by the beginning of a quest by a different hero. The
fi rst of these heroes was a “tall clownishe yonge man”
who took the quest of a maiden named Una. The
knight was known only by his shield, which bore a red
cross. This knight, known as Redcrosse, symbolized
holiness and was revealed later in the book as St.
George, the patron saint of England.
Like the other books of The Faerie Queene, Book 1 is
divided into 12 cantos and a proem (preface).
In Canto 1, Redcrosse appears, famously “pricking
on the plaine” (l. 1) and accompanying a lady. The
knight is holiness personifi ed; the lady, Una (truth), is
symbolic of the one true Protestant church. A storm
causes them to seek shelter in a forest, but it turns out
to be the Wandering Wood, where the monstrous
Errour dwells. Una attempts to warn Redcrosse, but he
ventures into Errour’s den regardless and is attacked.
He defends himself, strangles Errour, and leaves her
body for her offspring to feed on, after which they
swell with blood and burst. Holiness overcomes
Errour, and her spawn self-destruct.
After escaping from Errour’s den, the adventurers
meet a hermit, the magician Archimago (arch-image)
in disguise, who offers them lodging in his hermitage.
While they sleep, Archimago conjures a legion of
sprites to assist his mischief. One he sends to Mor-
pheus, the god of sleep, to fetch a false dream to Red-
crosse claiming his lady is false. Of the second sprite,
he fashions a false Una, who attempts to seduce Red-
crosse.
In Canto 2, Redcrosse, who was able to resist the
false Una in Canto 1, here loses faith and abandons the
real Una when he sees her “sport” with another. He
fl ees into the forest, and Una must wander on alone.
Redcrosse encounters Sansfoy (faithlessness) a pagan
knight accompanied by his lady. The knights joust,
and Redcrosse emerges victorious: holiness quickly
conquers faithlessness. Sansfoy leaves behind his lover,
Duessa (duplicity), who symbolizes the falsity of the
Catholic church. Duessa pleads for safety under a false
name (Fidessa, “fi delity”), and Redcrosse agrees to
accompany and protect her. She leads him into a shady
bower, where Redcrosse learns from a wounded tree
the story of his transformation by Duessa. Redcrosse
listens but does not realize the tree is referring to his
new lady, and she distracts him before he can fi gure it
out. The two embrace in the woods, as holiness suc-
cumbs to the lure of the false church.
Canto 3 returns to Una, now alone in the forest, vul-
nerable and afraid. A raging lion charges with intent on
devouring her, but he senses her virtue, and by the time
he reaches her, instead of eating her, he kisses her and
licks her like a devoted dog, and then becomes devoted
companion. They fi nd a damsel, Abessa (absence, or
lack of attendance to church details), and follow her
home to lodge with her and her mother, Corceca (blind
heart). The two women hide in fear of the lion, and
when Kirkrapine (church robber) comes in the night to
visit his paramour (the absence that Abessa represents
allows Kirkrapine to steal, and he brings his plunder to
her), the lion kills him.
When Una departs the next morning, Archimago
catches up with her, disguised as Redcrosse. She is
overjoyed, but it is short-lived as Sansloy (lawlessness),
Sansfoy’s brother, attacks and bests the magician with
a single blow. Sansloy then removes his opponent’s
helmet. When he discovers Archimago instead of Red-
crosse, Sansloy then claims Una. The lion tries to
defend her, but Sansloy runs it through and takes her
away. Human lawlessness confounds the strength of
natural law.
In Canto 4, Duessa leads Redcrosse to the House of
Pride, where he becomes acquainted with the SEVEN
DEADLY SINS. He meets Lucifera, the mistress of the
beautiful but illicit house, who symbolizes Pride, and
six of her counselors, the other sins of Sloth, Gluttony,
Lechery, Avarice, Envy, and Wrath, each with sym-
bolic mounts and accessories. Duessa is welcomed into
this unholy congregation, and with her, Redcrosse.
Redcrosse is recognized, rightly this time, by another
of Sansfoy’s avenging brothers, Sansjoy (joylessness),
who immediately challenges him to a duel.
Canto 5 opens with the duel between Sansjoy and
Redcrosse, which is long and fi erce, but ultimately Red-
crosse prevails. Duessa entreats him not to kill Sansjoy,
but Redcrosse, his pride and bloodlust heightened by
his surroundings, attempts to deliver a deathblow.
Duessa causes a mist to conceal Sansjoy, preventing
Redcrosse from following through, and later she spirits
the wounded knight away to the underworld to beTHE FAERIE QUEENE: BOOK 1 179