This is indeed an interesting passage. "Love" is of course often
ambiguous as between the feeling and its object--so here, "that ladies
love" could mean either G's love for Arthur or Arthur, its object. Instead
of "Your love, Una, shall have the most deserving place next to
Gloriana's love [for Arthur]," RC could thus be saying, "Your place, Una,
is rightfully next to that of Gloriana's love, Arthur--your love for me,
as recently demonstrated, is of just that precious kind you have praised
Arthur for."
Jane Hedley
> I was just puzzling over this passage and appreciate the different points
> of view. I prefer Hamilton's reading because there is no evidence that
> Gloriana has any particular love for Red Cross, but, as Hamilton says,
> "precedence" demands that he have or at least profess love for Gloriana.
> He
> later shows that love by leaving Una for Gloriana's service. Una here is
> just a girl not the personification of anything. Allegory reinforces this.
> Recall Lovelace's later but apposite, "I could not love thee dear so much,
> loved I not honor (read Gloriana) more."(To Lucasta, Going to the Wars).At
> 03:49 AM 8/21/2007, you wrote:
>>James and all ---
>>
>>I think Kellogg & Steele have it right. Redcrosse devotes this stanza to
>>honoring Una and Arthur, to whom he owes his life. He hasn't yet
>>recovered enough confidence in himself to compare his love for Una to
>>Arthur's for the Faerie Queene: note his susceptibility to Despair and
>> his
>>need for Una's intervention to prevent his suicide.
>>
>>Cheers, Jon Q.
>>
>>-------------- Original message ----------------------
>>From: "James W. Broaddus" <[log in to unmask]>
>> >
>> > Valued members of the list,
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > In the episode in which Arthur, Una, and Redcrosse are recuperating in
>> > Orgoglio's castle, does Redcrosse express love for Una or does he
>> express his
>> > appreciation of her love for him?
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Upon hearing of Arthur’s response to the Faery Queene’s declaration
>> and
>> > demonstration of her love for him, Una "thus to him gan say:"
>> >
>> > O happy Queene of Faries, that hast fownd
>> >
>> > Mongst many, one that with his prowesse
>> >
>> > Defend thine honour, and thy foes confownd;
>> >
>> > Una then comments on the rarity of such love: “True Loues are often
>> sown, but
>> > seldom grow on grownd” (ix.16). Redcrosse then declares to Una
>> >
>> > Thine, O then, said the gentle Redcrosse knight,
>> >
>> > Next to that Ladies loue, shalbe the place,
>> >
>> > O fayrest virgin, full of heauenly light,
>> >
>> > Whose wondrous faith, exceeding earthly race,
>> >
>> > Was firmest fixt in myne extremest case.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Hamilton annotates:
>> >
>> > Ambiguity of precedence is required by the allegory, as Upton 1758
>> suggests: the
>> > knight declares that he will place his love for Una before—or more
>> likely next
>> > after his love for the Faerie Queene (Hamilton, 2001).
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Kellogg and Steele 's paraphrase provides the second possibility:
>> >
>> > "Your love, Una, shall have the most deserving place next to
>> Gloriana's
>> love,
>> > for your faithful love was unswerving in my time of greatest
>> inconstancy."
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Thanks in advance for your responses.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Jim Broaddus
>> >
>
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