THE FIRST BOOKE

OF THE
FAERIE QVEENE
Canto I
We meet a Knight on horseback. His armor is “mightie”, dented and scarred, yet we read that he has never
before wielded arms. He appears jolly, fair, brave, and solemn. His breast and shield bear a Red Cross in
memory of Christ’s suffering. He is going on a quest, given to him by the FAERIE QUEENE HERSELF, Gloriana.
Since it is his life’s goal to please her, he is on his way to slay a dragon. Next to the knight rides a Lady on a
white donkey, all veiled in black, with her pet lamb following. We learn that her family had ruled their land,
which stretched from the East unto Western shores, until the dragon came. She implored help from the FQ’s
court and got this knight to accept her adventure. Behind them rides a Dwarf, seeming lazy or maybe just
tired from carrying the Lady’s posessions.
It begins to rain on these fair adventurers, so they seek shelter in a forest. As any modern fantasy reader can
surmise, they promptly get lost in the forest. They assume a logical assumption and decide to follow the path
that is most worn, hoping it will lead them out of the woods. Instead it leads them to a suspicious cave. The
Lady warns the Knight to be careful, he responds that he does not want to shy away from shadows. She says
that she knows where they are (why did she not speak up beforehand? Spenser leaves us guessing)…ERROR’S
DEN. “Fly fly” quoth then the fearefull Dwarfe. But it’s too late!
The Knight peeks into the cave and sees a horrible monster, half woman and half serpent. The light reflecting
off his armor (beautiful detail) startles the monster. She is surrounded by baby monsters that crawl into her
mouth at the sight of the light. The Knight begins to fight this Error monster but she wraps him in her coils. He
is trapped, but hearing the Lady encourage him, he grabs the monster’s throat. The monster throws up on
him, spewing out her babies, which begin to attack him. Finally, more afraid of shame than the danger he’s in,
the Knight beheads the mom monster. The sad babies come to crawl in her mouth, but she’s dead, so they
drink her blood until they all explode.
The Lady congratulated the Knight, and they continue riding in search of new adventures. Eventually they
come upon a holy man, clad in back, praying and beating his breast. He claims to know nothing of adventures
(due to his religious isolation) but tells them about a wicked knight who has been harassing his country. The
Knight offers him a reward to show them where the wicked knight is. But it is getting late, and the Lady
wishes to stop and rest, so the old man invites the adventurers to his house for the night. They arrive at his
lonely hermitage, eat, and talk until late. Once his guests have fallen asleep, the old man is revealed as
Archimago, the sorcerer.
He summons some sprites to do his bidding. One he sends to the Underworld. The other he forms with his
magic into the likeness of the Lady. The sprite sent to the Underworld passes through locked gates and dogs
to the god of sleep, Morpheus. Morpheus snoozes among poppies to the soothing sounds of water and wind.
He has difficulty waking the god but finally succeeds. Morpheus grants his boon and creates a false dream for
Archimago. The sprite carries the dream back “on litle wings”.
When he returns, the sorcerer has made a false Una (the Lady, who is named here for the first time). He
instructs the phastasm on what to do and sends the dream into the Knight’s brain. He dreams of the Lady and
lustful things. When he awakes, relieved it was a dream and that the woman he is risking his life for isn’t
really a whore, what appears to be Una kisses him and begins to act like a whore. He is angry because he
thought she was chaste and he doesn’t want to fight for an impure lady. The Una phantasm cries and
manipulates him into feeling sorry for her. He is still suspicious and questions if such a woman is worth
protecting. She does not succeed in seducing him. He falls back asleep and the dream continues to disturb
him.
Canto 2
The torturous evening draws to a close. Near dawn, the sprites report their failure to Archimago. He threatens
them angrily and turns again to his magic books. His next step is to transform the dream sprite into a lusty
squire and put him in bed with the other sprite, the image of Una. Then the sorcerer wakes the Knight up,
calling for him to see the Lady’s fornication. The Knight is greatly distressed when he sees them having sex
and only the sorcerer stops him from slaying Una on the spot (and revealing the image as a fraud). The Knight
leaves with the Dwarf at sunrise.
Unlucky Una awakens to find herself left all alone. She bewails her situation and pursues the Knight and
Dwarf on her donkey. But her donkey is slow, and she wanders the country alone. Archimago, who hates her
immensely, rejoices in his victory but continues to think of evil ways to harass her. He settles on shapeshifting
into the image of the Knight – St. George, as he is explicitly named here. I suspect we have not seen the last of
the sorcerer.
Meanwhile, the real Knight, or St. George – or perhaps just George at this point? is far away. He encounters
a Saracen bearing a shield that reads SANS FOY, or “without faith”. With him rides a lady clad in scarlet,
lavishly decorated with jewels and wearing a bishop’s hat (mitre). As the Knight encounters the mysterious
duo, here the reader encounters some allegory less obvious than ERROR’S DEN and the monsters therein. The
scarlet lady, we see, is nothing like Una in appearance, demeanor, or description. If Una represents the truth,
and as her name states, there is only one truth – then this red woman is surely worthy of our suspicion. She
also wears a bishop’s hat, which in that English era surely provoked suspicion as well. And finally, her
description is strikingly similar to one of the most famous allegorical women ever written – the Whore of
Babylon.
The Saracen begins to charge at the Knight and the Knight charges back. They clash as two rams, stunning
each other. They dismount and proceed to fight and bleed. The Saracen curses the cross of the Knight and
strikes at his helmet, cutting off a chunk of metal. The Knight swings back and cleaves Sansfoy’s head. Sansfoy
dies and his lady flees. The Knight loots the Sansfoy shield and pursues the lady, who begs him for mercy. The
Knight asks who she is and who the Saracen was.
She replies that she was the daughter of the Emperor of the West *. She implies that her father was the Roman
Emperor. She was engaged to a noble prince who was regrettably murdered before their wedding date. She
roamed around looking for his corpse, a “virgin widow” who fell into the company of the Saracen Sansfoy. He
had two brothers, Sans ioy (“Without joy”) and Sans loy (“without law”). She names herself Fidessa.
George the Knight has been looking at her more intently than he has been listening. They flirt and ride on
together.
Eventually they come to a pair of shade trees. It is the middle of the day and they enter the shade to find relief
from the heat. While flirting under the tree, the Knight decides to make Fidessa a garland. He pulls off a
branch and is shocked to see blood and hear the tree yell in pain. He wonders aloud if he is going crazy and
the tree speaks again. It names itself Fraudubio and claims it was a man turned into a tree by the evil witch
Duessa (hmm).
He tells a sad tale of how he used to be a knight, and the other standing tree used to be his lady, Fraelissa. One
day they came upon another knight and lady, and Fraudubio vanquished that knight in combat. The other
lady – Duessa – joined he and Fraelissa in riding. They were equally beautiful and the knight proclaimed them
so, making Duessa jealous. She used false magic to make poor Fraelissa look ugly and then accused her of
bewitching Fraudubio and herself. The Knight nearly slew her but instead they just abandoned poor Fraelissa,
leaving her to be turned into a tree.
In the springtime, when witches gain their true forms, he spotted Duessa bathing. She was revealed as a
horrible, deformed old hag. Fraudubio determined to sneak away and leave her, but she knew his intent and
cursed him into tree form alongside his former lady Fraelissa. Now they stand as trees until redeemed by
water from a living well.
Fidessa – who by now we all know is really the witch Duessa – pretended to faint at the tree’s voice, yet she
heard the story and knew it to be true. The Knight tries to help the tree’s wound and awakens Duessa from
her pretend faint.
Canto 3
This Canto has a lot of weeping and self-pity. You have been warned. We open with some boo-hoo for Lady
Una, who has been searching for her knight with no luck. She stops to lie down in the forest and removes her
veil to reveal a shining, angelic countenance. Out of nowhere a Lion rushes her, only to stop short in
amazement at her glowing face. Una’s virtue tames the Lion. After further self-pity and weeping she gets up
again to leave, the Lion following her like a guard dog.
Eventually she finds some tracks at the foot of a snowy mountain. She sees a woman with a pitcher on her
head and calls to her, but gets no response. Instead the woman flees in fear from the Lion (somewhat
understandably). She runs to her house, in which her blind mother sits, and Una and the Lion follow. All the
poor Lady Una wants is a place to sleep but no one answers her pleadings at the closed doorway. So the Lion
knocks down the door to reveal the cowering blind woman cluthing her prayer beads and the daughter who
is incapable of interacting with Una. The blind woman, Spenser informs us, says 3600 prayers a day, fasts, and
sits in sackcloth and ashes.
Una begs hospitality and then spends the whole night weeping. During the night a thief arrives at the door,
bearing a load of plunder that comes from religious institutions and people – relics, offerings, priestly apparel,
etc. We are told that he whores it up with the daughter – here named Abessa (an abess is the head of a
convent). The mother is names Corceca (blind heart). The thief, Kirkrapine (church robbery – obvious names
are obvious!) is jumped by the Lion, who tears him to pieces. In the morning Una and the Lion depart,
apparently without Una noticing the shredded corpse.
When the mother and daughter awake to find their robber friend in little bits on the ground, they chase after
Una. She is unaffected by their wails and curses. But here arrives on the scene the great Archimago, who is in
the same armor as the Red Cross Knight. He asks the blind mother Corceca about Una, and she tells him the
recent events. Archimago rides after Una but is startled by the Lion. He dares not get TOO close, but she
comes to him as soon as she spots him. True is, as Spenser says, that true loue hath no powre to looken backe
– and Una is so happy to be reunited with the seeming Knight that she accepts his lame excuse of why he
abandoned her (to fight an rival knight, he claims).
As they ride together, who do they happen upon but SANSLOY – the brother of the last canto’s body count? He
recognizes the Red Cross armor (how he knows, Spenser does not say) and charges at Archimago. Since
Archimago is not a real knight, nor does he have the Cross protecting him, he gets gored. As Sansloy
announces his brotherly revenge and removes the helmet of the fallen Knight, Una begs for his life. Sansloy
ignores her and removes the helmet to see Archimago! He knows this sorcerer and is amazed at seeing him in
the armor of St. George. Archimago seems to be dying from his wound, so he leaves him there and yanks Una
off her horse. The Lion charges him, but Sansloy is armored and kills the beast. Now Una is at the mercy of the
Saracen and they ride off together.
Canto 4
The Knight and Duessa ride along until they come to a “goodly building” at the end of a broad road. Massive
crowds of people are always traveling toward the palace (Matthew 7:13), but very few are going the other
direction – and those who are have become beggars or bums. But since it is getting late, Duessa pushes the
Knight onward to the palace. It is a flimsy building covered in gold foil and built on a foundation of sand
(Matthew 7:26). The lady of this place is a proud, “blazing” beautiful woman that Spenser compares
to Phaeton. Though we read that she is the child of the Underworld deities (Pluto and Proserpine), she claims
to be the daughter of Jove (Zeus), the most important god. When the Knight and Duessa come before her
throne, she barely gives them notice. Although Duessa joins in on the court activity, the Knight wonders at the
pride of the Queen. Her name too is suspicious – Lucifera.
When morning comes Lucifera calls her “six sage Counsellours”, the policy-makers for her kingdom, to ride
with her. This procession is described in wonderful and obvious allegorical detail. The Counsellours are six
deadly sins:
Idleness: rides on a donkey. He is dressed in religious attire. He shuns the world, purportedly for the sake of
contemplation, but it is really just sloth. He is plagued by fever.
Gluttony: rides on a swine. He is horrifically fat and sweaty. He carries with him food to eat and is plagued by
dropsy.
Lechery: rides on a goat. He is dark and dirty, but ladies love him. He wears green and his seduction
strategies are briefly described. He is plagued by some type of venereal disease.
Avarice: rides on a camel (Matthew 19:24). He is dressed in rags but has enormous wealth stashed around
him. He is plagued by gout.
Envy: rides on a wolf. He chews on a toad (ew) and carries a snake. His clothes are painted with eyes. He
appears to have leprosy.
Wrath: rides on a lion. He waves around a burning brand and has his hand on his dagger. He is plagued by
many diseases including a swollen spleen and palsy.
After these six rides Satan himself, stepping on the bones of past damned travelers.
When they return to the palace who do they meet but Sansioy? Not surprisingly, he is hellbent on vengeance.
When he sees the shield of Sansfoy he starts a fight with the Red Cross Knight. The Queen bades them wait til
the next day to fight in an organized manner. During the night, Duessa comes to Sansioy and tells him how she
loved Sansfoy and of her captivity with the Red Cross Knight. She promises to be his if he can win the duel,
and warns him of the Red Cross enchanted armor. Sansioy dismisses her fears and sends her off.
Canto 5
In this canto we continue with Redcross, who is waiting for the dawn of his one-on-one tournament day with
Sansioy. As soon as the sun rises he gets dressed in his armor and goes forth to meet the Saracen in the
Queen’s hall. They are served spiced wine and swear an oath that they will follow the rules, the “sacred lawes
of armes”. Then it seems that the action moves outdoors – the Queen sits under a canopy, Duessa watched
from the sidelines, and the shield of Sansfoy – the dead brother of Sansioy that he seeks vengeance for – hangs
on a nearby tree for the victor to claim.
The battle begins, and in true medieval fantasy fashion they hew and cleave and smite each other. The poet
compares it to a fight between a Dragon and a Gryphon. The turning point is when Sansioy looks upon the
shield and redoubles his efforts, hitting Redcross so hard that the crowd is sure he will fall. Duessa
prematurely begins to congratulate Sansioy. The voice of Duessa brings Redcross back to his senses and he
swings so hard at Sansioy that he surely would have cloven him if Sansioy had not ducked.
After his brief victory speech he moves to slay the kneeling Saracen, but as he does so Sansioy disappears in a
cloud of dark mist. Duessa runs to Redcross and says that although he has won, his enemy has been carried
off to the Underworld. The Knight does not believe her at first but cannot find his foe. He is hailed as the
winner by the court and receives the shield.
He is brought back to the palace and laid in bed to have his wounds healed. Duessa, meanwhile, weeps like a
crocodile. At evening she finds Sansioy and flies to where Night is preparing to ride across the sky to beg his
case of her. Night is personified as a dark old hag with a dark chariot and dark horses. She is stunned to see
the bright Duessa. Duessa gives a speech reminding Night of her kinship to the Sans brothers (she calls them
Night’s nephews – they are the sons of Aveugles). She urges her to not let the deaths of two nephews go
unavenged. Night’s response is that it is futile to strive with the destinies Jove creates, but she wants to
avenge Sansfoy. She asks Duessa, “who are you?” and Duessa reveals herself. Though Night was also her
ancestor, her disguise is so good that even Night could barely detect any deception in her face.
They ride in Night’s chariot to pick up Sansioy. They bring him to hell and go underground, passing its famous
rivers, its generic ghosts, and its famous residents – an interesting list, notably including Theseus. Their goal
is to bring Sansioy to Aesculapius. Spenser gives us a brief background of this most famous doctor: he healed
Hippolytus, who had been torn apart on a cliff face by his father after his stepmother falsely accused him
(revenge for him resisting her advances). After realizing the truth, his father brought him to Aesculapius, who
was able to put him back together and bring him back to life. For this Aesculapius was thrown into hell by
Jove.
At first he is reluctant to heal Sansioy, but at the pleading of Night and Duessa he agrees . They leave Sanioy
there. Night returns to her sky chariot and Duessa to the prideful palace. She finds Redcross gone.
His wounds had healed quickly, but what prompted him to leave was the (overdue) observation by the Dwarf
that there were an awful lot of captives in the palace. They were prideful human beings – again we hear a
famous list of sinners, among them Cleopatra. Their greed and pride had led them to the dungeons of this
Queen, where they were chained (presumably forever).
This spooked the Knight and the Dwarf, so they hastened off in secrecy. Finally, on their way out, they notice
all the corpses piled on the ground. Pride is a nasty mistress.
Canto 6
Redcross is greatly relieved at his narrow escape, and resumes searching for Una.
Una is trapped with Sansloy, who has lead her into a forest to try and seduce her. Since he cannot, of course,
he becomes aggressive and attempts to rape her. Una’s screams attract the attention of a nearby troupe of
fauns and satrys. When these strange creatures show up in the glade, Sansloy is terrified and runs away.
Una appears to be terrified also. Spenser likens her predicament to the lamb-victim of a wolf fighting a lion.
But we should know by now that Una can tame even lions. The goat-people are humble and compassionate
before her, so she follows them to Sylvanus, the forest god. He has been wondering what all the clamour is
about.
When Sylvanus sees Una’s beauty, he is amazed. All the goat-people worship her in spite of her protests –
Just then a random knight arrives on the scene, and we learn about his past. He is mixed race, half-satyr and
half-human. His human mother’s husband was an unsatisfactory spouse who preferred hunting to his wife.
One day his wife went looking for him in the woods (with the implication that she wanted sex) but found a
satyr instead. She slept with and bore a child to the satyr, leaving the baby in the woods with his father.
As the baby grew up hs satyr father taught him to have no fear of wild animals. He became a fearsome
presence in the wood. He would capture and yoke dangerous beasts for fun. One day his mother appeared to
find her son being chased by a lioness whose cubs he was carrying away. She implored him to stop playing
with animals and flirting with death. We learn his name – Satyrane.
Satyrane eventually left the woods to find new foes. He became known throughout the land for his prowess,
but he always came back to his woods. This is where the story picks back up.
Una tells the goat-people and Satyrane her tale, and as usual she weeps prodigously. The knight is impressed.
When she plans an escape from the goat-people, he agrees to help her.
They sneak out together while all the fauns and satyrs are away with Sylvanus. After riding for most of the
day they see a pilgrim on the road. Eager for news, they approach him. He declares that Redcross is dead and
Una faints. She hears the whole story – the pilgrim saw Redcross stabbed by a Saracen, and says that the
Saracen is at a fountain nearby.
Satyrane heads to the fountain and sees Sansloy. He challenges him, Sansloy replies that he slew Archimago in
disguise and not Redcross. Satyrane and Sansloy fight in true Malory fashion. Sansloy becomes distracted
when Una appears, but is rebuked by Satyrane and they continue to fight while Una flees.
And the pilgrim who directed them full circle to Sansloy? None other than Archimago himself, who is now in
hot pursuit of Una.
Canto 7
The poem shifts to Duessa (or Fidessa, as Redcross still thinks her) returning from her Sansioy detour. She
discovers that her Knight has left Pride’s house. Duessa finds him again near a fountain, reproaches him for
leaving her, and they relax…or maybe not so much – the text is vague. We learn the legend of the nearby
fountain: one of the goddess Diana’s nymphs fell behind during a hunt. Diana, angry at the nymph’s laziness,
cursed her water (nymphs are water spirits) and its its drinkers to become slow and weak.
Unfortunately, Redcross happens to be the current drinker, and the waters steal his courage, strength, and
resolve.
Suddenly our characters are startled by a crashing sound. The giant Orgoglio (Italian for pride), wielding an
oak tree for a mace, attacks an unarmored, unarmed, and unprepared Redcross. Stanza 13 is a wonderful
description of his general disorientation, comparing the giant’s blows to Spenser’s modern artillery:
One blow misses Redcross but knocks him out, and he is only saved by Duessa’s intervention. The giant heeds
her, carries them both off, throws Redcross into his dungeon and makes Duessa his lady. The next few stanzas
describe Duessa once again resembling the Whore of Babylon (Revelation 17), especially after the giant gives
her a seven headed monster as a mount.
The Dwarf, having witnessed the giant carrying off his master and lady, sadly packs up Redcross’s horse and
armor and departs. When he comes across Una, still fleeing from Sansloy, she faints at the sight of Redcross’s
belongings. The Dwarf revives her, she laments and faints again. And again. And again.
Finally she asks for the gory story. He tells her everything that has happened thus far, including the real
identity of “Fidessa”, and Redcross’s current predicament. She decides to find out what has happened, and
they set off in search of him.
On the way they meet a knight and his squire. The knight is dressed magnificently, decked out in jewels, gold,
and a dragon helm. His shield is solid diamond, (we are told) for dazzling his enemy’s eyes and revealing any
deception of magic. Where did he get this incredible shield, you ask? Merlin made it for him.
Finally, we are saved by Arthur himself!
Arthur converses with Una and realizes that something is wrong with her. She is reluctant to tell him her
misadventures (and after what she’s been through with knights, can you blame her?) but he convinces her.
She tells him the whole story, that a dragon attacked her parents’ kingdom and has besieged them for four
years. Though many tried, no knight could defeat the dragon, so she came to Gloriana’s court to find a more
qualified champion. Redcross was tasked with killing her dragon, but all the events of the book have
interfered, and Una informs Arthur of the same mishaps of which the Dwarf had recently informed her.
Of course Arthur promises to help, and here the canto ends.
Canto 8
Arthur, Una, and the Squire follow the Dwarf to the giant’s castle. The gates are shut and the castle silent in
response to challenge, so the Squire blows a magic horn that bursts through the gates. The giant runs to see
what has happened. Duessa follows him on her evil beast. The giant strikes at Arthur, who dodges a powerful
blow that leaves a three yard-deep crater in the earth.
While the giant struggles to get his oak tree back out of the ground, Arthur chops his left arm off. The giant
howls with pain and Duessa (who is still mounted) moves to attack Arthur. The Squire faces the beast and
blocks the way to Arthur. An angry Duessa turns to her “golden cup” (Revelation 17:4), sprinkling her poison
on the Squire, who collapses and is crushed by the beast.
Arthur, seeing his Squire fall, attacks the beast and cleaves one of its seven heads in half. The giant returns to
protect Duessa. Now that he is missing one arm all his strength is concentrated in his right arm, which again
swings at Arthur, and this time hits him. As Arthur falls his shield’s cover comes off. The beast and the giant
are dazzled by the light.
Arthur seizes the moment and cuts off the giant’s right leg, felling and beheading him. The giant’s blood flows
around him, and then a curious thing happens: “But soone as breath out of his breast did pas, That huge great
body…was vanisht quite, and of that monstrous mas / Was nothing left, but like an emptie bladder was.” I am
honestly not sure if this means that he disappeared, or that all his guts just spilled out. Either way it is an
interesting end.
Duessa turns to flee but is stopped by the Squire (whom I suppose has quickly recovered). Una praises Arthur
and the Squire, pledges her services, implores them to keep an eye on Duessa, and reminds them of
Redcross’s captivity. Arthur charges the Squire with guarding Duessa and enters the giant’s castle. It is as
silent inside as it was at the gate. Then they see the figure of a white-haired old man, supported by his staff,
who walks forward while his head faces behind. His name is Ignaro (ignorance) and he carries the dungeon
keys. Arthur asks him where Redcross would be and Ignaro answers that he does not know. It turns out that
he answers every question with “I don’t know”, so Arthur simply takes the keys and goes looking through the
castle.
He finds treasure but the floors are covered with dead babies (ew). He also finds an altar used for sacrificing
true Christians. At last he comes to the last locked room, but Arthur is out of keys. He calls through a grate in
the door and is answered by a voice. Arthur breaks the door down only to find a reeking abyss in the next
room. Once again the wording slightly confuses me – the poem says that “his foot could find no flore”, but in
the next stanza he lifts up an emaciated Redcross. I am not sure if there is a platform, or Redcross is chained
to the wall, or what. Anyway, they get him out.
Una exclaims at his appearance and says a few words about vengeance, Arthur replies that bad situations are
for our moral instruction and that he has learned an important lesson. Arthur offers Redcross his own
personal vengeance upon Duessa, but it is Una’s opinion that Duessa be merely de-robed and set free.
They do strip Duessa, all the way down to her real self – the deformed hag. Stanzas 47 and 48 describe her
monstrosity, down to her fox tail and eagle-claw-slash-bear-paw feet. They let her go and rest in the castle.
Canto 9
As the group gets ready to depart, Una asks Arthur’s “name and nation” (we knew who he was because of the
Merlin hint, but he hasn’t officially introduced himself yet). Arthur responds that he doesn’t know the story of
his own origin, since he was taken from his parents at birth and raised by a Sir Timon (this is Spenser, not
Malory!). Between Timon and regular visits from Merlin, Arthur was educated, trained, and told that he would
someday be king.
Una must recognize the story somehow, since in stanza 6 she is the first to refer to him as Prince Arthur. She
asks what he’s doing in Faery land. Arthur waxes philosophical about the mysteries of heaven, which leads
into the story of his recent past…
Once upon a time, Arthur was cynical about love and avoided all of Cupid’s darts. Of course this couldn’t last.
One day while out riding, he lay down for a nap and encountered in a dream vision a “royall Mayd”. He fell in
love with her. Before she disappeared, she told him that she is the Faerie Queene herself. When Arthur woke
up, he vowed to seek her out. It has been 9 months and he is still looking.
Una and Redcross respond encouragingly to his tale, and they exchange gifts. Arthur gives a diamond box of
healing cordial to Redcross, and Redcross gives a holy testament to Arthur. They go their separate ways,
Redcross still weak from the previous canto’s dungeon episode.
Redcross and Una see a knight galloping towards them. He keeps looking behind as if in fear of pursuit, and
they notice a noose around his neck. Redcross stops him to ask what his deal is, and has a hard time getting a
story out of the terrified knight. After Redcross reassures him of his safety, we hear the knight’s tragic story…
He had been friends with another knight named Sir Terwin. Sir Terwin had the misfortune to love a cruel and
haughty lady who scorned his love. While this knight and Sir Terwin were returning from the scorning
incident, they happened to meet Despair personified.
Despair started a conversation that turned their thoughts to suicide, and provided Terwin with a knife and
our sad knight with his noose. Terwin gashed his own chest open, the sight of which dismayed our knight so
much that he fled with the noose still around his neck.
Thus ends the knight’s explanation of his fear, and he questions Redcross’s ability to withstand Despair’s
seduction should they ever talk to each other. Redcross asks defensively if mere words should be the sole
cause of suicide for an otherwise healthy man, and the knight assures him that Despair’s words are pure
poison. Foolishly, the still-weak Redcross decides to go and challenge Despair, and asks Sir Treuisan (that’s
the noose knight’s name) to lead him there. Treuisan agrees as long as he can leave before Despair begins to
speak.
So the hero and his posse arrive at Despair’s lair. They see grisly corpses all around and finally the man
himself, with a hollow face and stringy hair, dressed in rags. Beside him dead Sir Terwin lays in a pool of fresh
blood.
What follows in stanzas 37-54 is a really interesting dialog on death. Despair twists humanistic, moral, and
religious teachings to support suicide. When Redcross counters with the concept of God’s sovereignty
(regarding the timing of one’s death) Despair shifts the conversation to remind Redcross of his many failures
and sins:
Treuisan was right, and Redcross is deceived. Despair brings him an assortment of tools that he can use to kill
himself. When Redcross doesn’t choose, Despair hands him a dagger. After seeing Redcross attempt to stab
himself, Una intervenes. She is furious at his continued weakness and reminds him of his dragon-killing quest
and the mercy and grace of God. They leave together.
When Despair sees Redcross get away, he hangs himself, but ironically: “it could not doe him die, Till he
should die his last, that is eternally.”
Canto 10
Spenser opens this canto with a reminder that nobody’s perfect. So don’t judge. Now, Una observes
Redcross’s weak condition and decides to bring him somewhere safe so he can recover (with the help of
“diets daint”). Una being the pious woman she is, they travel to the house of Holiness. This house is run by
Dame Caelia (“Heavenly”) who has three daughters representing the three greatest virtues – Fidelia (“Faith”),
Speranza (“Hope”), and Charissa (“Charity”). Una and Redcross are shown into the house by the porter
Humility. After passing through a “stright & narrow” way, they come into a large courtyard and are
entertained by a franklin named Zeal and greeted by a squire named Reverence.
Finally they meet the lady of the house, Caelia herself, who joyfully recognizes Una. Caelia remarks that it is
strange to see an errant knight in her house, since not many people care about being holy. Her two virgin
daughters, Fidelia and Speranza, are described. The first is wearing all white and holding a golden cup filled
with wine and water and a serpent, and in her other hand a book. The second is wearing blue, holding an
anchor, and praying with her eyes lifted up to heaven. Una (of course) is friends with these girls and
introduces them to Redcross. Then Una asks about the third sister, Charissa, and is told that she is about to
give birth and cannot be seen yet.
Then Caelia calls her servant Obedience to put her guests to bed. After they are rested, Redcross begins his
training in holiness (remember that Book I’s theme is holiness). Fidelia teaches him about faith, preaching to
him from her book and performing miracles. As Redcross thinks about his sins, he begins to despair yet
again. Speranza tries to comfort him by teaching him about hope, but Una is worried and consults Caelia, who
summons a doctor for the Knight. The doctor is Patience. He begins to heal Redcross at the root of his
sickness. Through the unpleasant experience of Amendment, Penance, Remorse, and Repentance Redcross
heals. Once he is done repenting, Una brings him to Charissa to learn charity. She is a matron arrayed in
yellow, surrounded by a multitude of her children. Charissa instructs him in love and how to live for heaven.
She calls yet another virtue, Mercy to help him. Mercy guides Redcross along a narrow path to a hospital,
where he meets seven men (see Matthew 25:35):
#1 – his job is to accept all comers and entertain them, offering them lodging.
#2 – his job is to feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty.
#3 – his job is to clothe those who need clothing.
#4 – his job is to release prisoners and captives.
#5 – his job is to look after the sick and comfort the dying.
#6 – his job is to care for dead bodies and prepare them for burial.
#7 – his job is to care for orphans and widows.
These men are the manifestations of Mercy and Charity. Mercy further instructs Redcross, who is finally
learning. They visit another man, Contemplation, who lives alone in a hermitage on a hill. Contemplation
constantly fasts and is physically old. He is actually somewhat annoyed at the interruption of visitors, as he
spends every minute contemplating on heavenly things. He is asked to take Redcross to the “glorious house”,
which he does after Redcross fasts and prays for a bit. They climb a mountain (compared to Mount Sinai,
the Mount of Olives, and Mount Parnassus) and view the eternal city – not Rome, but the heavenly version
of Jerusalem, the city of the saints. Redcross compares it to Cleopolis, where the Faerie Queen herself lives.
Contemplation praises the Queen and agrees that Cleopolis is the greatest earthly city. He tells Redcross that
he is doing the right thing by assisting needy people at her court, but that fighting is bad. He urges Redcross to
retire after this adventure, proclaiming that he will be a saint – St. George of “mery England”.
This appears to worry George a little bit – he questions his saintliness and seems reluctant to give up both
loving women and fighting battles. He concludes that he would be happiest if he were allowed to just stay in
Caelia’s house or continue on to the new Jerusalem. Contemplation reminds him of his vow to help Una’s
family against the dragon. George asks about his ancestry, wondering how he can be both an English and a
Faerie knight, and it is revealed that he is a changling – an Elf swapped out her child for him long ago in our
world. After the Elf abandons him as a baby, he is found by a ploughman and named George.
All this news is somewhat overwhelming for soon-to-be-Saint George, and he returns to Una as a new man.
They leave the house of Holiness together.
Canto 11
Finally we return to the central quest of Book I. Lady Una remembers that her family is under siege by a
dragon. As they approach the lands of her kingdom, she points out the tower that her parents are trapped in.
Suddenly the dragon roars.
The battle begins as Una runs off to watch from a safe distance. Spenser addresses his Muse for a few stanzas,
giving us a preview of another epic battle that presumably will come at the end of his poem. But at the
moment Sir George has a dragon to slay, and after a long and wonderful description of the “dreadfull Beast”
(with his terrible scales and wings and stinging tail and claws and jaws and eyes…you get the picture) we get
down to business. This enormous reptile* somewhat unnerves George, who is promptly knocked off his horse
with a swipe of a tail. The knight’s blows have little effect on the dragon except to fuel its rage. It grabs George
and his steed in its claws and flies around with them for awhile, until they manage to struggle free. At last
George manages to stab the dragon in a soft spot under its left wing, causing it to roar again, bleed profusely,
and blast fire from its nostrils. Again George is dismounted, and again he strikes the dragon but fails to pierce
its scaly armor. The good news is that due to its previous wound, the dragon is unable to fly, so it breathes fire
instead, burning George inside his armor. The knight is felled for the third time, but luckily he falls into the
well of life, which just so happens to be behind him at this moment. It is a magic fountain of renewal. The sun
sets on George in the well, with the dragon presuming victory and Una praying all night long.
The next morning Una looks for George, who emerges from the well fully restored and proceeds to strike the
dragon’s skull. He wounds it, breaking the dragon’s armor for the first time. As the crazed beast thrashes
around, it stabs its tail-sting through the knight’s shield into his shoulder. In retribution George severs the
dragon’s whole tail. Then the dragon snatches his shield away. After trying three times to retrieve it, he just
hacks off the dragon’s whole foot, leaving it still gripping the shield. Again the dragon breathes fire at him, and
again he stumbles backwards into a magical mercy of nature – the tree of life. The sap of the tree functions as
did the well of life, saving him from death and healing him. The sun sets and Una prays all night.
At dawn George arises healed. The mutilated dragon is quickly dispatched with a stroke through its mouth.
Una and George realize that they have won.
*C.f. stanza 4, “Efstoones that dreadfull Dragon they espide,/Where strecht he lay vpon the sunny side,/Of a
great hill, himselfe like a great hill.” However, if you try searching Google Images on the subject you find
that traditional imagery seems to prefer a very small dragon. I deliberately enlarged the beast in this blog’s
header image. I don’t pretend to understand this discrepancy, as I have always considered the terror of a
dragon proportional to its physical size.
Canto 12
A nearby watchman hurries to tell Una’s parents that the dragon has been slain. The King (Una’s father)
opens the city again. The kingdom rejoices and its monarchs head out to honor the dragonslayer with gifts.
The court procession crowns Una with a garland while the people of the city all run to see the dragon carcass.
Stanzas 10-11 tell how it goes down:
Some feard, and fled; some feard and well it faynd;
One that would wiser seeme, then all the rest,
Warnd him not to touch, for yet perhaps remaynd
Some lingring life within his hollow brest,
Or in his wombe might lurke some hidden nest
Of many Dragonets, his fruitfull seed;
Another said, that in his eyes did rest
Yet sparckling fire, and bad therof take heed;
Another said, he saw him moue his eyes indeed.
One mother, when as her foolehardie chyld
Did come too neare, and with his talants play,
Halfe dead through feare, her litle babe reuyld,
And to her gossips gan in counsell say;
How can I tell, but that his talants may
Yet scratch my sonne, or rend his tender hand?
So diuersly themselues in vaine they fray;
Whiles some more bold, to measure him night stand,
To proue how many acres he did spread of land.
Una and George come to the palace for a feast. Spenser skips a lengthy description, content to have George
summarize his story in but one little stanza. The King and Queen are greatly moved by his adventures and
show strong emotion during the telling. They ask him to remain in their kingdom but he replies that he has
made a vow to serve the Faerie Queene for 6 more years and must return. The King answers that he regrets
such a previous commitment, but that he is willing to marry Una to him after he returns from his 6 years of
service, because he promised Una to whomever would slay the dragon. Now he calls Una in, who is unveiled
and dressed quite differently from her adventure clothing. St. George is stunned by her beauty but the
moment is interrupted by a messenger dashing into the room. The messenger reads aloud his letter to the
King. It states that the knight he has betrothed his daughter to is already engaged and is a liar. It is signed
Fidessa.
Understandably the King is somewhat disturbed by her allegations, so he asks George to be honest about his
past. As he briefly summarizes his encounters with the false Duessa, Una defends his conduct and blames
Duessa the witch. Una accuses the messenger of being none other than Archimago in disguise. The guards
quickly sieze Archimago and throw him into the dungeon, while the King resumes his wedding planning.
Finally we have our long-awaited happy ending – Our Redcross, the true St. George of merry England, is
united to Una in what appears to be a full-on wedding. He does have to leave shortly afterwards to complete
his vow of service, but Spenser stops the story there. I hope we have all learned how to attain the virtue of
holiness, because our next book is coming up soon.
Book II, Canto I
CONTAYNING
THE LEGEND OF SIR GVYON.
OR
OF TEMPERAUNCE.
The introduction to the second book is a wonderful reminder to keep our sense of wonder. Spenser reminds
his readers that mystery in the world yet exists. Not until the sixteenth century did Magellan circumnavigate
our planet. This poem may be a fairy tale, but even in such a grand age of discovery (and do we not still live in
an age of discovery?) there is always more to marvel at.
We return to the story with the character of Archimago the villain. He has escaped his bonds of the previous
book and pursued St. George, scheming against him. But George, now wary of temptation and deceit after his
adventures, is not so easily tricked as he once was.
We are introduced to our current protagonist, Sir Guyon. He is a comely knight, full “temperate”, accompanied
by an old Palmer. Once Archimago spots this pair he comes up with a plan. Approaching them in the guise of a
squire, he tells a sad tale of a lady who was attacked and raped by a renegade knight.
Of course this story inflames the good Sir Guyon, who rides off to exact revenge for the lady’s sake. He comes
across the lady, her appearance ransacked, who after some prodding repeats the sob story of her rape and
gives a description of her attacker that happens to match that of St. George.
Guyon has heard of the Redcross knight’s virtue and seems to question her story, nonetheless he will avenge
her. Of course you will have guessed by now that the so-called rape victim is in fact our favorite villainess
Duessa in yet another disguise.
Eventually they come across the Redcross knight sitting by a stream. At first Guyon approaches him to fight,
then sees his mistake. As they recognize each other, Guyon realizes he has been lied to. They exchange
pleasantries and the Palmer praises St. George highly. George wishes them good luck and they depart.
One day Guyon and the Palmer are travelling and hear crying from a wood as they rode by. The voice cries for
several stanzas about death, she is compared to a dying deer. Guyon comes upon a gory and tragic scene – a
fountain, a dead knight, a woman on the ground with a dagger through her chest, and her baby playing in the
blood. Naturally he is in shock for a moment. He helps the woman, pulling the knife out from her chest. She
appears to recover somewhat and he asks her what has happened. She is in bad shape, cannot stand, and is
about to die. Yet she ends up telling him her tale.
The dead knight’s name is Sir Mordant and he was previously her lover. One day, he left her pregnant and
went on an adventure that he never returned from. She heard that he had come unto Acrasia’s Bower of Bliss,
a cursed place where Acrasia the sorceress enthralls knights with pleasure and leisure. The poor abandoned
pregnant woman goes in search of him, delivering her baby in the process, but once she finds him he does not
recognize her. She restores him to normal, but once Acrasia finds out that one of her knights is gone, she
curses the fountain in the wood. When Sir Mordant drank he died immediately.
After telling that far, the stabbed woman dies.
A grieved Guyon addresses the Palmer with some thoughts on the destructive nature of Passion, Temperance,
and Death. Then they bury the stabbed lady, Guyon swearing vengeance for her death.
Canto2
Guyon and the Palmer take the bloody baby with them. Guyon laments the babe’s situation and kneels down
to try to wash off its bloody hands in the fountain. To his amazement, the blood will not wash off. Guyon
marvels at this and the Palmer explains that all fountains, lakes and pools have some sort of magic in them.
Somehow, the Palmer knows that this particular fountain’s virtue springs from a long-ago incident when its
nymph was chased by a lecherous faun. The nymph wearied and was afraid of being captured by the faun, so
she cried out to the goddess Diana for mercy and Diana changed her into this fountain. From then on, the
fountain’s water was as virtuous as the nymph and therefore will not let the baby’s bloodiness into its water.
After hearing this remarkable story, Guyon gives up on trying to wash the baby’s hands. Unfortunately, he has
lost his horse during the previous canto’s adventure and now has to travel on foot.
Eventually the trio comes to a castle on a cliff. “Therein three sisters dwelt of a sundry sort” and the middle
sister, Medina, is there to receive our party. She graciously entertains Guyon. The other two sisters are busy
with their knight boyfriends. The eldest sister has a suitor named Huddibras, a rash fighter. The youngest
sister has our favorite Saracen Sansloy as her suitor. The sisters (and their knights representing them) are
always fighting with each other, but now that they have heard of Guyon’s arrival they all four turn against
him.
Before they could get so far as to attack Guyon, they end up in an argument between themselves and start a
noisy fight. The noise stirs Guyon. The two suitor knights turn from each other to him and chaos ensues as all
three knights attempt to kill each other.
Fortunately, Medina intervenes and manages to get the knights to listen to her. Despite the interruption of her
sisters, she gives a great speech about the uselessness of war in stanza 30 and begs them to stop fighting.
Surprisingly, her speech works and they lay down their arms. The knights and their ladies go to rest in
Medina’s lodging.
Both the elder and younger sister are quite annoyed at this turn of events, as each wanted her knight to
triumph. The elder sister Elissa represents the extreme of minimalism, the younger sister Perissa the extreme
of excess. Medina, of course, is Goldilock’s Baby Bear, the middle way, who is “just right”. She moderates the
gathering and eventually asks Guyon to tell the group his story.
This leads to some flattering stanzas about Gloriana the Faerie Queene, and a bit of history on Guyon. He is in
the knightly Order of Maidenhead, the most important order. Every New Year’s Gloriana holds a great feast,
and this past year the Palmer arrived to voice his complaint about Acrasia, the sorceress.
Guyon was sent to address this grievance. He has been on the road for three months, and he relates the sad
story from the previous canto to explain his pursuit of Acrasia.
Finally it is bedtime. “At last when they had markt the chaunged skyes, / They wist their houre was spent;
then each to rest him hyes.”
Canto 3
Guyon wakes up, hands the bloody baby to Medina, and sets off on foot. Spenser finally lets us know how the
horse-thieving went down. Apparently, while Guyon was dealing with the events of Canto I, a wandering
scoundrel happened upon his unsupervised horse and spear. Once mounted and armed, the fool thief had a
mind to go show off at court. Instead he soon spotted a random man sitting on the side of the road. He
charged at this man and frightened him a great deal. The “Scarcrow” was very impressed that he had
managed to conquer this nobody sitting on the side of the road, and so offered him a choice
between captivity and death. Of course the “Miser” chose to live as a servant, but as he was a bit more cunning
than his master he soon learned to manipulate him through praise and flattery.
These two, then, are Trompart, the deceptive servant who inflates his master’s ego, and Braggadochio, the
false braggart. Soon they come upon our favorite wizard Archimago. Archimago is now after Guyon, but upon
seeing these two fools he stops and inquires why Braggadochio does not carry a sword. Of course it is because
he didn’t happen to steal one, but Trompart makes up a story about how Braggadochio has sworn off swords.
Archimago immediately begins to complain about Guyon and Redcross, blaming them for the deaths of
Mordant and his lady. Braggadochio shakes Guyon’s spear and threatens to kill both of them! Archimago
advises him to obtain a sword before he goes after two such legendary knights. Braggadochio boasts of his
amazing prowess in battle, that he can defeat a host of enemies with no weapon at all. Archimago advises him
still to get a sword. Braggadochio replies that he will carry a sword only when he obtains the sword of the
noblest knight on earth. Now Archimago has him – he informs him that Arthur’s is the noblest sword on earth,
and Braggadochio shall have it the next day. With that, Archimago flies away by magic, and Braggadochio and
Trompart flee with terror.
They stop fleeing through the woods at the sound of a hunting horn. Braggadochio hides in the bushes as
Trompart watches “what might hap”. He sees a huntress appear, a very beautiful lady described much like the
goddess Diana. Spenser describes her in detail for 10 stanzas – this is Belphoebe, (another side of Gloriana
AKA Queen Elizabeth I). Trompart is stunned by the appearance of this lady. She asks him if he has seen the
deer she has recently wounded and is now pursuing. He says that he has not and asks her which goddess she
is. Before answering, Belphoebe notices movement in the bushes and nearly shoots Braggadochio. Trompart
stops her as Braggadochio emerges from his hiding place, once again assuming his lying boastfulness.
She greets him, he responds with really silly lies about how valorous he has been, and asks her why she isn’t
at court. She answers by saying that spending life at court is a waste, that obtaining honor is hard but
worthwhile, whereas obtaining pleasure ends in idleness and vanity. Braggadochio tries to jump her and she
vanishes. Of course the two cowards are frightened yet again.
Perdie (said Trompart) let her passe at will,
Least by her presence daunger mote befall.
For who can tell (and sure I feare it ill)
But that she is some powre celestiall?
For whiles she spake, her great words did apall
My feeble courage, and my hart opresse,
That yet I quake and tremble ouer all.
And I (said Braggadochio) thought no lesse,
When first I heard her horne sound with such ghastlinesse.
For from my mothers wombe this grace I haue
Me giuen by eternall destinie,
That earthly thing may not my courage braue
Dismay with feare, or cause on foot to flie,
But wither hellish feends, or pwres on hie:
Which was the cause, when earst that horne I heard,
Weening it had been thunder in the skie,
I hid myself from it, as one affeard;
But when I other knew, my selfe I boldly reard.
But now for feare of worse, that may betide,
Let vs soon hence depart.

Canto 4
Guyon’s horse is pissed at having Braggadocchio on his back. Spenser reminds us that the nobility ride much
better than common folks.
Now we return to Guyon and the Palmer. They spy a madman dragging along a young man, beating him. A hag
follows the madman. Her description is hideous – her forehead is covered in hair, but behind her head is all
bald, “That none thereof could euer taken hold”*. As they walk, she goads on the madman to keep beating the
poor youth.
Of course Guyon intervenes in this scene. He pushes away the hag and fights with the madman, who fights
back blindly, even injuring himself. Guyon is confused by this crazy, disorganized combat style and is knocked
down. After a few beatings he jumps back up again with his sword, but is advised by the Palmer that his blade
will not avail against this monster Furor (the personification of wrath). We also learn that the hag is called
Occasion, “the root of all wrath and despight”. The way to defeat Furor is to deal with Occasion first.
Guyon takes this advise to heart and restrains the hag, locking her tongue to shut her up. Furor runs off but is
caught and bound by Guyon. Even constrained by a hundred iron chains and a hundred knots, he is still acting
crazy. Guyon turns his attention to the beaten man. His background with Occasion and Furor is a familiar
story, used previously by Ariosto and subsequently by Shakespeare. It is the plot of Much Ado About
Nothing but with a tragic ending.
This beaten man was once a Squire who had a childhood friend named Philemon. He also had a lady love
whom he became engaged to. The friend, while previously acting graciously toward the fiancee, now claimed
that he knew she had been cheating and bids the Squire to hold off on his marriage. Philemon’s lies continued
with a tale of the fiancee meeting her lover in a particular place. He told the Squire he would take him there so
he could see with his own eyes.
Philemon, however, was secretly having a tryst with the lady Claribell’s maid. He convinced her to steal her
mistress’s clothes and meet him at the designated spot, where to the Squire’s horror they acted out the scene
he had heard of. The next time he saw Claribell, he killed her. Then he poisoned Philemon. Then he went after
the maid, Pryene, and was chasing her with a knife when he was set upon by Occasion and Furor.
Guyon sympathizes and advises the Squire to cultivate our book’s virtue of Temperance. The Palmer takes
over with a lecture on the dangers of passion, wrath, and jealousy. Guyon suggests that the Squire practice
more caution in the future and asks his name. His name is Phedon. At this moment a varlet runs up to them at
full speed. He carries a red shield with an image of fire and two sharp darts. The varlet Atin threatens Guyon,
telling him to leave this place or else risk the wrath of his master Pyrochles. Guyon asks what brought him out
and he replies that he is looking for Occasion, as his master is in the mood to fight. Guyon indicates the bound
and gagged Occasion. Atin is pissed, reproves them for fighting an old woman, threatens them with Pyrochles’
vengeance, throws a dart, and leaves.
Canto 5
tin’s threat was not idle. Guyon soon sees Pyrochles “fast pricking” toward him. Without a word Pyrochles
strikes the still-horseless Guyon with his spear. In turn, Guyon decapitates Pyrochles’ horse. Now Pyrochles is
angry and taunts him. A 6-stanza fight ensues, they take turns smiting each other, Pyrochles enrages, and
Guyon is able to dodge his blows. Spenser compares it to the fight of a lion and a unicorn. Unicorns are
notoriously short-tempered animals that tend to impale their own horns in trees.
Guyon wins this fight, of course, and lets his opponent go free, with some good advice on – you guessed it –
temperance. Mastery of oneself is more important than mastery over others, and a little self-restraint makes
all the difference. Pyrochles, of course, ignores him and requests that Guyon let Occasion and Furor go free
also.
“Thereat Sir Guyon smilde, And is that all / (Said he) that thee so sore displeased hath?” He lets them go and
immediately Furor attacks Pyrochles, with Occasion trying to inflame them both. She gives Furor a firebrand
that he uses to overcome Pyrochles. Finally Pyrochles is forced to plead Guyon’s assistance, but Guyon is held
back by the Palmer, who considers Pyrochles’ defeat well deserved. So they leave.
In the meantime, Atin has run to find Pyrochles’ brother Cymochles. Cymochles is in the Bower of Bliss,
enchanted by the sorceress Acrasia. We get our first descriptions of this evil place, designed to be a garden of
earthly delights that will trap unwary warriors. It looks good, smells good, has lots of naked girls (and guys),
and Cymochles spends his time gazing at the ladies while pretending to sleep. When Atin finds him, he
upbraids his laziness and asks him to come to Pyrochles’ aid. Thus reproached, Cymochles leaves with Atin.
Canto 6
Cymochles comes to a river. In the river is a little boat, and in the boat is a woman. She giggled and sings to
herself as she floats along. He calls to her and requests a ride. She invites him in but rejects Atin. Her gondola
steers itself while she entertains Cymochles with silly stories and incessant laughing. She successfully
distracts him from all thoughts of knightly valour. This woman is Phaedria, “the shining one”. She brings him
to an island, carefully crafted to entice all the senses. He ends up falling asleep in her lap. Spenser provides us
with some Sermon-on-the-Mount moralizing while Cymochles naps and Phaedria steals away back to her
canoe.
This time she is met by Guyon, who is presumably following Atin. She gives him a ferry ride but will not allow
the Palmer. Guyon bails on him and soon discovers that his new companion is quite annoying with her
giggling and nonsense. He is extra annoyed when it dawns on him that she has brought him to the island and
not across the river. She laughs it off and attempts to distract him, with little success.
Finally Cymochles awakens, and like a good true knight of literature he immediately fights with Guyon. It
seems a fairly even match until Guyon shatters his helmet, at which point Phaedria intervenes, beseeching
them to stop, and they do. Guyon asks to leave. This relieves Phaedria, who has evidently noticed that Guyon
dislikes her. She drops him off, and who should be standing nearby but poor abandoned Atin! He hurls abuses
at Guyon, who ignores him until the spectacle of a suicidal knight charges at them. The knight runs straight
into the river. And who should this be but poor forsaken Pyrochles!
Atin tries to stop Pyrochles from drowning himself, but Pyrochles is determined to stop the “burning”. Just
then an old man with a sword shows up, and who should it be but our favorite magician Archimago! In stanza
49 come some of my favorite lines:
These flames, these flames (he cryde) do me torment.
What flames (quoth he) when I thee present see,
In daunger rather to be drent, then brent?
We learn that the burning is from the wounds inflicted by Furor in the previous canto. Archimago heals them.
Canto 7
We continue the Sermon on the Mount theme in this canto, as well as allusions to the Temptation of Christ.
Guyon travels on alone. He comes to a “gloomy glade” and runs across a sooty savage man in a nasty old coat,
sitting on a heap of golden treasure. When he sees Guyon he jumps up in a fright and pushes all the gold into a
hole to hide it. Guyon confronts the man “(if man at all thou art)” and learns that he is Mammon, the god of
wealth. Unsurprisingly, for the rest of the canto Mammon goes out of his way to tempt Guyon.
Guyon resists easily at first, and answers that he much prefers knightly achievements to money. Mammon
tries again (stanza 11):
Vaine glorious Elfe (said he) doest not thou weet,
That money can thy wantes at will supply?
And so on, into a nice philosophical discussion about the usefulness of money versus its potential to corrupt,
and the necessity of working for wages.
Finally Mammon offers to let Guyon see his stash and take anything he pleases. Guyon seems hesitant about
accepting potentially stolen gifts, but Mammon assures him that the gold never belonged to anyone before.
They enter his underground lair, passing grotesque personifications of depressing concepts like Treason,
Revenger, Spite, and so forth. It’s all very Aeneid-like. A monster begins to follow them, watching Guyon
carefully to see if he gives into temptation – and to eat him if he does. Eventually they enter a vast hall stuffed
with treasure, which Mammon offers to Guyon. Guyon declines, but Mammon isn’t finished yet. He leads
Guyon to the forges where the treasure is created straight from the veins of the earth. Again he tempts Guyon,
and again Guyon declines (stanza 39):
Suffise it then, thou Money God (quoth hee)
That all thine idle offers I refuse.
All that I need I haue; what needeth mee
To couet more, than I haue cause to vse?
They continue on, encountering Disdain as a golden giant, and the throne of Ambition. On the throne sits a
superficially beautiful woman. This is Mammon’s daughter, whose name is Philotime (honor-love), an
example of Ambition gone wrong. Mammon offers her to Guyon but is once again turned down.
At last they come to the Garden of Proserpina. Mammon shows Guyon the tree of the legendary golden
apples. Guyon ends up distracted by the souls who are trapped in the nearby river Cocytus. The spirits are
tormented in various ways and Guyon’s morbid fascination with them lasts longer than Mammon can
tolerate. They have now been 3 days on this adventure. He suggests that Guyon sit and eat an apple. The
monster has been waiting for this the whole time but is disappointed in the end when all Guyon can do is
faint.
Canto 8
The first two stanzas describe the way angels watch out for humans. As the Palmer wanders along, he hears a
voice crying “come hither”. It leads him to the senseless Guyon. Beside Guyon sits an angel, compared to
Cupid and Phoebus in his beauty. The angel tells the Palmer that Guyon will recover. Then he flies off.
The Palmer realizes that Guyon is still breathing. Just then, our second-favorite Paynim brothers appear with
old Archimago and Atin the varlet. Yes, Cymochles and Pyrochles have returned. Of course they all instantly
recognize Guyon and start insulting his memory to the Palmer (they think he is dead). The Palmer will not
leave him alone to be despoiled by the pagans. Nevertheless, they start stripping him of his weapons.
Pyrochles equips Guyon’s shield. Then Prince Arthur shows up just in the nick of time.
Now, you might recall that Archimago happens to have in his possession Morddure, the sword of Arthur,
which he stole through magical tricks. Pyrochles demands this sword, despite Archimago’s warnings that the
sword will not be able to hurt Arthur (its rightful owner). Pyrochles seizes the sword anyway.
The Palmer explains the situation to Arthur and requests his help. Arthur, being the highest level of rational
human, is sure he will be able to reason with the Paynim brothers rather than fight them. Of course he is
unsuccessful and they end up fighting. Arthur is swordless, but Pyrochles is having a difficult time hitting him
due to Morddure’s enchantment. Arthur manages to stab Cymochles in the thigh, motivating Pyrochles to
finally strike him hard enough to draw blood. This prompts the Palmer to give Arthur Guyon’s sword, but
Arthur hesitates to fight against the image of the Faerie Queene on Guyon’s shield.
At last Cymochles hits Arthur really hard, and Arthur’s retaliatory blow kills him. This event stuns Pyrochles
into suicidal mode and Arthur gets the best of him. Arthur gives him one last chance to live, but Pyrochles
refuses his clemency and is beheaded.
Right then Guyon awakens and wonders where his weapons are. He acknowledges Arthur and they hang out
for awhile, as Archimago and Atin run for their lives.
Canto 9
This canto is pretty interesting, even if the allegory in places is a bit weird. Spenser begins with a statement
on the human body – how it is the most excellent of all creation when governed by a rational mind, but
without restraint is a monster.
We return to the narrative with Prince Arthur asking Guyon about his shield’s image of Gloriana. Guyon
praises her as the wisest and most virtuous ruler on earth, and Arthur praises her knights and their valiance.
Guyon suggests that Arthur join the Queen’s Order of Maidenhead. It turns out that Arthur has been searching
for Gloriana for the past year, but has not yet found the land of Faerie. Then Guyon tells Arthur all the
adventures he’s had so far in Book II. By this time it is getting dark, so the knights approach a nearby castle to
find lodging for the knight.
The castle is locked up. Arthur blows his horn to get the attention of the watchman, who warns them to run
because the castle is under siege. Before they can respond they are attacked by a horde of ragged villeins.
Evidently they are not very good soldiers because Arthur and Guyon defeat a thousand of them in just a
couple of stanzas. With the enemies defeated, they are finally allowed into the castle.
It is the residence of a lady named Alma (the soul), and the structure is an allegory for the physical human
body. As the knights are led by Alma on a grand tour of the castle, they see complicated descriptions of the
16th century’s idea of bodily functions.
First is the mouth gate, through which everything that comes into the castle must pass. Then the rest of the
face is compared to a porch (the chin) and a porticullis (the nose), with facial hair described as vines. A Porter
sits in the mouth as the tongue, with guards representing teeth on either side. As they descend into the castle
interior, they enter the stomach area and meet the personifications of Diet and Appetite. The intestines are
represented as a furnace system, the lungs as a bellows, and the bladder as a “great round vessell” that
empties through a conduit pipe out the back gate.
Next Alma leads the knights into the Parlor, where a bunch of ladies and gentlemen sit around courting each
other. The people in this room are distilled versions of emotions and attitudes. Arthur pairs up with a lady
who looks melancholy – when he inquiries why, she responds that she is bummed because she isn’t as famous
as she wishes she were, and accuses him of the same fault. Arthur is surprised at the revelation, but knows it
to be correct. He discovers that the lady’s name is Praise-desire, an attribute he shares.
Meanwhile, Guyon has a similar experience, pairing up with a girl who is too abashed to speak with him. She
can’t keep eye contact or stop blushing. Alma informs Guyon that she is Shamefastness – the same attitude
that Guyon has, filling him with humility but keeping him from his full potential.
Then the knights ascend a tower into the head of the structure. There are two complex lights that function as
eyes, and the brain is displayed abstractly as three men who reside in the tower. The first is a young man in a
room full of ideas and imaginations – Phantastes. The second is a middle-aged man in a room full of politics,
art, science, and philosophy – Judgement, the discriminator. The last is an ancient man in a library, assisted by
a boy (Reminder) who fetches him things – Memory, the keeper of knowledge and history.
The knights are fascinated by this library. Arthur picks up a tome on the ancestry of Briton’s kings, while
Guyon starts on a volume of Fairieland’s history.
Canto 10
At the end of the last post we left off with Arthur reading a book. It’s almost exactly the same content as The
History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth, and Spenser spends most of this canto
summarizes the genealogy and stories. My head hurts thinking about summarizing a summary of another
book (which itself borrows heavily from other sources), so instead I am going to direct you to the venerable
Wikipedia, where you can learn more about Geoffrey’s book and the stories of Brutus and the founding of
Albion, King Lear, Boadicea, and more!
The History of the Kings of Britain

The legendary kings of Britain timeline

I know this may seem like a cop-out, but you’re not the one who will have to type out all 63 stanzas of names,
now are you?
 The book that Arthur is reading cuts off abruptly during the story of Uther Pendragon (who is Arthur’s
biological father, in case you don’t know anything about him). Arthur has a 1-stanza burst of patriotism and
then we turn to Guyon’s reading material.
Prometheus created the first being, an elf. The elf went out one day and encountered an unknown creature
he named a Faery. It appears that their offspring multiplied quickly, with the eldest son Elfin ruling the land of
India and America. His son Elfinan founded Cleopolis (the capitol city of Faerieland), and after several more
characters whose named begin with Elf-, we learn that a ruler named Oberon was the father of Tanaquill,
known to us as Gloriana.
Thus our knights learn their countries’ history and the ancestry of their monarchs. At last Alma in her wisdom
knows that it is time for dinner and the knights depart the library.
Canto 11
efore dawn the next morning Guyon and the Palmer are preparing to leave. Alma arranges a boat for them
and off they go. Just as Guyon is leaving, the hordes of wicked villains are back to attach the castle. This time
there are more than a thousand, “so huge and infinite their numbers were, / That all the land they vnder them
did hide”. They are led by an evil Captain who strategically places his 12 groups of fighters against the castle.
In front of the gate he sets 7 groups (the deadly sins). The other 5 attack each bulwark, representing the
physical senses of the body-castle:
 Vile-looking creatures against the eyes – Sight
 Creatures with vile verbal assaults against the ears – Hearing
 Spenser doesn’t give any specific descriptions of stank, but a section of the horde is fighting the nose – Smell
 Greedy ugly creatures assault the mouth – Taste
 And finally, texturally unpleasant things like hedgehogs and snails are against the skin – Touch
The castle defends itself but the fight isn’t going so well for them. Prince Arthur steps in, gears up, and heads
out with his squire to fight the monsters. The monsters let out a terrible cry at seeing a knight in shining
armor and immediately swarm him with arrows. The evil Captain hears the commotion and rides up on his
tiger mount. He is described as a tall, broad, gaunt, dried-up apparition clad in a “canuas thin” and a human
skull helmet. His name is Maleger. At his heels are the two hags of physical assault, Impotence and
Impatience.
Maleger fires his bow at Arthur, then flees. The chase ends when Arthur realizes that one of the hags is
collecting all of Maleger’s arrows and returning them as fresh ammunition. He stops to capture the hag and is
set upon by the other hag and Maleger. Even for Arthur this is too much, and he has a very close call before
being rescued by his faithful squire.
Back on his feet, Arthur fights a now-unarmed Maleger and has the upper hand. Maleger is knocked down but
gets up immediately to throw a giant boulder at Arthur (luckily he misses). Stanza 37 has a terrific
description of what comes next:
So braue returning, with his brandisht blade,
He to the Carle himselfe againe addrest,
And strooke at him so sternly, that he made
An open passage through his riuen brest,
That halfe the steele behind his back did rest;
Which drawing backe, he looked euermore
When the hard bloud should gush out of his chest,
Or his dead corse should fall vpon the flore;
But his dead corse vpon the flore fell nathemore.
Maleger is a boss with a gimmick. After another attempt at killing him (this time without his sword), it dawns
on Arthur that maybe he should stop knocking him down. This tactic works and he tosses the dead
Maleger into a river as the two hags kill themselves.
With the battle won, the castle is safe yet again and Alma tends to Arthur.
Canto 12
Guyon and the Palmer are also on a mission. This book’s original quest was to hunt down the enchantress
Acrasia. She is a formidable foe, an expert in magic, human psychology, and garden design. The journey has
been the hard but Guyon and the Palmer are finally on their way. After 3 days of sailing they come to a mega-
whirlpool. The Boatman explains that this is The Gulfe of Greedinesse. On the other side of the Gulf is The
Rocke of Vile Reproch, harboring carrion seabirds waiting for their next meal. They pass safely through this
first danger.
The second danger comes soon after – they spy dry land and Guyon suggests they make towards it. The wise
Boatman knows these are The wandring Islands, shifting around the seas to entrap travelers forever. Soon
they see a figure on one of the islands: Phaedria, our friend from Canto VI. She’s still the same, laughing and
calling to the boat to come land on her shore. When they ignore her, she hops in her boat and paddles up to
them. The Palmer rebukes her dirty mouth. Offended at his morality, she rows away.
The third danger is a section of quicksand, known as he quicksand of Vnthrifyhed. They pass by a partially
sunken boat, laden with treasure but unable to move. On the other side was the Whirlepoole of decay – a
black hole of waves. The steady Boatman gets them through this area safely,
Then the sea rears up, exposing giant waves full of crazy sea monsters. These waves rush towards the boat,
with thousands of sea monsters inside. The Palmer recognizes this as a magic illusion and uses his staff to
calm the sea and dispel the mirage of monsters.
The next danger comes from Guyon – he hears a maiden crying and asks that the boat steer toward the sound
to help her out. Fortunately the Palmer knows better than to trust random maidens out on the sea.
Speaking of maidens, they come upon a flock of mermaids in a bay. Like sirens they sing to Guyon, imploring
him to stop. Once again the Palmer is wiser than Guyon.
In stanza 34 the sea fogs up.
That all things one, and one as nothing was
And this great Vniuerse seemd one confused mas.
The fog makes it impossible to navigate, and tons of wicked-looking birds pump their wings through the mist
above. At last the black mist dissipates and the Palmer sees the land they have been looking for.
The Palmer and Guyon leave the Boatman with the boat and step onto shore. They are attacked by a mob of
wild beasts, but the Palmer’s magic staff stops the onslaught. They arrive at the Bower of Bliss. It is walled by
a flimsy gate and decorated with all sensual pleasures. Spenser repeatedly reminds us in these passages that
this place is Art’s imitation of Nature – an artificial, excessive version of the earth’s beauty. There is a
deceptive version of our human Genius at the gate, whose wine bowl and staff (because staves are usually
magical) Guyon breaks. They then pass the women Excess, whose wine bowl Guyon also breaks. Guyon is
single-minded on his mission until they see a beautiful fountain with naked girls bathing in it. “Wanton” is a
great word for their behavior. He is totally distracted by the girls until the Palmer reminds him they are there
to kill Acrasia.
Finally they find her, lying on a bed of roses with her sleeping lover. They sneak up and capture Acrasia and
the young man in a magic net. Acrasia is bound with adamant and the young man (named Verdant) is set free
with some preaching. After all, she got him by sorcery and it wasn’t really his fault.
The book ends with Guyon and the Palmer leading Acrasia and Verdant back to the boat. Along the way they
pass the wild animals. Guyon asks the meaning of the animals and the Palmer reveals that they are Acrasia’s
past lovers, whom she enchants into beasts once she is finished with them. The Palmer undoes the
enchantment, turning the animals back into people. One of the freed men laments his human shape, wishing
he were back as a hog. Guyon and the Palmer make an observation on the terrible ability of the human mind
to forget all reason.
Book III, Canto I
THE LEGEND OF BRITOMARTIS.
OR
OF CHASTITIE.
What better way to introduce the book of chastity than with some good ol’ flattery of the Virgin Queen
herself? We then resume the story just where Book II left off. Guyon & crew have made it back to the castle,
and everyone is fully recovered from the adventures of the last book. Acrasia is sent with a heavy guard to
the Faery court, and it’s time for Arthur, Guyon, the Palmer, and Arthur’s squire Timias to leave the castle.
They wander for a while until they encounter a knight with a squire* bearing a shield emblazoned with a lion
on a golden field.
Guyon jousts with this stranger and is unhorsed on the first pass. He is of course bitterly ashamed at his
defeat, but the Palmer knows that the other knight has an enchanted spear. In fact the other knight is
Britomart, our hero for the whole book. She’s cheating with her spear. Guyon wants to fight on foot, but the
Palmer and Arthur make excuses for his loss, saying that it was his horse’s fault, or the page’s fault, and thus
calm him down.
Then all the knights become friends and ride together.
Suddenly a lady on a white palfrey comes flying out of the forest. She is pursued by a lecherous “Foster”
(forester). All the men ride after her except Timias, who chases the forester instead. Britomart is too
intelligent to chase random women, so she continues on her quest, arriving at a castle nearby. On the castle
lawn are six knights fighting just one knight. Her sense of justice overcomes her and she stops to see what is
going on. The single knights claims that the six are compelling him to forswear his lady-love in favor of
another. The six affirm this, adding that the lady in the castle demands that all knights who pass by must
either server her as their lady or prove by fighting that their current lady is more beautiful.
Of course Britomart thinks this is all ridiculous bunk so she knocks four of the six knights over with her magic
spear and is hailed as victor. She enters the castle, called Castle Joyous, and everyone marvels at its richness.
Spenser seizes this opportunity to tell us the story of Venus and Adonis, which should clue you in that this
castle has a lot of amorous things happening. OH! And guess who is inside the lady of the castle’s chamber?
The lady herself, who is named Malecasta in stanza 57, plus THE REDCROSS KNIGHT!**
Anyway, Britomart lifts her helmet’s visor at this point, but continues to wear her full armor. The six fighting
knights are named as Gardante, Parlante, Iocante, Basciante, Bacchante, and Nocante. My book’s notes inform
me that these names mean, in order: Looking, Speaking, Joking, Kissing, Revelry, and Late Nights.
It wouldn’t be a book about a warrior heroine without a little lesbian action. Malecasta doesn’t realize that
Britomart is a girl (presumably because of the “manly terror” in her face) and she falls in love with her. All
evening she flirts and gets nowhere. At bedtime she sneaks into Britomart’s room and lays down next to her.
Britomart wakes up, jumps out of bed, and brandishes her sword at Malecasta, causing her to shriek loudly
enough to wake the whole castle. Britomart is surrounded and shot by Gardante’s arrow. Redcross sides with
her and together they beat down their enemies. Then they leave.
* Isn’t it interesting how squires fade in and out of the narrative? I think it’s because if were always around
some of the hijinks might not happen. Knights need to be alone to facilitate certain hijinks.
** What is he doing here? I thought he married Una! To tell you the truth I am a little confused, but I think
Spenser was too, because he calls Redcross “Guyon” in Canto II. So I don’t feel so dumb.
Canto 2
This is a flashback episode. Britomart and Redcross have a conversation about Britomart’s past. Britomart
reveals that she grew up in Britain learning the arts of war, and has always disdained traditional feminine
hobbies. She arrived in Faery to seek adventures and is currently searching for a knight named Arthegall,
whom she blames for breaking her heart. Redcross defends Arthegall as a good knight who always helps out
ladies and orphans. Britomart asks where Arthegall is, and Redcross answers that he does not stay in one
place very long. Since Britomart has some difficulty telling her story, in stanza 17 Spenser’s voice takes over
to tell it for her:
Sir knight…Tell me some markes, by which he may appeare…
What shape, what shield, what armes, what steed, what sted,
And what so else his person most may vaunt?
All which the Redcrosse knight to point ared,
And him in euery part before her fashioned.
Yet him in euery part before she knew.
How euer list her now her knowledge faine,
Sith him whilome in Britaine she did vew,
To her reuealed in a mirrhour plaine…
-stanzas 16-17
Merlin the wizard had given Britomart’s father King Ryence a magic mirror (it sounds like a crystal ball) so
that he could always keep an eye on his kingdom. One day Britomart happened upon the mirror, and after
checking herself out in it, decided to divine the appearance of her future husband. She saw the shape of a
handsome knight and it was love at first sight. She fell into a deep depression. Her old nurse Glauce realized
that something was wrong, and pried the secret out of her, promising to help Britomart find the knight. The
nurse also tried a potion to make Britomart fall out of love, but it didn’t work.
Canto 3
None of Glauce’s spells were effective in curing Britomart’s love for the unknown knight, so she devised a plan
to consult the source of the mirror. They disguised themselves and traveled to Merlin’s residence, which
happened to be in a cave filled with chained spirits. There’s some great information about Merlin’s demise –
how he wanted to build a brass wall around his cave, and compelled the spirits to build it for him while he
visited his love the Lady of the Lake. Merlin was trapped forever by the Lady, but the spirits kept on building.
At this time in our story, however, Merlin was alive and well. The ladies entered and Glauce tried to lie about
their purpose, but it’s pointless to lie to a wizard. “Brusting forth in laughter”, he named them both, and heard
Glauce’s plea for more information about the knight in the mirror. Merlin named Arthigall as the Trojan-
descended half-brother of Arthur, dwelling in Faery, who is destined with Britomart to found a great dynasty.
What came after that is more or less uninteresting. Merlin gave a long speech about the future of England,
basically listing all the monarchs from where II.X left off. I will once again refer you to a helpful list:
List of English monarchs
The prophecy ended with Elizabeth I.
The women went home and decided to pursue Arthegall themselves. Glauce told Britomart about Angela, the
warrior woman of the Saxons, whose armor just happened to be hanging in the castle that night. Britomart
stole it for herself, purloining the magic spear of Bladud to go with it. Glauche arrayed herself as Britomart’s
squire and off they rode.
The narrative returns to the present with Britomart and Redcross amicably parting ways.
Canto 4
You know, it’s a good thing that Britomart started out in Canto I as such a badass, because otherwise I might
have stopped liking her character right about now. She complains incessantly. This canto begins with
Britomart and her squire stopping by the sea to reflect upon the ocean. Britomart sighs about her
lovesickness until stanza 12, when she sees a knight approaching. He challenges her (knights can never, ever
be friends at first meeting) and she unhorses him instantly, mortally wounding him. Then she rides away,
noticing that the Rich Strand is covered with treasure.
This dying man’s name is Marinell, a very nautical name. He is the daughter of a sea-nymph named Cymoent.
His prowess in arms had become legendary, “That none durst pass through that perilous glade”. Cymoent
persuaded her sea-deity father to lavish all the sea’s riches upon her son, hence the treasure that Britomart
just passed by. Cymoent was a very cautious mother, worried about her son’s fighting habit, so she consulted
the god Proteus. Proteus prophesied that Marinell’s defeat would come through a woman. Hence Cymoent
warned Marinell to avoid all women.
But ah, who can deceiue his destiny,
Or weene by warning to auoyd his fate?
…
His mother bad him women’s loue to hate,
For she of woman’s force did feare no harme;
So weening to haue arm’d him, she did quite disarme.
When his mother hears the bad news, she wails and weeps and has the dolphins pull her sea-chariot to the
Rich Strand. They carry his body back to the ocean depths, where one of the nymphs discovers that he is only
“mostly dead”.
The story returns to Britomart, completely unaware that her actions have wreaked havoc under the sea. We
learn that everyone’s favorite villain Archimago is after her. In the meantime all the boys who were distracted
by the lady on the horse are still running hard after her. Arthur almost catches her, but she will not stop for
him or anyone. Finally night falls and Arthur is forced to take a break.
But gentle Sleepe enuyde him any rest;
In stead thereof sad sorrow, and disdaine
Of his hard hap did vexe his noble brest,
And thousand fancies bet his idle braine
With their light wings, the sights of semblants vaine:
Oft did he wish, that Lady faire mote bee
His Faery Queene, for whom he did complaine:
Or that his Faery Queene were such, as shee:
And ever hastie Night he blamed bitterlie.
-stanza 54
Like Britomart (despite his obsession with this current damsel in distress), he is pursuing a destined love he
has never seen. Like Britomart, he loves to complain about it. He blames Night bitterlie for the rest of the
canto.
Canto 5
Not a whole lot of story happens in this canto. Arthur rides on and comes across a Dwarf who has been lately
separated from the lady he’s been pursuing. The Dwarf informs him that the lady’s name is Florimell, and she
has lately been devastated by news of the death of Marinell, her love. She is searching for him to see whether
the news is true (until the forester incident). Arthur vows to stay with the Dwarf until they find her, but he is
worried about his squire Timias…
If you remember, Timias was chasing the lecherous forester. He is still hot on the trail, but the forester has
recruited his two brothers. They ambush Timias at a ford while he is crossing the river. He slays all three
brothers but is wounded badly in his thigh. He faints.
Belpheobe the Diana-esque wood-nymph (from II.III) appears to rescue him. She takes pity on the wounded,
unconscious knight and nurses him back to life with the aid of herbs – including tobacco, in its first recorded
mention in English literature*.
Poor Timias cannot help but fall in love with the goddess-form of Elizabeth I, and he has several stanzas
devoted to the struggle of falling in love with such a pure being. His inward struggles only make him sicker,
and Belpheobe begins to worry about him despite her excellent healing powers.
Canto 6
This canto explains the history or Belphoebe. She and her twin sister Amoretta were conceived immaculately
by a nymph names Chrysogonee, who bathed in a fountain and then became pregnant through the sunshine
as she lay sleeping after her bath.
The goddess Venus was wandering about looking for her son Cupid (who often ran away when his mother
was cross with him). She searched for him at court, in the cities, and in the countryside, but only heard
complaints that he had come and gone and shot a lot of love arrows in the process. Venus ended up in the
woods. She stumbled across Diana and her nymphs bathing. Diana was notoriously grouchy when people
interrupted her bathing, so it took some convincing, but she agreed to send her nymphs in search of Cupid.
In the meantime, Chrysogonee had noticed her bulging belly and retreated into the woods to deliver her twins
(which once again happened while she was asleep). The nymphs in the Cupid search party find the newborn
babies lying next to the napping Chrysogonee and they kidnap them. Belphoebe was given to Diana to raise,
while Venus took the other baby to her secret garden – the Garden of Adonis, the source of all life – to be
mothered by Psyche. They named her Amoretta.
At the end of the canto Spenser promises to return to the story of Florimell.
Canto 7
Florimell is still running. Her horse finally gives out and the poor “traueller vnwonted to such way” is forced
to walk. She walks through the woods to a fairy-tale witch’s house. The witch is astonished to see such a
beautiful girl. She pities her situation and gives her food and shelter.
The hag has a son, a lazy and oafish man. He comes home to see Florimell sitting on the ground with his
mother, and is also astonished at her beauty. Neither witch nor son knows what to think of her. Florimell
stays there awhile and the son develops a crush on her. He can’t tell her about his lust, so he brings her
flowers and birds and miscellaneous small animals as gifts.
Of course, after a time Florimell is ready to leave, so she jumps on her restored horse one day before dawn
and is outta there. The witch and the son are devastated at her loss, so the witch conjures an evil Beast, like a
hyena but more terrible, to either bring her back or kill her. The Beast tracks poor Florimell down.
After a lot of running, her horse collapses, and the Beast chases her through the woods to the sea. Florimell
intends to drown herself rather than be caught or eaten. Luckily for her there is a boat at the shore, so she
gets to escape. Unluckily for her horse, the Beast returns to devour him. As it chows down on the horse
carcass, who should arrive but Sir Satyrane, whom you might remember from I.VI. Satyrane recognizes
Florimell’s horse and her golden girl that she had lost in her flight. Fearful of her death, he attacks the Beast,
but since it is magical he has trouble killing it. Instead he binds it with the girdle (he was good at binding
fierce animals if you recall his backstory) and leads it after him.
Ash he is walking with the Beast, he sees a Giantess, riding a (presumably huge) horse, with a squire bound
up on the horse before her. Hot on her heels rides a knight in pursuit. Satyrane is a good guy so he abandons
the Beast in his rush to help. The Giantess sees him coming, drops the squire, and swings her huge mace at
him. He intercepts the hit with a blow to her shield that doesn’t affect her at all. She swings at him again and
knocks him senseless. Then she picks him up and rides on. At this point the pursuing knight has almost caught
up, so to increase her speed the Giantess drops Satyrane and keeps running.
Satyrane awakens to see the squire nearby, notices that the squire is attractive and unbinds his hands and
feet. He learns from the squire that the Giantess’s name is Argante. She is a half-Titan born from incest and
really into perpetuating incest with her twin brother Ollyphant. She is also really into having sex with
anything, including animals, hence her abduction of this particular squire. He calls himself “The Squyre of
Dames” because he had previous been on a yearlong quest (supposedly at the behest of his lady Columbell) to
serve ladies wherever he met them. At the end of the year, he had “served” (teehee) 300 ladies. So Columbell
gave him another quest – to find at least as many ladies who would refuse him. So far he has only found three
– a hooker who refused him since he had no money, a nun who didn’t trust his discretion, and a for-real
chaste damsel living in the woods.
Thus I am hopelesse euer to attaine
My Ladies loue, in such a desperate case,
But all my dayes am like to wast in vaine,
Seeking to match the chaste with th’vnchaste Ladies traine.
-stanza 60
Satyrane goes back to where he left the Beast, but of course it has gone.
Canto 8
Poor Florimell never gets a break. When the Beast runs back to the witch, bringing her girdle, the witch
assumes she is dead. She also assumes that the news would relieve her son, but instead it drives him even
more mad. He almost kills his mother. She runs and hides in her secret witch room, consulting her spirits as to
what to do next.
They give her the brilliant idea to create a false Florimell out of snow, mercury, wax, and magic. A spirit
possesses the sculpture and it becomes a replica of fair Florimell. It is good enough to fool the foolish son.
One day they are taking a walk and are confronted by Braggadochio. He threatens to kill the churl, steals the
false Florimell, and rides off with her. In the woods he is met by a real knight, who in turn demands Florimell.
The knight is not daunted by Braggadochio’s threats. He offers to joust with him, but when they turn their
horses around Braggadochio runs off in the other direction. The knight takes the false Florimell with him.
The real Florimell is in the fishing boat, being blown about by the wind. The fisherman sleeping in the boat
awakens and tries to rape her (no wonder this girl is terrified of everyone she sees!). She is narrowly saved by
Proteus, the sea-god. He takes her to his cave and tries to woo her, to no avail. He shapeshifts into everything
he can think of to win her favor, and into everything he can think of to frighten her. Finally he throws her into
his dungeon.
After Satyrane and the Squire of Dames finish their conversation, they encounter Sir Paridell, who has just
arrived from the court. Everyone is talking about poor Marinell and Florimell, and many knights have gone in
search of her. Sir Satyrane offers his theory that Florimell is dead, but Paridell decides to ride on until he can
find certain proof. All three of them decide to head to a nearby castle for the night.
Canto 9
The castle won’t let them in. It’s because the lord, Malbecco, is a greedy one-eyed old man with a hoard of
treasure and a beautiful young wife who likes to be social. Because of his jealousy, he keeps her locked up in
the castle and won’t allow any knights to visit for fear of cuckolding. The three discuss the situation. Paridell
suggests they attack the castle and kill Malbecco. Styrane suggests that they try asking nicely, then
threatening, then breaking in only if necessary.
Their attempts at diplomacy are rudely denied. It starts hailing, so the three men run into a little shed nearby
to hide from the storm. Then another knight rides up to ask shelter in the castle. He also is told no, and he also
seeks shelter in the shed, but there is no room. Paridell jousts with the knight and is defeated. They begin to
fight, but Satyrane redirects their aggression toward the castle.
Malbecco overhears the plot to burn his castle down, so he rushes out to apologize and let the knights enter.
As they undress in front of the fire it is revealed that it was Britomart who unseated Paridell. The men are
amazed to see a woman knight.
At dinnertime Malbecco tries to make excuses to keep his wife Hellenore away, but she comes to dinner
anyway. Paridell sits on Malbecco’s blind side and makes suggestive looks at her throughout dinner and they
have some sort of silent communication through a wine goblet to affirm that they are going to see each other
later. He tells a brief story about his Trojan ancestry. We discover that he is descended from Paris. He
summarizes the story of Aeneas and the founding of Rome. Britomart chimes in to remind everyone about
Brutus, also a Trojan, who conquered Albion and began the third incarnation of Troy- London.
It is now bedtime, and Malbecco insists they go to their rooms.
Canto 10
The next morning everyone leaves the castle except Paridell. He complains of his injuries and stays behind, to
Malbecco’s chagrin. Of course he and Hellenor are going to go at it – it takes a little while, but they devise a
Chaucer-like plan to cuckold him. One dark evening Hellenore enters the treasure chamber, and after taking
some for herself, lights his pile of money on fire. Then she runs to Paridell and cries out that he is going to
rape her. Malbecco is caught running between his two loves, his two sins – his avarice and his jealousy. Back
and forth he turns from his burning treasure to his wife’s cries, until he finally decides to save the treasure.
By now Hellenore and Paridell are far away. Malbecco goes after them, carrying the unburied portion of his
stash of treasure. One day he sees a couple from afar and rides up to them, thinking them to be his wife and
Paridell. Instead it is Braggadochio and Trompart. He begs them for help and offers treasure as a reward.
Braggadochio pretends to scorn the offering, but Trompart’s wily manuevers ensure that they are now
looking for a chance to steal the treasure in the guise of looking for Hellenore.
Eventually they encounter Paridell himself, who tells them has left Hellenore in the woods. Trompart then
warns Malbecco of the horrid monsters that live in these woods, and suggests that he hide his treasure nearby
so it doesn’t burden him while they are searching the woods. Malbecco foolishly agrees.
Hellenore lives with the satyrs now. Malbecco sees her dancing with them all day and having sex with them
all night. Due to his horns, he blends in well enough and sneaks into their camp. He implores Hellenore to
come back with him but she would rather stay with the satyrs. At dawn the satyrs start to beat him but he
manages to escape.
Of course, he runs back to his treasure hiding spot only to find it all gone. This drives him so mad he throws
himself off a cliff, except he is so wasted away that his weight isn’t enough to kill himself. Instead he finds a
little cave, and losing all humanity becomes the personfication of Jealousy.
Canto 11
Britomart and Satyrane are riding along when they see the other twin Giant, Ollyphant, chasing a young man.
They ride to fight him, but he is afraid of Britomart’s chastity and runs away very fast. Britomart and Satyrane
are separated in the hunt and Britomart ends up searching through the woods. She comes across a knight
lying by a fountain. His shield has an image of Cupid. This is Sir Scudamour. He is crying about his love
Amoret, who is being held captive and tortured by the antagonist Busirane in a dungeon because she will not
give him her love.
Britomart is moved by the story and swears to help him. He assures her that their efforts are futile, but leads
her to the magic castle where Amoret is being held. There is a wall of flame surrounding the castle.
Britomart is disheartened by the magic wall of fire, so she asks Scudamour if he has a plan. He answers that
entering the wall is impossible. She immediately proves him wrong by walking through with her shield held
in front of her, parting the fire wall. Scudamour tries the same and fails. He cries some more.
Inside, Britomart sees a room full of tapestries, in which
weren fashioned
Many faire pourtraicts, and many a faire feate,
And all of loue, and all of lusty-hed…
-stanza 29
The tapestries tell Greek mythology’s stories of gods and their love adventures, “Cupids warres”, mostly from
Ovid. At the end of the room is a great altar with a golden image of the blindfolded Cupid with his lead and
gold-tipped arrows, standing victorious upon the image of a dragon with an arrow in each eye.
Britomart is impressed. She sees the words “Be bold” repeated over the doorway and wonders what it could
mean. The next room is walled with gold and tells the stories of mighty men who were undone by their loves.
Again the doorways all say “Be bold”, until
At last she spyde at that roomes vpper end,
Another yron dore, on which was writ,
Be not too bold; whereto though she did bend
Her earnest mind, yet wist not what it might intend.
-stanza 54
It is now evening, but she will not fall asleep, so she watches.
Canto 12
A storm, an earthquake, and the smell of smoke and sulphur conspire to strike fear into Britomart, but it
doesn’t work. After two hours of this, the iron door flies open and out steps Ease in his theater garb. It is
a masque, which is sort of like a play, a pantomime, a parade, and an opera all in one.
The parade feature’s Cupid’s gang of Fancy, Desire, Doubt, Danger, Fear, Hope, Dissemblance, Suspect, Grief,
Fury, Displeasure, and Pleasure. Then comes Despite and Cruelty, forcing a poor dame to march with them.
Her chest is gaping open, her heart pierced by a dart. It’s all very gory.
Then comes Cupid himself, un-blindfolded for the moment and riding on a lion. I get the impression that this
type of Love is downright sadistic.
After Cupid comes a whole slew of other feelings, attitudes, and states of being – Reproach, Repentance,
Shame, Strife, Anger, Care, Unthriftihead*, Loss of Time, Sorrow, Change, Disloyalty, Riotous, Dread, Infirmity,
Poverty, and Death.
When the parade is over, they all go back through the same door they emerged from, and it slams shut.
Britomart attempts to open it, to no avail. She spends the rest of the day in the chambers, and the following
night the door opens again.
She sees no one in the other room except the enchanter Busirane. He has the dame Amoret tied to a pillar, her
chest still wide open. When he sees Britomart he rushes at his captive with a knife, but is foiled by her speed
and badassery. She forces him to undo all the magic spells he has put on her, holding her sword over his head
while he reads the charms to assure he tries no funny business. Amoret’s heart is fixed, her wound closes up,
and she is physically as good as new. Britomart binds Busirane with the chains of Amoret.
As they leave the facilities Britomart notices (with some disappointment) that the rooms are all empty now. It
was all an illusion. The flames are also gone.
RED ALERT: THIS BOOK HAS MULTIPLE ENDINGS!
Ending One (the 1590 edition):Scudamour is gone! He and Britomart’s squire (her nurse, if you recall) have
left in search of help.
Ending Two (the 1596 edition):Amoret and Scudamour have a very happy reunion.
Book IV, Canto I
THE LEGEND OF CAMBEL AND TELAMOND*,
OR
OF FRIENDSHIP.
We learn a bit of Amoret’s backstory – Scudamour had won her in a fight against 20 knights. They had gotten
married. At their wedding feast, Busirane brought in the Masque of Love and abducted Amoret amidst the
confusion.
Now we have picked up where the first ending of the last book left off. Amoret is nervous about her saviour
knight. As with most fair damsels in these stories, she is vulnerable and always afraid of being raped. She
doesn’t know that Britomart is female. Britomart does nothing to alleviate her fears, preferring to keep the
illusion that she is a man.
They come to a castle whose custom it is that any knight not entering with a lady love must either win himself
one, or sleep outside. A knight hanging around claims Amoret for himself and has to joust Britomart for the
right to take her. Of course he loses. Britomart feels bad that he might have to sleep outside, so she reveals
herself as a lady and offers to be his tickets indoors.
Amoret is relieved. She and Britomart cry to each other all night about their hard love lives. In the morning
they ride away and end up coming across two knights and two ladies. The ladies are Duessa (from Book I) and
Ate, or Discord. She’s in disguise right now but Spenser describes her as a misshapen, scary old hag whose
two halves of her body are constantly at odds with the other. The knights are Blandamour, a foolish and fickle
knight, and Paridell from the previous book.
When Blandamour sees Britomart, he urges Paridell to fight for Amoret. Paridell recognizes Britomart and
is unwilling to fight her again. Blandamour laughs at him and forfeits his own lady to Paridell in his
confidence that he will win Amoret. Britomart unhorses him immediately and he rides off in shame, once he is
able to get back on his horse.
Now two other knights approach – Scudamour and Glauce. Blandamour recognizes Scudamour, whom he
hates, and asks Paridell to joust for him (since he’s still hurt from the previous encounter). Scudamour wins
the contest. Blandamour is angry and accuses him of cheating – Duessa takes Scudamour’s side, but Ate states
that she thinks they are all morons because she knows that the lady Amoret is sleeping with a new knight
(Britomart).
Scudamour, who does not know Britomart’s gender, is outraged. He almost kills Glauce in his anger but stops
himself.
*There is no one named Telamond in this book. Go figure.
Canto 2
The group of 4 come upon Sir Ferraugh and the false Florimell. Blandamour again urges Paridell to fight for
the lady, but he is grouchy after his last encounter and refuses. Blandamour jousts Sir Ferraugh and easily
defeats him, winning the snow Florimell for himself. He is thoroughly happy with his conquest and tries to
woo her, but she is a wily demon: “Yet he to her did dayly seruice more, / And dayly more deceiued was
thereby”.
Ate sees the opportunity to kindle the strife between Blandamour and Paridell, who is incredibly jealous. At
Ate’s goading Paridell confront Blandamour and they duel for Florimell. They each unset each other from
their horses, and fight on foot furiously. The 3 evil ladies encourage the bloodshed until the Squire of
Dames shows up in stanza 20. He blames the ladies for not pacifying the knights, and wonders about the
cause of the fight. He is amazed when he sees Florimell alive and well.
He tells the knights how Satyrane had found her girdle, and had worn it until he was harassed by all the other
knights who had loved Florimell. Finally he had declared a tournament feast – all knights and their ladies
were to come. The lady judged the fairest would receive the girdle, and the knight judged the best fighter
would receive the lady. The Squire tells them that they should bring Florimell to this contest so they can win
back her girdle.
Upon hearing this, Blandamour and Paridell regain a common cause and stop fighting. They agree to head to
the tournament. On the way they meet a group that mirrors their own – two knights and two ladies. The
knights are Cambell and Triamond, and the ladies are Canacee and Cambina.
Now the narrative shifts to the backstory of the new characters. Spenser tells us that this part is inspired by
Chaucer’s Squire’s Tale. Cambell and Canacee are brother and sister. Canacee is a wise, educated lady who
knows lots of science and magic. She was loved by many knights but didn’t love anyone back. That didn’t stop
them from fighting over her.
Cambell decided to regulate the fighting by holding a contest. He challenged all the knights to choose 3 among
them who were the best, and he would single handedly fight all 3 for the hand of Canacee. But everyone knew
that Canacee had given her brother a magical ring that could heal all bleeding wounds.
There were 3 knights, triplets, who would rise to the occasion. Their names were Priamond, Diamond, and
Triamond (the names meaning first, second, and third worlds). Their mother was a fay named Agape (love)
who conceived them after being raped by a random knight. They were as close as could be, all 3 excelling in
battle but Triamond most of all. One day their mother visited the Fates to see the futures of her sons. She was
shown their very short and thin threads. She asked if their lives can be extended, which was not possible. She
then asked that once the eldest son died, his thread might be added to the next son’s, and when he died, both
threads might be woven into the third son’s.
The Fates assented, and she returned home to encourage her sons to “tend their safeties well, / And loue each
other deare, what euer them befell.”
Cant 3
On the day of the fight, Cambell entered the lists with Sir Priamond as his challenger. They fought evenly until
one of Priamond’s blows caused Cambell to drop his shield. Cambell in retaliation drove his spear through
Priamond’s thigh armor, which stunned Priamond and gave him the chance to stab him in the side and in then
in the face with his broken spear. Priamond died with the broken spear in his throat.
Thanks to the magic of the last canto, Priamond’s spirit flew into the body of Diamond. Diamond and Cambell
smote each other for awhile, until Diamond’s impatience caused him to swing a hard blow that missed and
caused him to stumble. Cambell immediately beheaded him. There is a great description of the event in
stanzas 20-21:
The headlesse tronke, as heedlesse of that stower,
Stood still a while, and his fast footing kept,
Till feeling life to fayle, it fell, and deadly slept.
They which that piteous spectacle beheld,
Were much amaz’d the headlesse tronke to see
Stand vp so long, and weapon vaine to weld,
Vnweeting of the Fates diuine decree,
For lifes succession in those brethren three.
For notwithstanding that one soule was reft,
Yet, had not the bodie not dismembred bee,
It would haue livued, and reuiued eft;
But finding no fit seat, the lifelesse corse it left.
Now BOTH spirits entered Triamond. This wasn’t really cheating when you recall that Cambell had a ring that
healed all wounds. Triamond fought fast and furiously but eventually the bleeding got to him and Cambell
struck him down. This caused one spirit to fly away, but he still had two others. After a moment he stood back
up and began fighting afresh. One huge stroke led to another and it ended with BOTH knights lying lifeless on
the ground. The party began to leave. They both got up and once again returned to fighting.
At this point the lady Cambia showed up, riding a chariot pulled by lions. She was a magician bearing
Mercury’s caduceus and the drink Nepenthe (a drink that makes one non-violent and happy). Between her
wisdom and her drink, she managed to stop the fight and make them all into friends. Triamond married
Canacee and Cambell married Cambina.
Canto 4
Spenser prefaces this canto with a stanza about the fickleness of friendship. Blandamour and Paridell send
their squires to ride up to the 4 persons we met in the last 2 cantos, to see what they are like. Upon hearing
the strangers described, Blandamour wishes to fight them but is still sore from his previous exploits. Instead
he rides over to them and starts verbally harassing the group. Luckily Cambina is there to do what she does
best – calm knights down. They all end up riding together.
Another stranger rides nearby. At first he has his spear ready for combat, but when Paridell approaches he
has his spear down like “as if naught but peace and pleasure ment”. Of course this is Braggadochio returned to
us. He immediately recognizes the false Florimell and challenges Sir Ferraugh for her. Ferraugh replies that he
will gladly fight with Braggadochio for Florimell, if the loser of the fight consents to have Ate the hag as his
lady until he can win another.
Braggadochio makes weak excuses that he does not wish to fight for a hag, but would rather fight for a
beautiful lady. He is laughed at. Cambell shuts them up by reminding everyone that they should save their
anger and quarrels for the tournament.
When the tournament begans, the teams of Spenser’s characters look like this:
Blandamour
Florimell
Ate
Paridell
Duessa
Squire of Dames
vs
Cambell
Cambina
Triamond
Canacee
vs
Braggadochio (his own team)
vs
Satyrane
and the Knights of Maidenhead (including a special guest)
On the first day Triamond’s team is victorious until at the very end Satyrane throws a well-aimed spear into
his side. Satyrane wins.
On the second day Cambell wears Triamond’s armor in combat and bests Satyrane until a hundred Knights of
Maidenhead surround him and take him captive. When the injured Triamond hears the news, he charges
through the mob and he and Cambell scatter them around the field. Cambell + Triamond win.
On the third day, after an epic fight, a stranger knight with Saluagesse sans finesse (“savagery without finish”)
shows up on the field and totally owns nine of the Knights of Maidenhead. It’s Arthegall, the one that
Britomart has been after since Book III.
Then who should appear but Britomart herself, in disguise (as is her wont), unseating every opponent. She
easily wins the third day’s prize for the Knights of Maidenhead.
Canto 5
The tournament judges give the victor’s prize (the fairest lady) to Britomart, since she has vanquished all
others at the last minute. This annoys Arthegall so much that he leaves the scene.
Now it is time for the contest of greatest beauty. The winner takes Florimell’s girdle, a special belt made by
Vulcan for Venus herself. It’s name is Cestus and it contains wifely virtues (Venus conveniently left it off
when necessary). Florimell found it one day while Venus was visiting Mars.
All the ladies at the tournament line up to be judged for their beauty. The false Florimell is the clear winner.
They give her the girdle, but it won’t stay on her waist. Many other ladies try to tie the girdle on themselves,
but it won’t tolerate them and keeps falling off.
The Squire of Dames and some other knights find this sequence hilarious. Finally Amoret proves that chastity
is possible – the girdle stays on her waist. The judges nonetheless grant the girdle to fake Florimell, but
Britomart refuses to take her as her prize.
The Salvage Knight (Arthegall) misses out, as does Triamond (who loves his wife). Satyrane is next in line, but
many knights began to complain that Florimell is rightfully theirs – and she did belong to not a few knights
during the course of Book III.
Satyrane has the bright idea to set Florimell in the midst of the quarreling knights and have her simply look at
the knight she chooses as the winner. All the knights agree to this scheme, and Florimell promptly chooses
Braggadochio. They ride off in secret that night.
Britomart and Amoret also ride off together. They are seeking Arthegall and Scudamour, respectively.
Scudamour is chasing Britomart for allegedly abducting Amoret.
The narrative switches to the adventures of Scudamour and Glauce. They come to a little cottage on a hill.
There are a ton of blacksmiths inside, lead by the master Care, who daily beats out weapons and pieces of
metal. Scudamour is fully impressed by their work. He tries to sleep, but is constantly awakened – if not by
their hammers, than by their dogs, if not by the dogs, then by being beaten on the head with iron, if not from
the head rapping, then from a hot coal stuck in his side. At last the morning comes and he and Glauce depart.