Editing The Faerie Queene (section)

===Spenser's intentions===
While writing his poem, Spenser strove to avoid "gealous opinions and misconstructions" because he thought it would place his story in a "better light" for his readers.{{sfn|Spenser|1984|p=15}} Spenser stated in his letter to Raleigh, published with the first three books,{{sfn|Heale|1999|p=11}} that "the general end of the book is to fashion a gentleman or noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline".{{sfn|Spenser|1984|p=15}} Spenser considered his work "a historical fiction" which men should read for "delight" rather than "the profit of the ensample".{{sfn|Spenser|1984|p=15}} ''The Faerie Queene'' was written for Elizabeth to read and was dedicated to her. However, there are dedicatory sonnets in the first edition to many powerful Elizabethan figures.{{sfn|McCabe|2010|p=50}}

Spenser addresses "Lodwick" in ''[[Amoretti]]'' 33, when talking about ''The Faerie Queene'' still being incomplete. This could be either his friend [[Lodowick Bryskett]] or his long-deceased Italian model Ludovico Ariosto, whom he praises in "Letter to Raleigh".{{sfn|McCabe|2010|p=273}}