The Glorious 16th Century
Okay, he was virulently, almost comically anti-catholic (read about the dragon that spews papist pamphlets all over the Red Crosse Knighte in the first book [canto?] of the Faerie Queene). But when he was right, Edmund Spenser was right, and here's a wonderful example of him being right on. (You can see the entire Amoretti at Renascence Editions--see left column.)
from Amoretti Edmund Spenser Sonnet LXVIII.
MOST glorious Lord of lyfe that on this day,
Didst make thy triumph ouer death and sin:
and hauing harrowd hell didst bring away,
captiuity thence captiue vs to win.
This ioyous day, deare Lord, with ioy begin,
and grant that we for whom thou didest dye
being with thy deare blood clene washt from sin,
may liue foreuer in felicity.
And that thy loue we weighing worthily,
may likewise loue thee for the same againe:
and for thy sake that all lyke deare didst buy,
with loue may one another entertayne.
So let vs loue, deare loue, lyke as we ought,
loue is the lesson which the Lord vs taught.
