Season 4 Podcast 143 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 7 Pt III Episode 19 “King Arthur Counsels Una.

Season 4 Podcast 143 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 7 Pt III Episode 19 “King Arthur Counsels Una.

In last week’s episode, Una by chance meets King Arthur, the greatest of all knights.  She tells him her sad tale, almost fainting with grief. She recounts the story of her own parents who are held captive by a great dragon. She relates how many knights have failed in trying to free them. She tells of how she met the Red Cross Knight and recounts his sad fate. King Arthur listens patiently and carefully reasons with her. He vows not to rest until he has delivered her beloved knight from the clutches of the giant Gorgoglio and the wicked witch Duessa.

This is a battle of virtue, good versus evil. The Red Cross Knight, has fallen to the seductions of the witch Duessa, lost his powers, equivalent to Samson having his hair cut because of the cunningness of his unfaithful wife Delilah. 

King Arthur, however, is above reproach. He wears the full armor of God. He is accompanied by his young squire, his arms bearer. 

A gentle youth, his dearely loved Squire,

His speare of heben wood behind him bare,

Whose harmefull head, thrice heated in the fire,

Had riven many a brest with pikehead square:

A goodly person, and could menage faire

 

His stubborne steed with curbed canon bit,

Who under him did trample as the aire,

And chauft, that any on his backe should sit;

The yron rowels into frothy fome he bit.

At first Una, overcome with grief, is reluctant to open her heart. King Arthur draws closer to Una. He discerns her secret sorrow and strives to calm her fears with gentle words. Una resists but King Arthur cleverly draws her out with fitting words. King Arthur is a master counselor for he has total empathy for Una. He listens both with his head and his heart. He is a true minister of Christ.

When as this knight nigh to the Ladie drew,

 With lovely court he gan her entertaine;

But when he heard her answeres loth, he knew

Some secret sorrow did her heart distraine:

Which to allay, and calme her storming paine,

Faire feeling words he wisely gan display,

 And for her humour fitting purpose faine,

To tempt the cause it selfe for to bewray;

Wherewith emmov'd, these bleeding words she gan to say.

Una rejects King Arthur, saying her sorrow is too deep to express. In other words, King Arthur couldn’t understand her grief. Spencer is a student of human nature for it is very common that those who seek help fight against those who offer help. She says it is better to keep her sorrows to herself. Her only comfort is in weeping. The exchange between Arthur and Una is a lesson in compassionate counseling. Una says to King Arthur.

What worlds delight, or joy of living speach

Can heart, so plung'd in sea of sorrowes deep,

 

And heaped with so huge misfortunes, reach?

The carefull cold beginneth for to creepe,

And in my heart his yron arrow steepe,

Soone as I thinke upon my bitter bale:

Such helplesse harmes yts better hidden keepe,

 Then rip up griefe, where it may not availe,

My last left comfort is, my woes to weepe and waile.

Carefully notice the patient exchange  between King Arthur and Una. He acknowledges her grief for he feels it in his own spirit. But Arthur doesn’t accept her argument that keeping her story to herself is best. He argues that good counsel softens or soothes the pain and overpowers the hurt. Those who keep their sorrows hidden cannot find help. King Arthur counsels: