March 19, 2011

ON THE REVOCATION OF MY MEMBERSHIP IN THE SOCIETY OF THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER READ THE FAERIE QUEENE

Aptekar, Jane, Icons of Justice: Iconography and Thematic Imagery in Book V of The Faerie Queene (New York & London: Columbia U. Press, 1969) ("Classical and Christian tradition concurred in the matter of the relationship between force and fraud. From earliest times, the pair were mentioned together as brother evils--but fraud was generally regarded as the elder and worse. Actually, throughout The Faerie Queene, with the regularity of a time-honored cliche, force and fraud--or guile, or sleight--are mentioned in conjunction as twin attributes of the foes of goodness. But since the evils of force and fraud generally come within the field of justice they are naturally enough, most deeply considered during the course of Book V." Id. at 108-109.).

Dunseath, T. K., Spenser’s Allegory of Justice in Book Five of The Faerie Queene (Princeton: Princeton U. Press, 1968).

Spenser, Edmund, The Faerie Queene [1590-1609], edited by Thomas P Roche, Jr with the assistance of C. Patrick O’Donnel. Jr. (London: Penguin Books, 1987) ("That Castle was the strength of all that state,/ Vntill that state by strength was pulled downe,/ And that same citie, so now reuinate,/ Had bene the keye of all that kingdomes crowne;/ Both goodly Castle, and both goodly Towne,/ Till that th'offended heauens list to lowre/ Vpon their blisse, and balefull fortune frowne./ When those gainst states and kingdomes do coniure,/ Who then can think their hedlong ruine to recure." Book V, Canto X, 26.).