Of his cheer did seem too solemn sad,
as though he wished to let us know that even solemn sadness is a fault. But he soon enables us to discern that appearance is misleading, and reflects in reality only a noble, lofty, and serene temper, and that desire to win the worship and favour of the Fairy Queen, which he tells us, “of all earthly things, the Knight most did crave.” As soon as Spenser has described the lovely lady that rode the Knight beside, he says:
And forth they pass, with pleasure forward led.
And again
Led with delight, they thus beguile the way.
There is no buffoonery, as in the Canterbury Tales, but a wise equable serenity that contemplates man and woman, beauty, temptation, danger, sorrow, struggle, honour, this world and the next, with a Knightly equanimity that nothing can disturb. But why should I dwell on the point, when Spenser himself has written one line which I may call his confession of faith on the subject?—
The noblest mind the best contentment has.
What a noble line! the noblest, I think, in all literature. Let us commit it to heart, repeat it morning, noon, and night, and it will cast out for us all the devils, aye, all the swine of Pessimism. What does this grave, this serious, this dignified English poet say of the Muses themselves?—
The Sisters Nine, which dwell on Parnass’ height,
Do make them music for their more delight!
That is Spenser’s conception of the mission of poetry, and of the function of the poet—to make them music for their more delight—I acknowledge it is mine. I earnestly trust it is that of many.