the three great enemies are smitten down, and the task is done. If the First Book drew the portrait of the English Christian, this Book may be said to draw that of the English gentleman, as Spenser conceived it. He says as much in the opening stanzas of the third Canto, where Braggadocchio cannot manage the steed. The thought also runs through the Book: on it are based the principles, the actions, even the temptations of the knight. Spenser draws with a loving hand the picture of a true Englishman doing his duty to God and his Queen, in the noble lines in which Belphoebe covers Braggadocchio with scorn. Those words may be regarded as the utterance of Queen Elizabeth herself, speaking for the re-awakened national life of this country. They are her protest against all lowness of aim, idleness, worldliness, self-indulgence. To be simple, industrious, truthful, pure-this is the ideal set before the Englishman, this is the moral teaching of the Book. Let this then be our excuse for laying this little volume before the students of English history and literature. It is essentially an ennobling book, giving us a full and admirable conception of the ideal of man's best estate as a moral agent, as it was understood in those days of the young life of this country. Add to this a nobility of tone and aim, a splendour of imagery never excelled, exquisite beauty of language, dignity of thought, evervaried incident, graphic touches of character, ceaseless variety of illustration and accessories, and we have a book well worthy to be ranked, forgotten though it has been, among the masterpieces of that age of masters. One word as to this edition. As before, the text is founded on the editions of 1590 and 1596, collated afresh by the Rev. W. H. Bliss, M.A., of the Bodleian Library. My best thanks are due to him for his valuable help, and for the extreme care with which he has secured the accuracy of the text. The natural rule in the case of two editions issued in an author's lifetime and under his eye, is to trust almost entirely to the later. But unfortunately this rule does not hold here. The edition of 1596 shows throughout signs of great carelessness and haste. It is full of misprints and errors: when it does make corrections xii they are often for the worse; and one is almost tempted to think that the edition of 1590, with its page of "Faults Escaped" at the end, would have been a safer guide by itself alone. It is possible that Spenser (who was far busier, probably, in 1596 than in 1590) confined his attention almost entirely to the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Books, then for the first time appearing a. The Notes to this Book are bulkier than those to the First, in consequence of the very large amount of historical allusion, especially in the tenth Canto. I have tried to shorten them by omitting most of the explanations of idiomatic and peculiar phrases; thinking that many of them have been already given in the First Book; and also, indeed, believing that the student is not the better for being over-helped. The Notes of this volume have had the very great advantage of the oversight of Professor Cowell, to whom this little book and I owe much. The editio princeps, 1590, contains only the first three Books. A NEW Glossary has been written for the present edition by the Rev. A. L. Mayhew, M.A., of Wadham College. OXFORD, Oct. 1895. THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE FAERY QUEENE CONTAYNING The Legend of Sir Gupon, or of Temperaunce. I RIGHT well I wote, most mighty soveraine, Of some th' aboundance of an idle braine Sith none, that breatheth living aire, does know Which I so much doe vaunt, yet no where show, But vouch antiquities, which nobody can know. 2 But let that man with better sence advize, B 3 Yet all these were, when no man did them know; Yet have from wisest ages hidden beene; And later times thinges more unknowne shall show. Why then should witlesse man so much misweene, That nothing is, but that which he hath seene? What if within the moones fayre shining spheare? What if in every other starre unseene Of other worldes he happily should heare? 4 Of Faerie lond yet if he more inquire, 5 The which, O pardon me thus to enfold Which else could not endure those beames bright, In whom great rule of Temp'raunce goodly doth appeare. CANTO I. Guyon, by Archimage abusd, 1 THAT cunning architect of cancred guile, Whom princes late displeasure left in bands, For falsed letters, and suborned wile, Soone as the Redcrosse knight he understands To beene departed out of Eden landes, To serve againe his soveraine Elfin Queene; His artes he moves, and out of caytives hands Himselfe he frees by secret meanes unseene; His shackles emptie lefte, him selfe escaped cleene. 2 And forth he fares, full of malicious mynd, To worken mischiefe and avenging woe, Whereever he that godly knight may fynd, His onely hart sore and his onely foe; Sith Una now he algates must forgoe, Whom his victorious handes did earst restore To native crowne and kingdom late ygce: Where she enjoyes sure peace for evermore, As wether-beaten ship arriv'd on happie shore. 3 Him therefore now the object of his spight And deadly food he makes: him to offend By forged treason, or by open fight, He seekes, of all his drifte the aymed end: Thereto his subtile engins he does bend, His practick wit and his fayre filed tong, With thousand other sleights: for well he kend His credit now in doubtfull ballaunce hong; For hardly could be hurt, who was already stong. |