The voices / 74 fragments

Edmund Spenser

1553 AD — 1599 AD

Listed in the author section of Bartlett’s ninth-edition anthology, in the linked 1905 printing. Dates reflect that historical edition and may differ from modern scholarship.

Author and source reference ↗

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Historical source references

Faerie Queene
An Hymne in Honour of Beautie
The Shepheardes Calender
Mother Hubberds Tale
Muiopotmos: or, The Fate of the Butterflie
Daphnaida, v
Amoretti, lxx
Lines on his Promised Pension
Epithalamion
Printed citation: Spenser
Page 25 · printed citation: Spenser (Faerie Queene 2, XII, 67)
Page 205 · printed citation: Edmund Spenser (Daphnaïda)
Page 28 · printed citation: Spenser · subject: ANGELS
Page 44 · printed citation: Spenser · subject: AVARICE
Page 87 · printed citation: Spenser · subject: BOUNTY
Page 137 · printed citation: Spenser · subject: CONCORD
Page 183 · printed citation: Spenser · subject: DEVOTION—DEVOUT
Page 198 · printed citation: Spenser · subject: ENVY
Page 203 · printed citation: Spenser · subject: ETERNITY
Page 305 · printed citation: Spenser · subject: HOPE
Page 339 · printed citation: Spenser · subject: JUSTICE
Page 472 · printed citation: Spenser · subject: PUNISHMENT
Page 505 · printed citation: Spenser · subject: RIGHTEOUSNESS
Page 583 · printed citation: Spenser · subject: SUPPER, THE LORD’S
Page 672 · printed citation: Spenser · subject: WISDOM
Page 59 · printed citation: Spenser · subject: Deceit
Page 273 · printed citation: Spenser · subject: War
Page 278 · printed citation: Spenser · subject: Woman
Page 102 · printed citation: Spenser · subject: Gold

Archive entries

01Undated

But lovely concord, and most sacred peace, Doth nourish virtue, and fast friendship breedes; Weake she makes strong, and strong things does increase, Till it the pitch of highest praise exceedes— Brave be her warres, as honourable deedes, By which she triumphs over ire and pride, And winnes an olive garden for her meedes.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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02Undated

An aged holy man, That day and night said his devotion, No other worldly business did apply.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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03Undated

And next to him malicious Envy rode Upon a ravenous wolfe, and still did chaw Between his cankered teeth a venomous tode, That all the poison ran about his jaw: But inwardly he chawed his own maw At neighbour’s wealth that made him ever sad, For death it was when any good he saw; And wept, that cause of weeping none he had; And when he heard of harme he waxed wondrous glad.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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04Undated

Of that same time when no more change shall be, But stedfastly rest all things, firmly stayed Upon the pillars of eternity, That is contraire to mutability; For all that moveth doth in change delight; But thenceforth all shall rest eternally, With Him that is the God of Sabaoth hight.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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05Undated

Upon her arm a silver anchor lay, Whereon she leaned ever, as befel: And ever up to Heaven as she did pray, Her steadfast eyes were bent, not swerved otherway.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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06Undated

Whoso upon himself will take the skill True justice unto people to divide, Has need have mighty hands for to fulfil That which he doth with righteous doom decide, And for to maister wrong and puissant pride; For vain it is to deem of things aright, And make wrong doers justice to deride, Unless it be performed with dreadless might; For power is the right hand of justice truly hight.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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07Undated

The house of endless pain is built thereby, In which ten thousand sorts of punishment The cursed creatures do eternally torment.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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08Undated

Ay me! how many perils do enfold The righteous man, to make him daily fall! Were not that heavenly grace doth him uphold, And steadfast truth acquit him out of all.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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09Undated

Him first to love, great right and reason is, Who first to us our life and being gave, And after, when we fared had amiss, Us wretches from the second death did save; And last, the Food of Life, which now we have, Even He Himself, in His dear Sacrament, To feed our hungry souls, unto us lent. Then next to love our brethren, that were made Of that self-mould, and that self-Maker’s hand.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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10Undated

He that is of reason’s skill bereft, And wants the staff of wisdom him to stay, Is like a ship in midst of tempest left, Withouten helm or pilot her to sway; Full sad and dreadful is that ship’s event: So is the man that wants intendiment.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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11Undated

Like unto golden hooks that from the foolish fish their baits do hide.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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12Undated

Woe to the man that first did teach the cursed steel to bite in his own flesh, and make way to the living spirit.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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13Undated

Who does know the bent of woman's fantasy?

Edmund Spenser / quote

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14Undated

Gold all is not that doth golden seem.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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15Undated

Aye me, how many perils do enfoldThe righteous man, to make him daily fall?Were not, that heavenly grace doth him uphold,And steadfast truth acquite him out of all.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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16Undated

Yet gold all is not, that doth gold seem,Nor all good knights, that shake well spear and shield:The worth of all men by their end esteem,And then praise, or due reproach them yield.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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17Undated

Men call you fayre, and you doe credit it,For that your self ye daily such doe see:But the trew fayre, that is the gentle wit,And vertuous mind, is much more praysd of me.For all the rest, how ever fayre it be,Shall turne to nought and loose that glorious hew:But onely that is permanent and freeFrom frayle corruption, that doth flesh ensew.That is true beautie: that doth argue youTo be divine and borne of heavenly seed:Deriv'd from that fayre Spirit, from whom al trueAnd perfect beauty did at first proceed.He onely fayre, and what he fayre hath made,All other fayre lyke flowres untymely fade.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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18Undated

Why then should witless man so much misweeneThat nothing is but that which he hath seene?

Edmund Spenser / quote

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19Undated

One day I wrote her name upon the strand,But came the waves and washèd it away:Again I wrote it with a second hand,But came the tide, and made my pains his prey.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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20Undated

For love is a celestial harmonyOf likely hearts compos'd of stars' concent,Which join together in sweet sympathy,To work each other's joy and true content,Which they have harbour'd since their first descentOut of their heavenly bowers, where they did seeAnd know each other here belov'd to be.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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21Undated

So furiously each other did assayle, As if their soules they would attonce haue rent Out of their brests, that streames of bloud did rayle Adowne, as if their springes of life were spent; That all the ground with purple bloud was sprent, And all their armours staynd with bloudie gore, Yet scarcely once to breath would they relent, So mortall was their malice and so sore,Become of fayned friendship which they vow'd afore.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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22Undated

Ah for pittie, wil ranke Winters rage,These bitter blasts neuer ginne tasswage?The keene cold blowes throug my beaten hyde,All as I were through the body gryde.My ragged rontes all shiver and shake,As doen high Towers in an earthquake:They wont in the wind wagge their wrigle tailes,Perke as Peacock: but nowe it auales.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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23Undated

The poet's scrolls will outlive the monuments of stone. The Genius survives all else is claimed by death.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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24Undated

It is the mind that maketh good of ill that maketh wretch or happy rich or poor.

Edmund Spenser / quote

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Edmund Spenser

Archive entries

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Meditations

The Republic

Tao Te Ching