The Faerie Queene (130 page)

4 4
Artegall: Arthegall, the hero of Book V, had just returned from freeing Irena from the power of Grantorto.

4 7
rad: knew, recognized.

4 9
breathen liuing spright: i.e., of all knights living. ‘Breathen' is an obsolete third person plural form of' breathe'; its implied subject is' all knights'.

6 2
trace: track, path.

7–8
Blattant Beast: Latin: blatire, ‘to babble'. The Blatant Beast is generally interpreted as slander or detraction, although Ben Jonson reported that Spenser in a letter to Ralegh had identified the Beast with the Puritans (Var., p. 382). Obviously the Blatant Beast does not refer only to Puritans, or to all Puritans. The pursuit of the beast by the knight represents the efforts of courtesy to overcome slander. Since the impulse behind slander or detraction is malice (wishing evil to another person), courtesy must try to grapple with malice, the sin opposed to Christian charity. Spenser gives two genealogies for his beast: here he is begotten by Cerberus and Chimera; in VI.6.9 ff he is begotten by Typhaon and Echidna. Hesiod, Theogony, 306 ff, makes Typhaon and Echidna the parents of Cerberus, the three-headed dog who guards the gates of hell, and of Chimera, a fire-breathing goat with lion's head and serpent's body. Echidna and Typhaon also begot the Hydra and Geryon's dog Orthrus, who coupled with Echidna and begot the Sphinx and the Nemean lion. See V.10.10 and 11.23. Later sources are cited in Var., pp. 382-8.

8 4
Stygian fen: the Styx was a river flowing through Hades.

9
Arthegall's encounter with the Blatant Beast is generally understood aa
a reference to the accusations made against Lord Grey de Wilton for his handling of the Irish situation. See V.12.27–43and notes.

10 9
seuerall: in different directions.

1.1
Upton (Far., p. 189) points out that Calidore's first adventure is like the first adventure of Cervantes's Don Quixote.

11 8
staide: waited, delayed.

11 9
losde: loosed.

12 2
bay: situation of a hunted animal (e.g., ‘at bay”).

13
For analogues to Briana's custom of shaving beards see Vat., pp. 365-71. Spenser was probably most influenced by the French romance Perlesvaus, Malory 1.24 and OP 37, 42.

13 7
streight: narrow or confined place, such as a mountain pass or a narrow pathway.

14 6
Briana: possibly Greek: ‘strong'.

15 1
Crudor: Latin: cmdus, ‘cruel'. 15 7 Seneschall: steward.

15 8
Maleffort: French: ‘evil attempt'.

17 4
lest: listen.

17 6
Hayling: dragging, pulling.

18 4
reft: stolen.

18 7
misgotten weft: stolen prize. See note to V.3.27.5 for the precise legal meaning of'waif.

19 2
towardes make: move in his direction,

20 2
importune: severe; persistent 20 4 recuile: recoil.

20 6
forbore: endured; stood up to.

20 8
come to ward: begin to shield himself, take the defensive.

22 9
ward: guard.

23 4
euen in the Porch: i.e., just as he reached the porch.

24 5
bryzes: gadflies.

25 4
vnmand: unprotected.

25 5
spoile: rob, despoil, ravish.

25 8
thy right: i.e., what you deserve.

26 3
afford: grant, attribute. 28 4 Abett: support. aby: pay for.

28
s Cowherd: coward.

30 3
threatned: i.c, threatening to Calidore.

30 S
indignifyde: dishonoured.

31 9
basenet: steel headpiece.

32 7
afore: in front. 34 2 sound: swoon.

34 4
sleeping: unconscious.

35 2
lustlesse wise: i.e., listlessly, wearily.

35 7
hiskishnesse: sluggishness.

36 3
practicke: experienced. 36 4 pasting well: extremely.

37 5
potshares: broken pieces of earthenware, potsherds.

37 9
riuen: cut.

38 8
formerlie: first (i.e., before Crudor could strike).

39 9
lot: destiny.

40 9
yeame: earn.

41 8
still chaunging new: always changing anew.

42 1
-2 See James 2.13 and Matthew 5.7.

43 2
heasts: orders.

43 7
fere: companion; partner.

43 8
composition: sum of money paid in settlement.

43 9
release: withdraw.

45 2
affect: feeling, emotion.

47 2
hyre: payment.

C
ANTO
2

1–2
See headnote.

1 7
reproue: accuse.

2 9
thewes: manners, customs.

3 3
eyes: some editors emend to ems for sake of the rhyme. 5 7 Lincolne greene: bright green cloth made at Lincoln. belayd: decorated.

5 8
aglets: metallic tips of cords or laces.

6 1
cordwayne: cordovan, Spanish leather.

6 2
Pinckt: ornamented with figures cut in such a way that the gold lining showed through, paled: marked with vertical stripes.

6 3
guize: fashion.

7–8
The problem is that a woodsman should not attack a knight, and vice versa.

7 3
embrewed: stained.

7 9
wroken: avenged.

8 5
long: belong.

9 6
raine: domain.

9 7
enraunging: rambling in.

10 6
needs mote so: i.c, as she necessarily did.

119
as… pertaine: i.e., treating me like a child.

12 6
requite: avenge.

13 4
wroke: inflicted.

13 9
hire: reward.

14 4
quite dame: acquit, declare free.

15 9
discouer: reveal.

16 3
foreby: near.

17 5
let: hindrance.

18 8
ill apayd: ill pleased.

19 7
aby: abide, submit to.

20 2
quarrey: prey.

21 2
chauff: rage.

1 1
good Poet: Chaucer. See headnote. 1 6–9Bhattacherje (Far, p. 330) cites Castiglione as source. 3 8 chine: back.

3 9
The meaning of these names has not been established, but see Tonkin, Spenser's Courteous Pastoral, p. 66, and Williams, Flower on a Lowly Stalk, p. 69.

4 2
Beare: bier.

21 4
ban: curse.

21 5
wracke: vengeance.

23 8
hault: haughty.

24 3
coy: shy, modest.

25 1
stout: brave.

25 4
Latonaes sonne: Apollo.

25 S
Cyritfm5.'ahillonDelos(seeII.i2.i3).Apolloissupposedtohaveenjoyed chasing nymphs on Delos.

26 7
weale: wealth, prosperity.

28–32
Spenser's version of the early life of Sir Tristram follows closely Malory, 8.1, but Spenser changes the mother's name from Elizabeth to Emiline.

29 5
dread: fear.

29 9
doubtfull humor: i.e., suspicion.

30 1
red: learned.

30 7
read: counsel.

31 4
feres.: companions. -

31 5
thewes: customs. leres: lessons.

32 1
mantleth: stretches wings.

32 2
accoasting: skimming along the ground.

35 5
dubbed: made a knight.

36 1
treated to and fro: i.e., conversed about various subjects. 36 3 Chyld: knight.

38 9
payne: labour, quest.

40 9
vermeill: red.

42 2
empeach: hinder, prevent.

42 3
arayd: afflicted.

42 9
sight: sighed.

43 6
reaue: steal.

43 8
greaue: grove, thicket

44 8
athwart: transversely. targe: shield.

45 5
best ad: beset.

46 6
recur'd: recovered.

48 2
beare: i.e., bier, a stretcher. Calidore is using his shield to carry off a wounded man.

48 5
parted: divided in parts, shared.

C
ANTO
3

I I
good Poet: Chaucer. see headnote.

I 6–9
Bhattacherje (
Var., p. 330
) cites Castiglione as source.

3 8
chine: back.

3 9
The meaning of these names has not been established, but see Tonkin,
Spencer's Courteous pastorol
, p. 66, and
williams,
Flower on a Lowely stalk,
p. 69.

4.2
Beare: bier.

5 2
tickle: unreliable, changeable.

5 3
aymed: intended.

5 7
Keasars: emperors.

6 5
geare: matter.

7 2
affy: betroth.

7 6
-9 Spenser is not claiming that Aladine is of mean or humble birth, merely that he is not a ‘great pere' as is Frisdlla's father. Aladine is, nevertheless, of gentle origin.

7 7
liuelood: livelihood, prosperity.

10 5
steepe: soak.

11 8
blam'd: dishonoured.

11 9
tendered: cherished, cared for.

13 5
Titans: the sun's.

14 2
passe: passage.

14 6
of course: i.e., ordinary, usual.

16 6
wite: blame.

16 8
counter-cast: trick.

18
Calidore's ‘white lie' has been the occasion of much tongue-clacking among the critics, but Judson (Var., p. 341) cites Guazzo: ‘I denie not, but that it is commendable to coyne a lye at some time, and in some place, so that it tende to some honest ende.' See also Charles E. Mounts, MLQ 7, 1946, 43-53, on ‘virtuous duplicity'.

20
ff Spenser now places Calidore in a situation that parallels the Aladme-Priscilla episode. The purpose is to contrast courtesy with rudeness.

22 9
debate: contest.

23 5
distinct: marked.

23 7
lust: pleasure.

24
S misfare: misfortune.

26
Calidore does not appear again until canto 9.

26 9
lites: lungs.

27 1
Calepine, whose adventures make up the action of this book until

Calidore returns in canto 9, seems to be related by his name to Calidore: Greek: kale, ‘beautiful'. See Hankins, Source and Meaning, pp. 177-9-For other possible derivations see Cheney, Spenser's Image of Nature, pp. 201–3and Tonkin, Spenser's Courteous Pastoral, p. 66.

28 2
reuoke: call back.

28 6
footing: walking.

29 1
waine: wagon.

29 2
Inne: house of the zodiac.

29
s trace: walk.

30
ff The Turpine episode is modelled on die PinabeHo episode in OP 22.104 £

32 9
diseased: ill and uncomfortable.

33 7
vnused: unaccustomed. 38 9 formerly: first.

40 2
Turpine: Latin: turpls, ‘base'. 42 3 bord: table.

42 6
Blandina: Latin: btandus, ‘tempting'.

4.3 2
reclame: recant.

44 1
for why: because.

44 3
aby: endure.

48 5
auoure: answer.

49
Calepine's apparently cowardly behaviour in hiding behind Serena is discussed by Cheney, Spenser's Image of Nature, pp. 208–9and Tonkin, Spenser's Courteous Pastoral, pp. 57-8.

C
ANTO
4

1 3
ground-hold: anchor.

1 4
fisher barke: fishing boat

2 2
saluage man: such savage men are common in sixteenth-century literature. See Richard Bernheimer, Wild Men in the Middle Ages,

Cambridge, Mass., 1952.

2 3
shright: shriek.

4 7
bents: reeds.

4 9
leare: learning.

5 3
infest: hostile.

5 8
areare: backward.

6 7
griple: tenacious, obstinate.

9 5
vtmost cast: extreme situation.

9 9
rankling: festering.

10 2
lozell: scoundrel.

10 4
pretended: presented, intended.

11 3
rude: uncivilized, primitive.

11 9
empeach: hinder.

12 4
after: according to.

12 9
staunched: stopped up, blocked.

14 3
gests: gestures, behaviour.

14 5
vnsowed: unsewn.

14 7
bad: probably used here in the sense of ‘inadequate', because he did not provide them with meat or cultivated food. 16 8–9The nature of Serena's wound, inflicted by the Blatant Beast, becomes clearer in VI.5.28 and 6.8-9. 18 1 scrike: shriek.

18 8
ouerpast: gone beyond.

19 1
Well… want: i.e., it was fortunate that he lacked his armour and weapons.