Abby Sage Richardson

“ EDMUND SPENSER, the author of “The Faery Queen,” was born somewhere in the shadow of the Tower of London, in the year 1553, when Queen Elizabeth was mistress of the English throne. Whether he was of “good blood,” as the genealogists would call it, we do not know. His veins ran blood refined by pure poetic fires, and that is enough for us who love him. ”

“ Then the poet was forced to seek some wealthy patron, who would keep him, as he kept a fine horse or a rare breed of dog, and throw him some crumbs of preferment, or a purse of gold, now and then, so that the poor verse-maker might not starve over his work. ”

“ After a long time he went to Ireland as secretary to the lord-deputy, and soon after this he had a grant of land in Ireland made him by the Queen, and a castle given him for his dwelling-place. This land of which he had a share was part of a grant made by the crown to Sir Walter Raleigh, in his days of prosperity, and I always like to believe that Raleigh himself was interested in apportioning the poet with some of these broad acres. ”