1 6 Philo M. Buck, Jr. 



his place of hiding and tries to carry off the lady by main force, 

 but is frustrated by her darts. The similarity in this scene to the 

 strange courtship by Simier of Elizabeth for his master, and the 

 reception of Alengon in England can readily be seen in the pages 

 of Hume's book mentioned above. 



According to current gossip, Elizabeth showed more favor to 

 Simier than the nature of his mission warranted ; and when he 

 came on his visit, Alengon was received with an ardor that almost 

 bordered on extravagance. These matters which might reflect on 

 the Queen are naturally suppressed by Spenser, though we shall 

 see later that in Braggadocchio's being elected as her knight by 

 the Snowy Florimel, we have lightly sketched Elizabeth's specious 

 acceptance of Alengon as a lover. -^ - 



In Canto iv the story turns back to Guyon whom we left march- 

 ing away from the castle of Medina, Perissa and Elissa. He sees 

 before him a youth set upon by Furor and the vile hag, Occasion. 

 The youth is saved by Guyon though the latter is almost slain by 

 Furor's fiery attacks. The Palmer, however, shows him a way 

 out of the difficulty and Furor and his mother, Occasion, are 

 bound and gagged. 



This adventure of Furor I take to be a covert allusion to 

 Sussex's long and troublesome Lord Deputyship of Ireland which 

 lasted from 1557 to 1564, during which years he had to war 

 against the two barbaric chieftains Shan O'Neill and Sorley Boy 

 MacDonnell. The fighting of Furor is extremely suggestive of 

 the lawless fighting of these two chieftains. 



" His rude assault and rugged handeling 

 Straunge seemed to the Knight, that aye with foe 

 In fayre defence and goodly menaging 

 Of amies was wont to fight." 



The description of Furor also is suggestive of the description 

 Spenser gives of the wild Irish ifl his Vicn' of the Present State 

 of Irelandr^ It is a fact that, though Sussex did defeat the 

 O'Neill and MacDonnell and reduce the realm to some kind of 

 order, the breaking out of the Northern Rebellion in 1569 started 



=' Book IV, Canto v. 

 ** Canto iv, St. 15. 



