The Political Allegory in " The Faerie Qiieene" 3 



Leicester by the Dutch in 1586 occurs this passage — "Over the 

 entrance of the court gate was placed aloft upon a scaffold, as it 

 had been in a cloud or skie, Arthur of Bretaine, whom they com- 

 pared to the Earl." Leicester's courtship of the queen was 

 notorious ; and there are several direct references in the poem to 

 Arthur's long pursuit of the Faerie Queene, Gloriana, or Tana- 

 quill. 



— " fayrest Tanaqiiill 

 Whom that most noble Briton Prince so long 



Sought through the world, and suffered so much ill.'" 

 "For only worthy you [Arthur], through prowess priefe, 

 (Yf living man mote worthy be) to be her [Gloriana's] liefe."* 



St. George, England, sets out for the delivery of Una, the 

 true faith, and the conquest of the dragon of Sin. Almost im- 

 mediately comes up the storm in the church, and England is led 

 into the Wandering Wood and to Error's Den. These are the 

 troubles that come when England is in the grip of a false faith, 

 and when even true religion loses her way. Error comes forth 

 and confronts the champion, and the first battle of the Reforma- 

 tion is on. In the struggle many books and papers and foul- 

 shapen monsters are vomited up by Error, referring to the many 

 pamphlet publications given out during the latter years of Henry 

 Xlll when the doctrinal war was hottest. 



But the reformation was not to be allowed to proceed unat- 

 tacked by popery. The knight and Laia meet Archimago, the 

 genius of Catholicism. Force could no longer be employed against 

 England, but Henry's allegiance to the ancient forms of doctrine 

 and ritual was never seriously shaken. His Protestantism went 

 no farther than the break with the pope and the announcement of 

 himself as the supreme head of the Church of England. True 

 Religion and England are separated by the mischief of Archi- 

 mago. This must refer to the last years of Henry's reign when 

 he was equally hard on Catholics and Protestants. He executed 

 Sir Thomas More for denying the royal supremacy in matters of 

 religion, and many like the young Anne Ascue for equally pro- 

 nounced Protestantism. 



'' Introduction i. St. 2. 

 *Book I. ix. 17. 



161 



