whose mirror produced the image of Artegall. Though
Merlin was revealed to be a bad lover, he gave sound
advice: Britomart should give in to her love, for she
was destined to marry Artegall and produce a line of
rulers of unparalleled glory. So Britomart struck out on
her quest. Her story told, Britomart and Redcrosse sep-
arate amicably.
In Canto 4, Britomart laments her state of disquiet,
pointing out the connections between Love and FOR-
TUNE—bold and blind, and fi ckle masters, both. While
she muses, Marinell, a knight who scorns good love
because of his mother’s fear, approaches, and they bat-
tle. Britomart hurts him, and his mother fetches his
wounded body, taking him away to heal. Meanwhile,
his beloved, Florimell, is still being chased by the grisly
forester, and by Arthur and Timias. Echoing Britomart’s
opening COMPLAINT in this canto, Arthur laments his
own unconsummated love, and he spends the night
alone in the forest thinking of his love.
Canto 5 opens the next morning, and Arthur learns
from Florimell’s dwarf that Florimell is running in
search of her beloved Marinell, whom she believes
dead, so the two travel together to fi nd her. Timias,
Arthur’s squire, had followed the forester, not Flo-
rimell, and he fi nds himself ambushed by the forester
and his two brothers. He defeats them all but is
wounded in the thigh and faints from fatigue and blood
loss. Belphoebe, a virginal huntress, fi nds and heals
Timias, and he falls wildly (but chastely!) in love with
her. Then he laments the fortune that leads him to fall
in love with someone so high above him that he cannot
insult her with his suit.
Canto 6 reveals Belphoebe’s background. A noble
faerie maid, Chrysogonee, was impregnated by danc-
ing sunbeams as she slept in a glade; she bore the
twins, Belphoebe and her sister, Amoretta, also while
asleep. The babies were found by two nymphs of the
goddess Diana. Diana kept one, Belphoebe, and Venus
took the other, Amoretta, to live with her in the garden
of Adonis. Therefore Belphoebe was reared as a hunt-
ress with the nymphs of Diana, and Amoretta as a
mother for the infant souls who inhabit the garden of
Adonis. The myths are used to show two archetypal
roles of women—the virgin and the mother—which
Britomart will reconcile.
In Canto 7, Florimell’s adventures continue. She
fl ees until her horse collapses, upon which she seeks
refuge at a witch’s cottage in a glen, where the witch’s
son is consumed by lust for her. Florimell holds him
off and then sneaks away. Failing to cure her son’s
lovesickness, the witch sends a beast to devour Flo-
rimell, who narrowly escapes. The beast eats her horse,
and when the remains are found, Florimell is assumed
to be dead. Meanwhile, Arganta the giantess—symbol-
izing unchecked female lust—tries to kidnap the
Squire of Dames, but she is chased by Palladine, a
knight.
Canto 8 opens back at the witch’s house, where the
son still pines for Florimell. His mother, unable to cure
him, creates a false Florimell from snow and wax
instead. Her son is appeased and lives happily with her
for some time, until Braggadocchio (braggart), accom-
panied by his squire Trompart (trickster), steals her,
but then subsequently loses her to another knight. The
real Florimell continues her perilous journey on the
water. She is accosted by a sailor but rescued by Pro-
teus, the sea god, who then courts her himself. The
canto ends with her resisting Proteus, while Satyrane
and the newly liberated Squire of Dames meet Paridell,
another knight chasing Florimell.
In Canto 9, Satyrane, Paridell, and the Squire of
Dames arrive at the castle of Malbecco (evil goat; cuck-
old), but they are not granted entrance. Britomart
arrives soon after and battles Paridell, until Satyrane
intercedes and reconciles them. Together they plot to
burn Malbecco’s castle, but Malbecco relents, grudg-
ingly, and admits them. Paridell fl irts with Hellenore,
the lady of the castle, over dinner, and he and Brit-
omart tell the stories of their Trojan lineage.
In Canto 10, Paridell woos Hellenore and entices
her to run away with him. She agrees, steals some of
Malbecco’s money, and throws the rest into the fi re. As
they fl ee, Hellenore cries out melodramatically for
help, and Malbecco is paralyzed by the decision to save
his wife or his money. Finally he follows the lovers, but
instead he stumbles across Braggadocchio and Trom-
part, and he asks them to chase Hellenore. When they
fi nd Paridell, he is alone, having abandoned Hellenore
in the forest. Braggadocchio dodges the fi ght; Trom-
part tricks Malbecco into burying his remaining moneyTHE FAERIE QUEENE: BOOK 3 185