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.
To some I know this Methode will seem displeasant,
which had rather have good discipline delivered plainly
in way of precepts, or sermoned at large, as they
use, then thus clowdily enwrapped in Allegoricall devises.
But such, mee seeme, should be satisfied with the
use of these dayes, seeing all things accounted by
their showes, and nothing esteemed of, that is not
delightfull and pleasing to common sense. For
this cause is Xenophon preferred before Plato, for
that the one, in the exquisite depth of his judgement,
formed a Commune-wealth, such as it should be; but
the other, in the person of Cyrus and the Persians,
fashioned a government, such as might best be:
So much more profitable and gracious is doctrine by
ensample then by rule. So have I laboured to
do in the person of Arthure: whom I conceive,
after his long education by Timon (to whom he was by
Merlin delivered to be brought up, so soone as he
was borne of the Lady Igrayne) to have seen in a dreame
or vision the Faerie Queene, with whose excellent
beautie ravished, hee awaking, resolved to seek her
out: and so, being by Merlin armed, and by Timon
throughly instructed, he went to seeke her forth in
Faery land. In that Faery Queene I mean Glory
in my generall intention: but in my particular
I conceive the most excellent and glorious person
of our soveraine the Queene, and her kingdome in Faery
land. And yet, in some places else, I doe otherwise
shadow her. For considering shee beareth two
persons, the one of a most royall Queene or Empresse,
the other of a most vertuous and beautifull lady,
this latter part in some places I doe expresse in
Belphoebe, fashioning her name according to your owne
excellent conceipt of Cynthia,[2] (Phoebe and Cynthia
being both names of Diana). So in the person
of Prince Arthure I sette forth magnificence in particular,
which vertue, for that (according to Aristotle and
the rest) it is the perfection of all the rest, and
containeth in it them all, therefore in the whole
course I mention the deeds of Arthure appliable to
the vertue, which I write of in that booke. But
of the twelve other vertues I make XII other knights
the patrons, for the more varietie of the historic:
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