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CHAPTER X.

The Faerie Queene: 1596..

THERE was entered, at Stationers' Hall, on the twentieth of January, 1596, to Master Ponsonby, "for his copie vnder the handes of the Wardens, The seconde parte of the ffaery Qvene containing the. 4. 5. and. 6. bookes." These were issued separately, and also together, with a new edition of the first three Books, which contained a change in the close of the third book, by omission of the last five stanzas, that, in 1590, had left Scudamour and Amoret united and entirely happy in their love. In place of these Spenser wrote the three stanzas that now close the book and defer the meeting of the lovers. They open the way to new adventures told in the new part, where Amoret, before she is found by Scudamour, is made an important factor in the working out of the continued allegory.

The Fourth Book

is the Book of Friendship, or the Legend of Cambel and Triamond, and continues the theme of Love by dwelling on it in more forms than that of love between man and woman.

Scudamour had won Amoret from twenty knights, and brought away with her the shield of love thus earned. He wedded her, but Busirane had crossed with his masque of love the bridal feast, and “by way of sport as oft in masks is known" had carried away the lady. For seven months she had been his captive, but now she rode free, with Britomart for her companion. They came one evening to a castle in which none might rest who did not bring with him a lady love. A

young knight claimed Amoret, but was overthrown by Britomart, who then, having claimed entrance by right of Amoret, gave entrance to the fallen knight by disclosing her sex and offering herself-Chastity -as his companion. Next day, as they rode on, Britomart and Amoret in outward resemblance of a knight with a fair lady by his side, they encountered two knights, Blandamour and Paridel. These rode with two ladies seeming fair, but hiding under mask of beauty the foul features of Duessa and of Atè, mother of debate. Here Spenser gives a dozen stanzas to the allegorical description of Atè and her home. Paridel, knowing again the arms and scutcheon of Britomart, who had overthrown him once, refused to tilt against her. Blandamour gave Duessa to his friend and ran a course for Amoret, but was unhorsed by the spear of Britomart.

Then Paridel and Blandamour, types of the friendship that has not its root in honour of true worth, rode on together till they met two other knights, one of whom Blandamour recognised by the wings on his shield as Scudamour, whom he ever hated. Bruised by his recent fall, he urged Paridel to tilt for him. Paridel tilted and was overthrown. Blandamour reviled, but Atè and Duessa stung Sir Scudamour with tidings that his Amoret had given herself to another knight, with whom she rode; and old Glaucè, the seeming knight who rode with Scudamour, sought in vain to clear Britomart and stay his fury. So the first canto ends, with Atè, Discord, the antagonist to Friendship, raising strife of friend against friend. It was the place of Atè as the companion of Untruth and the antagonist of Friendship that, in the opening of the Book of Friendship, entitled her to twelve stanzas of allegorical description.

The light friends, Blandamour and Paridel, marked the wise words of Glaucè, and rode on together. Presently they met a knight who rode in dalliance with a fair lady. It was Sir Ferraugh, with the snowy Florimell, whom he had snatched from Braggadochio. Blandamour overthrew Sir Ferraugh, and took possession of the seeming Florimell. Paridel envied his good fortune, and the light friends lightly turned to foes. They fought together-their ladies urging them to fight for honour of their loves. While they still fought, there came the Squire of Dames, who stayed their strife by telling them that if indeed they had found Florimell herself, who was thought to be dead, they should hold together and go to a solemn feast and public tourneying which Sir Satyrane had caused to be proclaimed. Thither knights were to ride with their ladies, and the prize decreed to the fairest lady was the girdle of Florimell that Satyrane had found. Since they had Florimell herself the prize was theirs

So, well accorded, forth they rode together

In friendly sort that lasted but a while;
And of all old dislikes they made faire weather;
Yet all was forg'd and spred with golden foyle
That under it hidde hate and hollow guyle.
Ne certes can that friendship long endure,

That doth ill cause or evill end enure;

For virtue is the band that bindeth harts most sure."

The false friends then met, on their way, the true friends, Cambell and Triamond, with the ladies of their love

"Couragious Cambell, and stout Triamond,

With Canacee and Cambine linckt in lovely bond."

Here Spenser used characters from Chaucer's unfinished Squire's tale, the same tale to which Milton referred when he bade the spirit of meditation

"Call up him that left half told
The story of Cambuscan bold,
Of Camball and of Algarsife,
And who had Canacé to wife,

That owned the virtuous ring and glass,
And of the wondrous horse of brass

On which the Tartar king did ride.”

Spenser took the same story as his foundation of an allegory of Friendship, not to finish it as he thought Chaucer might have finished it -to do that would not have suited his design-and not because he had need of it in any other way than as giving him an opportunity of paying to his master, Chaucer, the same homage in "The Faerie Queene" that he had paid already in his "Shepheardes Calender." He built a little shrine for Chaucer in this book, as in the sixth Book he built one for his own wife.

Thus "the sage and serious Spenser," whom Milton dared be known to think a better teacher than Scotus or Aquinas, expressed his reverence for the true poet in whom he found a wisdom riper and, with all its ease and humour of expression, not less earnest than his own:

“Whylome, as antique stories tellen us,
Those two were foes the fellonest on ground,
And battell made the dreddest daungerous
That ever shrilling trumpet did resound;

Z-VOL. IX.

Though now their acts be nowheer to be found,

As that renowned Poet them compyled

With warlike numbers and heroicke sound,

Dan Chaucer, well of English undefyled.

On Fames eternall beadroll worthie to be fyled.

"But wicked Time that all good thoughts doth wast
And workes of noblest wits to nought outweare,
That famous moniment hath quite defaste,
And robd the world of threasure endlesse deare,
The which mote have enrichéd all us heare.
O cursed Eld! the cankerworme of writs,
How may these rimes, so rude as doth appeare,
Hope to endure, sith workes of heavenly wits
Are quite devourd, and brought to nought by little bits.

"Then pardon, O most sacred happie spirit !

That I thy labours lost may thus revive,

And steale from thee the meede of thy due merit,
That none durst ever whilest thou wast alive,
And being dead in vaine yet many strive:
Ne dare I like; but through infusion sweete
Of thine owne spirit which doth in me survive,
I follow here the footing of thy feete,

That with thy meaning so I may the rather meete.

"Cambelloe's sister was fayre Canacee,
That was the learnedst Ladie in her dayes,
Well seen in everie science that mote bee,
And every secret worke of natures wayes;
In wittie riddles, and in wise soothsayes ;

In power of herbes, and tunes of beasts and burds;

And, that augmented all her other prayse,

She modest was in all her deedes and words,

And wondrous chaste of life, yet loved of Knights and

Lords."

His

Cambello decreed that of all his sister's suitors none should win her but the knight who could overthrow her brother in combat. confidence was not in his courage only, but also in a magic ring with power to staunch the bleeding of all perilous wounds. The three stoutest knights among the suitors were to enter the lists with Cambello. But the suitors knew the virtue of the ring, and flinched. Then comes

the allegory of three children of love (Agapè), first lover, double lover, triple lover, and all three as one.

Priamond, Diamond, Triamond, were sons of Agapè born at one birth. Their bold deeds brought their lives into perils that troubled their mother. She went, therefore, to the three sisters, the Fates, to see how long or short would be her children's threads of life. Seeing that they were short, and might not be drawn longer or more strongly twined, she asked that when one died his life might pass into the next

"And when the next shall likewise ended bee,
That both their lives may likewise be annext
Unto the third, that his may so be trebly wext."

This was granted, for it is not against nature that the sons of love should so live, one in another.

Priamond fell

The next canto, the third, describes the tournament. before Cambell, and lived anew in Diamond. Diamond fell, and the spirits of the three brothers then lived on in Triamond. As Triamond and Cambell were in fiercest fight, they were stayed by the arising of a troublous noise that gathered round one driving to the lists in a rich antique chariot, drawn by two grim lions. They had been made to forget their former cruel mood, and obeyed the guidance of a lady passing fair, taught by the fay, her mother, magic lore, whereby she knew that her brother, Cambell, was in danger. She carried in one hand a rod of peace, on which there were two serpents entwined and crowned with olive. In the other hand she held a cup, filled with Nepenthe to the brim.

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Nepenthe is a drinck of soverayne grace,
Devizéd by the Gods, for to asswage

Harts grief, and bitter gall away to chace,
Which stirs up anguish and contentious rage:
Instead thereof sweet peace and quiet age
It doth establish in the troubled mynd.
Few men, but such as sober are and sage,
Are by the Gods to drinck thereof assynd;
But such as drinck, eternall happinesse do fynd."

Cambina softly She entered the

This was Cambina, sister to the sons of Agapè. smote the rail. It opened at the touch of her wand. lists, descended from her chariot, greeted first her brother, Triamond, then looked with hidden love to Cambell. When they both disregarded her and turned again to fight, she touched them also with her magic

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