The Faerie Queene (131 page)

19 2
empeach: hinder. 19 8 iesses: jesses, leather straps bound to the feet of falcons, to which the leash was attached. When falcons were released, they ordinarily flew with the bells and jesses on their legs. 19 8 let: hinder.

22 3
closd: came together.

23 5
ray: soil.

23 7
sweathbands: swaddling-clothes.

24 4
entertainer take.

25 8
offend: bother.

26 3
plaine champion: open plain.

27 9
repent: be sad.

29 3
Matilda is the nurse and teacher of Rinaldo (GL 1.55). Matilda is also the name of the woman who replaces Virgil as Dante's guide (Purgatorio 28-33).

29 4
Bruin: a common name for the brown bear. Sir Bruin receives as heir the baby stolen by a bear.

29 6
A cormorant is a large sea-bird, notorious for its appetite, whence the name was used to describe greedy or rapacious people.

30 1
seiz'd: in possession of.

30 2
in his fee: according to his right of possession as conqueror.

32 4
swinke: work.

32 5
forthinke: plan ahead.

34 5
priefe: trial, test.

34 7–9
i.e., in troubled times the best remedy is good advice, which I cannot well put into words; yet as I mean well, take no offence.

35 5
enchace: engrave.

37 2
geason: extraordinary.

37 3
tryde: proven.

377
liuerey and seisin: legal phrase indicating that a sign of possession (some kind of token) has been received.

38 7
thewes: manners.

38 8–9
Spenser apparently intended to include the ‘famous knight' in some unwritten book of The Faerie Queene. The fact that Matilda was the person who raised the hero Rinaldo in GL suggests that this foundling-knight was to have been a major figure.

40 7
lig: lie. embost: wrapped.

C
ANTO
5

1–2
See headnote.

2 9
The parentage of the savage man is never revealed. 5 3 imbrew: stain.

8 7
curats: cuirass, armour for the top part of the body. 10 2 furniture: equipment.

12
Timias and Arthur part in IV.7.47. Timias regains the favour of Belphoebe in IV.8.1-18.

12 7
beard: affront.

13
Despetto, Decetto and Defetto are Spenser's invented Italianate names for despite, deceit and defect (Williams, Flower on a Lowly Stalk, p. 67). Child (Var., p. 207) names them malice, deceit, and detraction.

15 5
defame: disgrace, defamation.

19 2
bay ted: harassed (see note to II.8.42.1).

19 7
chauffe: rage.

22 3
hye: hasten.

22 5
ouerset: oppressed.

23 9
weft: wafted, carried.

24 1
tyne: sorrow.

24 4
affect: affection.

25 7
hylding: base, worthless.

27 7
traine: snare.

27 9
in band: in bondage.

28 8
done to pine: made to suffer.

32 7
purpose: conversation.

32 9
did them torment: i.e., that did them torment

35 3
roode: crucifix.

3J 6
streight: strict.

35 7
howres: the prayers, or offices, assigned to be read at the canonical hours. bed: bid, offer.

37 1
fame: report (Latin: Jama).

37 9
assoyle: absolve, release. It was not uncommon for old knights in romances to turn from martial heroism to seclusion and prayer.

38 4
turne: service, use.

40 8
frame: direct, move.

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6

Arg. 3
He: Arthur. 1 5 leaches: physician's.

1 8
Podalyrhu: son of Aesculapius, the son of Apollo, famed for his healing powers (II. 2.732, 11.832; Ovid, An amatoria 2.735; Natalis Comes, 4.11).

2 6
Howbe: howbeit

3 1
scene: versed, practised.

3 5
went: course, passage.

4 5
baies: i.e., a garland of bay leaves traditionally given to die winner of a contest.

4 9
cf. King Lear 5.3.0.

5 6
disdplinde: controlled, restrained, but also subjected to the discipline of rod or whip to bring the flesh under the control of the reason.

5 7
reede. advice, counsel, but also the physical instrument of discipline
(see preceding note).

7–8
The hermit advises Serena and Timias to restrain their passions since one can do little more than avoid the occasions that lead malice and slander to flourish. See stanza 14.

8 9
bane: destruction.

9 7
strene: strain, race.

9 8
Stygian den: the underworld, region of the river Styx.

9 9
Echidna: a monster, half woman, half snake, the mother of Cerberus.

See note to canto 1.7-8. bookes: i.e., Hesiod's Theogony, 295-305.

11 5
obscurity: darkness.

11 7
According to Hesiod, Echidna and Typhaon were the parents of a number of beasts, including Geryon's dog Orthrus and his dragon (aee V.10.10, V.11.23, VI.1.7–8and notes).

16 8
iade: an inferior horse.

17 4
The story of Mirabella and Disdain is told in canto 7.27 ff.

17 5
lite: befell.

17 9
See canto 3.27 S.

18 3
ywroken: avenged.

18 4
demesne: treatment.

20 3
let: permission, hesitation.

20 5
him fayning to embase: i.e., pretending to be much less imposing than he actually was.

21 2
auaunt: depart.

21 3
deare aby: suffer severely.

24 4
sped: fared.

25 9
yeomen: servants.

26 7
heedinesse: attention.

28 4
prease: crowd.

30 8
thwart: transversely, sideways.

30 9
braynepan: head.

34 cf.
Pinnabello's custom (OF 22.48).

36 6
sith that: because.

38 9
layd about: struck vigorously.

41 7
infest: hostile.

42 3
trayned: snared.

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7

Arg. 1
baffuld: disgraced as a perjured knight. 3 ff See OF 22.53 ff. 3 1 tract: traced, followed.

5 6
offred meed: Sir Enias (named in VI.8.4.3) and his nameless companion are not only breaking the rules of chivalry (which required assistance without payment; cf. VI.1.46-7); they are debasing themselves to the status of hired assassins.

6 4
tyde: period of time.

6 8
portance: bearing.

7 8–9
The reference is either to a meteor or to lightning.

8 6
beuer: faceguard of helmet.

8 8
vitall: necessary for life, life-sustaining.

9 1
cast: couple.

9 2
Herneshaw: young heron.

9 9
souse: swooping down at a bird in flight.

14 2
lore: left.

16 2
bootie: i.e., Arthur's corpse.

16 5
which halfe it ought: i.e., which owed half of it to me.

17 6
trading: following.

23 4
All were: even if it were.

25 7
deaded: stupefied.

26 9
bannerall: banderole, small pennant or ornamental banner.

27 3
baffuld: disgraced (see V.3.37).

27 7
Ladie free: the noble or gentle Mirabella, who first appeared in VI.6.KS- 17. It has been suggested that Mirabella (Italian: mirabile, ‘admirable, marvellous'; mirari, ‘to gaze at', bella ‘beautiful') represents the haughty pride of the sonnet lady who scorns the lover's pains.

29 2
fere: companion.

29 3
ment: intended.

32 7
As in Chaucer's Parlement of Foules the God of Love holds court on St Valentine's Day.

33 7
doubting: fearing.

35 4
Capias: Latin: ‘you may take'; a written authorization to make an arrest.

35 8
Portamore: Italian: portare, ‘to carry,' antore, ‘love'.

36 1
attacht: seized.

39 9
doole: grief.

40 7
tyreling: weary.

40 9
stead: a period of time.

41 6
old Gyants: Titans. See III.7.47 and note.

43 3–4
Iacket… checklaton: Ciclaton, defined by Spenser, View of the Present State of Ireland (Var., p. 225): “The quilted leather jack[et] is old english: For it was the proper weed of the horseman, as you may read in Chaucer, when he describeth Sir Thopas's apparel, and armour, as he went to fight against the gyant, in his robe of checklaton, which is that kind of gilded leather with which they use to embroider their irish jackets' (‘Tale of Sir Thopas', 734).

43 6
Mores of Malaber: Malabar is in India. The word Moors was sometimes used to refer to all non-Christian nations.

47 9
Turmagant and Mahound: oaths used by infidel warriors (see n.8.30).

C
ANTO
8

3 1
Squire: Timias.

4 4
Sir Enias: see VI.7.4 ff.

6 9
acquite: free. assoile: absolve.

9 9
supplyde: supplemented. paide the vsury: i.e., struck extra hard.

10 3
middle fall: in mid-stroke.

10 4
brondyron: sword.

12 1
hynde: labourer, servant.

12 4
buxome: yielding, obedient.

13 4
blist: brandished.

13 7
neare: nearly.

14 1
enured: accustomed, familiar.

16 7
geare: apparatus (i.e., his knee).

19 2
stayd: hesitated.

20 6
sude: pursued.

22 1
winged God: Cupid.

22 6
vnmeete array: unsuitable clothing.

25 1
Infant: Arthur.

25 3
auale: go down (i.e., be humbled).

25 8
feare: fere, partner.

27 6
Squire: Timias.

27 8
admire: marvelled, wondered.

28 2
th'other Knight: Sir Enias.

28 4
kight: a bird of prey.

29 3
done to dye: killed.

29 9
lose: loose, i.e., free.

30 7
Arthure: This is Arthur's last appearance in the poem.

31
Serena flees when Timias is captured by Disdain and Scorn, 7.50.

31 5
inferd: brought upon.

32 5
doubt: fear.

33
Calepine was separated from Serena when he pursued the bear carrying off the baby, 4.17 ff.

33 3
tine: unhappiness.

33 6
Turtle: turtle-dove.

33 7
tride: united, joined.

34 6
Morpheus: god of sleep.

35
See VI.10.39.

35 3
rode: raid.

36 1
order: custom.

36 5
course of kynde: laws of nature.

38 1
The best aduizement was of bad: i.e., the best advice was bad.

38 3
battill: grow fat.

39
This stanza parodies the blazon, or poetic catalogue of a lady's particular physical beauties. See Epithalamion, 148-84, or Sidney's song at the end of Old Arcadia 3.

40 9
embrew: stain.

42–3
In these stanzas, with their echoes of the Song of Songs, Spenser continues the blazon begun in stanza 39.

44 8
fayned: fashioned.

45 4
net: clean (cf. III.12.20.1).

45 s
whet: sharpened.

48 9
launch: pierce, cut

49 6
hew: slaughter.

51 9
At this point Calepine and Serena leave the narrative. Spenser's promise to finish their tale is in the manner of Ariosto, but, unlike Ariosto, Spenser never provides the promised conclusion. See OF 11.67 ff.

C
ANTO
9

1 1
iolly swayne: farm labourer or shepherd.

1 4
coulter: blade of a plough.

1 9
Calidores immortal! name: Calidore has not been mentioned since

3.26.
He was then in pursuit of the Blatant Beast

2 3
Sewing: pursuing.

3 5
forslackt: neglected.

3 6
coursed: followed.

3 9
scorsed: chased.

4 2
Heardes: shepherds. neat: cattle.

4 4
Layes: lays, songs.

4 8
cots: little cottages.

5 2
sort: group.

5 4
broomes: shrubs, the broom plant.

6 7
After his rusticke wise: i.e., in his rustic, or country, way.