Chapter 20

I. _The Plot_: (a continuation of Canto IV). The Knight fights in the lists with Sansjoy and defeats him, but is prevented by Duessa's magic from slaying him. Duessa descends to Erebus and obtains the aid of Night, who conveys the wounded Saracen in her chariot to Æsculapius to be healed of his wounds. The tortures of some of the souls in Erebus are described, particularly the cause of Æsculapius' punishment. A roll of the prisoners whom the dwarf discovers in Pride's dungeon is given. The Knight flees with the dwarf from her house.

II. _The Allegory_: When the Christian Soldier is attacked by Joylessness, he has a far more desperate struggle than that with Infidelity, and comes out wounded though victorious. Joylessness when crushed by Holiness is restored by Pagan Philosophy. The backsliding Christian is warned in time by Prudence of the fearful consequences of sin, and hastens to turn his back on Pride and the other sins. The soul is led to dread Pride, not by Truth, but by its sufferings and other inferior motives.

25. THEIR TIMELY VOYCES, their voices keeping time with their harps.

27. OLD LOVES, famous love-affairs, the subject of the Minnesängers.

29. IN WOVEN MAILE, in chain armor.

32. ARABY, probably here the Orient in general.

33. FROM FURTHEST YND, from farthest India.

39. UNTO A PALED GREENE, a green inclosure (lists for a tournament) surrounded by a palisade.

44. HIS. An old method of forming the possessive, based on a misapprehension of the original Anglo-Saxon suffix _-es_, which was shortened in middle English to _-is_, and finally to _s_.

45. BOTH THOSE, etc. Both Duessa and the shield are to go to the victor.

65. A GRYFON, a fabulous animal, part lion and part eagle. _Gryfon_ is subject of _encountereth_ with _Dragon_ as object.

89. AND SLUGGISH GERMAN, etc., and sluggish brother dost relax thy strength to send his (Sansfoy's) foe after him, that he may overtake him. In ll. 86-88 Sansjoy addresses his brother, in ll. 89-90 himself. _German_ is any blood relation.

100. The Knight supposed that Duessa's encouraging words were addressed to him.

114. Spenser here, with fine dramatic effect, imitates Homer, who saves Paris and Æneas by a similar device. _Iliad_, iii, 380, and v, 345.

159. TEARES. This mention of the man-eating crocodile's tears is based on an old Latin proverb. Sir John Mandeville repeats the story.

172. GRIESLY NIGHT. According to mythology (Hesiod's _Theog_., 123), one of the first things created, the daughter of Chaos, and mother of Æther (sky) and Hemera (day); also of Deceit, Strife, Old Age, and Vengeance. See xxii and xxvii.

202. ON GRONING BEARE, on a bier with groaning friends around.

204. O WHAT OF GODS, etc., O what is it to be born of gods, if old Aveugle's (the father of the three Saracens) sons are so ill treated.

219. AND GOOD SUCCESSES, etc., and good results which follow their foes.

221. OR BREAKE THE CHAYNE, refers to Jove's proposition to fasten a golden chain to the earth by which to test his strength. Homer's _Iliad_, viii, 19. Cf. Milton's _Paradise Lost_, ii, 1051.

225. BAD EXCHEAT, bad gain by exchange. _Escheat_ is an old legal term, meaning any lands or goods which fall to the lord of a fief by forfeiture. Cf. "rob Peter to pay Paul."

229. SHALL WITH HIS OWNE BLOUD, etc., shall pay the price of the blood that he has spilt with his own.

263. Here Spenser imitates Homer's _Odyssey_, xvi, 163.

267. THE GHASTLY OWLE. The poet follows the Latin rather than the Greek poets, who regard the owl as the bird of wisdom.

273. OF DEEP AVERNUS HOLE. Avernus in the poets is a cavern (in an ancient crater), supposed to be the entrance to the infernal regions. Cf. Vergil's _Æneid_, vi, 237. In Strabo's Geography it is a lake in Campania.

298. CERBERUS, the dog which guarded the lower regions. This stanza is an imitation of Vergil's _Æneid_, vi, 417 _seq_. In Dante's _Inferno_ Vergil appeases him by casting handfuls of earth into his maw.

xxxv. In this stanza we see the influence of Homer and Vergil. Ixion, the king of Lapithæ, was chained by order of Zeus to a fiery-winged wheel for aspiring to the love of the goddess Hera (Juno). Sisyphus had to roll a huge stone forever up a hill for betraying the designs of the gods. Tantalus, for divulging the secrets of Zeus, was condemned to stand tormented by thirst in a lake. Tityus, for an assault on Artemis, was pinioned to the ground with two vultures plucking at his vitals. Typhoeus, a hundred-headed giant, was slain by Zeus' thunderbolt, and buried under Ætna. The gin on which he was tortured was probably the rack of the Middle Ages. Cf. the bed of Procrustes. Theseus, for attempting to carry off Persephone, was fixed to a rock in Tartarus. The "fifty sisters" are the fifty Danaides, who, for slaying their husbands, were condemned to pour water forever into a vessel full of holes.

322. SAD AESCULAPIUS, the god of medicine, slain by Zeus for arresting death and diseases.

354. AND FATES EXPIRED, and the threads of life which the fates (Parcæ) had severed.

387. GREAT PAINES, AND GREATER PRAISE, etc. His praise, like his pain, is to be eternal.