55. THE ROSY-FINGRED MORNING. This beautiful epithet of Aurora, the goddess of the dawn, is borrowed from Homer, Hesiod, and other ancient poets.
56. AGED TITHONES, son of Laomedon, King of Troy. Aurora conferred upon him immortality without youth, hence the epithet "aged."
58. TITAN, the sun-god in the Roman myths.
85. PROTEUS, a sea-god who was endowed with the power of prophecy. He could change himself into any shape in order to avoid having to prophesy. See Homer, _Odyssey_, iv, 366 _seq_., and Vergil, _Georgics_, iv, 387.
90. HERBES. In the sixteenth century the belief in potions, magic formulas, etc., was still strongly rooted in the popular mind. The Spanish court and the priests were supposed to employ supernatural agencies against the Protestants.
105. A FAITHLESS SARAZIN. Spenser uses the word Saracen in the general sense of pagan. During the Middle Ages the Saracen power was a menace to Europe, and the stronghold of infidelity. The names of the three Paynim brethren, Sansfoy, Sansjoy, and Sansloy,--faithless, joyless, and lawless,--suggest the point of view of Spenser's age.
109. A FAIRE COMPANION, the enchantress Duessa, or Falsehood, who calls herself Fidessa. In the allegory Spenser intended her to represent the Romish church and Mary Queen of Scots. Her character and appearance were suggested by the woman of Babylon, in _Revelation_, viii, 4, Ariosto's Alcina, and Tasso's Armida.
136. AS WHEN TWO RAMS. This figure is found in Vergil, Apollonius, Malory, Tasso, Dante, and other poets and romancers.
141. THE HANGING VICTORY, the victory which hung doubtful in the balance.
144. THE BROKEN RELIQUES, the shattered lances.
148. EACH OTHERS EQUALL PUISSAUNCE ENVIES, each envies the equal prowess of the other.
149. THROUGH THEIR IRON SIDES, etc., through their armored sides with cruel glances, etc.
155. THE BITTER FIT, the bitterness of death.
158. ASSURED SITT, etc., sit firm (in the saddle), and hide (cover) thy head (with thy shield).
160. WITH RIGOUR SO OUTRAGEOUS, with force so violent.
161. THAT A LARGE SHARE, etc., that a large piece it (the sword) hewed, etc.
162. FROM BLAME HIM FAIRLY BLEST. 1, fairly preserved him from hurt; 2, fairly acquitted him of blame. _Him_ in (1) refers to the knight, in (2) to the Saracen. (1) is the better interpretation.
169. GRUDGING. Because reluctant to part from the flesh.
196. DAUGHTER OF AN EMPEROUR. Duessa represents the Pope, who exercised imperial authority in Rome, though the seat of the empire had been transferred to Constantinople in 476.
200. THE ONLY HAIRE. The dauphin of France, the first husband of Mary Queen of Scots, afterwards King Francis II, son of Henry II. Duessa's story is full of falsehoods.
244. SO DAINTY THEY SAY MAKETH DERTH, coyness makes desire. The knight is allured on by Duessa's assumed shyness.
251. NE WONT THERE SOUND, nor was accustomed to sound there.
254. COOL SHADE. The Reformed Church, weakened by Falsehood, is enticed by doubt and skepticism.
262. FAIRE SEEMLY PLEASAUNCE, pleasant courtesies.
263. WITH GOODLY PURPOSES, with polite conversation. This whole stanza refers to Mary's candidacy for the English throne and its dangers to Protestantism.
269. HE PLUCKT A BOUGH. In this incident Spenser imitates Ariosto, _Orlando Furioso_, vi, 26, in which Ruggiero addresses a myrtle which bleeds and cries out with pain. The conception of men turned into trees occurs also in Ovid, Vergil, Tasso, and Dante.
272. O SPARE WITH GUILTY HANDS, etc. Cf Vergil's account of Polydorus in _Aeneid_, iii, 41, in which a myrtle exclaims, _Parce pias scelerare manus_, etc.
284. FROM LIMBO LAKE, here, the abode of the lost. With the Schoolmen, Limbo was a border region of hell where dwelt the souls of Old Testament saints, pious heathen, lunatics, and unbaptized infants. Cf. Milton's Paradise of Fools, _Paradise Lost_, iii, 495.
291. FRADUBIO, as it were "Brother Doubtful," one who hesitates between false religion and pagan religion, Duessa and Fraelissa (Morley). Fraelissa is fair but frail, and will not do to lean upon.
342. FAIRE IN PLACE, fair in that place.
351. TO TREEN MOULD, to the form of a tree. _Treen_ is an adj. like _wooden_.
354. THE SAME. Supply "as she appeared to be," i.e. fair and true.
357. PROPER HEW. Witches had to appear in their "proper hew" one day in spring and undergo a purifying bath. The old romances make frequent mention of the enchanted herb bath.
370. BY CHAUNGES OF MY CHEARE, by my changed countenance or expression.
371. DROWND IN SLEEPIE NIGHT. The phrase modifies "body," or is equivalent to "while I was drowned in sleep."
382. IN A LIVING WELL, in a well of running water. This well signifies the healing power of Christianity. _John_, iv, 14. In Spenser's story this well is never found, and the wretched couple are never restored to human shape.
404. ALL PASSED FEARE, all fear having passed.
QUESTIONS AND TOPICS
(Canto II)
1. How does the knight feel and act while under Archimago's spell? 2. What becomes of Una? 3. How does Archimago plan to deceive her? 4. Tell the story of the lovers turned into trees. 5. Who was Sansfoy? 6. Describe the appearance and character of Duessa. 7. What did she have to do with Fradubio and Fraelissa? 8. What was the old belief about the penance of witches? 9. How only could the lovers be restored to their human shape? Was it done? 10. Who were St. George, Phoebus, Titan, Tithonius? 11. Explain the reference to Chaunticlere in l. 6.
12. Find examples of _alliteration_ in xix; of _balance_ in xxxvii; and of _Latinizing_ in xix; xxxvi; xxxviii, and xl.
13. Paraphrase in your own words ll. 111, 134-135, 162 (giving two interpretations); 335, 386-387.
14. What _figure of speech_ is used in xiii, xvi, and xx?
15. Study the rich word-painting in the description of sunrise in vii. Find other examples of this poet's use of "costly" epithets.
16. Scan the following passages: 148, 174, 178, 193, and 299.
17. Find example of _tmesis_ (separation of prep. from ob.) in xlv.
18. What is the difference between the two _wells_ in xliii?
19. To whom do the pronouns in ll. 174, 175 refer?
20. What is the _case_ of _heavens_ in l. 193? of _Sarazin_ in l. 217?
21. What words are omitted in ll. 188, 313, 398?
CANTO III
I. _The Plot:_ Una wandering in quest of her Knight is guarded by a Lion. With difficulty they gain entrance to the cottage of Corceca and her daughter Abessa, the paramour of Kirkrapine. The latter is killed by the Lion. Fleeing the next day, Una falls in with Archimago disguised as the Redcross Knight. They journey on and meet a second Saracen knight, Sansloy. In the fight which ensues Archimago is unhorsed and his deception unmasked. The Lion is slain, and Una becomes the captive of Sansloy.
II. _The Allegory:_ 1. Truth finds temporary protection in Reason, or Natural Honor (Lion), and with its help puts a stop to the Robbing of Churches (Kirkrapine), which is connived at by Blind Devotion (Corceca) and Secret Sin (Abessa). Truth is then associated with Hypocrisy under the guise of Holiness, but it is soon unmasked by Lawlessness (Sansloy), with which Truth is forced into an unnatural alliance.
2. "The lion is said to represent Henry VIII, overthrowing the monasteries, destroying church-robbers, disturbing the dark haunts of idleness, ignorance and superstition."--Kitchin. The battle between Archimago and Sansloy refers to the contests of the Catholic powers with the Moslems. The whole canto also has a hint of the violence and lawlessness connected with the English conquest of Ireland.
LINE 14. THOUGH TRUE AS TOUCH, though true as if tested on the touchstone (by which true gold was distinguished from counterfeit).
18. AND HER DUE LOVES, etc., the love due to her diverted, etc.
27. YET WISHED TYDINGS, etc., yet none brought unto her the wished-for tidings of him. An awkward transposition.
34. THE GREAT EYE OF HEAVEN, the sun. Cf. _Paradise Lost_, v. 171.
38. A RAMPING LYON. Reason or Natural Honor; also Henry VIII. According to the ancient belief, no lion would attack a true virgin or one of royal blood. Similar scenes are found in _Sir Bevis of Hampton_, _The Seven Champions of Christendom_, etc. Cf. I _Henry_ IV, ii, 4. The allegory signifies that man guided merely by reason will recognize Truth and pay it homage.
51. WHOSE YEELDED PRIDE, etc., object of _had marked_, l. 52.
77. HE KEPT BOTH WATCH AND WARD, he kept awake and guarded her.
89. A DAMZELL SPYDE, Abessa, who symbolizes Flagrant or Secret Sin.
99. HER CAST IN DEADLY HEW, threw her into a deathly paleness.
101. UPON THE WAGER LAY, was at stake.
102. WHEREAS HER MOTHER BLYND, where her blind mother, Corceca, or Blind Devotion.
109. UNRULY PAGE. This refers to the violence with which Henry VIII forced Protestantism upon the people. In his _Present State of Ireland_ (p. 645), Spenser speaks of the ignorance and blind devotion of the Irish Papists in the benighted country places.
116. PATER NOSTERS, the Lord's Prayer; AVES, prayers to the Virgin.
136. ALDEBORAN, the Bull's Eye, a double star of the first magnitude in the constellation Taurus.