310. THAT GREATEST PRINCES, etc. This may mean (1) befitting the presence of the greatest princes, or (2) that the greatest princes might deign to behold in person. The first interpretation is preferable.
312. A general reference to the bloody persecutions without regard to age or sex carried on for centuries by the Romish Church, often under the name of "crusades," "acts of faith," "holy inquisition," etc.
315. This may refer to the burning of heretics, under the pretext that the Church shed no blood. Kitchin thinks that it means "accursed ashes."
317. AN ALTARE, cf. _Revelation_, vi, 9. CARV'D WITH CUNNING YMAGERY, "in allusion to the stimulus given to the fine arts by the Church of Rome" (Percival).
366. BRAWNED BOWRS, brawny muscles.
375. WHAT EVILL STARRE, etc. In Spenser's day, belief in astrology, the pseudo-science of the influence of the stars on human lives, was still common.
381. There was an old familiar ballad entitled _Fortune my Foe_.
384. i.e. your good fortune will be threefold as great as your evil fortune.
384. GOOD GROWES OF EVILS PRIEFE, good springs out of our endurance of the tests and experience of evil.
391. BEST MUSICKE BREEDS DELIGHT, etc. A troublesome passage. Upton and Jortin emend _delight_ to _dislike_; Church inserts _no_ before _delight_ and omits _best_; Kitchin suggests _despight_; Grosart prefers the text as it stands with the meaning that although the best music pleases the troubled mind, it is no pleasure to renew the memory of past sufferings. I venture to offer still another solution, based on the context. When Una shows a desire to hear from her Knight a recountal of his sufferings in the dungeon, and he is silent, being loath to speak of them, Arthur reminds her that a _change of subject is best_, for the best music is that which breeds delight in the troubled ear.
xlvi. In this passage Spenser follows closely the description of the witch Alcina in Ariosto's _Orlando Furioso_, vii, 73. Rogero has been fascinated by her false beauty, and her real foulness is exposed by means of a magic ring. The stripping of Duessa symbolizes the proscription of vestments and ritual, and the overthrow of images, etc., at the time of the Reformation. Duessa is only banished to the wilderness, not put to death, and reappears in another book of the poem.
QUESTIONS AND TOPICS
(Canto VIII)
1. What moral reflections are found in i? 2. What were the duties of the Squire in chivalry? 3. What part does Arthur's Squire play? 4. What does the Squire's horn symbolize? 5. Observe the classical figure in ix. 6. Describe the battle before the Giant's Castle, stating what part is taken by each of the four engaged. 7. Point out several of the characteristics of a typical battle of romance, and compare with combats in classical and modern times. 8. What additional traits of Una's character are presented in this Canto? Note especially her treatment of the Knight. 9. How is the unchangeableness of truth illustrated in this story? 10. Who is the old man in xxx _seq._? 11. Who is the _woful thrall_ in xxxvii? 12. In what condition, mental and physical, is the Knight when liberated? 13. How long was he a captive? 14. What was Duessa's punishment? Was it adequate? Explain its moral and religious meaning. 15. Observe the use of _thou_ and _ye_ (_you_) in this Canto. 16. Find examples of _antithesis_, _alliteration_, _Latinisms_.
CANTO IX
I. _The Plot:_ Prince Arthur tells Una of his vision of the Faerie Queene and of his quest for her. After exchanging presents with the Redcross Knight, he bids farewell to Una and her companions. These pursue their journey and soon meet a young knight, Sir Trevisan, fleeing from Despair. Sir Trevisan tells of his narrow escape from this old man, and unwillingly conducts the Redcross Knight back to his cave. The Knight enters and is almost persuaded to take his own life. He is saved by the timely interposition of Una. This is the most powerful canto of Book I.
II. _The Allegory:_ 1. The moral allegory in Canto VII presents the transition of the Soul (Redcross) from Pride to Sin (Duessa) through distrust of Truth (Una), and it thus comes into the bondage of Carnal Pride (Orgoglio). In Canto IX the Soul suffers a similar change from Sin to Despair. Having escaped from actual sin, but with spiritual life weakened, it almost falls a victim to Despair through excess of confidence and zeal to perform some good action. The Soul is saved by Truth, by which it is reminded to depend on the grace of God.
2. The allegory on its religious side seems to have some obscure reference to the long and bitter controversies between Protestantism (Calvinism) and Roman Catholicism allied with infidelity.
1. O GOODLY GOLDEN CHAINE, chivalry or knightly honor, the bond that unites all the virtues.
18. THANKLESSE, because not knowing whom to thank.
26. In Malory's _Morte d'Arthur_, Arthur is taken from his mother, Ygerne, at birth, and committed to the care of Sir Ector as his foster-father, i, 3. In _Merlin_ Sir Antor is his foster-father.
33. RAURAN MOSSY HORE, Rauran white with moss. A "Rauran-vaur hill" in Merionethshire is mentioned by Selden. Contrary to the older romancers, Spenser makes Prince Arthur a Welshman, not a Cornishman.
34. THE RIVER DEE, which rises in Merionethshire and flows through Lake Bala.
39. MY DISCIPLINE TO FRAME, etc., to plan my course of instruction, and, as my tutor, to supervise my bringing up.
45. IN HER JUST TERME, in due time.
57. OR THAT FRESH BLEEDING WOUND, i.e. his love for Gloriana.
59. WITH FORCED FURY, etc., supplying "me" from "my" in l. 58 the meaning is: the wound ... brought ... me following its bidding with compulsive (passionate) fury, etc. In the sixteenth century _his_ was still almost always used as the possessive of _it_. _Its_ does not occur in the King James Version of the Bible (1611).
63. COULD EVER FIND (the heart) to grieve, etc. A Euphuistic conceit.
64. According to the physiology of Spenser's age, love was supposed to dry up the humors ("moysture") of the body.
70. BUT TOLD, i.e. if it (my love) is told.
100. ENSAMPLE MAKE OF HIM, witness him (the Redcross knight).
113. WHILES EVERY SENCE, etc., while the sweet moisture bathed all my senses.
146. NEXT TO THAT LADIES LOVE, i.e. next to his love (loyalty) for Gloriana. Does the poet mean that allegiance to queen and country comes before private affection?
149. WAS FIRMEST FIXT, etc., were strongest in my extremity (in the giant's dungeon).
169. A BOOKE, the New Testament, an appropriate gift from the champions of the Reformed Church.
182. AN ARMED KNIGHT, Sir Trevisan, who symbolizes Fear.
189. PEGASUS, the winged horse of the Muses. For note on the false possessive with _his_, see note on V, 44.
233. HAD NOT GREATER GRACE, etc., had not greater grace (than was granted my comrade) saved me from it, I should have been partaker (with him of his doom) in that place.
249. AFTER FAIRE AREEDES, afterwards graciously tells.
267. WITH DYING FEARE, with fear of dying.
269. WHOSE LIKE INFIRMITIE, etc., i.e. if you are a victim of love, you may also fall into the hands of despair.
270. BUT GOD YOU NEVER LET, but may God never let you, etc.
272. TO SPOYLE THE CASTLE OF HIS HEALTH, to take his own life. Cf. Eliot's _Castell of Helthe_, published in 1534.
273. I WOTE, etc. I, whom recent trial hath taught, and who would not (endure the) like for all the wealth of this world, know (how a man may be so gained over to destroy himself).
275. This simile is a very old one. See Homer's _Iliad_, i, 249; _Odyssey_, xviii, 283; _Song of Solomon_, iv, 11; and Tasso's _Jerusalem Delivered_, ii, 51.
286. FOR GOLD NOR GLEE. Cf. for love or money.
294-296. Imitated from Vergil's _Æneid_, vi, 462.
315. AS, as if.
320. A DREARIE CORSE, Sir Terwin, mentioned in xxvii.
332. JUDGE AGAINST THEE RIGHT, give just judgment against thee.
333. TO PRICE, to pay the price of.
336. WHAT JUSTICE, etc., what justice ever gave any other judgment but (this, that) he, who deserves, etc.
340. IS THEN UNJUST, etc., is it then unjust to give each man his due?
xxxix. Observe the subtle argument on suicide in this and st. xl.
xli. Spenser here puts into the mouth of the Knight Socrates' argument to Cebes in their dialogue on the immortality of the soul. Plato's _Phædo_, vi.
367. QUOTH HE, Despair.
403. THY DATE, the allotted measure or duration of thy life.
408. THY SINFULL HIRE, thy service of sin.
431. AS HE WERE CHARMED, etc., as if he were under the spell of magic incantation.
438. IN A TABLE, in a picture. The horrors of the Last Judgment and the torments of the lost were favorite subjects of the mediæval Catholic painters.
468. FIRE-MOUTHED DRAGON. The dragons of romance are all described as fire-breathing,
473. THAT CHOSEN ART, a reference to the doctrine of Election. _Mark_, xiii, 20.
476. ACCURST HAND-WRITING. A reference to Paul's letter to the _Colossians_, ii, 14, in which he declares that the gospel of grace has superseded the law of Moses.
484. HE SO HIMSELFE HAD DREST, he had thus attempted (to take his life).
QUESTIONS AND TOPICS