The Faerie Queene — Volume 01

palmer > (Guyon's mentor: see 201.7 ff.) governance > management; guidance (the possible arrangements of the commas in this line alter the meaning, applying the palmer's governa...

THo when as chearlesse Night ycouered had 2 Faire heauen with an vniuersall cloud, That euery wight dismayd with darknesse sad, 4 In silence and in sleepe themselues did shroud,...

1 2 THE FAERIE 3 QVEENE. 4 5 _Disposed into twelue bookes, 6 Fashioning_ 7 XII. Morall vertues. 8 9 10 11 LONDON 12 13 Printed for William Ponsonbie. 14 15 1596. 16 17 18 1 2 TH...

Duessa > (She does not appear in person in Book III, though it can be said that some of her "traines" are employed by Malecasta) trains > wiles, tricks Malecasta > "Wickedly Cha...

Mammon > "Riches" (Aramaic; wealth regarded as an idol or an evil influence; the God of Money; see _Matt._ 6.24, _Luke_ 16.9-13; _PL_ 1.678 ff., 2.228 ff.) delve > pit, depression

WHat man is he, that boasts of fleshly might, 2 And vaine assurance of mortality, Which all so soone, as it doth come to fight, 4 Against spirituall foes, yeelds by and by, Or f...

Guyon > (The origin of this name is not clear. It may be derived from "Gihon", the river in Eden associated with temperance; from "gyon", meaning "wrestler"; or from "Guy", the...

WHere is the Antique glory now become, 2 That whilome wont in women to appeare? Where be the braue atchieuements doen by some? 4 Where be the battels, where the shield and spear...

LIke as an Hynd forth singled from the heard, 2 That hath escaped from a rauenous beast, Yet flyes away of her owne feet affeard, 4 And euery leafe, that shaketh with the least...

+MOst+ sacred fire, that burnest mightily 2 In liuing brests, ykindled first aboue, Emongst th'eternall spheres and lamping sky, 4 And thence pourd into men, which men call Loue...

OF all Gods workes, which do this world adorne, 2 There is no one more faire and excellent, Then is mans body both for powre and forme, 4 Whiles it is kept in sober gouernment;...

Finds > [And finds] satyrs > (Horned forest spirits, man-like above and goat-like below, usually portrayed as more or less lustful. In Roman mythology, Satyr, one of the satyrs,...

Assays > Assails; essays, attempts; _hence:_ makes an attempt on, attacks Busirane > (Named after Busiris, a mythical Egyptian king whose cruelties included the sacrifice of str...

HIgh time now gan it wex for _Vna_ faire, 2 To thinke of those her captiue Parents deare, And their forwasted kingdome to repaire: 4 Whereto whenas they now approched neare, Wit...

Artegall > (The hero of Book V. The name "Arthgal" is used by Geoffrey of Monmouth (_HRB_ 9.12). Artgallo, son of Gorlois, was the brother of Cador, king of Cornwall, and half-b...

A Gentle Knight was pricking on the plaine, 2 Y cladd in mightie armes and siluer shielde, Wherein old dints of deepe wounds did remaine, 4 The cruell markes of many'a bloudy fi...

ANd is there care in heauen? and is there loue 2 In heauenly spirits to these creatures bace, That may compassion of their euils moue? 4 There is: else much more wretched were t...

His sonne king _Leill_ by fathers labour long, 2 Enioyd an heritage of lasting peace, And built _Cairleill_, and built _Cairleon_ strong. 4 Next _Huddibras_ his realme did not e...

WOnder it is to see, in diuerse minds, 2 How diuersly loue doth his pageants play, And shewes his powre in variable kinds: 4 The baser wit, whose idle thoughts alway Are wont to...

WEll may I weene, faire Ladies, all this while 2 Ye wonder, how this noble Damozell So great perfections did in her compile, 4 Sith that in saluage forests she did dwell, So far...

REdoubted knights, and honorable Dames, 2 To whom I leuell all my labours end, Right sore I feare, least with vnworthy blames 4 This odious argument my rimes should shend, Or ou...

THe noble hart, that harbours vertuous thought, 2 And is with child of glorious great intent, Can neuer rest, vntill it forth haue brought 4 Th'eternall brood of glorie excellen...

O Goodly golden chaine, wherewith yfere 2 The vertues linked are in louely wize: And noble minds of yore allyed were, 4 In braue poursuit of cheualrous emprize, That none did ot...

SO oft as I this history record, 2 My hart doth melt with meere compassion, To thinke, how causelesse of her owne accord 4 This gentle Damzell, whom I write vpon, Should plonged...

WHat man so wise, what earthly wit so ware, 2 As to descry the crafty cunning traine, By which deceipt doth maske in visour faire, 4 And cast her colours dyed deepe in graine, T...

of > by immodest > forward, impudent; unchaste (also, the Latin _immodestus_ means "intemperate", "unbridled") Mirth > Phaedria (introduced at 206.3, named at 206.9; an early me...

YOung knight, what euer that dost armes professe, 2 And through long labours huntest after fame, Beware of fraud, beware of ficklenesse, 4 In choice, and change of thy deare lou...

Vain > Weak; foolish Braggadocchio > "Braggart", "Boaster" ("brag" + Italian augment- ative. The name gives rise to "braggadocio", a general term either for an idle braggart or...

WHat warre so cruell, or what siege so sore, 2 As that, which strong affections do apply Against the fort of reason euermore 4 To bring the soule into captiuitie: Their force is...

AY me, how many perils doe enfold 2 The righteous man, to make him daily fall? Were not, that heauenly grace doth him vphold, 4 And stedfast truth acquite him out of all. Her lo...

AS when a ship, that flyes faire vnder saile, 2 An hidden rocke escaped hath vnwares, That lay in waite her wrack for to bewaile, 4 The Marriner yet halfe amazed stares At peril...

face > {External appearance; face of a place or building (e.g. a castle), esp. that comprehended between the flanked angles of two neighbouring bastions} golden > (See 201.58:1,...

IN braue pursuit of honorable deed, 2 There is I know not what great difference Betweene the vulgar and the noble seed, 4 Which vnto things of valorous pretence Seemes to be bor...

BY this the Northerne wagoner had set 2 His seuenfold teme behind the stedfast starre, That was in Ocean waues yet neuer wet, 4 But firme is fixt, and sendeth light from farre T...

BEhold I see the hauen nigh at hand, 2 To which I meane my wearie course to bend; Vere the maine shete, and beare vp with the land, 4 The which afore is fairely to be kend, And...

NOught is there vnder heau'ns wide hollownesse, 2 That moues more deare compassion of mind, Then beautie brought t'vnworthy wretchednesse 4 Through enuies snares or fortunes fre...

Edmund Spenser was born in London in the year 1552, or possibly 1551. For both these statements we have directly or indirectly his own authority. In his _Prothalamion_ he sings...

WHo euer doth to temperaunce apply 2 His stedfast life, and all his actions frame, Trust me, shall find no greater enimy, 4 Then stubborne perturbation, to the same; To which ri...

It is easy to imagine how intensely Spenser enjoyed his visit to London. It is uncertain to what extent that visit was prolonged. He dates the dedication of his _Colin Clouts Co...

In the year 1580 Spenser was removed from the society and circumstances in which, except for his probable visit to Ireland, he had lived and moved as we have seen, for some thre...

chronicle > (Spenser derives his chronicle from standard chronicles, principally the twelfth-century _Historia Regum Britanniae_ (_HRB_) by Geoffrey of Monmouth, and Elizabethan...

Thus after an absence of about nine years, Spenser returned for a time to England; he returned 'bringing his sheaves with him.' Whatever shadow of misunderstanding had previousl...