"The Faerie Queene."

"The Faerie Queene," by Edmund Spenser, is an allegorical poem of some length, and is one of the most beautiful poems in the English language.

The purpose of the poem, and what the different characters represent, can best be explained in Spenser's own words, in a letter to Sir Walter Raleigh:--

"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 (Elizabeth), and her kingdome in Faeryland. 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 Belphoebe, fashioning her name according to her owne excellent conceipt of Cynthia (Phoebe 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 Red crosse, in whome I expresse Holynes: The second of Sir Guyon, in whome I set forthe 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 on other antecedents, it needs that ye know the occasion of these three knights several 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 there recoursing to the thinges forepaste, and divining 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 devise that the Faery Queene kept her Annuall feast xii. dayes; upon which xii. several dayes, the occasions of the xii. severall adventures hapned, which, being undertaken by xii. severall knights, are in these xii. severall bookes severally 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 Queene of Fairies 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, hee 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 dwarfe's hand. Shee, falling before the Queene of Faeries, complayned that her father and mother, an ancient King and Queene, had bene by a 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 furni tures 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."

The first part of "The Faerie Queene" was published in 1590, and the second in 1595.

He had intended twelve books, setting forth the twelve moral virtues which should be practised by a knight or gentleman: he wrote only six.

Edmund Spenser, made famous among English poets by this one work, was born in London in 1553. He was, in point of time, the second great poet of England,--Chaucer being the first. Between the death of Chaucer and the birth of Spenser, there were one hundred and fifty years, during which time there was no great English poet.

But little is known of his early life. His friend, Sir Philip Sidney, introduced him to Sir Walter Raleigh, who brought him to the notice of Queen Elizabeth. She gave him an estate in Ireland, and a castle called Kilcolman, where he resided for several years. He was appointed Sheriff of Cork; but this office brought him into trouble with the Irish people, who did not wish to be governed by English rulers.

During an insurrection in 1598 he was compelled to flee with his family to England; and in three months after,--January, 1599,--he died in Westminster, aged forty-six years.

Hallam says, "Spenser is still the third name in the poetical literature of our country; and he has not been surpassed, except by Dante, in any other." And Keble calls him "pre-eminently the sacred poet of his country."