The beginning therefore of my history, if it were to be told by an historiographer, should be the twelfth booke, which is the last; where I devise that the Faery Queene kept her annuall feaste xii. dayes, uppon which xii. severall dayes, the occasions of the xii. several adventures hapned, which being undertaken by xii. severall knights, are in these xii. books severally handled and discoursed.  The first was this.  In the beginning of the feast, there presented him selfe a tall clownish younge man, who, falling before the Queen of Faries, desired a boone (as the manner then was) which during that feast she might not refuse:  which was that hee might have the atchievement of any adventure, which during that feaste should happen:  that being graunted, he rested him on the floore, unfitte through his rusticity for a better place.  Soone after entred a faire ladye in mourning weedes, riding on a white asse, with a dwarfe behind her leading a warlike steed, that bore the armes of a knight, and his speare in the dwarfes hand.  Shee, falling before the Queene of Faeries, complayned that her father and mother, an ancient king and queene, had bene by an huge dragon many years shut up in a brasen castle, who thence suffred them not to yssew:  and therefore besought the Faery Queene to assygne her some one of her knights to take on him that exployt.  Presently that clownish person, upstarting, desired that adventure:  whereat the Queene much wondering, and the lady much gainesaying, yet he earnestly importuned his desire.  In the end the lady told him, that unlesse that armour which she brought would serve him (that is, the armour of a Christian man specified by Saint Paul, vi.  Ephes.), that he could not succeed in that enterprise:  which being forthwith put upon him with dewe furnitures thereunto, he seemed the goodliest man in al that company, and was well liked of the lady.  And eftesoones taking on him knighthood, and mounting on that straunge courser, he went forth with her on that adventure:  where beginneth the first booke vz.

  A gentle knight was pricking on the playne, &c.

The second day ther came in a palmer bearing an infant with bloody hands, whose parents he complained to have bene slayn by an enchaunteresse called Acrasia:  and therfore craved of the Faery Queene, to appoint him some knight to performe that adventure; which being assigned to Sir Guyon, he presently went forth with that same palmer:  which is the beginning of the second booke and the whole subject thereof.  The third day there came in a groome, who complained before the Faery Queene, that a vile enchaunter, called Busirane, had in hand a most faire lady, called Amoretta, whom he kept in most grievous torment, because she would not yield him the pleasure of her body.  Whereupon Sir Scudamour, the lover of that lady, presently tooke on him that adventure.  But being unable to performe it by reason of the hard enchauntments, after long sorrow, in the end met with Britomartis, who succoured him, and reskewed his love.