Season 4 Podcast 167 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 9 Pt V Episode 27 “Conscience.”
Season 4 Podcast 167 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 9 Pt V Episode 27 “Conscience.”
In last week’s episode Una and the Redcross Knight meet Sir Trevisan, with a rope around his neck, fleeing from Despair. Sir Trevisan had just witnessed his companion Sir Terwin, who, after being persuaded by Despair to take his own life, killed himself using the rusty knife provided by Despair. Sir Trevisan himself was also persuaded that life was not worth living and in fear fled from Despair. When Sir Trevisan tells the Red Cross Knight and Una of his sad tale, The Red Cross Knight is enraged and immediately vows to meet Despair and challenge him. It was a dreadful mistake because the oily tongued Despair convinces the Redcross Knight that considering his fall from knighthood his own life was not worth living.
Spencer, a very astute observer of human nature, presents the crafty arguments used by Despair. The Redcross Knight is astonished at the surprising wit of Despair. The Redcross Knight argues that our death is appointed by God. We may neither shorten nor lengthen life. We must be ever vigilant and not leave our life until God bid. Despair responds that life is limited by Almighty doom who knows best the terms established. As sentinels of our own life we have license to die when we know our appointed time is finished.
The knight much wondred at his suddeine wit,
And said, The terme of life is limited,
Ne may a man prolong, nor shorten it;
The souldier may not move from watchfull sted,
Nor leave his stand, untill his Captaine bed.
Who life did limit by almightie doome
(Quoth he) knowes best the termes established;
And he, that points the Centonell his roome,
Doth license him depart at sound of morning droome.
Despair continues his argument. Aren’t we all written in the eternal book of fate and our death has a certain date. Who then can fight the will to die or shun death ordained by destiny. Who can fight against God’s will. When our time to die is come, none should ask where or why. In other words, we shouldn’t fight against the desire to take our own life.
Is not his deed, what ever thing is donne
In heaven and earth? did not he all create
To die againe? all ends that was begonne.
Their times in his eternall booke of fate
Are written sure, and have their certaine date.
Who then can strive with strong necessitie,
That holds the world in his still chaunging state,
Or shunne the death ordaynd by destinie?
When houre of death is come, let none aske whence, nor why.
You can see how subtle Despair has turned the will to live upside down, arguing that we should give in to the will to die for it may be God’s will or our appointed time. Despair continues his argument. The longer we live the more we sin. The greater our sin the greater will be our punishment. Despair argues that the shorter our life the less we will sin and thus the less we will be punished on judgment day. Before meeting Despair, the Redcross Knight felt that it was his duty to right all wrong, to kill the enemy. Despair tells the Redcross Knight that all those great battles he boasts to win through strife, bloodshed, and revenge, he should now repent for life must pay for life and blood must pay for blood regardless of the noble cause. Despair asks the Redcross Knight hasn’t he committed enough evil already. Hasn’t he spilled enough blood. Once he has strayed from the straight and narrow path, the further he goes, the further he strays from God, suggesting of course that instant death is the best way to avoid greater sin.
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