Untitled Season 4 Podcast 119 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 4, Pt III Episode 11 “Sansjoy”

Season 4 Podcast 119 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 4, Pt III Episode 11 “Sansjoy” Fidessa, of course, her name suggesting fidelity, is the former Duessa, her real name suggesting infidelity. Though she has fooled the silly Red Cross Knight, she has not fooled anyone in the underworld. After all she rode with Lucifera high on the coach leading the Seven Deadly Sins driven by Satan in the House of Pride. The three brothers, Sansfoy, which means without faith, Sansloy, which means without law, and Sansjoy, which means without joy are all in love with Duessa and she with them. The Redcross Knight killed Sansfoy in battle. The false Duessa who was in love with Sansfoy ran away. When the Redcross Knight caught up with her, she lied to him, saying she was the daughter of an Emperor kidnapped by Sansfoy. The Redcross Knight foolishly believed her though only moments before he saw Sansfoy and Duessa embracing in sensuous play. Duessa is evil and wants revenge on the Redcross Knight. Her ploy is to get him killed or to seduce him which will destroy him because the Redcross Knight above all else seeks holiness. However, when Sanjoy sees the Redcross Knight carrying his dead brother’s shield in the House of Pride. He immediately seeks revenge for the murder of his brother. He challenges the Redcross Knight to a duel. So having solaced themselves a space With pleasaunce of the breathing fields yfed,They back returned to the Princely Place;Whereas an errant knight in armes ycled,And heathenish shield, wherein with letters redWas writ Sans joy, they new arrived find: Enflamed with fury and fires hardy-headHe seemed in hart to harbor thoughts unkind,And nourish bloody vengeance in his bitter mind. Sansjoy snatches the shield, but the Redcross Knight, unwilling to give up the prize he won in a fair battle, takes it back.Who when the shamed shield of slain SansfoyHe spied with that same Faery champions page, Bewraying him, that did of late destroyHis eldest brother, burning all with rageHe to him leapt, and that same envious gageOf victor’s glory from him snatcht away:But th' Elfin knight, which ought that warlike wage Disdained to lose the meed he won in fray,And him reencountering fierce, rescued the noble pray. The two knights immediately begin a violent quarrel and prepared for battle. However, Lucifera, queen of the House of Pride, stops the quarrel and commands them to refrain. She orders them to meet the next day in duel to determine who owns Sansfoy’s shield. Ironically in knight errantry it was thought that God would support the just and condemn the wicked. Duels to the death were how such conflicts were settled. It was somewhat like how they discerned witches. They threw the accused witch into the pond. If she drowned, she was innocent because it was believed that a witch could not drown. If she floated to the surface, she was burned at the stake. That was frontier justice.  Therewith they gan to hurtlen greedily,Redoubted battle ready to darrayne,And clash their shields, and shake their swords on high, That with their sturre they troubled all the train;Till that great Queene upon eternal painOf high displeasure that ensewen might,Commanded them their fury to refrain,And if that either to that shield had right, In equal lists they should the morrow next it fight. Sansjoy apologizes to the queen and explains that he only attacked the Redcross Knight through grief of his brother’s death. He tells her that only false treachery and shameful treason could have killed his valiant brother.