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The Works of Edmund Spenser

A Variorum Edition: Edited by Edwin Greenlaw: Charles Grosvenor Osgood: Frederick Morgan Padelford: Ray Heffner
Spenser, Edmund (1552?-1599)

expand section1. 
VOLUME ONE THE MINOR POEMS
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VOLUME TWO THE MINOR POEMS
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A THEATRE wherein be represented as wel the miseries & calamities that follow the voluptuous Worldlings, As also the greate ioyes and plesures which the faithfull do enioy.
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Complaints.
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AMORETTI AND Epithalamion.
  
[dedication]
  
G: W. senior, to the Author
  
[Ah Colin, whether on the lowly plaine]
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Amoretti.
 I. 
SONNET. I.
 II. 
SONNET. II.
 III. 
SONNET. III.
 IIII. 
SONNET. IIII.
 V. 
SONNET. V.
 VI. 
SONNET. VI.
 VII. 
SONNET. VII.
 VIII. 
SONNET. VIII.
 IX. 
SONNET. IX.
 X. 
SONNET. X.
 XI. 
SONNET. XI.
 XII. 
SONNET. XII.
 XIII. 
SONNET. XIII.
 XIIII. 
SONNET. XIIII.
 XV. 
SONNET. XV.
 XVI. 
SONNET. XVI.
 XVII. 
SONNET. XVII.
 XVIII. 
SONNET. XVIII.
 XIX. 
SONNET. XIX.
 XX. 
SONNET. XX.
 XXI. 
SONNET. XXI.
 XXII. 
SONNET. XXII.
 XXIII. 
SONNET. XXIII.
 XXIIII. 
SONNET. XXIIII.
 XXV. 
SONNET. XXV.
 XXVI. 
SONNET. XXVI.
 XXVII. 
SONNET. XXVII.
 XXVIII. 
SONNET. XXVIII.
 XXIX. 
SONNET. XXIX.
 XXX. 
SONNET. XXX.
 XXXI. 
SONNET. XXXI.
 XXXII. 
SONNET. XXXII.
 XXXIII. 
SONNET. XXXIII.
 XXXIIII. 
SONNET. XXXIIII.
 XXXV. 
SONNET. XXXV.
 XXXVI. 
SONNET. XXXVI.
 XXXVII. 
SONNET. XXXVII.
 XXXVIII. 
SONNET. XXXVIII.
 XXXIX. 
SONNET. XXXIX.
 XL. 
SONNET. XL.
 XLI. 
SONNET. XLI.
 XLII. 
SONNET. XLII.
 XLIII. 
SONNET. XLIII.
 XLIIII. 
SONNET. XLIIII.
 XLV. 
SONNET. XLV.
 XLVI. 
SONNET. XLVI.
 XLVII. 
SONNET. XLVII.
 XLVIII. 
SONNET. XLVIII.
 XLIX. 
SONNET. XLIX.
 L. 
SONNET. L.
 LI. 
SONNET. LI.
 LII. 
SONNET. LII.
 LIII. 
SONNET. LIII.
 LIIII. 
SONNET. LIIII.
 LV. 
SONNET. LV.
 LVI. 
SONNET. LVI.
 LVII. 
SONNET. LVII.
 LVIII. 
SONNET. LVIII. By her that is most assured to her selfe.
 LIX. 
SONNET. LIX.
 LX. 
SONNET. LX.
 LXI. 
SONNET. LXI.
 LXII. 
SONNET. LXII.
 LXIII. 
SONNET. LXIII.
 LXIIII. 
SONNET. LXIIII.
 LXV. 
SONNET. LXV.
 LXVI. 
SONNET. LXVI.
 LXVII. 
SONNET. LXVII.
 LXVIII. 
SONNET. LXVIII.
 LXIX. 
SONNET. LXIX.
 LXX. 
SONNET. LXX.
 LXXI. 
SONNET. LXXI.
 LXXII. 
SONNET. LXXII.
 LXXIII. 
SONNET. LXXIII.
 LXXIIII. 
SONNET. LXXIIII.
 LXXV. 
SONNET. LXXV.
 LXXVI. 
SONNET. LXXVI.
 LXXVII. 
SONNET. LXXVII.
 LXXVIII. 
SONNET. LXXVIII.
 LXXIX. 
SONNET. LXXIX.
 LXXX. 
SONNET. LXXX.
 LXXXI. 
SONNET. LXXXI.
 LXXXII. 
SONNET. LXXXII.
 LXXXIII. 
SONNET. LXXXIII.
 LXXXIIII. 
SONNET. LXXXIIII.
 LXXXV. 
SONNET. LXXXV.
 LXXXVI. 
SONNET. LXXXVI.
 LXXXVII. 
SONNET. LXXXVII.
 LXXXVIII. 
SONNET. LXXXVIII.
 LXXXIX. 
SONNET. LXXXIX.
  
[Anacreontics]
  
Epithalamion.
  
Prothalamion
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Commendatory Sonnets.
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Fragments.
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[VOLUMES THREE–SIX]

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SONNET. XLI.

[Is it her nature or is it her will]

Is it her nature or is it her will,
to be so cruell to an humbled foe?
if nature, then she may it mend with skill,
if will, then she at will may will forgoe.
But if her nature and her wil be so,
that she will plague the man that loues her most:
and take delight t'encrease a wretches woe,
then all her natures goodly guifts are lost.
And that same glorious beauties ydle boast,
is but a bayt such wretches to beguile,
as being long in her loues tempest tost,
she meanes at last to make her piteous spoyle.
O fayrest fayre let neuer it be named,
that so fayre beauty was so fowly shamed.
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