The Faerie Queene

by Edmund Spenser

  52 4 t’embrew: to stain. 54 2 foreby: near.

  CANTO 3

  2 1 The story is told in IV. 12.25–35.

  2 2 affide: engaged.

  2 6 giusts: jousts.

  3 2 deuicefull sights: the devices (masques and pageants) with which the guests were entertained at the marriage.

  4 4 aguiz’d: dressed.

  4 5 furnitures: equipment.

  5 1 Orimont: the exact meaning of the names of the six knights accompany- ing Marinell is unknown, but most critics assume that Spenser invented them for their sound value.

  6 3 lust: wanted.

  10–12Compare Arthegall’s rescue of Marinell with OF 17.86-113.

  10 3 Braggadochio: see II-3.Arg.I and note. Braggadocchio won False

  Florimell, the ‘snowy Dame’, in III.8.11–13but surrendered her to Sir Ferraugh in III.8.18. Braggadocchio again is given False Florimell at Sir Satyrane’s tournament in IV.5.25-7.

  11 1 ouer hent: overtook. 11 9 fet: fetched, took.

  13 5 false Ladie: the False Florimell (see III .8.5–9and note).

  14 3 To greet his guerdon: i.e., to reward the winner.

  16 7 crake: crow.

  17 2 Trompart: Braggadocchio’s companion. See II.3.6-10. 17 9 skill: knowledge.

  19 1–4As Gough points out (Var., p. 188), Spenser’s simile describes the sun and the mock-sun, parhelion, caused by refraction of the sun’s rays through ice crystals. Usually, two parhelia appear, on either side of the real sun.

  20 2 Stood… couered: i.e., stood in the crowd in a disguise. 20 6 losell: ne’er-do-well, scoundrel.

  20 8 leasings: lies.

  22 7 Franion: loose person. fere: companion. 24 3 paragone: comparison. 24 9 th’emptie girdle: the girdle of chastity belonging to Florimell. See IV.5.6fF.

  25 1 daughter of Thaumantes: Iris, goddess of the rainbow.

  27 5 weft: waif, but mote precisely a legal term (also used in IV.12.31.3) meaning ‘a piece of property found ownerless, which, if unclaimed within a fixed period after due notice given, rails to the lord of the manor, (OED).

  27 6 foule monster: the hyena-like creature in 111.7.22-31.

  29 ff Guyon, the knight of Temperance in Book II, had his horse stolen by Braggadocchio in II.3. The horse, Brigadore (stanza 34), is named after Orlando’s horse, Brigliadoro (OF 11.80; 11.66 in Harington). The name is derived from the Italian: briglia, ‘bridle’; d’oro, ‘of gold’. The bridle is a traditional symbol of temperance.

  30 8 bereaued: taken.

  30 9 extort: stolen.

  31 See II.1.35 ff.

  32 6 priuie: secret.

  33 7 hedstall: halter. See OF 1.74-6.

  34 4 vndertake: hear, understand.

  36 4 doen aby: cause to suffer.

  37 2 hent: seized.

  37 $-9 See the punishment of Martano in OF 18.91-3.

  37 5 beard did shaue: a sign of disgrace. See 1 Chronicles 19.4 and Jeremiah 48.37

  37 6 renuerst: reversed, as a sign of disgrace. 37 7 blent: blemished.

  37 8 baffuld: to inflict open infamy on a perjured knight, such as hanging him up by the heels. vnherst: i.e., took his armour off the stand (the herse) on which it had been placed.

  38 1 guilefull groome: Trompart. 38 2 him: Talus.

  38 4 deform’d with infamie: i.e., shaved his beard.

  39 2 foreside: appearance, front, used figuratively by Spenser as cited by OED.

  40 3 taking… forepast: i.e., making up for time lost 40 4 delices: delights.

  CANTO 4

  2 6 president: precedent. 4–20The names of Bracidas and Amidas have not been satisfactorily explained, but Philtera is Greek: ‘love’, and Latin: terra, ‘land’. Lucy is Latin: lux, ‘light’. The moral problem is related to the Giant’s false argument in V.2.37-40. See Thomas Dunseath, Spenser’s Allegory of Justice, pp. 124-5. 5 9 pall: abate. 7 3 Milesio: the sons of Milesius, rulers of Ireland, could not agree about an equitable distribution of property and therefore resorted to violence.

  See Var., p. 194.

  9 7 liuelod: contracted form of’livelihood’.

  II 3 visnomie: physiognomy.

  15 S strand: shore.

  21 ff The practice of Radigund the Amazon (stanzas 31 ff) is based on the myth of Hercules and Omphale, a story originating in Diodorus Siculus, 24s and 3.51, and Apollodorus, 2.6.2 ff, about Hercules’ servitude to Omphale. The Roman poets (e.g., Ovid, Heroides 9.73 ff, Fasti 2.350) elaborate the story, making Hercules dress as a woman and carry the distaff to spin wool. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance the story was used as an exemplum of the reason overcome by the passions, i.e., man dominated by woman. The ‘regne of Femenye’, as Chaucer calls it in ‘The Knight’s Tale’ 866, is brought under control by Hippolyta’s marriage to Theseus. See also A Midsummer Night’s Dream. An Amazonian kingdom occurs in OF 19-20. The Amazons as a group are to be distinguished from individual female warriors such as Camilla {Am.), Bradamante (OF), Clorinda (GL), and Belphoebe and Brito-mart, who perform different functions in the poems in which they appear. The source of the name Radigund has not been traced, but Skeat in his note to Piers Plowman C.23.83 cites ‘radegoundes’, running sores, especially of the eyes, and a possible confusion with St Radegund, who was known for miraculous cures. A Radagon appears in Robert Greene, A Looking Glass for London and England (1594).

  22 2 pinnoed: pinioned, bound. 24 6 so wces: blows.

  24 7 incontinent: uncontrolled; or perhaps adverb, ‘immediately’.

  30 2 Bellodant: Latin: ‘war-giving’.

  31 6 card: to prepare wool for spinning.

  32 3 gibbet: gallows.

  33 9 prieued: proved.

  34 2 Maydenhead: the Order of Maidenhead. See II.2.42 and note.

  34 9 empaire: diminish.

  35 3 gyu’d: fettered.

  39 9 no colours knew: i.e., saw only black, fainted. 42 4 Goshauke: a short-winged hawk. 42 7 souce: swoop. 42 9 pounce: claw. riue: tear. 44 2 strange weapon: iron flail. neuer wont in warre: i.e., not customarily used in war. 44 7 sort: flock.

  47 9 disauenterous: disastrous.

  48 3 Clarin: perhaps Spenser had in mind Tasso’s female warrior Clorinda.

  49 3 lore: teachings.

  49 8 iuncates: junkets, delicacies.

  50 9 emparlaunce: conference.

  CANTO 5

  2 1 Camis: dress. The description of Radigund (stanzas 2-3) should be contrasted with that of Belphoebe in II.3.22-31. 2 4 Trayled: interwoven. distraught: arranged. 2 7 ham: thigh.

  2 9 habergeon: long coat of mail.

  3 1 buskins: high boots. 3 2 Basted: sewn. bends: bands. 3 3 mailes: holes for laces.

  3 7 bosse: boss, raised points on the shield.

  4 s shaumes: shawm, an instrument, obsolete in Britain, resembling an oboe.

  6 7 flaw: onset; literally, gust of wind. 6 9 foynd: thrust.

  8 9 discarded: forced away.

  9 1 trenchant: sharp, piercing. 9 9 See note to III.5.42.3.

  12 See the fight between Britomart and Arthegall in TV.6.

  13 6 ruth.: pity.

  15 1 Puttocke: kite or buzzard.

  17 Arthegall has made what he considered a legal bargain with Radigund. When unexpectedly he is defeated he thinks that he must accept subjection to Radigund. Spenser is making a point about the observance of law and not carnal subservience as the Hercules-Omphale myth was usually interpreted. Apparently Talus agrees with his master’s judgement. See also V.5.19.9, 23.8–9and 26.6.

  17 4 warelesse: incautious.

  18 1 flatting: with the flat side of her sword. 18 6 attacht: seized.

  18 7 crooke: the gallows. See V.4.32.

  20 8 napron: apron.

  20 9 Curiets and bases: armour guarding the breast and loins.

  21 3 sield: ceiled, covered.

  22 4 rew: row.

  22 6 pyne: suffering.

  23 2 distaffe: staff on which thread is wound for spinning.

  24 3–9Spenser’s confusion of Iole with
Omphale is repeated in Sidney,

  Arcadia, Boccaccio, Gen. 13.1, and GL 16.3. Hercules’ love for Iole causes Deianira, his wife, to give him the magical shirt of Nessus, which burns Hercules to death. 24 5 club: Hercules’ club was allegorized as prudence and wisdom. See Dunseath, p. 67. 24 7 Lyons skin: worn by Hercules, won by killing the Nemean lion, one of bis twelve labours. See Met. 9.197 ff. pall: robe.

  26 5 election: choice. 29 ff Clarinda’s function in this part of the Radigund episode is derived from Virgil’s similar use of Anna, confidante of Dido in Aen. 4, and may have influenced Pope to name Belinda’s confidante Clarinda in The Rape of

  the Lock.

  34 3 Eumenias: apparently one of the watchmen of the city, as in V.4.36.1.

  35 8 markewhite: bull’s eye, centre of the target. roued: shot with arrows.

  39 9 shope: shaped, framed.

  40 8 kynded: begotten.

  41 9 ah’: also.

  42 1 let: hindrance.

  45 5 adaw’d: subdued, confused.

  48 2 compasse: accomplish, complete.

  52 3 warelesse: unaware.

  53 6 affyde: entrusted.

  54 7 lade: load.

  CANTO 6

  2 1 streightnesse: distress.

  2 6 th’Adamantine: hard and durable.

  3 ff Britomart’s worries are modelled on Bradamante’s for her love Ruggiero (OF 30.84 ff; 32.10 ff).

  3 6 vtmost date: see IV.6.43.

  4 4 traine: trap.

  6 9 enuide: grew angry at.

  8 6 Artegall his: Arthegall’s; old form of possessive.

  8 9 tidings somme: i.e., his entire message.

  9 4–5albe he wanted sence And sorrowes feeling: i.e., he had no capacity for human emotion. 9 5 conscience: consciousness. 12–14See OF 32.35 ff.

  12 8 twight: twit.

  13 8 alew: wail; cf. ‘halloo’, ‘hallew’.

  13 9 singulfs: sobs; Spenser’s usual spelling ofsingult.

  16 1 wellaway: alas.

  16 2 the while: at this time.

  16 7 things compacte: i.e., a compact.

  17 1 at large to her dilate: i.e., to explain in full detail. 17 5 sore bestad: badly off, in trouble.

  17 6 attone: at the same time.

  18 6 felnesse: fierceness.

  19 6 shot: advanced.

  19 9 semblant: demeanour. 21 1 lust: liking, inclination. 21 7 gree: goodwill.

  21 8 heauens reach: the expanse of heaven.

  22 4 wide by: away to the.

  23 9 betide her wele or wo: i.e., no matter what happened to her.

  24 6 recomfortlesse: without comfort.

  27 1 -2 Jesus at the Last Supper predicts to Peter: ‘Verily I say unto thee, that this night, before the cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice.’ The fulfilment of the prophecy is told in Matthew 26.60 ff. Peter’s denial of Jesus was interpreted as the sin of despair.

  29 7 keight: caught.

  32 1 Dolon: Greek: ‘crafty’. Some commentators see in Dolon’s attempts to kill Britomart the plots of the Catholics, particularly Philip II of Spain, to assassinate Queen Elizabeth. See Il 10.314 ff.

  33 6 Guizor: perhaps the ‘groome of evill guize’, whom Arthegall kills at V.2.11. The house of Guise, an ally of Philip II, in 1583 planned to invade England with the forces of the Spanish king to assassinate Elizabeth. Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, was related to the house of Guise through her mother. The Spanish wanted to kill Elizabeth to put the Catholic Mary on the throne. See canto 9.

  35 9 kond: conned, knew. 36–40Imitated from OF 35.38 ff.

  36 4 mountenance of a flight: extent of an arrow flight. 36 7 SeeV.2.4fE

  38 2 fared: went.

  38 5 losels: rascals.

  38 7 beuer: faceguard of helmet.

  38 9 Censer: bowl in which incense is burned.

  40 1 Leuin: lightning.

  40 4 Engin: i.e., the lightning.

  40 9 bestow: dispose of.

  CANTO 7

  2 3 lent: gave.

  2 5 Osyris: Spenser relied heavily on Plutarch’s treatise Isis and Osiris, but he took considerable liberties with his source. Plutarch tells of Osiris’ reputation as a defender of justice while he was King of Egypt and of bis’ traditional association with equity. Further, Plutarch associates Osiris with the sun and Isis with the moon. Spenser probably also used Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca 1.11 ff.

  2 7 fayned colours: i.e., shadowing forth the truth by means of poetic fictions, the method of allegory.

  3 4 Equity: see V.1.7 and note. In 4.7–9Spenser compares the relation of equity and justice to the relation of moon and sun, an identification made both by Plutarch and Diodorus Siculus.

  3 9 to her part: by her side.

  4 7–9 On the implications of the solar and lunar identifications, see Fowler, Spenser and the Numbers of Time, pp. 208-15.

  5 4 dispred: overspread.

  6 4 line: linen.

  6 8–9The snake with its tail in its mouth originates in the Hieroglyphics of Hotapollo and symbolizes the universe.

  8 3 desining: indicating.

  8 j-9 The practice of sleeping in temples to receive the advice of the god was known as incubatio.

  9-i i Spenser’s description of the priests of Isis is derived from Plutarch, who tells that they took vows of chastity and abstained from mutton, pork, certain fish, onions and wine (Isis and Osiris, 2, 5, 6-8). For Jove’s defeat of the Giants see note to III.7.47.4. Spenser makes little distinction between the Giants and the Titans. The combination of the stories of abstention from wine and the defeat of the Giants was probably suggested to Spenser because the Giants were imprisoned under the volcano Vesuvius and volcanic soil is very good for the cultivation of grapes. 10 2 Paraphrase of Genesis 9.4. 12 8 implie: contain (Latin: implicate, ‘enfold’).

  17 8 Mas: not necessarily the Roman Catholic Mass. Gough in his edition of Book V points out that Spenser’s use of church and mass can mean simply temple or religious ritual.

  18 8 apayd: pleased. 20 8 adawed: terrified.

  21–3In the manner of one of Malory’s helpful hermits the priest of Isis explains the meaning of Britomart’s visio (stanzas 13-16), relating it to the prophecy of Merlin (III.3.26-30). 25 9 forth to hold: to march out. 27–34The fight of Britomart and Radigund imitates the fight of Bradamante and Marfisa (OF 36). 28 2 streight: strict. 28 4 Radigund’s demands are told in V.4.30-32. Like Dolon in his encounter with Britomart (canto 6), Radigund thinks her a man (but see stanza 32).

  28 7 bad them sound: i.e., bade them sound the trumpet to begin the fight.

  29 2 faulchins: falchions, broad swords. smot: past tense of smite.

  29 5 practicke: practised.

  35 3 preace: press, crowd.

  35 8 leach: doctor.

  35 9 empeach: hinder.

  38 6 tofore: before.

  39 3 drent: drowned.

  39 6 Ulysses spent ten years at Troy and took another ten years to return to Penelope.

  39 7 fauours likelynesse: appearance of his face.

  40 a May-game: during the May games a man was dressed in woman’s domes and portrayed Maid Marian, the May Queen, in re-enactment of the Robin Hood story.

  42 9 taring: instruction.

  44 5 priefe: proof.

  45 8 Lady thrall: Irena.

  CANTO 8

  2 The men named in this stanza were subdued by women: Samson (‘Iewish swaine’) subjected himself to Delilah (Judges 16); Hercules (‘Oetean Knight’), who died on Mount Oeta, subjected himself to Omphale (cf. ArthegalTs subjection to Radigund); and Antony gave up die Roman Empire for the sake of Cleopatra. Cf. GL 16.3 ff, in which the gates of Armida’s palace are decorated with the stories of Hercules and Antony.

  2 3 lemans: sweetheart’s.

  4 5 ouerhent: overtaken.

  5 4 at bace: an allusion to the game of prisoner’s base, in which the chaser is chased.

  5 9 abide: wait.

  69 let: prevent.

  9 9 quooke: quaked.

 
; 12 5 Ventailes: lower movable pieces of helmets.

  12 8 hew: appearance.

  14 4 eath: easily.

  15 3 hire: reward.

  15 6 aduenture: chance.

  17 1 Mercilla: see headnote to V and canto 9. vse to: are accustomed to. 19 7 ray: faith.

  19 8 pelfe: wealth.

  20 3 Adicia: Greek: ‘injustice.’ Her husband, the Souldan (24.7), probably signifies Philip II or the Pope, depicted as espousing injustice. Elizabeth I had been excommunicated by the Pope, and to Roman Catholics it would have been a service to Christianity to kill her, but to Protestant Spenser this was the supreme espousal of injustice.

  21 7 enterdeale: negotiation.

  23 Samient’s speech about the betrayal of Mercilla’s ambassadors (16-23) may refer historically to the detention of Holland’s ambassadors by Philip II. Hankins, p. 174, suggests that her name may signify ‘togetherness’ (Dutch: samen).

  24 7 Souldan: see note to 20.3.

  25 3 complot: plot, conspiracy.

  26 2 Arthegall was clad in Pagan armour by Britomart (V.7.41).

  27 4 doubt: worry, fear.

  28 2 banning: blaspheming.

  28 3 hookes: scythes attached to the chariot wheels. For classical and Biblical sources see Vat., p. 226. 30 7 tortious: wicked; see headnote to Book V, for etymology of Grantorto. regiment: rule, reign.

  31 1 Thracian Tyrant: Diomedes, who fed his guests to his horses, was killed by Hercules (Abides, grandson of Alcaeus). See Met. 9.194-6; Boccaccio, Gen. 13.1.

  32 1 child: knight, i.e., Arthegall.

  34 6 th’ayrie wyde: the expanse of air.

  34 8 curat: i.e., cuirass, armour for the upper torso.

  34 9 enriuen: torn.

  37–38Spenser is imitating Ariosto’s description of the unveiling ofRuggiero’s shield in OP 10.107-10. 37 1 trast: traced. 37 7 vaile: Arthur unveils his magical shield, which was so successful in I.7.33–6(see notes). empeach: hinder (i.e., veil). 39 4 bannes: curses. 39 6 resty: restive.

  39 9 forlore: lost.

  40 Phaethon drove the chariot of his father Apollo, destroying it, himself) and almost the entire world {Met. 2.48 ff). The Renaissance interpreted Phaethon’s act as prideful arrogance. See Rene Graziani (JWCI 27, 1964. 322-4) for the relation of the defeat of the Souldan to the impresa of Philip n.

  40 3 Scorpion: the constellation Scorpio.

  40 4 craples: grapples, claws.

  40 7 th’euer-burning lampe: the sun.