The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser, Volume 5 - Edmund Spenser
I pray you bethinks you well hereof, good Maister G., and forth with
write me those two or three special points and caueats for the nonce;
_De quibus in superioribus illis mellitissimus longissimisque litteris
tuis._ Your desire to heare of my late beeing with hir Maiestie muste
dye in it selfe. As for the twoo worthy gentle men, Master Sidney and
Master Dyer, they haue me, I thanke them, in some vse of familiarity; of
whom and to whome what speache passeth for youre credite and estimation
I leaue your selfe to conceiue, hauing alwayes so well conceiued of my
vnfained affection and zeale towardes you. And nowe they haue proclaimed
in their [Greek: hareiophaga] a generall surceasing and silence of balde
rymers, and also of the verie beste to; in steade whereof they haue, by
authoritie of their whole senate, prescribed certaine lawes and rules of
quantities of English sillables for English verse; hauing had thereof
already greate practise, and drawen mee to their faction. Newe bookes I
heare of none, but only of one* [* Stephen Gosson.], that
writing a certaine booke called _The Schoole of Abuse_, and dedicating
it to Maister Sidney, was for hys labor scorned; if, at leaste, it be in
the goodnesse of that nature to scorne. Such follie is it not to regard
aforehande the inclination and qualitie of him to whome wee dedicate
oure bookes. Suche mighte I happily incurre, entituling _My Slomber_,
and the other pamphlets, vnto his honor. I meant them rather to Maister
Dyer. But I am of late more in loue wyth my Englishe versifying than
with ryming: whyche I should haue done long since, if I would then haue
followed your councell. _Sed te solum iam tum suspicabar cum Aschamo
sapere; nunc aulam video egregios alere poetas Anglicos_. Maister E.K.
hartily desireth to be commended vnto your worshippe: of whome what
accompte he maketh youre selfe shall hereafter perceiue by hys paynefull
and dutifull verses of your selfe.
Thus muche was written at Westminster yesternight; but comming this
morning, beeyng the sixteenth of October [1579], to Mystresse Kerkes, to
haue it deliuered to the carrier, I receyued youre letter, sente me the
laste weeke; whereby I perceiue you otherwhiles continue your old
exercise of versifying in English,--whych glorie I had now thought
whoulde haue bene onely ours heere at London and the court.
Truste me, your verses I like passingly well, and enuye your hidden
paines in this kinde, or rather maligne and grudge at your selfe, that
woulde not once imparte so muche to me. But once or twice you make a
breache in Maister Drants rules: _quod tamen condonabimus tanto poetae,
tuaeque ipsius maximae in his rebus autoritati._ You shall see, when we
meete in London, (whiche when it shall be, certifye vs,) howe fast I
haue followed after you in that course: beware, leaste in time I
ouertake you. _Veruntamen te solum sequar, (vt saepenumero sum
professus,) nunquam sane assequar dum viuam._ And nowe requite I you
with the like, not with the verye beste, but with the verye shortest,
namely, with a few _Iambickes_. I dare warrant, they be precisely
perfect for the feete, (as you can easily iudge,) and varie not one inch
from the rule. I will imparte yours to Maister Sidney and Maister Dyer,
at my nexte going to the courte. I praye you keepe mine close to your
selfe, or your verie entire friendes, Maister Preston, Maister Still,
and the reste.
_Iambicum Trimetrum_
Vnhappie Verse, the witnesse of my vnhappie state,
Make thy selfe fluttring wings of thy fast flying
Thought, and fly forth vnto my love whersoeuer she be:
Whether lying reastlesse in heauy bedde, or else
Sitting so cheerelesse at the cheerfull boorde, or else
Playing alone carelesse on hir heauenlie virginals.
If in bed, tell hir, that my eyes can take no reste;
If at boorde, tell hir, that my mouth can eate no meate;
If at hir virginals, tel hir, I can heare no mirth.
Asked why? say, Waking loue suffereth no sleepe;
Say, that raging loue dothe appall the weake stomacke;
Say, that lamenting loue marreth the musicall.
Tell hir, that hir pleasures were wonte to lull me asleepe;
Tell hir, that hir beautie was wonte to feede mine eyes;
Tell hir, that hir sweete tongue was wonte to make me mirth.
Nowe doe I nightly waste, wanting my kindely reste;
Nowe doe I dayly starue, wanting my liuely foode;
Nowe doe I alwayes dye, wanting thy timely mirth.
And if I waste, who will bewaile my heauy chaunce?
And if I starue, who will record my cursed end?
And if I dye, who will saye, _This was Immerito?_
I thought once agayne here to haue made an ende, with heartie _Vale_, of
the best fashion; but loe, an ylfavoured mys chaunce. My last farewell,
whereof I made great accompt, and muche maruelled you shoulde make no
mention thereof, I am nowe tolde, (in the diuel's name,) was thorough
one mans negligence quite forgotten, but shoulde nowe vndoubtedly haue
beene sent, whether I hadde come or no. Seing it can now be no
otherwise, I pray you take all togither, wyth all their faults: and nowe
I hope you will vouchsafe mee an answeare of the largest size, or else I
tell you true, you shall bee verye deepe in my debte; notwythstandyng
thys other sweete but shorte letter, and fine, but fewe verses. But I
woulde rather I might yet see youre owne good selfe, and receiue a
reciprocall farewell from your owne sweete mouth.
_Ad ornatissimum virum, multis iam diu nominibus clarissimum,
G. H., Immerito sui, mox in Gallias nauigaturi,_ [Greek: Eutuchein]
Sic malus egregium, sic non inimicus amicum,
Sicque nouus veterem iubet ipse poeta poetam
Saluere, ac caelo, post secula multa, secundo,
Iam reducem, (caelo mage quam nunc ipse sccundo)
Vtier. Ecce deus, (modo sit deus ille, renixum
Qui vocet in scelus, et iuratos perdat amores)
Ecce deus mihi clara dedit modo signa marinus,
Et sua veligero lenis parat aequora ligno
Mox sulcanda; suas etiam pater AEolus iras
Ponit, et ingentes animos Aquilonis.
Cuncta vijs sic apta meis: ego solus ineptus.
Nam mihi nescio quo mens saucia vulnere, dudum
Fluctuat ancipiti pelago, dum navita proram
Inualidam validus rapit huc Amor, et rapit illuc
Consilijs Ratio melioribus vsa, Decusque
Immortale leui diffissa Cupidinis arcu*:
[* This line appears to be corrupt.]
Angimur hoc dubio, et portu vexamur in ipso.
Magne pharetrati nunc tu contemptor Amoris,
(Id tibi Dij nomen precor haud impune remittant)
Hos nodos exsolue, et eris mihi magnus Apollo!
Spiritus ad summos, scio, te generosus honores
Exstimulat, majusque docet spirare poetam.
Quam leuis est Amor, et tamen haud leuis est Amor omnis.
Ergo nihil laudi reputas aequale perenni,
Praeque sacrosancta splendoris imagine tanti,
Caetera, quae vecors, vti numina, vulgus adorat,
Praedia, amicitias, vrbana peculia, nummos,
Quaeque placent oculis, formas, spectacula, amores,
Conculcare soles, vt humum, et ludibria sensus:
Digna meo certe Haruejo sententia, digna
Oratore amplo, et generoso pectore, quam non
Stoica formidet veterum sapientia vinclis
Sancire aeternis: sapor haud tamen omnibus idem.
Dicitur effoeti proles facunda Laertae,
Quamlibet ignoti iactata per aequora caeli,
Inque procelloso longum exsul gurgite ponto,
Prae tamen amplexu lachrymosae conjugis, ortus
Caelestes, Diuumque thoros spreuisse beatos.
Tantum amor, et mulier, vel amore potetitior. Ilium
Tu tamen illudis; tua magnificentia tanta est:
Praeque subumbrata splendoris imagine tanti,
Praeque illo meritis famosis nomine parto,
Caetera, quae vecors, vti numina, vulgus adorat,
Praedia, amicitias, armenta, peculia, nummos,
Quaeque placent oculis, formas, spectacula, amores,
Quaeque placent ori, quaeque auribus, omnia temnis.
Nae tu grande sapis! sapor et sapientia non est:
Omnis et in paruis bene qui scit desipuisse,
Saepe supercilijs palmam sapientibus aufert.
Ludit Aristippum modo tetrica turba sophorum,
Mitia purpureo moderantem verba tyranno;
Ludit Aristippus dictamina vana sophorum,
Quos leuis emensi male torquet Culicis vmbra:
Et quisquis placuisse studet heroibus altis,
Desipuisse studet; sic gratia crescit ineptis.
Denique laurigeris quisquis sua tempora vittis
Insignire volet, populoque placere fauenti,
Desipere insanus discit, turpemque pudendae
Stultitiae laudem quaerit. Pater Ennuis vnus
Dictus in innumeris sapiens: laudatur at ipse
Carmina vesano fudisse liquentia vino.
Nec tu, pace tua, nostri Cato Maxime saecli,
Nomen honorati sacrum mereare poetae,
Quantumvis illustre canas, et nobile carmen,
Ni _stultire_ velis; sic stultorum omnia plena.
Tuta sed in medio superest via gurgite; nam qui
Nec reliquis nimium vult desipuisse videri,
Nec sapuisse nimis, sapientem dixeris vnum:
Hinc te merserit vnda, illine combusserit ignis.
Nec tu delicias nimis aspernare fluentes,
Nec sero dominam venientem in vota, nec aurum,
Si sapis, oblatum: (Curijs ea, Fabricijsque
Grande sui decus ij, nostri sed dedecus aeui;)
Nec sectare nimis: res vtraque crimine plena.
Hoc bene qui callet, (si quis tamen hoc bene callet,)
Scribe vel invito sapientem hunc Socrate solum.
Vis facit vna pios, iustos facit altera, et alt'ra
Egregie cordata ac fortia pectora: verum
_Omne tulit punctum, qui miscuit vtile dulci._
Dij mihi dulce diu dederant, verum vtile nunquam:
Vtile nunc etiam, o vtinam quoque dulce dedissent.
Dij mihi, (quippe Dijs aequalia maxima paruis,)
Ni nimis inuideant mortalibus esse beatis,
Dulce simul tribuisse queant, simul vtile: tanta
Sed fortuna tua est: pariter quaeque vtile, quaeque
Dulce dat ad placitum: sseuo nos sydere nati
Quaesitum imus eam per inhospita Caucasa longe,
Perque Pyrenaeos montes, Babilonaque turpem.
Quod si quaesitum nec ibi invenerimus, ingens
AEquor inexhaustis permensi erroribus vltra
Fluctibus in medijs socij quaeremus Vlyssis:
Passibus inde deam fessis comitabimur aegram,
Nobile cui furtum quaerenti defuit orbis.
Namque sinu pudet in patrio tenebrisque pudendis,
Non nimis ingenio iuuenem infoelice virentes
Officijs frustra deperdere vilibus annos,
Frugibus et vacuas speratis cernere spicas.
Ibimus ergo statim, (quis eutiti fausta precetur?)
Et pede clivosas fesso calcabimus Alpes.
Quis dabit interea, conditas rore Britanno,
Quis tibi litterulas, quis carmen amore petulcum!
Musa sub Oebalij desueta cacumine mentis,
Flebit inexhausto tarn longa silentia planctu,
Lugebitque sacrum lacrymis Helicona tacentem.
Harueiusque bonus, (charus licet omnibus idem,)
Idque suo merito prope suauior omnibus, vnus
Angelus et Gabriel, quamuis comitatus araicis
Innumeris, geniumque choro stipatus amaeno,
_Immerito_ tamen vnum absentem saepe requiret;
Optabitque, Utinam meus hic _Edmundus_ adesset,
Qui noua scripsisset, nee amores conticuisset,
Ipse suos; et saepe animo verbisque benignis
Fausta precaretur, _Deus illum aliqaundo reducat_. &c.
Plura vellem per Charites, sed non licet per Musas.
Vale, Vale plurimum, Mi amabilissime Harueie, meo cordi, meorum
omnium longe charissime.
I was minded also to haue sent you some English verses, or rymes, for a
farewell; but, by my troth, I haue no spare time in the world to thinke
on such toyes, that, you knowe, will demaund a freer head than mine is
presently. I beseeche you by all your curtesies and graces, let me be
answered ere I goe; which will be (I hope, I feare, I thinke) the next
weeke, if I can be dispatched of my Lorde. I goe thither, as sent by
him, and maintained most what of him; and there am to employ my time, my
body, my minde, to his Honours seruice. Thus, with many superhartie
commendations and recommendations to your selfe, and all my friendes
with you, I ende my last farewell, not thinking any more to write vnto
you before I goe; and withall committing to your faithfull credence the
eternall memorie of our euerlasting friendship; the inuiolable memorie
of our ynspotted friendshippe, the sacred memorie of our vowed
friendship; which I beseech you continue with vsuall writings, as you
may, and of all things let me hears some newes from you: as gentle M.
Sidney, I thanke his good worship, hath required of me, and so promised
to doe againe. _Qui monet, vt facias, quod iam facis_, you knowe the
rest. You may alwayes send them most safely to me by Mistresse Kerke,
and by none other. So once againe, and yet once more, farewell most
hardly, mine owne good Master H., and loue me, as I loue you, and thinke
vpon poore Immerito, as he thinketh vppon you.
Leyc'ester House, this 5 [16*] of October, 1579.
[*: See Appendix II, para. 3:2.]
_Per mare, per terras,
Viuus mortuusque,
Tuus Immerito_.
* * * * *
_To my long approoued and singular good frende,
Master G. H._
GOOD MASTER H.:--
I doubt not but you haue some great important matter in hande, which al
this while restraineth your penne, and wonted readinesse in prouoking me
vnto that wherein yourselfe nowe faulte. If there bee any such thing in
hatching, I pray you hartily lette vs knowe, before al the worlds see
it. But if happly you dwell altogither in Iustinians Courte, and giue
your selfe to be devoured of secreate studies, as of all likelyhood you
doe, yet at least imparte some your olde or newe, Latine or Englishe,
eloquent and gallant poesies to vs, from whose eves, you saye, you keepe
in a manner nothing hidden. Little newes is here stirred, but that olde
greate matter still depending. His Honoure neuer better. I thinke the
earthquake wyth you (which I would gladly learne), as it was here with
vs; ouerthrowing diuers old buildings and peeces of churches. Sure verye
straunge to be hearde of in these countries, and yet I heare some saye
(I knowe not howe truely) that they haue knowne the like before in their
dayes. _Sed quid vobis videtur magnis philosophis?_ I like your late
Englishe hexameters so exceedingly well, that I also enure my penne
sometime in that kinde: whyche I fynd, indeede, as I haue heard you
often defende in worde, neither so harde nor so harshe, that it will
easily and fairely yeelde it selfe to oure moother tongue. For the onely
or chiefest hardnesse whych seemeth is in the accente, whyche sometime
gapeth, and as it were yawneth ilfauouredly, comming shorte of that it
should, and sometime exceeding the measure of the number; as in
_carpenter_, the middle sillable being vsed shorte in speache, when it
shall be read long in verse, seemeth like a lame gosling, that draweth
one legge after hir: and _heauen_, beeing vsed shorte as one sillable,
when it is in verse, stretched out with a _diastole_, is like a lame
dogge that holdes vp one legge. But it is to be wonne with custome, and
rough words must be subdued with vse. For why, a God's name, may not we,
as else the Greekes, haue the kingdome of oure owne language, and
measure our accents by the sounde, reseruing the quantitie to the verse?
Loe, here I let you see my olde vse of toying in rymes, turned into your
artificiall straightnesse of verse by this _tetrasticon_. I beseech you
tell me your fancie, without parcialitie.
See yee the blindefolded pretie god, that feathered archer,
Of louers miseries which maketh his bloodie game?
Wote ye why his moother with a veale hath coouered his face?
Trust me, least he my looue happely chaunce to beholde.
Seeme they comparable to those two which I translated you _ex tempore_
in bed, the last time we lay togither in Westminster?
That which I eate, did I ioy, and that which I greedily gorged;
As for those many goodly matters leaft I for others.
I would hartily wish you would either send me the rules and precepts of
arte which you obscrue in quantities, or else followe mine, that M.
Philip Sidney gave me, being the very same which M. Drant deuised, but
enlarged with M. Sidneys own iudgement, and augmented with my
obseruations, that we might both accorde and agree in one; leaste we
ouerthrowe one an other, and be ouerthrown of the rest. Truste me, you
will hardly beleeue what greate good liking and estimation Maister Dyer
had of your _Satyricall Verses_, and I, since the viewe thereof, hauing
before of my selfe had speciall liking of Englishe versifying, am euen
nowe aboute to giue you some token what and howe well therein I am able
to doe: for, to tell you trueth, I minde shortely, at conuenient
leysure, to sette forth a booke in this kinde, whyche I entitle,
_Epithalamion Thamesis_, whyche booke I dare vndertake wil be very
profitable for the knowledge, and rare for the inuention and manner of
handling. For in setting forth the marriage of the Thames, I shewe his
first beginning, and offspring, and all the countrey that he passeth
thorough, and also describe all the riuers throughout Englande, whyche
came to this wedding, and their righte names and right passage, &c.; a
worke, beleeue me, of much labour, wherein notwithstanding Master
Holinshed hath muche furthered and aduantaged me, who therein hath
bestowed singular paines in searching oute their firste heades and
sourses, and also in tracing and dogging onto all their course, til they
fall into the sea.
_O Tite, siquid ego,
Ecquid erit pretij?_
But of that more hereafter. Nowe, my _Dreames_ and _Dying Pellicane_
being fully finished (as I partelye signified in my laste letters) and
presentlye to bee imprinted, I wil in hande forthwith with my _Faery
Queene_, whyche I praye you hartily send me with al expedition: and your
frendly letters, and long expected judgement wythal, whyche let not be
shorte, but in all pointes suche as you ordinarilye vse and I
extraordinarily desire. _Multum vale. Westminster. Quarto Nonas
Aprilis, 1580. Sed, amabo te, meum Corculum tibi se ex animo commendat
plurimum: iamdiu mirata, te nihil ad literas suas responsi dedisse.
Vide quaeso, ne id tibi capitale sit: mihi certe quidem erit, neque tibi
hercle impune, vt opinor. Iterum vale, et quam voles soepe._
Yours alwayes, to commaunde,
IMMERITO.
_Postcripte._
I take best my _Dreames_ shoulde come forth alone, being growen, by
meanes of the Glosse (running continually in maner of a paraphrase),
full as great as my _Calendar_ Therin be some things excellently, and
many things wittily, discoursed of E. K., and the pictures so singularly
set forth and purtrayed, as if Michael Angelo were there, he could (I
think) nor amende the beste, nor reprehende the worst. I knowe you
woulde lyke them passing wel. Of my _Stemmata Dudleiana_, and especially
of the sundry apostrophes therein, addressed you knowe to whome, muste
more aduisement be had, than so lightly to sende them abroade: howbeit,
trust me, (though I doe never very well,) yet, in my owne fancie, I
neuer dyd better: _Veruntamen te sequor solum; nunquam vero assequar._
* * * * *
_Extract from Harvey's Reply._
But Master Collin Cloute is not euery body, and albeit his olde
companions, Master Cuddy & Master Hobbinoll, be as little be holding to
their Mistresse Poetrie as euer you wist, yet he peraduenture, by the
meanes of hir speciall fauour, and some personall priuiledge, may
happely line by Dying Pellicanes, and purchase great landes and
lordshippes with the money which his Calendar and Dreames haue and will
affourde him. _Extra iocum_, I like your Dreames passingly well; and the
rather, bicause they sauour of that singular extraordinarie veine and
inuention whiche I euer fancied moste, and in a manner admired onelye in
Lucian, Petrarche, Aretine, Pasquill, and all the most delicate and fine
conceited Grecians and Italians, (for the Romanes to speake of are but
verye ciphars in this kinde,) whose chiefest endeuour and drifte was to
haue nothing vulgare, but, in some respecte or other, and especially in
liuely hyperbolicall amplifications, rare, queint, and odde in euery
pointe, and, as a man woulde saye, a degree or two, at the leaste, aboue
the reache and compasse of a common scholars capacitie. In whiche
respecte notwithstanding, as well for the singularitie of the manner as
the diuinitie of the matter, I hearde once a diuine preferre Saint Iohns
Reuelation before al the veriest metaphysicall visions and iolliest
conceited dreames or extasies that euer were deuised by one or other,
howe admirable or super excellent soeuer they seemed otherwise to the
worlde. And truely I am so confirmed in this opinion, that when I
bethinke me of the verie notablest and moste wonderful propheticall or
poeticall vision that euer I read, or hearde, meseemeth the proportion
is so vnequall, that there hardly appeareth anye semblaunce of
comparison: no more in a manner (specially for poets) than doth betweene
the incomprehensible wisedome of God and the sensible wit of man. But
what needeth this digression betweene you and me? I dare saye you wyll
holde your selfe reasonably wel satisfied, if youre Dreames be but as
well esteemed of in Englande as Petrarches Visions be in Italy; whiche,
I assure you, is the very worst I wish you. But see how I haue the arte
memoratiue at commaundement. In good faith, I had once again nigh
forgotten your Faerie Queene: howbeit, by good chaunce, I haue nowe sent
hir home at the laste, neither in better nor worse case than I founde
hir. And must you of necessitie haue my iudgement of hir indeede? To be
plaine, I am voyde of al iudgement, if your nine Comoedies, whervnto, in
imitation of Herodotus, you giue the names of the nine Muses, (and in
one mans fansie not vnworthily), come not neerer Ariostoes comoedies,
eyther for the finesse of plausible elocution or the rarenesse of
poetical inuention, than that Eluish Queene doth to his Orlando Furioso;
which, notwithstanding, you wil needes seeme to emulate, and hope to
ouergo, as you flatly professed yourself in one of your last letters.
Besides that, you know, it hath bene the vsual practise of the most
exquisite and odde wittes in all nations, and specially in Italie,
rather to shewe and aduaunce themselues that way than any other; as,
namely, those three notorious dyscoursing heads, Bibiena, Machiauel, and
Aretine, did, (to let Bembo and Ariosto passe,) with the great
admiration and wonderment of the whole countrey: being, in deede,
reputed matchable in all points, both for conceyt of witte and eloquent
decyphering of matters, either with Aristophanes and Menander in Greek,
or with Plautus and Terence in Latin, or with any other in any other
tong. But I wil not stand greatly with you in your owne matters. If so
be the Faerye Queeue be fairer in your eie than the nine Muses, and
Hobgoblin runne away with the garland from Apollo, marke what I saye:
and yet I will not say that I thought, but there an end for this once,
and fare you well, till God or some good aungell putte you in a better
minde.
APPENDIX III.
INDEX OF PROPER NAMES.
Abessa, i.
Abus, ii.
Achilles, v.
Acidalian Mount, iii.; iv.
Acontius, ii.
Acrasiai, ii.
Actea, iii.
Adicia, iii.
Adin, ii.
Adonis, Gardens of, ii.; v.
Aeacidee, iv.
Aedus, iii.
Aegerie, ii.
Aegina, ii.
Aemylia, iii.
Aeneas, ii.
Aesculapius, i.
Aeson, v.
Aetion, iv.
Agamemnon, v.
Agape, iii.
Agave, iii.
Agdistes, ii.
Agenor, iii.
Aggannip of Celtica, ii.
Aglaia, iv.
Aglaura, iv.
Alabaster, iv.
Aladine, iv.
Alane, iv.
Albanact, ii.
Albania, ii.
Albany, iii.
Albion, ii.
Alceste, v.
Alcluid, ii.
Alcmena, ii.; brood of, v.
Alcon, iv.; v.
Alcyon, iv.; v.
Alcides, ii.; iii.
Alebius, iii.
Alexander, ii.; iii.
Alexis, iv.
Algrind, iv.
Alimeda, iii.
Allan, ii.
Allectus, ii.
Allo, iii.; iv.
Alma, ii.
Alpheus, iii.
Amaryllis, iv.
Amavia, i.
Amazon (river), i.
Ambition, ii.
Ambrosia, ii.; v.
Ambrosius, King, ii.
America, ii.
Amidas, iii.
Amintas, ii.
Amoret, ii.; iii.
Amoretta, ii.
Amphisa, ii.
Amphitrite (Nereid), iii.
Amyas, iii.
Amyntas, iii.
Anamnestes, ii.
Anchyses, ii.
Androgeus, ii.
Angela, ii.
Angles, ii.
Antiochus, i.
Antiopa, ii.
Antiquitiee of Faery Lond, ii.
Antonius, i.
Aon, iii.
Ape (the), v.
Apollo, ii.
Appetite, ii.
Aprill, iv.
Arachne, v.
Aragnoll, v.
Arcady, iv.
Archigald, ii.
Archimago, i.; ii.
Ardenne, iii.
Ardeyn, iv.
Argante, ii.
Argo, ii.
Argonauts, iii.
Ariadne, iv.
Arion, iii.
Arlo-hill, iv.
Armeddan, iii.
Armoricke, ii.
Armulla, iv.
Arne, ii.
Arras, ii.
Artegall, ii.; iii.; iv.
Artegall, Legend of, iii.
Arthure, Prince, i.; ii.; iii.; iv.
Arvirage, ii.
Asclepiodate, ii.
Ascraean bard, v.
Asie, ii.
Asopus, iii.
Assaracus, ii.
Assyrian Lyonesse, v.
Asterie, ii.; v.
Astraea, iii.
Astraeus, iii.
Astrophell, iv.
Atalanta, ii.
Ate, ii.; iii.
Athens, ii.
Athos, Mount, v.
Atin, i.; ii.
Atlas, ii.
Atropos, iii.
Aubrian, iii.
August, iv.
Augustine, ii.
Augustus, v.
Autonoe, iii.
Autumne, iv.
Avarice, i.
Avon, iii.
Awe, iii.
Babell, ii.
Babylon, iii.; v.
Bacchante, ii.
Bacchus, iii.
Baetus, v.
Ball, iv.
Ban, iii.
Bandon, iii.
Bangor, ii.
Barnaby, v.
Barow, iii.
Barry, ii.
Bartas, v.
Basciante, ii.
Bath, i.; iii.
Bedford, v.
Belgae, iii.
Belgard, castle of, iv.
Belgicke, i.
Belinus, ii.
Bellamoure, Sir, iv.
Bellay, v.
Bellisont, Sir, iii.
Bellodant, iii.
Bellona, ii.; iv.
Belphoebe, i.; ii.; iii.; v.
Belus, iii.
Biblis, ii.
Berecynthian goddesse, v.
Bilbo, v.
Bisaltis, ii.
Blacke-water, iii.
Bladud, ii.
Blandamour, iii.
Blandford, iii.
Blandina, iv.
Blatant Beast, iii.; iv.
Blomius, iii.
Boccace, iv.
Bonfont, iii.
Bowre of Blis, i.; ii.
Boyne, iii.
Bracidas, iii.
Braggadocchio, i.; ii.; iii.
Breane, iii.
Bregog, iv.
Brennus, ii.
Briana, iv.
Brianor, Sir, iii.
Brigadore, viii.
Bristow, iii.
Britany, ii.
Britomart, ii.; iii.
Britomartis, Legend of, ii.
Britonesse, ii.
Briton Moniments, ii.
Briton Prince, i.; ii.; iii.
Broad-water, iv.
Brockwell, ii.
Brontes, iii.
Bronteus, iii.
Bruin, Sir, iv.
Bruncheval, iii.
Brunchild, ii.
Brunell, iii.
Brute, ii.
Brutus, ii.
Brytayne, Greater, ii.
Buckhurst, Lord of, i.
Bunduca, ii.; v.
Burbon, iii.
Burleigh, Lord, i.
Busyrane, ii.; iii.
Buttevant, iv.
Byze, v.