night. In the morning, they depart, leaving the baby
Ruddymane with Medina.
Canto 3 begins by relating how a peasant named
Braggadocchio (braggart) has stolen Guyon’s horse.
Braggadocchio meets Trompart (trickster) and convinces
him to become his servant. Archimago overhears the
exchange and approaches the two peasants to convince
them to attack Guyon and Redcrosse. Archimago prom-
ises to give Braggadocchio King ARTHUR’s sword and fl ies
off. This scares Trompart and Braggadocchio, and they
leave. While traveling through the woods, Trompart and
Braggadocchio meet a beautiful huntress named Bel-
phoebe. After bragging about his accomplishments,
Braggadocchio asks why Belphoebe does not dedicate
herself to a life at court. Belphoebe denounces life at
court and says that she prefers the life of a hunter. Brag-
gadocchio makes advances on her, but the canto con-
cludes as she runs away.
At the outset of Canto 4, Guyon and the Palmer
encounter a madman named Furor and his mother,
Occasion. Furor attacks a young man while his mother
watches, but Guyon tries to stop the attack, Furor turns
his attack on him. The Palmer tells Guyon that he must
fi rst stop Occasion. Guyon conquers both Furor and
Occasion and binds both of them. After this encounter, a
man named Atin (strife) arrives and tells Guyon he must
leave the area; if his master, Pyrochles (fi ery temper),
arrives, Guyon will be attacked because he defeated
Occasion.
Atin soon leaves, and Pyrochles arrives to attack
Guyon. Guyon wins the battle but does not kill Pyroch-
les; instead, he agrees to free Furor and Occasion. As
soon as he does this, Furor attacks Pyrochles and
defeats him, dragging him through the “durt and mire”
(2.5.23.4).
Atin thinks his master is dead and runs off to tell
Pyrochles’ brother, Cymochles (ware), who lives with
his mistress, Acrasia, in the Bower of Bliss. Acrasia is an
enchantress who “Does charme her louers, and the fee-
ble sprightes, / can call out of the bodies of fraile wightes”
(2.5.27.4–5). Spenser offers a cursory description of the
Bower of Bliss upon Atin’s arrival, describing Cymochles
as unarmed and surrounded by beautiful women. Upon
hearing of his brother’s death, Cymochles becomes
enraged, swears revenge, and sets out to take it.
After Cymochles sets out, he fi nds a lake where a
beautiful woman named Phaedria (frivolous) waits in
a boat. He persuades her to take him across the lake to
a beautiful island. Phaedria begins speaking, and
Cymochles falls asleep. Phaedria returns to the shore
and agrees to take Guyon to the island but not the
Palmer. When Guyon reaches the island, Cymochles,
now awake, begins to fi ght him, but Phaedria stops
them from battle. She returns Guyon to the shore, and
Cymochles stays on the island. Atin appears on the
shore and begins to berate Cymochles, but Cymochles
does not try to fi ght him.
Atin sees an armored knight jump into the water
and soon recognizes him as his master, Pyrochles. Atin
calls upon Archimago to help him, and the magician
appears to restore Pyrochles to health.
Now without his guide, the Palmer, Guyon contin-
ues his journey. Guyon travels through a wasteland
and meets a dirty man called Mammon (riches), who
leads Guyon to his underworld lair. Mammon lives in
the House of Riches and tempts Guyon with wealth
many times. In one area of Mammon’s underworld
domain, Guyon meets Philotime, Mammon’s daughter.
Mammon offers Philotime to Guyon in marriage, but
Guyon claims to be betrothed. Mammon next leads
Guyon to the Garden of Proserpina, where Guyon sees
a tree with golden apples growing on it. The river
Cocytus surrounds the tree. Mammon tries to tempt
Guyon with the golden apple, but Guyon resists. Mam-
mon then leads Guyon back up to the surface, where
Guyon faints at the breath of fresh air.
Guyon’s squire, the Palmer, fi nds him unconscious
and guarded by an angel, who then returns Guyon to
the Palmer. Pyrochles and Cymochles arrive with
Archimago and begin to strip Guyon of his armor
despite the Palmer’s objections. Arthur arrives and kills
Pyrochles and Cymochles. Guyon wakes and thanks
Arthur, and the two become friends.
Arthur joins Guyon in his journey. Shortly thereaf-
ter, they see a besieged castle. Arthur and Guyon drive
off the attackers, and the castle’s mistress, Alma, opens
the gates for them. They enter a room in which court-
iers fl atter ladies with Cupid in their midst. Alma leads
the three to a tower to meet three new men, Phantastes
(melancholic imagination), Judgement, and Eumnestes182 THE FAERIE QUEENE: BOOK 2