Spenser's Faerie Queene, Vol. 2 (of 2)

by Edmund Spenser

Transcriber’s note

In the HTML version the stanza numbers (indicated by Roman numerals) are in the left margin. In the EPUB3, EPUB, and Kindle versions, they are located on the right side after the first line ends.

The previous volume is available as [Project Gutenberg ebook #70717].

THE POETICAL WORKS OF EDMUND SPENSER

IN THREE VOLUMES

VOLUME III

SPENSER’S
FAERIE QUEENE

EDITED BY

J. C. SMITH

VOLUME II: BOOKS IV-VII

OXFORD
AT THE CLARENDON PRESS

Oxford University Press, Amen House, London E.C.4

GLASGOW NEW YORK TORONTO MELBOURNE WELLINGTON
BOMBAY CALCUTTA MADRAS KARACHI LAHORE DACCA
CAPE TOWN SALISBURY NAIROBI IBADAN ACCRA
KUALA LUMPUR HONG KONG

FIRST PUBLISHED 1909
REPRINTED LITHOGRAPHICALLY IN GREAT BRITAIN
AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, OXFORD
FROM SHEETS OF THE FIRST IMPRESSION
1961, 1964

CONTENTS.

THE SECOND PART OF THE
FAERIE QVEENE.

		PAGE
BOOK IV.	The Legend of Cambel and Telamond, or of Friendship	[3]
BOOK V.	The Legend of Artegall, or of Ivstice	[159]
BOOK VI.	The Legend of S. Calidore, or of Covrtesie	[309]
BOOK VII.	Two Cantos of Mvtabilitie	[454]
A Letter of the Avthors to Sir Walter Raleigh		[485]
Commendatory Verses:
	A Vision vpon this conceipt of the Faery Queene	[488]
	Another of the same	[488]
	To the learned Shepheard	[489]
	Fayre Thamis streame, that from Ludds stately towne	[490]
	Graue Muses march in triumph and with prayses	[490]
	When stout Achilles heard of Helens rape	[490]
	To looke vpon a worke of rare deuise	[491]
Dedicatory Sonnets:
	To the right honourable Sir Christopher Hatton	[492]
	To the right honourable the Lo. Burleigh	[492]
	To the right Honourable the Earle of Oxenford	[493]
	To the right honourable the Earle of Northumberland	[493]
	To the right honourable the Earle of Cumberland	[494]
	To the most honourable and excellent Lo. the Earle of Essex	[494]
	To the right Honourable the Earle of Ormond and Ossory	[495]
	To the right honourable the Lo. Ch. Howard	[495]
	To the right honourable the Lord of Hunsdon	[496]
	To the most renowmed and valiant Lord, the Lord Grey of Wilton	[496]
	To the right honourable the Lord of Buckhurst	[497]
	To the right honourable Sir Fr. Walsingham knight	[497]
	To the right noble Lord and most valiaunt Captaine, Sir Iohn Norris knight	[498]
	To the right noble and valorous knight, Sir Walter Raleigh	[498]
	To the right honourable and most vertuous Lady, the Countesse of Penbroke	[499]
	To the most vertuous, and beautifull Lady, the Lady Carew	[499]
	To all the gratious and beautifull Ladies in the Court	[500]
Critical Appendix		[501]

THE SECOND
PART OF THE
FAERIE QVEENE.

Containing

The Fovrth,
Fifth, and
Sixth Bookes.

By Ed. Spenser.

Imprinted at London for VVilliam
Ponsonby. 1596.

THE FOVRTH
BOOKE OF THE
FAERIE QVEENE.
Containing
The Legend of Cambel and Telamond[1],
OR
OF FRIENDSHIP.

The rugged forhead that with graue foresight i

Welds[2] kingdomes causes, and affaires of state,

My looser rimes (I wote) doth sharply wite,

For praising loue, as I haue done of late,

And magnifying louers deare debate;

By which fraile youth is oft to follie led,

Through false allurement of that pleasing baite,

That better were in vertues discipled,

Then with vaine poemes weeds to haue their fancies fed.

Such ones ill iudge of loue, that cannot loue, ii

Ne in their frosen hearts feele kindly flame:

For thy they ought not thing vnknowne reproue,

Ne naturall affection faultlesse blame,

For fault of few that haue abusd the same.

For it of honor and all vertue is

The roote, and brings forth glorious flowres of fame,

That crowne true louers with immortall blis,

The meed of them that loue, and do not liue amisse.

Which who so list looke backe to former ages, iii

And call to count the things that then were donne,

Shall find, that all the workes of those wise sages,

And braue exploits which great Heroes wonne,

In loue were either ended or begunne:

Witnesse the father of Philosophie,

Which to his Critias, shaded oft from sunne,

Of loue full manie lessons did apply,

The which these Stoicke censours cannot well deny.

To such therefore I do not sing at all, iv

But to that sacred Saint my soueraigne Queene,

In whose chast[3] breast all bountie naturall,

And treasures of true loue enlocked beene,

Boue all her sexe that euer yet was seene;

To her I sing of loue, that loueth best,

And best is lou’d of all aliue I weene:

To her this song most fitly is addrest,

The Queene of loue, and Prince of peace from heauen blest.

Which that she may the better deigne to heare, v

Do thou dred[4] infant, Venus dearling doue,

From her high spirit chase imperious feare,

And vse of awfull Maiestie remoue:

In sted thereof[5] with drops of melting loue,

Deawd with ambrosiall kisses, by thee gotten

From thy sweete smyling mother from aboue,

Sprinckle her heart, and haughtie courage soften,

That she may hearke to loue, and reade this lesson often.