Patterning his literary career after that of Vergil, Spenser first published 12 pastoral eclogues of The Shepheardes Calender(1579), which treat the shepherd as rustic priest and poet.

以维吉尔为蓝本，首出版了 The Shepheardes Calenders（1579 年）的 12 篇田园，牧羊人视为质朴的牧师和人。