But °Immerito" justifies his editor's title of the "new Poet" in a larger sense. He appears in the 'Calendar,' like his master Du Bellay in the 'Deffence et Illustration de la Langue Fran coyse,' as the spokesman of a school of "new poets"— Sidney, Dyer, Fulke Greville and per haps others—who form an °Areopagus," in emulation of the "Pleiade," to promulgate in England the tenets of Du Bellay's and Ron sard's poetic reform. The poet is to be "de fended" as an inspired teacher, born not made, but needing "laboure and learning" fitly to un derstand and to express his high message. By him the common speech must be "ennobled" (illustree) by art into a really "poetic diction," —inversely to Wordsworth's contention. The new poet's method is to be "assimilative imita tion" of the classics primarily, but with a judi cious eye to the best among modern and na tional models. Spenser's own pronouncement,
Spenser aspired early to be the English °Virgil"— the "poeta novus" of his own day and in 1579 had already begun the epic designed to follow his "low-flying" pastoral as the followed the 'Bucolica.' Such indeed was, as E. K. says, the common aspiration of Renaissance poets. Du Bellay eloquently de manded for France a "long poitn0 worthy to stand with the VEneid) and the 'Orlando Furioso.' For the Renaissance, however, Virgil was more than the poetic historian of the founding of Rome — the "romanus Ver giliusp of Petronius; he was also the moral allegorist of Macrobius and Petrarch, and the unwitting Christian prophet of Dante. Spenser's first idea was, apparently, to re-express these patriotic, moral and religious motifs in the style of the 'Orlando Furioso,'— thus satisfy ing the eclectic ideal of the new school. In 1579 he sent Harvey a draft of his resulting 'Facrie Quecne.' But Harvey was unconvinced by this attempt to "overdo" Ariosto; and Spenser worked away in silence for 10 years. Of the (Faerie Queene' of 1590 Harvey was loud in praise; and in fairness, we may presume a radical recasting.
Until Lord Grey's retirement, August 1582, Spenser was his secretary. By March 1581, he had also purchased from Ludowick Bryskett ap pointment, with right of deputy, as registrar or clerk of the Faculties of the Court of Chancery in Dublin. He began, too, a series of land speculation,— first buying, to sell immediately Abbey Enniscorthy in County Wexford, and an abbey in New Ross. Next, January 1582, he leased for six years the Dublin residence of the attainted Lord Baltinglass, and secured a °cus todian" of Newlands in Kildare, property of a relative of Baltinglass. On August 24 he leased for 60s. a year "the dissolved house of Friars Minor of the New Abbey, in the county of Kil dare, with its possessions"; and resided there at least during 1583-84, when he served as a commissioner of musters for the county. In
1590 his lease of New Abbey was forfeited for non-payment of rent. The Dublin house he used for business convenience; the conversa tions described in Bryskett's 'Discourse of Civil] Life' took place probably in the spring of 1584 or 1585; and Spenser came daily from neighboring Dublin to join in them. Finally, his name appears in the articles, June 1586, for the Munster "undertakers" or colonizers, as lessee of the castle and lands, 3,028 acres, of Kilcolman, in County Cork. Although the pat ent was not passed until 26 Oct. 1591, Spenser must have taken possession by 1588-89, since in that year he reported six English settlers on the estate and also received Raleigh as guest. Rent was fixed at f8 13s. 4d. per annum, to be doubled after Michaelmas, 1594; there is record of jiayfttent for 1592.
On removal to Kilcolman he resigned, 22 June 1588, the Dublin clerkship, to purchase, again from Bryskett, clerkship of the Govern ment Council of Munster,— Brys)cett, however, apparently reserving a share in the reversion of the office. Spenser, like his master, Chaucer, was a shrewd man of business; but his shrewd ness had its nemesis. Local feeling ran high against the undertakers. On 12 Oct. 1589, Lord Roche of Fermoy, English-born but Irish by sympathies, charged Spenser with unlawful dis possession of certain lands "by colour of his office and by making of corrupt bargains with certain persons pretending falselie title." This began a series of petty persecutions by Roche,— once by °boycott,* making "proclamation" that "none of his people should have any trade or conference with Mr. Spenser or Mr. Piers, or any of their tenants, being English,"— another time, by "fining" a tenant of his own "for that he received Mr. Spenser in his house as he came from the session at Limerick." Probably for protest against Roche, as well as on Raleigh's invitation, Spenser left for London between October 12 when Roche brought suit, and December 1, when the first three books of the