The Oxford Companion to English Literature | Spenser, Edmund
Spenser, Edmund
(
c.1552
–
99
), the elder son of
John
Spenser
, who was probably related to the Spencers of Althorp, and was described as a journeyman in the art of cloth-making. Edmund Spenser was probably born in East Smithfield, London, and was educated at Merchant Taylors’ School, under
Mulcaster
, and Pembroke Hall, Cambridge. In
1569
, while still at Cambridge, he contributed a number of ‘Visions’ and sonnets, from
Petrarch
and
du Bellay
, to
van der Noodt's
Theatre for Worldlings. To the ‘greener times’ of his youth belong also the ‘Hymne in Honour of Love’ and that of ‘Beautie’ (not published until
1596
), which reflect his study of
Neoplatonism
. After possibly spending some time in the north, he became secretary to John Young, bishop of Rochester, in
1578
, and in
1579
, through his college friend
G.
Harvey
, obtained a place in Leicester's household. There...
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