The Faerie Queene is a scholarly masterpiece that has influenced, inspired, and challenged generations of writers, readers and scholars since its completion in 1596. Hamilton's edition is itself, a masterpiece of scholarship and close reading. It is now the standard edition for all readers of Spenser. The entire work is revised, and the text of The Faerie Queene itself has been freshly edited, the first such edition since the 1930s. This volume also contains additional original material, including a letter to Raleigh, commendatory verses and dedicatory sonnets, chronology of Spenser's life and works and provides a compilation of list of characters and their appearances in The Faerie Queene.

In the quiet countryside of Barsetshire, controversy stirs within the tranquil walls of Hiram's Hospital, a charitable institution for elderly men. The source of contention lies in the generous income the warden Mr. Harding receives from the hospital's endowment, which some argue is excessive for his duties. As public opinion mounts against him, led by the zealous reformer John Bold, Mr. Harding finds himself torn between his sense of duty to the hospital's residents and the moral scrutiny of the broader community. Anthony Trollope's insightful portrayal of characters and moral dilemmas unfolds against a backdrop of pastoral beauty and societal scrutiny. The Warden is a timeless exploration of justice, compassion, and the clash between tradition and reform in a small English town, showcasing Trollope's mastery of psychological depth and social commentary. ANTHONY TROLLOPE [1815-1882] was an English novelist and civil servant. Among his most famous works is the series known as The Chronicles of Barsetshire, in which he delves into the intricacies of rural and ecclesiastical life.

The Faerie Queene is Edmund Spenser’s magnum opus, composed for Queen Elizabeth I. The epic poem is incomplete, as only six of the intended twelve books were published before his death. Despite that, it stands as one of the longest poems in the English language. During its composition, Spenser invented a new type of verse form: the Spenserian stanza. The form consists of eight lines in iambic pentameter followed by a line in iambic hexameter, with the rhyme scheme ababbcbcc. He purposely included archaic language and spelling to make the work feel comparable to the Arthurian myths written during the Middle Ages. Spenser used Aristotle’s list of virtues as the foundation for his work. Each of the six books follows a different knight who symbolize a unique virtue: the Knight of the Redcross for Holiness, Guyon for Temperance, Britomartis for Chastity, Cambell and Telamond for Friendship, Artegall for Justice, and Calidore for Courtesy. Fragments of an unfinished seventh book—the “Cantos of Mutability”—would have centered on the virtue of Constancy. In a letter to Sir Walter Raleigh, Spenser reveals that King Arthur represents the virtue of Magnificence, “the perfection of all the rest.” The first book opens with the Redcross Knight on a quest ordered by Queen Gloriana to defeat a horrible dragon. Traveling with him is Lady Una and her dwarf servant, who are leading the knight to the land where the dragon dwells. A terrible storm forces the travelers to shelter in the nearest cave—and a monster’s den. This book is part of the Standard Ebooks project, which produces free public domain ebooks.