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Letter of the Authors expounding his

whole intention in the course of this worke: which

for that it giueth great light to the Reader, for

the better vnderstanding is hereunto

annexed.

To the Right noble, and Valorous, Sir Walter

Raleigh knight, Lo. Wardein of the Stanneryes, and

her Maiesties liefetenaunt of the County of Corne-

wayll.

SIr knowing how doubtfully all Alle-

gories may be construed, and this

booke of mine, which I haue entitu-

led the Faery Queene, being a con-

tinued Allegory, or darke conceit, I

haue thought good aswell for auoy-

ding of gealous opinions and miscon-

structions, as also for your better

light in reading therof, (being so by

you commanded,) to discouer vnto you the general intention and

meaning, which in the whole course thereof I haue 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 conceiued shoulde

be most plausible and pleasing, being coloured with an histo-

ricall 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

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former workes, and also furthest from the daunger of enuy,

and suspition of present time.　In which I haue followed all

the antique Poets historicall, first Homere, who in the Per-

sons of Agamemnon and Vlysses hath ensampled a good go-

uernour 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 Aeneas: after him Ariosto comprised them

both in his Orlando: and lately Tasso disseuered them a-

gaine, and formed both parts in two persons, namely that

part which they in Philosophy call Ethice, or vertues of a

priuate 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 braue knight, perfected in the twelue priuate

morall vertues, as Aristotle hath deuised, the which is the

purpose of these first twelue 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 displea-

saunt, which had rather haue good discipline deliuered plain-

ly in way of precepts, or sermoned at large, as they vse, then

thus clowdily enwrapped in Allegoricall deuises.　But such,

me seeme, should be satisfide with the vse 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 iudgement, formed a

Commune welth such as it should be, but the other in the

person of Cyrus and the Persians fashioned a gouernement

such as might best be: So much more profitable and grati-

ous is doctrine by ensample, then by rule.　So haue I laboured

to doe in the person of Arthure: whome I conceiue after his

long education by Timon, to whom he was by Merlin deli-

uered to be brought vp, so soone as he was borne of the Lady

Igrayne, to haue seene in a dream or vision the Faery Queen,

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with whose excellent beauty rauished, he awaking resolued 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 conceiue the most excellent

and glorious person of our soueraine the Queene, and her

kingdome in Faery land.　And yet in some places els, I doe

otherwise shadow her.　For considering she beareth two per-

sons, 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 Belph be, fashioning her name

according to your owne excellent conceipt of Cynthia, (Ph -

be and Cynthia being both names of Diana.)　So in the

person of Prince Arthure I sette forth magnificence in parti-

cular, 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 Cha-

stity.　But because the beginning of the whole worke see-

meth abrupte and as depending vpon other antecedents, it

needs that ye know the occasion of these three knights seuerall

aduentures.　For the Methode of a Poet historical is not

such, as of an Historiographer.　For an Historiographer dis-

courseth of affayres orderly as they were donne, accounting as

well the times as the actions, but a Poet thrusteth into the

middest, euen where it most concerneth him, and there re-

coursing to the thinges forepaste, and diuining of thinges

to come, maketh a pleasing Analysis of all.　The beginning

therefore of my history, if it were to be told by an Historiogra-

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pher should be the twelfth booke which is the last, where I

deuise that the Faery Queene kept her Annuall feaste xii.

dayes, vppon which xii. seuerall dayes, the occasions of the

xii. seuerall aduentures hapned, which being vndertaken

by xii. seuerall knights, are in these xii books seuerally han-

dled 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 Queen of Faries desired a boone

(as the manner then was) which during that feast she might

not refuse: which was that hee might haue the atchieuement

of any aduenture, which during that feaste should happen,

that being graunted, he rested him on the floore, vnfitte

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 vp in a brasen Ca-

stle, who thence suffred them not to yssew: and therefore be-

sought the Faery Queene to assygne her some one of her

knights to take on him that exployt.　Presently that clownish

person vpstarting, desired that aduenture: whereat the

Queene much wondering, and the Lady much gainesaying,

yet he earnestly importuned his desire.　In the end the Lady

told him that vnlesse that armour which she brought, would

serue him (that is the armour of a Christian man specified

by Saint Paul v. Ephes.) that he could not succeed in that

enterprise, which being forthwith put vpon 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 aduenture: where

beginneth the first booke, vz.

A gentle knight was pricking on the playne. &c.

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The second day ther came in a Palmer bearing an Infant

with bloody hands, whose Parents he complained to haue bene

slayn by an Enchaunteresse called Acrasia: and therfore cra-

ued of the Faery Queene, to appoint him some knight, to per-

forme that aduenture, which being assigned to Sir Guyon, he

presently went forth with that same Palmer: which is the

beginning of the second booke and the whole subiect thereof.

The third day there came in, a Groome who complained be-

fore the Faery Queene, that a vile Enchaunter called Busi-

rane had in hand a most faire Lady called Amoretta, whom

he kept in most grieuous torment, because she would not yield

him the pleasure of her body.　Whereupon Sir Scudamour the

louer of that Lady presently tooke on him that aduenture.

But being vnable to performe it by reason of the hard En-

chauntments, after long sorrow, in the end met with Brito-

martis, who succoured him, and reskewed his loue.

But by occasion hereof, many other aduentures are inter-

medled, but rather as Accidents, then intendments.　As the

loue of Britomart, the ouerthrow of Marinell, the misery of

Florimell, the vertuousnes of Belph be, the lasciuiousnes of

Hellenora, and many the like.

Thus much Sir, I haue briefly ouerronne to direct your vn-

derstanding to the wel-head of the History, that from thence

gathering the whole intention of the conceit, ye may as in a

handfull gripe al the discourse, which otherwise may happily

seeme tedious and confused.　So humbly crauing the conti-

nuaunce of your honorable fauour towards me, and th'eter-

nall establishment of your happines, I humbly take leaue.

23. Ianuary. 1589.

Yours most humbly affectionate.

Ed. Spenser.