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

by Edmund Spenser

I. vi. 23 l. 8. noursled] nousled 1590. This change is systematically made in 1596, which uses ‘nousle’ in a different senses = nuzzle; cf. IV. xi. 32 l. 8. There is the same difference between the first quarto of S. C. and later quartos.

I. vi. 26 l. 5. fierce and fell] swifte and cruell 1590: corr. F. E. In Malone 615 these words are on a slip of paper, probably cut (says Mr. Bliss) from 1596 and pasted over the original copy.

I. vi. 37 l. 9. hath] had Grosart: not so in any of our copies.

I. vi. 47 l. 8. to] two 1596, 1609. Morris assigns ‘two’ to 1611; but it is in all our copies of 1596 and 1609.

I. vii. 37 l. 7. trample] amble 1590. One of those changes of words which reveal Spenser’s hand clearly in 1596. A steed so spirited would not amble.

I. viii. 11 ll. 5-9. Closely imitated in 2 Tamburlaine iv. 3. Cf. Introduction, p. xi.

I. viii. 21 l. 5. their] his Grosart, adopting a suggestion by Church. But ‘their’ may mean ‘Orgoglio’s and Duessa’s’.

I. viii. 33 l. 5. sits] fits 1596, 1609. But ‘sits’ = sied, as in I. i. 30 l. 9.

I. viii. 44 l. 4. delight] dislike conj. J. Jortin. As ‘delight’ is repeated by parablepsy from l. 3, the form of the word is not much of a guide in emendation. Others suggest ‘despight’.