who, if not only, yet in my judgement principally,
deserveth the title of the rightest English poet that ever I
read: that is, the author of the _Shepherd's Calendar_,
intituled to the worthy Gentleman Master Philip Sidney,
whether it was Master Sp. or what rare scholar in Pembroke
Hall soever, because himself and his friends, for what respect
I know not, would not reveal it, I force not greatly to set
down. Sorry I am that I cannot find none other with whom I
might couple him in this catalogue in his rare gift of poetry:
although one there is, though now long since seriously
occupied in graver studies, Master Gabriel Harvey, yet as he
was once his most special friend and fellow poet, so because
he hath taken such pains not only in his Latin poetry . . .
but also to reform our English verse . . . therefore will I
adventure to set them together as two of the rarest wits and
learnedest masters of poetry in England.

He even ventured to compare him favourably with Virgil.

But now yet at the last hath England hatched up one poet of
this sort, in my conscience comparable with the best in any
respect: even Master Sp., author of the _Shepherd's Calendar_,
whose travail in that piece of English poetry I think verily
is so commendable, as none of equal judgement can yield him
less praise for his excellent skill and skilful excellency
showed forth in the same than they would to either Theocritus
or Virgil, whom in mine opinion, if the coarseness of our
speech, (I mean the course of custom which he would not
infringe,) had been no more let unto him than their pure
native tongues were unto them, he would have, if it might be,
surpassed them.

The courtly author of the _Arte of English Poesie_, 1589, commonly cited
as G. Puttenham, classes him with Sidney. And from this time his name
occurs in every enumeration of English poetical writers, till he
appears, more than justifying this early appreciation of his genius, as
Chaucer's not unworthy successor, in the _Faery Queen_. Afterwards, as
other successful poetry was written, and the standards of taste were
multiplied, this first enthusiastic reception cooled down. In James the
First's time, Spenser's use of "old outworn words" is criticized as
being no more "practical English" than Chaucer or Skelton: it is not
"courtly" enough.[49:5] The success