Complete Works of Edmund Spenser Page 13

  Derring doe, aforesayd.

  Lions house. He imagineth simply that Cupid, which is Love, had his abode in the whote signe Leo, which is in middest of somer; a pretie allegory, whereof the meaning is, that love in him wrought an extraordinarie heate of lust.

  His ray, which is Cupides beame or flames of love.

  A comete, a blasing starre, meant of beautie, which was the cause of his whote love.

  Venus, the goddesse of beauty or pleasure. Also a signe in heaven, as it is here taken. So he meaneth that beautie, which hath alwayes aspect to Venus, was the cause of all his unquietnes in love.

  Where I was, a fine discription of the chaunge of hys lyfe and liking; for all things nowe seemed to hym to have altered their kindly course.

  Lording: spoken after the maner of paddocks and frogges sitting, which is indeed lordly, not removing nor looking once a side, unlesse they be sturred.

  Then as: the second part. That is, his manhoode.

  Cotes, sheepecotes: for such be the exercises of shepheards.

  Sale, or salow, a kind of woodde like wyllow, fit to wreath and bynde in leapes to catch fish withall.

  Phœbe fayles, the eclipse of the moone, which is alwayes in Cauda or Capite Draconis, signes in heaven.

  Venus, sc. Venus starre, otherwise called Hesperus, and Vesper, and Lucifer, both because he seemeth to be one of the brightest starres, and also first ryseth, and setteth last. All which skill in starres being convenient for shepheardes to knowe, Theocritus and the rest use.

  Raging seas. The cause of the swelling and ebbing of the sea commeth of the course of the moone, sometime encreasing, sometime wayning and decreasing.

  Sooth of byrdes, a kind of sooth saying used in elder tymes, which they gathered by the flying of byrds: first (as is sayd) invented by the Thuscanes, and from them derived to the Romanes, who, (as is sayd in Livie) were so supersticiously rooted in the same, that they agreed that every noble man should put his sonne to the Thuscanes, by them to be brought up in that knowledge.

  Of herbes: That wonderous thinges be wrought by herbes, aswell appeareth by the common working of them in our bodies, as also by the wonderful enchauntments and sorceries that have bene wrought by them; insomuch that it is sayde that Circe, a famous sorceresse, turned men into sondry kinds of beastes and monsters, and onely by herbes: as the poete sayth,

  ‘Dea sæva potentibus herbis,’ &c.

  Kidst, knewest.

  Eare, of corne.

  Scathe, losse, hinderaunce.

  Ever among, ever and anone.

  Thus is my, the thyrde parte, wherein is set forth his ripe yeres as an untimely harvest, that bringeth little fruite.

  The fragraunt flowres, sundry studies and laudable partes of learning, wherein how our poete is seene, be they witnesse, which are privie to his study.

  So now my yeere, the last part, wherein is described his age, by comparison of wyntrye stormes.

  Carefull cold, for care is sayd to coole the blood.

  Glee, mirth.

  Hoary frost, a metaphore of hoary heares scattred lyke to a gray frost.

  Breeme, sharpe and bitter.

  Adiew delights is a conclusion of all, where in sixe verses he comprehendeth briefly all that was touched in this booke. In the first verse his delights of youth generally: in the second, the love of Rosalind: in the thyrd, the keeping of sheepe, which is the argument of all Æglogues: in the fourth, his complaints: and in the last two, his professed frendship and good will to his good friend Hobbinoll.

  EMBLEME.

  The meaning wherof is, that all thinges perish and come to theyr last end, but workes of learned wits and monuments of poetry abide for ever. And therefore Horace of his Odes, a work though ful indede of great wit and learning, yet of no so great weight and importaunce, boldly sayth,

  ‘Exegi monimentum ære perennius,

  Quod nec imber [edax], nec aquilo vorax,’ &c.

  Therefore let not be envied, that this poete in his Epilogue sayth, he hath made a Calendar that shall endure as long as time, &c., folowing the ensample of Horace and Ovid in the like.

  ‘Grande opus exegi, quod nec Jovis ira, nec ignis,

  Nec ferrum poterit nec edax abolere vetustas,’ &c.

  LOE! I have made a Calender of every yeare,

  That steele in strength, and time in durance, shall outweare:

  And if I marked well the starres revolution,

  It shall continewe till the worlds dissolution, 160

  To teach the ruder shepheard how to feede his sheepe,

  And from the falsers fraud his folded flocke to keepe.

  Goe, lyttle Calender! thou hast a free passeporte:

  Goe but a lowly gate emongste the meaner sorte:

  Dare not to match thy pype with Tityrus hys style, 165

  Nor with the Pilgrim that the Ploughman playde awhyle:

  But followe them farre off, and their high steppes adore:

  The better please, the worse despise; I aske no more.

  MERCE NON MERCEDE.

  The Faerie Queene

  One of the greatest epic poems of the English language, The Faerie Queene is regarded as being Spenser’s magnum opus. The first three books were published in 1590, followed by a second instalment of three books published six years later. Sadly, the work was left unfinished at Spenser’s death in 1599, with a fragmentary seventh book appearing posthumously. It is an allegorical work, serving primarily as praise for Queen Elizabeth I. The epic poem concerns the adventures of several knights in an examination of their virtues, as Spenser explained, for the purpose of enlightening the reader how to ‘fashion a gentleman or noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline.’

  The Faerie Queene is divided into six books, each containing a proem (serving as an introduction or prologue) and twelve cantos of forty eight stanzas. Being the first work written in what would become known as the Spenserian stanza — a form to be used by many poets, including Shakespeare — it is one of the longest poems in the English language. Employing a rhyme pattern of ABABBCBCC, the Spenserian stanza features nine iambic (unstressed syllable followed by stressed syllable) lines, with the first eight of them having five feet and the ninth a hexameter:

  LO! I the man, whose Muse whylome did maske, A

  As time her taught, in lowly shephards weeds, B

  Am now enforst, a farre unfitter taske, A

  For trumpets sterne to chaunge mine oaten reeds, B

  And sing of knights and ladies gentle deeds; B

  Whose praises having slept in silence long, C

  Me, all too meane, the sacred Muse areeds B

  To blazon broade emongst her learned throng: C

  Fierce warres and faithfull loves shall moralize my song. C (Hexameter)

  The epic poem found political favour with the Queen, winning for Spenser a granted pension of £50 a year for life, consequently leading to its success with the public. It celebrates the Tudor dynasty much like how the Roman poet Virgil had promoted the rule of Augustus in Aeneid. Whereas Virgil depicted Augustus as descending from the noble sons of Troy, Spenser connects the Tudor lineage to King Arthur. The poem is now famed for its extensive use of allegory, with many leading figures of the day being represented at different times throughout the work. The Queen herself is the most prominent example, appearing in her guise as Gloriana, the Faerie Queene, as well as the virgin Belphoebe and as Lucifera, the “maiden queen”, whose brightly-lit Court of Pride masks a dungeon full of prisoners.

  There are a range of sources that are apparent in the poem. Although the mythical world of The Faerie Queene is based on the Arthurian legends, much of the language, spirit and style of the poem is influenced by Italian epic poetry, particularly to Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso and Torquato Tasso’s Jerusalem Delivered.

  The first book opens with Gloriana, Queene of Faerie Land, appointing the Red Cross Knight to accompany Una on a journey to her kingdom to destroy a dragon that is ravaging the land and holding her paren
ts captive. A sudden shower forces the Knight and Una into the woods and near a cave, where Red Cross gallantly defeats the monster Error. Resuming their journey, the pair then meet Archimago, a sorcerer disguised as a kind old man, who invites Red Cross and Una to spend the night at his home. In the night, Archimago summons demons and sends a dream to Red Cross of Una making seducing him and, when this is unsuccessful, Archimago shows Red Cross the “False” Una in bed with another man.

  In this edition of The Faerie Queene, readers are also provided with a detailed table of contents and a glossary of difficult words, with links to these resources being available throughout the poem.

  Faerie Queene Detailed Table of Contents

  Glossary for ‘The Faerie Queene’

  The title page of the first edition

  The first edition title page of the second volume

  CONTENTS

  Faerie Queene: Commendatory Verses

  Faerie Queene: Dedicatory Sonnets

  Faerie Queene: Book I. The Legend of the Knight of the Red Crosse.

  Faerie Queene: Book II. The Legend of Sir Guyon

  Faerie Queene: Book III. The Legend of Britomartis

  Faerie Queene: Book IV. The Legend of Cambel and Triamond

  Faerie Queene: Book V. The Legend of Artegall

  Faerie Queene: Book VI. The Legend of Sir Calidore

  Faerie Queene: Book VII. Two. Cantos of Mutabilitie

  Faerie Queene Detailed Table of Contents

  Glossary for ‘The Faerie Queene’

  Elizabeth I (1533-1603) was Queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death.

  ‘Una and the Lion Rivière’ by Briton — a scene from the first book the epic poem

  A Letter of the Authors

  THE FAERIE QUEENE

  DISPOSED INTO TWELVE BOOKS, FASHIONING

  XII MORALL VERTUES

  LONDON

  PRINTED FOR WILLIAM PONSONBIE

  1590

  TO THE

  MOST MIGHTIE

  AND

  MAGNIFICENT EMPRESSE

  ELIZABETH,

  BY THE

  GRACE OF GOD

  QUEENE OF ENGLAND,

  FRANCE AND

  IRELAND

  DEFENDER OF THE FAITH &C.

  HER MOST HUMBLE

  SERVANT:

  ED. SPENSER

  [Dedication of the edition of 1590.]

  TO THE MOST HIGH

  MIGHTIE AND MAGNIFICENT EMPRESSE

  RENOWMED FOR PIETIE, VERTUE,

  AND ALL GRATIOUS GOVERNMENT

  ELIZABETH

  BY THE GRACE OF GOD QUEENE OF

  ENGLAND FRAUNCE AND IRELAND

  AND OF VIRGINIA,

  DEFENDOUR OF THE FAITH, &C.

  HER MOST HUMBLE SERVAUNT

  EDMUND SPENSER

  DOTH IN ALL HUMILITIE

  DEDICATE, PRESENT AND CONSECRATE

  THESE HIS LABOURS

  TO LIVE WITH THE ETERNITIE

  OF HER FAME

  [Dedication of the edition of 1596.]

  A LETTER OF THE AUTHORS

  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 KNIGHT, LORD

  WARDEIN OF THE STANNERYES,

  AND HER MAJESTIES LIEFE-

  TENAUNT OF THE COUNTY

  OF CORNEWAYLL

  SIR, knowing how doubtfully all allegories may be construed, and this booke of mine, which I have entituled the Faery Queene, being a continued allegory, or darke conceit, I have thought good, aswell for avoyding of gealous opinions and misconstructions, as also for your better light in reading therof, (being so by you commanded,) to discover unto you the general intention and meaning, which in the whole course thereof I have fashioned, without expressing of any particular purposes or by accidents therein occasioned. The generall end therefore of all the booke is to fashion a gentleman or noble person in vertuous and gentle discipline: which for that I conceived shoulde be most plausible and pleasing, being coloured with an historicall fiction, the which the most part of men delight to read, rather for variety of matter then for profite of the ensample, I chose the historye of King Arthure, as most fitte for the excellency of his person, being made famous by many mens former workes, and also furthest from the daunger of envy, and suspition of present time. In which I have followed all the antique poets historicall: first Homere, who in the persons of Agamemnon and Ulysses hath ensampled a good governour and a vertuous man, the one in his Ilias, the other in his Odysseis; then Virgil, whose like intention was to doe in the person of Æneas; after him Ariosto comprised them both in his Orlando; and lately Tasso dissevered them againe, and formed both parts in two persons, namely that part which they in philosophy call Ethice, or vertues of a private man, coloured in his Rinaldo; the other named Politice in his Godfredo. By ensample of which excellente poets, I labour to pourtraict in Arthure, before he was king, the image of a brave knight, perfected in the twelve private morall vertues, as Aristotle hath devised, the which is the purpose of these first twelve bookes: which if I finde to be well accepted, I may be perhaps encoraged to frame the other part of polliticke vertues in his person, after that hee came to be king. To some, I know, this methode will seeme displeasaunt, which had rather have good discipline delivered plainly in way of precepts, or sermoned at large, as they use, then thus clowdily enwrapped in allegoricall devises. 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 judgement, formed a commune welth such as it should be, but the other in the person of Cyrus and the Persians fashioned a governement, 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 delivered 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 ravished, he awaking resolved 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 soveraine the Queene, and her kingdome in Faery Land. And yet, in some places els, I doe 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 beautifull 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 severall adventures. 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, even where it most concerneth him, and th
ere recoursing to the thinges forepaste, and divining of thinges to come, maketh a pleasing analysis of all. 1

  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 devise that the Faery Queene kept her annuall feaste xii. dayes, uppon which xii. severall dayes, the occasions of the xii. severall adventures hapned, which being undertaken by xii. severall knights, are in these xii. books severally handled and discoursed. The first was this. In the beginning of the feast, there presented him selfe a tall clownish 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 atchievement of any adventure, 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 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.

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