Season 4 Podcast 173 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 10 Pt II Episode 29 “The Price of Repentance in the House of Holiness.” In last week’s episode Una brings the Redcross Knight to the House of Holiness to heal him, where they meet Dame Celia, or Heavenly Lady, her three daughters: Fidelia (Faith), Speranza (Hope), and Charissa (Charity). They also meet Humility and Zeal. The House of Holiness is in sharp contrast to the House of Pride where they paraded the Seven Deadly Sins—Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride—driven by Satan and ruled by Queen Lucifera, where Duessa had taken the Redcross Knight to destroy him.  Fidelia and Speranza, when they see Una, straightway greet her for they recognize her as a great lady. They are instant friends. Then in modesty, at Una’s request, they turn toward the Redcross Knight whom they do not know and salute him courteously and speak of other great guests who have come to the House of Holiness.They seeing Una, towards her gan wend,Who them encounters with like courtesie;Many kind speeches they betwene them spend, And greatly joy each other well to see:Then to the knight with shamefast modestieThey turne themselves, at Unaes meeke request,And him salute with well beseeming glee;Who faire them quites, as him beseemed best, And goodly gan discourse of many a noble gest.Una asks the two sisters about the whereabouts of Charissa. Is she ill or is she wanted elsewhere? Fidelia and Speranza say their sister Charissa may not come for she has just given birth to another son. They praise God for Charissa’s eternal increase. The sisters, of course, represent the three great virtues of whom Paul said,13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.The birth of a new son to Charity represents the fruits of Charity. Again Paul tells us.“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.”The two sisters praise God for their sister Charissa. Then Una thus; But she your sister deare,The deare Charissa where is she become?Or wants she health, or busie is elsewhere?Ah no, said they, but forth she may not come: For she of late is lightned of her wombe,And hath encreast the world with one sonne more,That her to see should be but troublesome.Indeed (quoth she) that should be trouble sore;But thankt be God, and her encrease so evermore.Celia, also known as Heavenly Lady, recognizing that the Redcross Knight was exhausted, called a Groom whose name was Obedience to lead him to his room. The Redcross Knight took off his powerful armor and fell fast asleep. The irony is clear. Twice before when the Redcross Knight took off his armor, he was severely vulnerable to temptation and danger. One he fell in sinful dalliance with Duessa causing him to lose his virtue, and two he was beaten in battle by the giant Orgoglio who put him in his dungeon to starve. Here, however, the Redcross Knight is safe in the House of Holiness. In fact, in the House of Holiness he must remove his battle armor and submit himself entirely to the will of all the virtues.

Ver todos los episodios