He seems to attribute the punishment of Tityus to Typhoeus. See note to 35.6.

35 8 Theseus: his presence in hell is a problem. As an exemplar of right reason throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, it is strange that he should be condemned to hell. Virgil is the only writer who clearly places him among the damned, and Lotspeich may be right in suggesting that Boccaccio’s paraphrase of Virgil (1.14) “Theseum perpetuo damnation otio’ may be the source of Spenser’s line. Spenser is not referring to Theseus’ stay in hell with Pirithous, from which he was rescued by Hercules, mentioned by Statius, Thebaid 8.52–6and Dante, Inferno 9.54.

35 9 fifty sisters: the Danaids, daughters of Danaus, who were condemned to collect water eternally in leaky pots. They had killed their bridegrooms.

36 1 in place: there.

36 7–40Æscuhpius: the story of Hippolytus’ death, caused by the passion and deceit of his stepmother Phaedra, is told in Aen. 7.761 ff. There he is restored to life ‘by the herbs of the Healer [Apollo] and by the love of Diana’. The same story is told in Met. 15.45(7 ff and Boc caccio, Gen. 10.50, where he is restored by Aesculapius, the son of Apollo.

41 8 fordonne: exhausted, overcome; ruined.

42 8 eeke: increase. defray: discharge debt by paying.

43 8 else: already.

43 9 donne: ended.

44 1 leach: doctor.

44 2 cunning: knowledgeable.

44 9 recure: refresh.

45 1 noyous: harmful. 45 4 albe: although.

47 1 king of Babylon: in Daniel 4 Nebuchadnezzar, because of his pride and defiance of God, is warned in a dream that he will lose his kingdom and become like a beast. “The very same hour was this thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar, and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as the oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown as eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws’ (4.30; AV 4.33). Spenser’s transformation of Nebuchadnezzar into an ox may come from Gower, Confessio Amantis 1.11.1973.

47 6 Crcesus: last king of Lydia (sixth century bc), proverbially rich (‘richer than Croesus’), described by Herodotus, 1.26-30.

47 8 Antiochus: king of Syria (second century bc), who desecrated the

Temple at Jerusalem (1 Maccabees 1.20-25).

48 1 Nimrod: see Genesis .10.8-10. Renaissance Biblical commentators make him the first king of the world and a tyrant. He is also closely associated with the building of the Tower of Babel, an act of pride against God, for which man was cursed by diversity of languages (Genesis 11).

48 a warrayed: waged war on.

48 3 Ninus: founder of Nineveh, the archetype of the wicked city. See Jonah.

48 5 Monarch: Alexander the Great, who claimed Jove (Ammon) as his father.

48 7 natiue syre: natural father.

49 The early Romans cited in this stanza are drawn from the time between the founding of the city and the end of the Republic. They are examples of how pride destroys nations, and all play a part in Plutarch’s history.

49 5 Romulus: legendary co-founder of Rome, who cast scorn upon the city built by his brother Remus by leaping over its walls.

49 6 Tarquin: Tarquinius Superbus, the last legendary king of Rome. Lentulus: name of a proud Roman family.

49 7 Scipio: Scipio Africanus Major, who defeated Hannibal at the battle of Zama, 202 bc.

49 8 Sylla: Sulla, who achieved greatness from humble beginnings. Marius: Sulla’s rival.

49 9 Ccesar: Julius Caesar, whose pride and ambition led him to be assas- sinated.
Pompey: Pompeius Magnus, Caesar’s great rival. He was defeated in battle and fled to Egypt, where he was assassinated.
Antonius: Mark Antony, who gave up the empire for Cleopatra.

50 2 yoke: i.e., proper submission to their husbands.

50 3 Semiramis: Boccaccio, De darts mulieribus, says that Semiramis, the wife of Ninus, was most valiant and ruled well after her husband’s death. Her honour was destroyed by her lasciviousness. She seduced her son, who later killed her.

50 S Sthenobaa: loved Bellerophon, who spurned her. She tried to revenge herself by lying about him to her husband. On hearing of Bellerophon’s marriage to another, she killed herself.

50 7 Cleopatra: killed herself after the death of Mark Antony so that she would not be captured by Augustus Caesar.

51 1 routs: crowds.

52 7 Posterne: gate.

53 2 Lay-stall: rubbish or dung heap. 53 9 spectacle: example.

CANTO 6

1 3 bewaile: forced usage or error by Spenser (OED 3b). 1 8 dreadlesse: fearless.

2 3 dreed: object of awe or reverence. OED cites this line,

2 7 bad: would have.

3 6 treatie: entreaty.

4 9 t’efforce: to force.

3 2 And subtile engine sbet from batteree: imagery ofbattle used to describe the sexual contest: i.e., his clever war devices were beaten down from their assault.

6 7 implyes: covers (Latin: implicate, ‘to enfold’).

7 I exceeding thought: i.c, transcending human thought.

7 7 Fames and Satyres: mythological figures, half-man, half-goat, associated with woods and glades. They are lustful, often in rather a benevolent manner.

7 9 Syluanus: god of fauns and satyrs.