_E D M U N D S P E N S E R_. 

Ille velut fidis arcana sodalibus olim
Credebat libris; neque, si male cesserat, unquam
Decurrens alio, neque si bene; quo fit ut omnis
Votiva pateat veluti descripta tabella
Vita senis. 

Hither, as to their fountain, other stars
Repairing in their urns draw golden light. 

The life of Spenser is wrapt in a similar obscurity to
that which hides from us his great predecessor Chaucer,
and his still greater contemporary Shakspere.  As in
the case of Chaucer, our principal external authorities
are a few meagre entries in certain official documents,
and such facts as may be gathered from his works.  The
birth-year of each poet is determined by inference.
The circumstances in which each died are a matter of
controversy.  What sure information we have of the