The story of Spenser fleeing to Ireland to escape Burleigh comes
ultimately from Edwin Greenlaw (see Studies in Spenser's Historical
Allegory [Johns Hopkins, 1932]) and most people tend to doubt it now.
The best work on Spenser's move to Ireland comes in three essays, by
Jean Brink, F.J. Levy and (together) Vincent Carey and Claire Carroll,
all in Spenser's Life and the Subject of Biography, ed. Judith Anderson,
Donald Cheney and David Richardson (Amhert: University of Mass. Press,
1996). Together they give a much clearer sense of Spenser's situation
and motives at the time he goes off to Ireland. Bill Oram
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Spenserians,
Barbara Lewalski's essay on patronage in the Spenser Encyclopedia
credits
offending Lord Burghley with "Mother Hubberds Tale" for Spenser's
career in
Ireland. Do we know more precisely which family or patronage
connection
actually promoted him for the position as Grey's secretary?
Thanks in advance,
Jean Goodrich
English Department
University of Arizona
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