This book considers four centuries of Spenser criticism, locating critics in ongoing discussions of Spenser's poetry and the cultural contexts of their time.

The first comprehensive study of the eighteenth-century response to the Elizabethan poet Edmund Spenser, from editions to influence.

The life.--The works.--Criticism, influence, allusions.--Various topics.--Index.

"Edmund Spenser's epic poem The Faerie Queene (1590-96) occupied an important place in eighteenth-century culture. Spenser influenced almost every major writer