ON THE POLITICAL ALLEGORY IN "THE FAERIE 



QUEENE "^ 



BY PHILO M. BUCK, JR. 



Spenser himself has told us that underlying the moral allegory 

 of the Faerie Qiieene we shall find, if we look closely enough, an 

 historical allegory, perhaps far less distinct in outline, but cer- 

 tainly not less interesting. " In the Faery Queene (he says in his 

 letter to Raleigh) I mean glory in my general intention ; but in 

 my particular, I conceive the most excellent and glorious person 

 of our Soveraine the Queene, and her kingdom in Faery Land." 



Again in the Introduction to the Third Book — 



" But, O dredd soveraine, 

 Thus far forth pardon, sith that choicest witt 

 Cannot your glorious pourtrait figure playne, 

 That I in colour'd showes may shadow itt, 

 And antique praises unto present persons fitt." 



And in the Introduction to the Second Book — 



" And thou, O fairest princesse under sky, 

 In this f ayre mirrhour maist behold thy face ; 

 And thine own realmes in lond of Faery, 

 And in this Antique image thy great ancestry." 



Furthermore, in the sonnets addressed to the Earl of Oxford, 

 the Earl of Essex, Lord Howard of Efifingham, Lord Hunsdon, 

 and Sir John Norris he directly states that they have a place in 

 the allegory. The dedication, then, to the queen of " these his 

 labours to live with the Eternities of her Fame " is no daring 



^ The allegory that underlies the narrative of the first three books is 

 taken up in this article. These books are all that composed the first 

 edition of the poem. The fourth, fifth and sixth books were written 

 after the poet's return to Ireland from a visit to England. In them, as I 

 shall hope to show in a later article, the allegory, instead of having to do 

 with the larger and better known affairs of Elizabeth's reign, is more or 

 less episodical in character and deals largely with court gossip. 



