Opps, just realized that my last post made no sense--I meant Artegall, not Guyon.
But I wonder if anyone has any thoughts about Merlin's description of Artegall in canto 3. One thing I find interesting is the similarity between Artegall's history and RC's--both are changelings who need their true identities revealed/restored to them. As we know, here Spenser imitates Ariosto--Britomart learns of her destiny just as Bradamante does, and Ruggiero will 'reclaim' a Christian identity after baptism (his father was a Christian). Yet, Artegall is Cornish and Britomart will return him to "native soyle." He's very different from Ruggiero, the child of a Christian father and a Saracen mother. I've been curious for some time, though haven't had the time to purse it, about what we might learn about Spenser's understanding of the significance of race/lineage/genealogy/origins in the genealogy in canto 3 differs from Ariosto's. I am also curious about the connections among the role of genealogy and history in Spenser's definition of chastity, Spenser's implementation of the romance motif of restoration of originary identity, and the significance of Artegall's Cornish heritage.
Dennis
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