43. OF TALL YOUNG MEN. An allusion to Queen Elizabeth's Pensioners, a band of the tallest and handsomest young men, of the best families and fortunes, that could be found (Warton). ALL HABLE ARMES TO SOWND, all proper to wield armes. 57. TO THE MAYDENS, to the accompaniment of the maidens' timbrels. 71. IN HER SELF-RESEMBLANCE WELL BESEENE, looking well in her resemblance to her proper self, i.e. a king's daughter. 73. THE RASKALL MANY, the crowd of common people. 116. OF GREAT NAME, of great celebrity, i.e. value. 117. FITTING PURPOSE FRAME, held fitting conversation. xiv. Kitchin and Percival think this whole passage a clever compliment to the parsimony of the Queen's court. 161. THAT PROUD PAYNIM KING, probably a reference to Philip of Spain. 168. NOR DOEN UNDO, nor undo what has been done. 173. IN SORT AS, even as. 205. ALL WERE SHE, although she had been. IN PLACE, in various places. 313. BAIT. In Spenser's time bear-baiting was a favorite pastime of the people and received royal patronage. 328. THE HOUSLING FIRE, the sacramental fire. Spenser seems here to have in mind, not the Christian _housel_ or Eucharist, but the Roman marriage rites with their symbolic fire and water. 347. TRINALL TRIPLICITIES, the threefold three orders of the celestial hierarchy according to the scholastic theologians. They were as follows: (1) Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones; (2) Dominations, Virtues, Powers; (3) Princedoms, Archangels, and Angels. Cf. Dante's _Paradiso_, xxviii, Tasso's _Jerusalem Delivered_, xviii, 96, and Milton's _Paradise Lost_, v, 748. 375. HER TACKLES SPENT, her worn-out rigging. QUESTIONS AND TOPICS (Canto XII) 1. Contrast the tone of this canto with the preceding two. 2. When does Spenser drop into a lighter, humorous vein? 3. Find allusions to sixteenth century customs, e.g. that of sitting on rush-strewn floors. 4. How was the Redcross Knight received by the King? 5. Compare Una's costume with that described in the first canto. Why this change? 6. What hint of the significance of her name in xxi? 7. What is the effect of Archimago's appearance? (For dramatic surprise.) 8. What is the effect of Duessa's letter? (Suspense of fear.) 9. Observe the confusion of Christian and Pagan rites in this canto. 10. Where does Spenser make happy use of maritime figures? 11. Explain the allegory of this canto. * * * * * GLOSSARY [The numbers refer to cantos and stanzas.] A