital. Stilo afflitto. UPTON.

IV. 9. O dearest Dread,] The same expression we meet with below; i. vi. 2. "Una his dear Dread," i. e. one whom he reverenced. UPTON.

1. 8. Full iolly knight] Handsome. Fr. Joli. TODD.
II. 8.
of his cheere] Countenance. TODD.

Ibid. solemne sad ;] Sad, as Mr. Warton has observed, did not always imply sorrow, but gravity of coun tenance and deportment. ToDD.

"Yea but," quoth she, "the perill of this place
I better wot then you: Though nowe too late
To wish you backe returne with foule disgrace,
Yet wisedome warnes, whilest foot is in the gate,
To stay the steppe, ere forced to retrate.
This is the wandring wood, this Errours den,
A monster vile, whom God and man does hate :
Therefore I read beware." "Fly, fly," quoth
then

The fearefull Dwarfe; "this is no place for living men."