On the distinction between 'gloss' and 'glose', I have always been
suspicious of this passage from E.K.'s Epistle for just this reason.
Now as touching the generall dryft and purpose of his AEglogues, I mind
not to say much, him selfe labouring to conceale it...Hereunto haue I
added a certain Glosse or scholion for thexposition of old wordes and
harder phrases: which maner of glosing and commenting, well I wote, wil
seeme straunge and rare in our tongue: yet for somuch as I knew many
excellent and proper deuises both in wordes and matter would passe in the
speedy course of reading, either as vnknowen, or as not marked, and that
in this kind, as in other we might be equal to the learned of other
nations, I thought good to take the paines vpon me, the rather for that by
meanes of some familiar acquaintaunce I was made priuie to his counsell
and secret meaning in them, as also in sundry other works of his.
The pun gets right to the heart of Spenser's secretive-secretary venture
in SC, in the same way that the 'whole intention in the course of this
worke' does for A letter of the Authors in FQ.
andrew
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Andrew Zurcher
Gonville & Caius College
Cambridge CB2 1TA
United Kingdom
tel: +44 1223 335 427
hast hast post hast for lyfe
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