ilent.
1585 Sixtus V, Pope. Drake's voyage.
1585 Leicester goes to the Netherlands.
1586 Death of Sir Philip Sidney.
First marriage (before) 1587 Execution of Mary Queen of Scots.
Clerk to the Council of
Munster, 1588 Defeat of Spanish Armada.
Death of Leicester.
Visits England with Raleigh, 1589 Assassination of Henry III;
Henry IV crowned.
_The Faerie Queene_, Books I, 1590 Shakespeare's _Love's
II, III, Labour's Lost_.
_Mother Hubberds Tale, Tears of 1591 Shakespeare's _Comedy of Errors,
the Muses, Ruines of Time, Henry VI_.
Daphnaida, The Visions_ 1591 Ariosto's _Orlando Furioso_, trans.
1593 Shakespeare's _Midsummer
Night's Dream_.
1593 _Richard III._
Second marriage, 1594 Shakespeare's _Richard II_.
_Colin Clout's Come Home Again_, 1595 Shakespeare's _King John_.
_Amoretti, Epithalamion, Hymns_ 1595 Johnston's _Seven Champions
of Christendom._
_Astrophel, Prothalamion,_ 1596 Shakespeare's _Merchant of Venice_.
_The Faerie Queene_, Books I-VI 1596 Ben Jonson's _Every Man in his
Humour._
_Vision of the Present State of 1598 Edict of Nantes,
Ireland_ Philip III crowned.
Death of Spenser, 1599 Revolt of Irish. Expedition
of Essex to Ireland.

* * * * *

THE FAERIE QUEENE

* * * * *

LETTER TO SIR WALTER RALEIGH

A LETTER of the Authors expounding his whole intention in the course of
this worke;[1] which, for that it giveth great light to the reader, for the
better understanding is hereunto annexed.

TO THE RIGHT NOBLE AND VALOROUS

SIR WALTER RALEIGH, KNIGHT.

_Lo: Wardein of the Stanneries, and her majesties lieutenaunt of the
countie of Cornewayll._

SIR,

Knowing how doubtfully all Allegories may be constructed, and this booke of
mine, which I have entituled _The Faery Queene_, being a continued
Alleg