HE SO
HIMSELFE
HAD DREST, he had thus attempted (to take his life).
Spenser - Faerie Queene - 1
431. AS HE WERE CHARMED, etc. , as if he were under the spell of magic
incantation.
438. IN A TABLE, in a picture. The horrors of the Last Judgment and the
torments of the lost were favorite subjects of the mediaeval Catholic
painters.
468. FIRE-MOUTHED DRAGON. The dragons of romance are all described as
fire-breathing,
473. THAT CHOSEN ART, a reference to the doctrine of Election. _Mark_,
xiii, 20.
476. ACCURST HAND-WRITING. A reference to Paul's letter to the
_Colossians_, ii, 14, in which he declares that the gospel of grace has
superseded the law of Moses.
484.
HE SO HIMSELFE HAD DREST, he had thus attempted (to take his life).
QUESTIONS AND TOPICS
(Canto IX)
1. Give an account of Prince Arthur's vision of the Faerie Queene. 2.
Interpret his search for her as an allegory of the young man's quest after
his ideal. 3. Observe in xvii an allusion to Spenser's patron, Lord
Leicester, who was a favored suitor for Elizabeth's hand. 4. What presents
did the Knights exchange at parting? 5. Characterize Sir Trevisan by his
appearance, speech, and actions. What does he symbolize? 6. Note the skill
with which Spenser arouses interest before telling of the interview with
Despair. 7. What was the fate of Sir Terwin?
