FAME.
46
47
48 A
49 Letter of the Authors expounding his
50 _whole intention in the course of this worke: which_
51 for that it giueth great light to the Reader, for
52 the better vnderstanding is hereunto
53 annexed.
54
55 _To the Right noble, and Valorous, Sir Walter_
56 Raleigh knight, Lo. Wardein of the Stanneryes, and
57 her Maiesties liefetenaunt of the County of Corne-
58 wayll.
59
60 _Sir knowing how doubtfully all Allegories may be
61 construed, and this booke of mine, which I haue entituled the
62 Faery Queene, being a continued Allegory, or darke conceit, I
63 haue thought good aswell for auoyding of gealous opinions and
64 misconstructions, as also for your better light in reading
65 therof, (being so by you commanded,) to discouer vnto you
66 the general intention and meaning, which in the whole
67 course thereof I haue fashioned, without expressing of any
68 particular purposes or by accidents therein occasioned. The
69 generall end therefore of all the booke is to fashion a
70 gentleman or noble person in vertuous and gentle discipline:
71 Which for that I conceiued shoulde be most plausible and
72 pleasing, being coloured with an historicall fiction, the which
73 the most part of men delight to read, rather for variety of
74 matter, then for profite of the ensample: I chose the historye of
75 king Arthure, as most fitte for the excellency of his person,
76 being made famous by many mens former workes, and also
77 furthest from the daunger of enuy, and suspition of present
78 time. In which I haue followed all the antique Poets
79 historicall, first Homere, who in the Persons of Agamemnon
80 and Vlysses hath ensampled a good gouernour and a vertuous
81 man, the one in his Ilias, the other in his Odysseis: then
82 Virgil, whose like intention was to doe in the person of
83 Aeneas: after him Ariosto comprised them both in his
84 Orlando: and lately Tasso disseuered them againe, and formed
85 both parts in two persons, namely that part which they in
86 Philosophy call Ethice, or vertues of a priuate man, coloured
87 in his Rinaldo: The other named Politice in his Godfredo.
88 By ensample of which excellente Poets, I labour to pourtraict in
89 Arthure, before