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....

To the most high, mightie And magnificent Empresse renovv- med for pietie, ver- tve, and all gratiovs government Elizabeth by the grace of God Qveene of England Fravnce and Ireland and of Virgi- nia, ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 kingdomes governement, As the wide compasse o...

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 b...

The sacred Muses have made alwaies clame To be the Nourses of nobility, And Registres of everlasting fame, To all that armes professe and chevalry. Then, by like right the noble Progeny, Which them su...

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 presen...

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: ...

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 la...

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 ofspring The antique Poets wont so much to sing; ...

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 worthi...

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...

In vain I thinke, right honourable Lord, By this rude ryme 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...

That Mantuane Poets incompared spirit, Whose girland now is set in highest place, Had not Mecaenas, for his worthy merit, It first advaunst to great Augustus grace, Might long perhaps have lien in sil...

Who ever gave more honourable prize To the sweet Muse then did the Martiall crew, That their brave deeds she might immortalise In her shril tromp, and sound their praises dew? Who then ought more to f...

To thee, that art the sommers Nightingale, Thy soveraine Qoddesses most deare delight, Why doe I send this rusticke Madrigale, That may thy tunefull eare unseason quite? Thou onely fit this Argument t...

Remembraunce of that most Heroicke spirit, The hevens pride, the glory of our daies, Which now triumpheth, through immortall merit Of his brave vertues, crown’d with lasting baies Of hevenlie blis and...

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, ador...

The Chian Peinter, when he was requirde To pourtraift Venus in her perfect hew, To make his worke more absolute, desird Of all the fairest Maides to have the vew. Much more me needs, to draw the sembl...

Sir, knowing how doubtfully all allegories may be construed, and this book of mine, which I have entitled the Faerie Queene, being a continued allegory, or dark conceit, I have thought good, as well f...

Lo! I, the man whose Muse whylome did maske, As time her taught, in lowly Shephards weeds, Am now enforst, a farre unfitter taske, For trumpets sterne to chaunge mine Oaten reeds, And sing of Knights ...

A gentle knight was pricking on the plaine, Ycladd in mightie armes and silver shielde, Wherein old dints of deepe woundes did remaine. The cruell markes of many a bloodie fielde; Yet armes till that ...

By this the Northerne wagoner had set His sevenfold teme behind the stedfast starre That was in Ocean waves yet never wet, But firme is fixt, and sendeth light from farre To al that in the wide deepe ...

Nought is there under heav’ns wide hollownesse, That moves more deare compassion of mind, Then beautie brought t’unworthie wretchednesse Through envies snares, or fortunes freakes unkind. I, whether l...

Young knight whatever, that dost armes professe, And through long labours huntest after fame, Beware of fraud, beware of ficklenesse, In choice, and chaunge of thy deare-loved Dame; Least thou of her ...

The noble hart that harbours vertuous thought, And is with childe of glorious great intent, Can never rest, untill it forth have brought Th’eternall brood of glorie excellent: Such restlesse passion d...

As when a ship, that flyes fayre under sayle, An hidden rocke escaped hath unwares, That lay in waite her wrack for to bewaile, The Marriner yet halfe amazed stares At perill past, and yet in doubt ne...

What man so wise, what earthly witt so ware, As to discry the crafty cunning traine, By which deceipt doth maske in visour faire, And cast her coulours, died deepe in graine, To seeme like truth, whos...

Ay me! how many perils doe enfold The righteous man, to make him daily fall, Were not that heavenly grace doth him uphold, And stedfast truth acquite him out of all. Her love is firme, her care contin...

O goodly golden chayne, wherewith yfere The vertues linked are in lovely wize; And noble mindes of yore allyed were, In brave poursuitt of chevalrous emprize, That none did others safety despize, Nor ...

What man is he, that boasts of fleshly might And vaine assuraunce of mortality, Which, all so soone as it doth come to fight Against spirituall foes, yields by and by, Or from the fielde most cowardly...

High time now gan it wex for Una fayre To thinke of those her captive Parents deare, And their forwasted kingdom to repayre: Whereto whenas they now approched neare, With hartie wordes her knight she ...

Behold! I see the haven nigh at hand To which I meane my wearie course to bend; Vere the maine shete, and beare up with the land, The which afore is fayrly to be kend, And seemeth safe from storms tha...

Right well I wote, most mighty Soveraine, That all this famous antique history Of some th’aboundance of an ydle braine Will judged be, and painted forgery, Rather then matter of just memory, Sith none...

That conning Architect of cancred guyle, Whom Princes late displeasure left in bands, For falsed letters, and suborned wyle, Soone as the Redcrosse knight he understands To beene departed out of Eden ...

Thus when Sir Guyon with his faithful guyde Had with dew rites and dolorous lament The end of their sad Tragedie uptyde, The litle babe up in his armes he hent; Who with sweet pleasaunce, and bold bla...

Soone as the morrow fayre with purple beames Disperst the shadowes of the misty night, And Titan, playing on the eastern streames, Gan cleare the deawy ayre with springing light, Sir Guyon, mindfull o...

In brave poursuitt of honorable deed, There is I know not (what) great difference Betweene the vulgar and the noble seed, Which unto things of valorous pretence Seemes to be borne by native influence;...

Who ever doth to temperaunce apply His stedfast life, and all his actions frame, Trust me, shal find no greater enimy Then stubborne perturbation to the same. To which right wel the wise doe give that...

A harder lesson to learne Continence In joyous pleasure then in grievous paine; For sweetnesse doth allure the weaker sence So strongly, that uneathes it can refraine From that which feeble nature cov...

As pilot well expert in perilous wave, That to a stedfast starre his course hath bent, When foggy mistes or cloudy tempests have The faithfull light of that faire lampe yblent, And cover’d heaven with...

And is there care in heaven? And is there love In heavenly spirits to these creatures bace, That may compassion of their evilles move? There is: else much more wretched were the cace Of men then beast...

Of all Gods workes which doe this worlde adorne, There is no one more faire and excellent Then is mans body, both for powre and forme, Whiles it is kept in sober government; But none then it more fowl...

Who now shall give unto me words and sound Equall unto this haughtie enterprise? Or who shall lend me wings, with which from ground My lowly verse may loftily arise, And lift it selfe unto the highest...

What warre so cruel, or what siege so sore, As that which strong affections doe apply Against the forte of reason evermore, To bring the sowle into captivity? Their force is fiercer through infirmity ...

Now ginnes that goodly frame of Temperaunce Fayrely to rise, and her adorned hed To pricke of highest prayse forth to advaunce, Formerly grounded and fast setteled On firme foundation of true bountyhe...

It falles me here to write of Chastity, The fayrest vertue, far above the rest: For which what needes me fetch from Faery Forreine ensamples it to have exprest? Sith it is shrined in my Soveraines bre...

The famous Briton Prince and Faerie knight, After long wayes and perilous paines endur’d, Having their weary limbes to perfect plight Restord, and sory wounds right well recur’d, Of the faire Alma gre...

Here have I cause in men just blame to find, That in their proper praise too partiall bee, And not indifferent to woman kind, To whom no share in armes and chevalree They doe impart, ne maken memoree ...

Most sacred fyre, that burnest mightily In living brests, ykindled first above Emongst th’eternall spheres and lamping sky, And thence pourd into men, which men call Love! Not that same, which doth ba...

Where is the Antique glory now become, That whylome wont in wemen to appeare? Where be the brave atchievements doen by some? Where be the battels, where the shield and speare, And all the conquests wh...

Wonder it is to see, in diverse minds, How diversly love doth his pageants play, And shewes his powre in variable kinds: The baser wit, whose idle thoughts alway Are wont to cleave unto the lowly clay...

Well may I weene, faire Ladies, all this while Ye wonder how this noble Damozell So great perfections did in her compile, Sith that in salvage forests she did dwell, So farre from court and royall Cit...

Like as an Hynd forth singled from the heard, That hath escaped from a ravenous beast, Yet flyes away of her owne feete afeard, And every leafe, that shaketh with the least Murmure of winde, her terro...

So oft as I this history record, My heart doth melt with meere compassion, To thinke how causelesse, of her owne accord, This gentle Damzell, whom I write upon, Should plonged be in such affliction Wi...

Redoubted knights, and honorable Dames, To whom I levell all my labours end, Right sore I feare, least with unworthie blames This odious argument my rymes should shend, Or ought your goodly patience o...

The morow next, so soone as Phœbus Lamp Bewrayed had the world with early light, And fresh Aurora had the shady damp Out of the goodly heven amoved quight, Faire Britomart and that same Faery knight U...

O hatefull hellish Snake! what furie furst Brought thee from balefull house of Proserpine, Where in her bosome she thee long had nurst, And fostred up with bitter milke of tine, Fowle Gealosy! that tu...

Tho, whenas chearelesse Night ycovered had Fayre heaven with an universall clowd, That every wight dismayd with darkenes sad In silence and in sleepe themselves did shrowd, She heard a shrilling Tromp...

The rugged forhead, that with grave foresight Welds kingdomes causes and affaires of state, My looser rimes (I wote) doth sharply wite For praising love as I have done of late, And magnifying lovers d...

Of lovers sad calamities of old Full many piteous stories doe remaine, But none more piteous ever was ytold Then that of Amorets hart-binding chaine, And this of Florimels unworthie paine: The deare c...

Firebrand of hell, first tynd in Phlegeton By thousand furies, and from thence out throwen Into this world to worke confusion, And set it all on fire by force unknowen, Is wicked discord; whose small ...

O! why doe wretched men so much desire To draw their dayes unto the utmost date, And doe not rather wish them soone expire, Knowing the miserie of their estate, And thousand perills which them still a...

It often fals, (as here it earst befell) That mortall foes doe turne to faithfull frends, And friends profest are chaungd to foemen fell: The cause of both, of both their minds depends, And th’end of ...

It hath bene through all ages ever seene, That with the praise of armes and chevalrie The prize of beautie still hath joyned beene; And that for reasons speciall privitie, For either doth on other muc...

What equall torment to the griefe of mind And pyning anguish hid in gentle hart, That inly feeds it selfe with thoughts unkind, And nourisheth her owne consuming smart? What medicine can any Leaches a...

Great God of love, that with thy cruell darts Doest conquer greatest conquerors on ground, And setst thy kingdome in the captive harts Of Kings and Keasars to thy service bound; What glorie, or what g...

Well said the Wiseman, now prov’d true by this Which to this gentle Squire did happen late, That the displeasure of the mighty is Then death it selfe more dread and desperate; For naught the same may ...

Hard is the doubt, and difficult to deeme, When all three kinds of love together meet And doe dispart the hart with powre extreme, Whether shall weigh the balance downe; to weet, The deare affection u...

True he it said, what ever man it sayd, That love with gall and hony doth abound; But if the one be with the other wayd, For every dram of hony therein found A pound of gall doth over it redound: That...

But ah for pittie! that I have thus long Left a fayre Ladie languishing in payne: Now wellaway! that I have doen such wrong, To let faire Florimell in bands remayne, In bands of love, and in sad thral...

O! what an endlesse worke have I in hand, To count the seas abundant progeny, Whose fruitfull seede farre passeth those in land, And also those which wonne in th’azure sky: For much more eath to tell ...

So oft as I with state of present time The image of the antique world compare, When as mans age was in his freshest prime, And the first blossome of faire vertue bare; Such oddes I finde twixt those, ...

Though vertue then were held in highest price, In those old times of which I doe entreat, Yet then likewise the wicked seede of vice Began to spring; which shortly grew full great, And with their boug...

Nought is more honorable to a knight, Ne better doth beseeme brave chevalry, Then to defend the feeble in their right, And wrong redresse in such as wend awry: Whilome those great Heroes got thereby T...

After long stormes and tempests overblowne The sunne at length his joyous face doth cleare: So when as fortune all her spight hath showne, Some blisfull houres at last must needes appeare; Else should...

Whoso upon him selfe will take the skill True Justice unto people to divide, Had neede have mightie hands for to fulfill That which he doth with righteous doome decide, And for to maister wrong and pu...

So soone as day forth dawning from the East Nights humid curtaine from the heavens withdrew, And earely calling forth both man and beast Comaunded them their daily workes renew, These noble warriors, ...

Some men, I wote, will deeme in Artegall Great weaknesse, and report of him much ill, For yeelding so himselfe a wretched thrall To th’insolent commaund of womens will; That all his former praise doth...

Nought is on earth more sacred or divine, That Gods and men doe equally adore, Then this same vertue that doth right define: For th’hevens themselves, whence mortal men implore Right in their wrongs, ...

Nought under heaven so strongly doth allure The sence of man, and all his minde possesse, As beauties lovely baite, that doth procure Great warriours oft their rigour to represse, And mighty hands for...

What Tygre, or what other salvage wight, Is so exceeding furious and fell As wrong, when it hath arm’d it selfe with might? Not fit mongst men that doe with reason mell, But mongst wyld beasts, and sa...

Some Clarkes doe doubt in their devicefull art Whether this heavenly thing whereof I treat, To weeten Mercie, be of Justice part, Or drawne forth from her by divine extreate: This well I wote, that su...

It often fals, in course of common life, That right long time is overborne of wrong Through avarice, or powre, or guile, or strife, That weakens her, and makes her party strong; But Justice, though he...

O sacred hunger of ambitious mindes, And impotent desire of men to raine! Whom neither dread of God, that devils bindes, Nor lawes of men, that common-weales containe, Nor bands of nature, that wilde ...

The waies, through which my weary steps I guyde In this delightfull land of Faery, Are so exceeding spacious and wyde, And sprinckled with such sweet variety Of all that pleasant is to eare or eye, Th...

Of court, it seemes, men Courtesie doe call, For that it there most useth to abound; And well beseemeth that in Princes hall That vertue should be plentifully found, Which of all goodly manners is the...

What vertue is so fitting for a knight, Or for a Ladie whom a knight should love, As Curtesie; to beare themselves aright To all of each degree as doth behove? For whether they be placed high above Or...

True is, that whilome that good Poet sayd, The gentle minde by gentle deeds is knowne: For a man by nothing is so well bewrayd As by his manners; in which plaine is showne Of what degree and what race...

Like as a ship with dreadfull storme long tost, Having spent all her mastes and her ground-hold, Now farre from harbour likely to be lost, At last some fisher-barke doth neare behold, That giveth comf...

O what an easie thing is to descry The gentle bloud, how ever it be wrapt In sad misfortunes foule deformity And wretched sorrowes, which have often hapt! For howsoever it may grow mis-shapt, Like thi...

No wound, which warlike hand of enemy Inflicts with dint of sword, so sore doth light As doth the poysnous sting, which infamy Infixeth in the name of noble wight: For by no art, nor any leaches might...

Like as the gentle hart it selfe bewrayes In doing gentle deedes with franke delight, Even so the baser mind it selfe displayes In cancred malice and revengefull spight: For to maligne, t’envie, t’use...

Ye gentle Ladies, in whose soveraine powre Love hath the glory of his kingdome left, And th’hearts of men, as your eternall dowre, In yron chaines of liberty bereft, Delivered hath into your hands by ...

Now turne againe my teme, thou jolly swayne, Backe to the furrow which I lately left. I lately left a furrow, one or twayne, Unplough’d, the which my coulter hath not cleft; Yet seem’d the soyle both ...

Who now does follow the foule Blatant Beast, Whilest Calidore does follow that faire Mayd, Unmyndfull of his vow, and high beheast Which by the Faery Queene was on him layd, That he should never leave...

The joyes of love, if they should ever last Without affliction or disquietnesse That worldly chaunces doe amongst them cast, Would be on earth too great a blessednesse, Liker to heaven then mortall wr...

Like as a ship, that through the Ocean wyde Directs her course unto one certaine cost, Is met of many a counter winde and tyde, With which her winged speed is let and crost, And she her selfe in storm...

What man that sees the ever-whirling wheele, Of Change, the which all mortall things doth sway, But that therby doth find, and plainly feele, How Mutability in them doth play Her cruell sports to many...

What man that sees the ever-whirling wheele, Of Change, the which all mortall things doth sway, But that therby doth find, and plainly feele, How Mutability in them doth play Her cruell sports to many...

Ah! whither doost thou now, thou greater Muse, Me from these woods and pleasing forrests bring, And my fraile spirit, (that dooth oft refuse This too high flight, unfit for her weake wing) Lift up alo...

When I bethink me, on that speech whyleare Of Mutabilitie, and well it way: Me seemes, that though she all unworthy were Of the heav’ns rule; yet, very sooth to say, In all things else she bears the g...