The Political Allegory in " The Faerie Qneene" 23 



the cause of the trouble, the forester. Thus we have portrayed 

 Leicester and Sussex, each a candidate for the fair Florimel's 

 rescue, and Raleigh in pursuit of the wild Irish rebels. 



Britomart, in the meanwhile, follows her own adventure. She 

 comes to the Castle Joyous where six knights are jointly attacking 

 one knight, the Knight of the Red Cross, England, to force him 

 to give up his love. The castle is named after that of Lancelot, 

 which was situated in France ; and it is not amiss to regard this 

 as the allegory of the war which Sir John Norris waged in France 

 against the League, which was founded to bring the whole of 

 France back to the Catholic Church, and later to force England 

 to give over its Protestant religion. Britomart, Elizabeth, how- 

 ever, brings such valuable aid to the Red-Cross Knight that the 

 six submit, and she is declared the winner of the person of the 

 Mistress of the Castle, ]\Ialecasta, the Lady of Delight. 



The picture of the castle and its inmates reminds us very 

 strongly of the court of France during the time of Catherine 

 de'Medici and Margaret of Navarre. And in this home of the 

 enemy, Britomart finds a wooer. Malecasta by secret and by open 

 signs shows her love for the victorious Britoness, and when 

 repulsed is restrained only by the martial bearing of the two 

 knights. Queen Catherine was always eager for an alliance with 

 England. Over and over again, envoys were sent to negotiate an 

 offensive and defensive alliance. The Queen offered to Eliza- 

 beth, one after another, her three sons, Charles, Anjou and 

 Alengon. 



In Canto ii Britomart discovers to the Red-Cross Knight her 

 desire to meet Sir Arthegall. She learns that he is one of the 

 most powerful of the knights of Maidenhead, and that he " rest- 

 less walketh all the world around." 



Arthegall has long been identified with Arthur, Lord Grey of 

 Wilton. Lord Grey was one of the most constantly employed 

 men of his time. In his youth, he had served with his father in 

 Calais, later had aided in the suppression of the Northern Re- 

 bellion, and in 1580-82, had been Lord Deputy in Ireland. The 

 coat of arms given to Arthegall, a crowned ermelin, suggests by 

 its color (gray) his name. Lord Grey had been one of Spenser's 



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