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EDMUND SPENSER (C. 1552-1599)

The Faerie Queene : disposed into twelve books, fashioning XII morall vertues

1590

RCIN 1081217

The Faerie Queene, an incomplete epic allegorical poem on virtue dedicated to Elizabeth I, was in effect a commentary on society and the Queen herself. Spenser’s work had profound influence on his contemporaries, including Shakespeare, and earned Spenser a pension from Elizabeth I. This copy was added to the Royal Library on the assumption that the crowned Tudor roses on the covers denoted this as the copy that had belonged to Elizabeth I.

    The income from your ticket contributes directly to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The aims of The Royal Collection Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational activities.