The purpose of this scholastic edition of Book I of The Fairy Queen is to offer students a version of Spenser's great opus that they can read easily. Therefore this edition of the epic modernizes the spelling (which has little impact on the end rhyme), offers a synonym for archaic words at the line's end, and provides footnotes to illuminate the murky parts. A brief summary at the start of each canto points the student in the proper direction, and short selections by critics at the end of the book help the reader to interpret the deeper message. The New Folger Library editions of Shakespeare's plays offer students these same aids without destroying the artistry of the plays. Hopefully, this edition will do the same with The Fairy Queen.