Andrew, for those of us who haven't seen Julie Sutherland, would you
expand the address? Thanks a lot, Harry
>Hi Jim--
>
>[For those of you who have seen Julie Sutherland on FICINO, this may make
>more sense...]
>
>Is the distinction in Spenser between self-love and
>love-for-the-self-through-God that distinction subtending Redcrosse's
>migration from the House of Pride to the House of Holinesse? (I'm
>deliberately thinking geometrically here, as it seems to me that the
>psychological motion in the self, from pride to faith, is played out in
>the allegorical projection as a narrative movement.)
>
>I recognize that Spenser is not one of the theologians you had in mind,
>but self-love seems to be a crucial element in recovering Redcrosse from
>despair in 1. 10:
>
>Whom thus recouer'd by wise Patience,
> And trew Repentaunce they to Vna brought;
> Who ioyous of his cured conscience,
> Him dearely kist, and fayrely eke besought
> Himselfe to chearish, and consuming thought
> To put away out of his carefull brest.
> By this Charissa, late in child-bed brought,
> Was woxen strong, and left her fruitfull nest;
>To her fayre Vna brought this vnacquainted guest. (1. 10. 29)
>
>The delayed introduction of Redcrosse to Charissa, then, seems to depend
>(by the usual narrative-allegorical logic) on castigation followed by
>self-cherishing (as Paul to Ephesians, thanks to ACH). Self-consumption is
>of course a constant feature of the envious and jealous, anti-love
>elements throughout the poem (from Jealous and Envy to Scudamour and so
>on); and self-cherishing of the successful lovers. This may tie Spenser
>quite closely to the Wright stuff about which Julie Sutherland was
>speaking, as of course the bodily transformations of the 'affections base'
>in jealous/envious erotic love are precisely those that result in
>Babylonian perversion.
>
>>From fairest creatures we desire increase,
>That thereby beauty's rose might never die,
>But as the riper should by time decease,
>His tender heir might bear his memory;
>But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,
>Feed'st thy light's flame with self-substantial fuel,
>Making a famine where abundance lies,
>Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel.
>Thou that art now the world's fresh ornament
>And only herald to the gaudy spring
>Within thine own bud buriest thy content,
>And, tender churl, mak'st waste in niggarding.
> Pity the world, or else this glutton be,
> To eat the world's due, by the grave and thee.
>
>But then, Shakespeare probably wasn't one of the theologians you had in
>mind, either.
>
>
>andrew
>
>
>Andrew Zurcher
>Gonville and Caius College
>Cambridge CB2 1TA
>United Kingdom
>+44 1223 335 427
>
>hast hast post hast for lyfe
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