Season 4 Podcast 137 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 7 Pt I Episode 17 “The Giant Orgoglio."

Season 4 Podcast 137 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 7 Pt I Episode 17 “The Giant Orgoglio In last week’s episode, Una was led out of the forest by Satyrane. When confronted by Sansloy who sought the destruction of Una, Satyrane attacks him. As the battle rages, Una flees only to fall into the grasp of a greater enemy, Archimago, who lies to Una and says her Redcross Knight is dead. We leave Una for a while in mortal danger. In this the beginning of Canto VII, we again meet the Redcross Knight who with the dwarf fled the House of Pride. He is pursued by the evil Duessa who is still seeking revenge for the death of her lover Sansfoy. The Redcross Knight encounters a giant.     CANTO VII The Redcrosse knight is captive madeby Gyaunt proud opprest,Prince Arthur meets with Una great-ly with those newes distrest.Spencer contemplates the difficulty of discerning between good and evil in a world where evil can disguise itself as truth. In Isaiah 5 One is reminded of Isaiah’ prophetic words, ““Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!One’s mind is also drawn back to the Redcross Knight’s first adventure where, ignoring the warning of Una, he gets too close to the dragon’s lair. As he is wrapped in the long tail of the dragon, Spencer, said, “God help the man so wrapt in Errours endlesse traine.”WHAT man so wise, what earthly wit so ware,As to discry the crafty cunning traine,By which deceipt doth maske in visour faire,And cast her colours dyed deepe in graine, To seeme like Truth, whose shape she well can faine,And fitting gestures to her purpose frame;The guiltlesse man with guile to entertaine?Great maistresse of her art was that false Dame,The false Duessa, cloked with Fidessaes name.When Duessa discovered that the Redcross Knight had fled the House of Pride, she immediately searches for him for she has not yet exacted her revenge. She finds the Redcross Knight, his protective armor removed, resting by a fountain. The armor, remember symbolizes the full armor of God spoken of by Paul: the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the girdle of truth, the sword of the word of God, the feet shod with the gospel of peace. Without his armor, the Redcross Knight is vulnerable to the wily temptations of Duessa. She discovered that she could not destroy him by force; now she tries seduction.Who when returning from the dreary Night,She found not in that perilous house of Pride,Where she had left, the noble Redcrosse knight,Her hoped pray; she would no longer bide,But forth she went, to seek him far and wide. Ere long she found, whereas he wearie sateTo rest him self, foreby a fountain side,Disarmed all of iron-coated Plate,And by his side his steed the grassy forage ate.