the sweet Belphoebe, the gallant Britomart, and the brave troop of knights, Arthur the magnanimous, the Red-Cross Knight, the holy and hardly-tried, the just Artegall, and all their triumphs over Archimagos, false Duessas, and the might of dragon natures. This was a life, a labor which clothed the ground with golden flowers, made heaven look forth from between the clouds and the mountain tops, and songs of glory wake on the winds that swept past his towers. Here he accomplished and saw given to the world half his great work--a whole, and an immortal whole as it regarded his fame and great mission in the world--to breathe lofty and unselfish thoughts into the souls of men; to make truth, purity, and high principle the objects of desire. Here, too, he married the woman of his heart, chosen on the principle of his poetry, not for her lands, but for her beauty and her goodness. Nothing is known of her, not even her name, except that it was Elizabeth, that she was eminently beautiful, and of low degree. Some conjecture her to be of Cork, and a merchant's daughter, but Spenser himself says she was a country lass. Thus, in the Faërie Queene: "Such were these goddesses which you did see: But that _fourth maid_, which there amid them traced Who can aread what creature may she bee; Whether a creature, or a goddess graced With heavenly gifts from heaven first enraced! But whatso sure she was, she worthy was To be the fourth with these three other placed: Yet was she certes but a country lasse; Yet she all other country lasses far did passe. So far, as doth the daughter of the day All other lesser lights in light excell: So far doth she in beautiful array Above all other lasses bear the bell: Ne less in virtue that beseemes her well Doth she exceede the rest of all her race; For which the Graces that there wont to dwell Have for more honor brought her to this place, And gracéd her so much to be another Grace. Another Grace she well deserves to be, In whom so many graces gathered are, Excelling much the mean of her degree; Divine resemblance, beauty sovereign rare, Firm chastity, that spight no blemish dare; All which she with such courtesie doth grace That all her peres can not with her compare, But quite are dimméd when she is in place; She made me often pipe, and now to pipe apace.