An entry in curly brackets should be read as a dictionary definition of the quoted text which cannot be directly fitted into the syntax of the original line. For example: scrine > {Casket or cabinet for archival papers} (c) Notes Entries in round brackets should be read as if they were footnotes, typically giving background information or editorial speculation. For example: Muse > (The nine Muses are usually represented as the daughters of Jupiter and Mnemosyne (Memory); each goddess presides over an area of the arts and sciences and gives inspiration to its practitioners) and: chief > chief, first; best (here Spenser is addressing either Clio, the Muse of history, or Calliope, the Muse of epic poetry; probably Clio. Clio is the first of the nine Muses in Hesiod's _Theogony_, and is usually represented with an open roll of paper or a chest of books. Spenser calls her "thou eldest Sister of the crew" at _TM_ 53. See 111.5:6- 8, 303.4:6, 706.37:9, 707.1:1) It should be added that on occasion the distinction between a "note", requiring round brackets, and a "definition", requiring curly brackets, is somewhat moot. (d) Hints and expansions Entries in square brackets are hints or expansions to make the quoted text more intelligible, and can be thought of as being preceded by the qualifications "that is", "in other words", or "what Spenser appears to mean is". For example: in his help > [to help him; in his armoury] Such entries can be mentally substituted for the quoted word or phrase in order to aid comprehension. Sometimes square brackets are employed in other sorts of definitions to indicate words which should be understood. For example: mask > {Disguise [herself]; take part in a masque or masquerade} and: time > [her] term of apprenticeship (e) Explanations of character-names Most of the names of major characters in the poem have special meanings. These are briefly explained as follows: Archimago > "Arch Mage", "Arch Magician" Sometimes there is a qualifying parenthesis giving information on the etymology or adding comment: Una > "One" (Latin; she is the sole Truth) Character-names from the poem and from classical mythology are typically explained once only, on their first occurrence. If you encounter a name which is not defined, then it has appeared somewhere before. The list of proper nouns will quickly help you to find it. THE TEXTUAL APPENDIX A textual appendix, detailing actual or proposed departures from the copy-text, is incorporated. The Textual Appendix records: (a) obvious misprints; (b) lections from 1590 or 1609 which seem preferable; (c) lections from 1590 or 1609 which throw light on the spelling, punctuation or sense of 1596; (d) illuminating conjectures or suggestions made by Spenserian scholars and editors. The four main sources for the text are quoted as follows: