The Faerie Queene

by Edmund Spenser

So Maro oft did Cœsars cares allay.

  So you great Lord, that with your counsell sway

  The burdeine 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.

  TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

  THE LO[RD] BURLEIGH LO[RD]

  HIGH THREASURER OF ENGLAND.

  To you right noble Lord, whose carefull brest

  To menage of most graue affaires is bent,

  And on whose mightie shoulders most doth rest

  The burdein of this kingdomes gouernement,

  As the wide compasse of the firmament,

  On Atlas mighty shoulders is vpstayd;

  Vnfitly I these ydle rimes present,

  The labor of lost time, and wit vnstayd:

  Yet if their deeper sence be inly wayd,

  And the dim vele, with which from comune vew

  Their fairer parts are bid, aside be layd.

  Perhaps not vaine they may appeare to you.

  Such as they be, vouchsafe them to receaue,

  And wipe their faults out of your censure graue.

  E.S.

  TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARLE OF

  OXENFORD,

  LORD HIGH CHAMBERLAYNB OF ENGLAND. &C.

  Receiue most Noble Lord in gentle gree,

  The vnripe fruit of an vnready wit:

  Which by thy countenaunce doth craue to bee

  Defended from foule Enuies poisnous bit.

  Which so to doe may thee right well besit,

  Sith th’antique glory of thine auncestry

  Vnder a shady vele is therein writ,

  And eke thine owne long liuing memory,

  Succeeding them in true nobility:

  And also for the loue, which thou doest beare

  To th’Heliconian ymps, and they to thee,

  They vnto thee, and thou to them most deare:

  Deare as thou art vnto thy selfe, so loue

  That loues & honours thee, as doth behoue.

  TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARLE OF

  NORTHUMBERLAND.

  The sacred Muses haue made alwaies clame

  To be the Nourses of nobility,

  And Registres of euerlasting fame,

  To all that armes professe and cheualry.

  Then by like right the noble Progeny,

  Which them succeed in fame and worth, are tyde

  T’embrace the seruice of sweete Poetry,

  By whose endeuours they are glorifide,

  And eke from all, of whom it is enuide,

  To patronize the authour of their praise,

  Which giues them life, that els would soone haue dide,

  And crownes their ashes with immortall bates.

  To thee therefore right noble Lord I send

  This present of my paints, it to defend,

  TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARLE OF

  CUMBERLAND.

  Redoubted Lord, in whose corageous mind

  The flowre of cheualry now bloosming faire,

  Doth promise fruite worthy the noble kind,

  Which of their praises haue left you the haire;

  To you this humble present I prepare,

  For loue of vertue and of Martiall praise,

  To which though nobly ye inclined are,

  As goodlie well ye shew’d in late assaies,

  Yet braue ensample of long passed daies,

  In which trew honor yee may fashiond see,

  To like desire of honor may ye raise,

  And fill your mind with magnanimitee.

  Receiue it Lord therefore as it was ment,

  For honor of your name and high descent.

  E.S.

  TO THE MOST HONOURABLE AND EXCELLENT

  LO[RD] THE EARLE OF ESSEX. GREAT MAISTER

  OF THB 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 lining praises instrument,

  Yet doe not sdeigne, to let thy name be writt

  In this base Poeme, for thee far vnfitt.

  Nought is thy worth disparaged thereby,

  But when my Muse, whose fethers nothing flitt

  Doe yet but flagg, and lowly learne to fly

  With bolder wing shall dare alofte to sty

  To the last praises of this Faery Queene,

  Then shall it make more famous memory

  Of thine Heroicke parts, such as they beene:

  Till then vouchsafe thy noble countenaunce,

  To these first labours needed furtheraunce,

  TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THB EARLE OF

  ORMOND AND OSSORY.

  Receiue most noble Lord a simple taste

  Of the wilde fruit, which saluage soyl hath bred,

  Which being through long wars left almost waste,

  With brutish barbarisme is ouerspredd:

  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 thy selfe hast thy braue mansione;

  There in deede 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,

  Receiue dear Lord in worth, the fruit of barren field.

  TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LO [RD]

  CH[ARLES] HOWARD, LO[RD] HIGH ADMIRAL OF

  ENGLAND, KNIGHT OF THE NOBLE ORDER OF THE

  GARTER, AND ONE OF HER MAIESTIES PRIUIE

  COUNSEL. &C.

  And ye, braue Lord, whose goodly personage,

  And noble deeds each other garnishing,

  Make you ensample to the present age,

  Of th’old Heroes, whose famous of spring

  The antique Poets wont so much to sing,

  In this same Pageaunt haue a worthy place,

  Sith those huge castles of Castilian king,

  That vainly threatned kingdomes to displace,

  Like flying doues ye did before you chace;

  And that proud people woxen insolent

  Through many victories, didst first deface:

  Thy praises euerlasting monument

  Is in this verse engrauen semblably,

  That it may liue to all posterity.

  TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORD OF

  HUNSDON, HIGH CHAMBERLAINS TO HER

  MAIESTY.

  Renowmed Lord, that for your worthinesse

  And noble deeds haue your deserued place,

  High in the fauour of that Emperesse.

  The worlds sole glory and her sexes grace,

  Here eke of right haue 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

  Of Northerne rebels ye did pacify,

  And their disloiall powre defaced clene,

  The record of enduring memory.

  Liue Lord for eucr in this lasting verse,

  That all posteritie thy honor may reherse.

  E.S.

  TO THE MOST RENOWMED AND VALIANT LORD,

  THE LORD GREY OF WILTON, KNIGHT OF THE

  NOBLE ORDER OF THB 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 liue, bound yours by vassalage:

  Sith nothing euer may redeeme, nor reaue

 
; Out of your endlesse debt so sure a gage,

  Vouchsafe in worth this small guift to receaue,

  Which in your noble hands for pledge I leaue,

  Of all the rest, that I am tyde t’account:

  Rude rymes, the which a rustick Muse did weaue

  In sauadge soyle, far from Parnasso mount,

  And roughly wrought in an vnlearned Loome:

  The which vouchsafe dear Lord your fauorable doome.

  TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORD OF

  BUCKHURST, ONE OF HER MAIESTIES PRIUIE

  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 Souerain praises to compile.

  And her imperiall Maiestie to frame,

  In loftie numbers and heroicke stile.

  But sith thou maist not so, giue leaue a while

  To baser wit his power therein to spend,

  Whose grosse defaults thy daintie pen may file,

  And vnaduised ouersights amend.

  But euermore vouchsafe it to maintaine

  Against vile Zoilus backbitings vaine.

  TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR FR[ANCIS]

  WALSINGHAM KNIGHT, PRINCIPALL SECRETARY

  TO HER MAIESTY, AND OF HER HONOURABLE

  PRIUY COUNSELL.

  That Mantuane Poetes incompared spirit,

  Whose girland now is set in highest place,

  Had not Mecœnas for his worthy merit,

  It first aduaunst to great Augustus grace,

  Might long perhaps haue lien in silence bace,

  Ne bene so much admir’d of later age.

  This lowly Muse, that learns like steps to trace,

  Flies for like aide vnto your Patronage;

  That are the great Mecenas of this age,

  As wel to al that ciuil artes professe

  As those that are inspird with Martial rage,

  And craues protection of her feeblenesse:

  Which if ye yield, perhaps ye may her rayse

  In bigger tunes to sound your liuing prayse.

  E.S.

  TO THE RIGHT NOBLE LORD AND MOST

  VALIAUNT CAPTAINE, SIR JOHN NORRIS KNIGHT,

  LORD PRESIDENT OF MOUNSTER,

  Who euer gaue more honourable prize

  To the sweet Muse, then did the Martiall crew;

  That their braue deeds she might immortalize

  In her shril tromp, and sound their praises dew?

  Who then ought more to fauour her, then you

  Moste noble Lord, the honor of this age,

  And Precedent of all that armes ensue?

  Whose warlike prowesse and manly courage,

  Tempred with reason and aduizement 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,

  Loue him, that hath eternized your name.

  E.S.

  TO THE RIGHT NOBLE AND VALOROUS KNIGHT,

  SIR WALTER RALEIGH, LO[RD] WARDEIN OF THE

  STANNERYES, AND LIEFTENAUNT OF

  CORNEWAILE.

  To thee that art the sommers Nightingale,

  Thy soueraine Goddesses most deare delight.

  Why doe I send this rusticke Madrigale,

  That may thy tunejull eare vnseason quite?

  Thou onely fit this Argument to write,

  In whose high thoughts Pleasure hath built her bowre,

  And dainty loue learnd sweetly to endite.

  My rimes 1 know vnsauory and sowre,

  To tast the streames, that like a golden showre

  Flow from thy fruit full head, of thy loues praise,

  Fitter perhaps to thonder Martiall stowre,

  When so thee list thy lofty Muse to raise:

  Yet till that thou thy Poeme wilt make knowne,

  Let thy Jain Cinthias praises bee thus rudely showne.

  E.S.

  TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE AND MOST

  VERTUOUS LADY, THE COUNTESSE OF PENBROKE.

  Remembraunce of that most Heroicke spirit,

  The heuens pride, the glory of our daies,

  Which now triumpheth through immortall merit

  Of his braue vertues, crownd with lasting baies,

  Of heuenlie blis and euerlasting 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 liuing euermore,

  In the diuine resemblaunce of your face;

  Which with your vertues ye embellish more,

  And natiue beauty deck with heuenlie 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 CAREW.

  Ne may I, without blot of endlesse blame,

  You fairest Lady leaue 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 heuenly grace,

  Wherewith ye triumph ouer feeble eyes,

  And in subdued harts do tyranyse:

  For thereunto doth need a golden quill,

  And siluer leaues, them rightly to deuise,

  But to make humble present of good will:

  Which whenas timely meanes it purchase may,

  In ampler wise it selfe will forth display.

  E.S.

  TO ALL THE GRATIOUS AND BEAUTIFULL

  LADIES IN THE COURT.

  The Chian Peincter, when he was requirde

  To pourtraict Venus in her perfect hew,

  To make his worke more absolute, desird

  Of all the fairest Maides to haue the vew.

  Much more me needs to draw the semblant trew,

  Of beauties Queene, the worlds sole wonderment,

  To sharpe my sence with sundry beauties vew,

  And steals from each some part of ornament.

  If all the world to seeke I ouerwent,

  A fairer crew yet no where could I see,

  Then that braue court doth to mine eie present,

  That the worlds pride seemes gathered there to bee.

  Of each a part I stole by cunning thefte:

  Forgiue it me faire Dames, sith lesse ye haue not lefte.

  E.S.

  FINIS

  THE FAERIE QUEENE

  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, DEFENDOVR OF THE

  FAITH, &c . HER MOST

  HVMBLE SERVAVNT

  EDMVND SPENSER

  DOTH IN ALL HV-

  MILITIE DEDI-

  CATE, PRE-

  SENT

  AND CONSECRATE THESE

  HIS LABOVRS TO LIVE

  WITH THE ETERNI-

  TIE OF HER

  FAME

  THE FIRST BOOKE

  OF THE

  FAERIE QVEENE

  CONTAYNING

  THE LEGENDE OF THE

  KNIGHT OF THE RED CROSSE,

  OR

  OF HOLINESSE.

  1 Lo I the man, whose Muse whilome did maske,


  As time her taught in lowly Shepheards weeds,

  Am now enforst a far vnfitter taske,

  For trumpets sterne to chaunge mine Oaten reeds,

  And sing of Knights and Ladies gentle deeds;

  Whose prayses hauing slept in silence long,

  Me, all too meane, the sacred Muse areeds

  To blazon broad emongst her learned throng:

  Fierce warres and faithfull loues shall moralize my song.

  2 Helpe then, ô holy Virgin chiefe of nine,

  Thy weaker Nouice to performe thy will,

  Lay forth out of thine euerlasting scryne

  The antique rolles, which there lye hidden still,

  Of Faerie knights and fairest Tanaquill,

  Whom that most noble Briton Prince so long

  Sought through the world, and suffered so much ill,

  That I must rue his vndeserued wrong:

  O helpe thou my weake wit, and sharpen my dull tong.

  3 And thou most dreaded impe of highest Ioue,

  Faire Venus sonne, that with thy cruell dart

  At that good knight so cunningly didst roue,

  That glorious fire it kindled in his hart,

  Lay now thy deadly Heben bow apart,

  And with thy mother milde come to mine ayde:

  Come both, and with you bring triumphant Mart,

  In loues and gentle iollities arrayd,

  After his murdrous spoiles and bloudy rage allayd.

  4 And with them eke, ô Goddesse heauenly bright,

  Mirrour of grace and Maiesrie diuine,

  Great Lady of the greatest Isle, whose light

  Like Phœbus lampe throughout the world doth shine,

  Shed thy faire beames into my feeble eyne,

  And raise my thoughts too humble and too vile,

  To thinke of that true glorious type of thine,

  The argument of mine afflicted stile:

  The which to heare, vouchsafe, ô dearest dred a-while.

  CANTO I

  The Patron of true Holinesse,

  Foule Errour doth defeate:

  Hypocrisie him to entrape,

  Doth to his home entreate.

  1 A Gentle Knight was pricking on the plaine,

  Y cladd in mightie armes and siluer shielde,

  Wherein old dints of deepe wounds did remaine,

  The cruell markes of many a bloudy fielde;

  Yet armes till that time did he neuer 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.

  2 But on his brest a bloudie Crosse he bore,

  The deare remembrance of his dying Lord,

  For whose sweete sake that glorious badge he wore,

  And dead as liuing euer him ador’d:

  Vpon his shield the like was also scor’d,