of Essex to Ireland. * * * * * THE FAERIE QUEENE * * * * * LETTER TO SIR WALTER RALEIGH A LETTER of the Authors expounding his whole intention in the course of this worke;[1] which, for that it giveth great light to the reader, for the better understanding is hereunto annexed. TO THE RIGHT NOBLE AND VALOROUS SIR WALTER RALEIGH, KNIGHT. _Lo: Wardein of the Stanneries, and her majesties lieutenaunt of the countie of Cornewayll._ SIR, Knowing how doubtfully all Allegories may be constructed, and this booke of mine, which I have entituled _The Faery Queene_, being a continued Allegorie, or darke conceit, I have thought good, as well for avoyding of jealous opinions and misconstructions, as also for your better light in reading thereof, (being so, by you commanded) to discover unto you the generall intention and meaning, which in the whole course thereof I have fashioned, without expressing of any particular purposes, or by-accidents therein occasioned. The generall end therefore of all the booke, is to fashion a gentleman or noble person in vertuous and gentle discipline. Which for that I conceived shoulde be most plausible and pleasing, beeing coloured with an historicall fiction, the which the most part of men delight to read, rather for varietie of matter than for profit of the ensample: I chose the historie of king Arthure, as most fit for the excellencie of his person, beeing made famous by many mens former workes, and also furthest from the danger of envie, and suspicion of present time. In which I have followed all the antique poets historicall: first Homer, who in the persons of Agamemnon and Ulysses hath ensampled a good governour and a vertuous man, the one in his _Ilias_, the other in his _Odysseis_: then Virgil, whose like intention was to doe in the person of _Aeneas_: after him Ariosto comprised them both in his _Orlando_: and lately Tasso dissevered them againe, and formed both parts in two persons, namely, that part which they in philosophy call _Ethice_, or vertues of a private man, coloured in his _Rinaldo_: the other named _Politice_, in his _Godfredo_. By ensample of which excellent Poets, I laboure to pourtraict in Arthure, before he was king, the image of a brave knight, perfected in the twelve private morall vertues, as Aristotle hath devised: which if I find to be well accepted, I may be perhaps encoraged to frame the other part of pollitike vertues in his person, after he came to bee king.