ABSTRACT

Naschina's disguise and her contempt for the gentle Arcadians - all owe much to

Spenser as do the references to knights, dragons, and magicians. The humorous

archaisms, e.g. "I wis," "I trow," "fingereth," "lingereth," with which the language of the

play is peppered, are in conscious imitation of Spenser, and the poetic competition,

including a roundelay (lines 81-98), which opens the drama, is derived from the "August

Aeglogue" of The Shepheardes Calender.