¹ On the strength of that, Professor Smith goes on to say, “It is not unlikely indeed that the Mistress Kerke in Westminster who took charge of letters for Spenser in October of the year 1579 was E.K.'s mother and that all three were living at her house.” He further supposes E.K. “getting to work on the notes” after 10 April, 1579.

² Schelling and Rhys speak of “E.K., Spenser's friend, Edward Kirke”; De Selincourt says it is natural, Renwick says it is common sense, to accept the view that E.K. stands for Edward Kirke. Draper says that E.K. is Edward Kirke “plausibly enough.” Schelling, F. E., English Literature during the Lifetime of Shakespeare (N.Y., 1927), p. 48.—Rhys, E., Lyric Poetry (N.Y., 1913), p. 134.—Spenser, Poetical Works, ed. with an introd. by E. De Selincourt (London, 1924), p. xiv.—Spenser, The Shepheardes Calender, ed. by W. L. Renwick (London, 1930), p. 163 f.—Draper, in JEGP, xvm, 557— C. H. and T. Cooper were the ones who discovered that an Edward Kirke had matriculated as sizar at Pembroke in 1571. See Notes and Queries, 2d ser., ix (1860), 42. Collier (1862), Hales (1869), and Grosart (1882) are among the editors who have adopted the Edward Kirke theory.—

G. C. Moore Smith in Harvey's Marginalia (1913), p. 24, speaks of “the editor, Edward Kirke”; J. B. Fletcher (Encyc. Amer.) and the late Edwin Greenlaw (PMLA, v, 26) grant E.K. a separate existence, but think that much of the gloss must have been inspired, if not dictated, by Spenser.—J. J. Higginson in his Spenser's Shepherd's Calender … (N.Y., 1912), favors Edward Kirke; also B. E. C. Davis, Edmund Spenser (Cam., 1933).

³ Dr. Herford admits that “Most of his mistakes in this kind, such as the derivation of Æglogue (General Argument), of El^f and Goblin (”June“ glosse) may well have been shared by Spenser.” Here again Dr. Herford sides with his opponents. Other examples could be cited (for instance, spell, iii, 40) where there is more poetry than truth; and all of them taken together show that Spenser was using the gloss to indulge his fancy and also no doubt to make a display of learning.

⁴ Dr. Herford's note says: “Skeat is probably right in explaining this (against E.K.) as for something rehearsed or recited. In F.Q., iii, 2, 48, Spenser uses it of the recital of the Church service. It may be rendered burden.” Needless to say, the correct interpretation is not against E.K.

N.E.D. under hearse gives solemn obsequies as a definition, and cites this passage; but adds, “perhaps an error.”

⁵ According to N.E.D. glen was at that time coming into English use from Ireland and Scotland; and it is both possible and probable that Spenser knew that it was “a wild valley” from colloquial use. He uses it in that sense in F.Q., iii, 7, 6.

⁶ Op. cit., pp. 165–178.

⁷ Cf. Sommer, Facsimile edition.

⁸ blacke) is the keyword for blocke bowre of sorrow which is glossed as hell from which Great Pan (Christ) saved mortals “with dear borrow.”

⁹ Equipage in and before the Elizabethan era had the meaning of equipment, especially military. N.E.D. gives this passage from Spenser as first citation under the definition: train of retainers or attendants, retinue; as second citation a passage from Fairfax's Tasso. Spenser shows that he is leaning to the new usage, and he has glossed it accordingly, using the word order instead of rank, which he might have used.

¹⁰ A somewhat analogous error would be the American misapplication of the word portecochère.

¹¹ Blount's Glossographia (1661) cites only Spenser's use of it.

¹² Although Spenser (i.e., E.K.) explains in the gloss that quaint means strange, and shows fully how that might be, Dr. Herford pronounces this “far-fetched.” Such contradiction of explicit evidence is scarcely understandable.

¹³ Harvey's Marginalia, ed. Moore Smith, p. 162: “Pudet ipsum Spenserum, etsi Sphaerae, astrolabiique non planè ignarum; suae in astronomicis Canonibus, tabulis, instrumentisque imperitiae.”

¹⁴ It is interesting to note in this connection that the beginning of the civil year was not officially changed from March to January until the mid-eighteenth century in England.

¹⁵ Du Bartas, Première Semaine, 4^e jour.

Harvey's Marginalia, ed. Moore Smith, p. 161:“M. Spenser conceives the like pleasure ([mutch delight to repeate it often]) in the fourth day of the first Weeke of Bartas. Which he esteemes as the proper profession of Urania.”

Spenser's familiarity with the Semaine does not necessarily depend upon the edition of 1579. In Bn and BM is listed a latinized version of the poem, date 1573.

¹⁶ Higginson says, “Perhaps Spenser did contribute the note on forever.” Op. cit., p. 175.

¹⁷ Ed. Renwick, p. 169.

¹⁸ Ed. Renwick, p. 166.

¹⁹ Harvey's Marginalia, ed. Moore Smith, p. 24. Although Harvey was far inferior to Spenser as a poet, and although his Latinized style cannot compare with Spenser's rhythmical prose, yet it is clear that he was at that time Spenser's affinity in the world of books.

²⁰ Ibid., pp. 231–233.

²¹ Op. cit., p. 172.

²² Sidney Lee's statement in D.N.B. (entry: Kirke) that “Edward Kirke formed a warm friendship with Harvey and Spenser during his residence at college” seems scarcely warranted. All that we know certainly about Edward Kirke is that he matriculated at Pembroke College, Cambridge, 1571; after graduation took orders; became rector at Risby, Suffolk; and died there in 1613.—Strange that neither he nor any of his descendants ever laid claim to any of Spenser's greatness, nor even to his friendship.

²³ Op. cit., p. 170.

²⁴ Ibid., p. 171.

²⁵ D.N.B. (entry Kirke, Edward).

²⁶ Cf. Spenser-Harvey correspondence.

²⁷ In the analysis of the ecclesiastical eclogues, written by the late Edwin Greenlaw (PMLA, xxvi, 419 f.) he shows that Spenser was perilously brave in writing about the Catholic-Protestant controversy, even in allegory. He also shows how closely the gloss is united to the poem, pointing out some “charmingly innocent notes.” An instance of this is in the Sept. eclogue: “So as never since that time, there have been wolves here founde, unless they were brought from other countryes.” Another would be the note on “ kings and potentates” (April gloss) which Mr. Higginson cannot understand, although the reference to the Pope (July eclogue) is certainly foreshadowed. Mr. Greenlaw notes “a garrulous dwelling on minor points of pedantry where the allegory is a trifle sharp.”

²⁸ Ronsard's Amours, with notes and glossary by A. Muret is a favorite citation of editors (Renwick, Fletcher, etc.); the glossing of Virgil's Eclogue is another.

²⁹ G. L. Craik, Spenser and Bis Poetry (London, 1845), has this comment on the idea that E.K. was identical with Spenser: “It does not seem to us impossible, or very improbable. Such a device, by which the poet might communicate to the public many things requisite for the full understanding of his poetry, which he could not have openly stated in his own name, and at the same time leave whatever else he chose vague and uncertain, or at least indistinctly declared, had manifest conveniences.”

³⁰ Notes and Queries, 5th ser., vi (1876), 365. Some one signing himself Beta, has suggested: “… E.K., intended, not improbably for the poet himself, the initials signifying here Edmund the Kalenderer.”—Cf. Sommer, Introduction to Shepheards Calender, Facsimile ed. p. 17.

³¹ Kalendrier des Bergiers was the title of the old work to which Spenser refers in the Epistle in applying“an olde name to a new worke.” Probably he knew it best in translation under the title of The Shepherds Kalendar, mentioned in Harvey's Marginalia (ed. Moore-Smith, p. 163) as being among the “A.B.C. of our vulgar Astrologers.”

³² Craik (op. cit.) says: “No one would know so well as himself in all cases what to disclose and what to withhold, and he would perhaps be more likely therefore to perform the office himself.”

³³ Cf. Old Ballads, ed. J. P. Collier, Percy Society; England's Helicon, etc.

³⁴ Again and again in his poetry he says that in poetry is the only true immortality.

³⁵ Cf. Saintsbury's article on Marot in Encyc. Brit.—Spenser may be deferring to Du Bellay's censorious opinion expressed in his Defence et Illustration de la Langue Francoyse.

³⁶ Sir Philip Sidney mentions Spenser in his Defense of Poesy, but says that there were few at that time who had “poetical sinews” in them. Cf. ed. Cooke, p. 47.

³⁷ The note in full reads: “For lofty love) I think this playing with the letter to be rather a fault than a figure, aswel in our English tongue, as it hath bene alwayes in the Latine, called Cacozelon.”—It is rather Spenserian that the Latin form should not be given quite correctly.

³⁸ Eclogues of Baptista Mantuanus, ed. by W. P. Mustard (Baltimore, 1911), pp. 134–135.

³⁹ Sidney, Defense of Poesy, ed. Cook, p. xix.

⁴⁰ Angelus et Gabriel (quamvis comitatus amicis

Tnnumeris, geniûmque choro stipatus amaeno)

Immerito tamen unum absentem saepe requiret,

Optabitque, Utinam meus hic Edmundus adesset,

Qui nova scripsisset, nec Amores conticuisset

Ipse suos. …

⁴¹ Spenser was devoted to those to whom he gave his heart, among others to Philip Sidney and Lord Grey de Wilton, as evidenced in the Faerie Queene.

⁴² That is, the letter of Oct. 5 containing the Latin poem.—Harvey acknowledged this poem in his letter of 23 Oct. 1579: “You're Latine Farewell is a goodly brave yonkerly peece of work, and Goddilge yee, I am alwayes marvellously beholding unto you, for your bountifull titles.”

⁴⁸ Craik, Spenser and His Poetry.

⁴⁴ Uhlemann, “Der Verfasser des Kommentars zu Spenser's Shepheardes Calendar,” Jahresbericht, No. xiii, des Königl. Kaiser Wilhelms Gymnasiums zu Hannover (1888), Progr. No. 292.

⁴⁵ Spenser, Shepheardes Calender, Facsimile ed. by Sommer.

⁴⁶ May Eclogue, gloss.

⁴⁷ It is rather more interesting to think that it was Spenser who had the copy of Sir Thomas Smith's book of government, “a perfect copie in wry ting, lent me by his kinsman, and my verye singular good freend, M. Gabriel Harvey” (Jan. gloss) than to think of its being in the possession of a young clergyman who sank at once into obscurity.

⁴⁸ Ed. Renwick, p. 163 f.—I believe, however, that Professor Renwick is open to conviction on this point, for he says, “Certainly there is little inherent absurdity in the notion” (i.e., that Spenser is E.K.). Professor Renwick also says the fear of envy“ even passes through to E.K.” when he writes in the Epistle “ Yf Envie shall stur up any wrongful accusation, etc.” I think it much more logical to think that Spenser is himself expressing the fear of envy which seemed to be with him all his life. Cf. F.Q. vi, 12. 40–41; Amoretti, lxxxvi, 1.