The question asks about the main subject matter of Edmund Spenser's sonnet cycle, "Amoretti". Understanding what this famous work is about is key to answering correctly.

Understanding Edmund Spenser's "Amoretti"

"Amoretti" is a collection of 89 sonnets by the English poet Edmund Spenser. Published in 1595, it chronicles the process of courting his future wife, Elizabeth Boyle, and culminates in their marriage.

Let's look at the options provided:

• his courtship and eventual marriage to Elizabeth Boyle. This aligns directly with the known theme and biographical context of Spenser's "Amoretti". The sonnets trace the poet's experiences, feelings, and reflections throughout his pursuit of Elizabeth Boyle, leading up to their wedding, which is celebrated in the subsequent epithalamion.
• Spenser's visit to London in 1591. While Spenser did visit London, "Amoretti" is not primarily about a trip to the city. Its focus is personal and romantic.
• epic allegorical masterpiece. This phrase typically describes Spenser's much longer and more famous work, The Faerie Queene, which is an epic poem with deep allegorical meaning, not a sonnet cycle about courtship.
• a spousal Verse in honour of the double marriage of Lady Elizabeth and Lady Katherine Somerset. This describes Spenser's other well-known poem, Prothalamion, which is an epithalamion (a wedding poem) written for a specific occasion involving the daughters of Sir John Spencer of Althorp, not directly related to his own marriage story as told in "Amoretti".

Based on the historical and literary context, "Amoretti" is a deeply personal sonnet sequence detailing Edmund Spenser's journey from initial attraction and courtship through various stages of love and eventual union with Elizabeth Boyle. Therefore, the option describing his courtship and eventual marriage to Elizabeth Boyle is the correct one.