from The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser, 1590; p 442-475

 

    

    Published in 1590 and accompanied by a letter to Sir Walter Raleigh, The Faerie Queene was an epic tale written with plentiful religious undertones (lots of anti-Catholic ones) and a unique rhyming scheme of 9 lined stanzas rhyming ababbcbcc. “Book 1” takes us on the journey of the knight Redcrosse, representing holiness. I chose to include a couple stanzas from “Canto 2” in my anthology as I appreciate the unconventional hero Redcrosse is. He makes mistakes and needs assistance, which I like, because our author does not try to demand the impossible perfection of his audience. We are all human and make mistakes! In a religious connection, this piece ties perfectly to us needing the grace of God. In God, everything is possible. It is not our weaknesses that define our success but our ability to get back up that determines our strength. Redcrosse is so relatable. In the excerpt below, Redcrosse displays his weaknesses as he succumbs to the distractions of the evil Archimago and betrays the lovely Una:

      “All in amaze he suddenly upstart

With sword in hand, and with the old man went;

Who soone him brought into a secret part,

Where that false couple were full closely ment

In wanton lust and lewd embracement:

Which when he saw, he burnt with gealous fire,

The ye of reason was with rage yblent,

And would have slain them in his furious ire,

But hardly was restrained of that aged sire.

 

Returning to his bed in torment great,

And bitter anguish of his guiltie sight,

He could not rest, but did his stout heart eat,

And wast his inward gall with deepe despight,

Yrkesome of life, and too long lingring night.

At last fair Hesperus in highest skie

Had spent his lampe, and brought forth dawning light,

Then up he rose, and clad him hastily;

The Dwarfe him brought his steed, so both away do fly.

 

Now when the rosy-fingerd Morning faire,

Weary of aged Tithones saffron bed

Had spred her purple robe through deawy aire,

And the high hills Titan discovered,

The royall virgin shooke off drowsy-hed,

And rising forth out of her baser bowre,

Lookt for her knight, who far away was fled,

And for her Dwarfe, that wont to wait each houre;

Then gan she waile and weepe, to see that wofull stowre.

 

And after him she rode with so much speede

As her slow beast could make; but all in vaine:

For him so far had borne his light-foot steede,

Pricked with wrath and fiery fierce disdaine,

That him to follow was but fruitlesse paine;

Yet she her weary limbes would never rest,

But every hill and dale, each wood and plaine

Did search, sore grieved in her gentle brest,

He so ungently left her, whom she loved best.” (Canto 2, Stanzas 5-8, p 454-455)