I love the proleptic quality of the decapitation--a Stuart fate worked back to
the Tudors. Ture, since the "Eli" part means "the Lord" I worry that this
might be as much deicide and reginicide. My deeper problem with an Elizabeth
allusion is simply a basic gut feeling that in allegory it is a pity when the
greater indicates the lesser. I'm not sure how to put this: to have a lamb
represent Christ or a scythe represent death makes emotional sense to me, but
to have Christ represent lambs and Death represent agricultural impelments
seems somehow either backwards or a pity. To have one more allusion to the
queen when we are being invited to think about Last Things and a beatific
vision seems to me a letdown--sort of like seeing Moses' burning bush as a
prophetic allusion to the current guy in the White House. But to each his/her
own, and I certainly can't prove that Elizabeth isn't there somewhere, if
headless. Thanks for the reference, Katherine. Anne Prescott
>===== Original Message From Sidney-Spenser Discussion List
<[log in to unmask]> =====
>Elizabeth Bellamy brings up this issue in her essay "The Vocative and the
>Vocational: The Unreadability of Elizabeth in FQ," ELH 54 (1987): 1-30,
>where she makes the quite wonderful observation that this prayer disfigures
>Elizabeth's name -- so she's there, and not there, just as she is throughout
>the poem. My own (perhaps truly nutty) claim, then, is that these lines
>define eternal bliss as that which happens when you cut off a queen's head,
>or, more metaphorically, demote her as head of state -- reminiscences of the
>fates of Radigund and Britomart in Book 5.
>
>
>Katherine Eggert
>Associate Professor of English
>Director of Graduate Studies
>University of Colorado, Boulder
>[log in to unmask]
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "aprescot" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2003 11:36 AM
>Subject: Re: Armored Prelates (and Saboath)
>
>
>> One other possible connotation--I don't like it myself for a variety of
>> reasons but it's sometimes been cited (including the Hamilton edition, I
>> think)--is the ridiculous claim, which sounds nuts but I have seen with my
>own
>> eyes, that Elizabeth's name means "The peace/rest of the Lord." Eli (of
>God)
>> sabeth (sabbath). I can see that Spenser is trying to merge the notions
>of
>> rest and hosts as a way, finally, of reconciling contemplation and action:
>at
>> the end of time the God of Hosts and the God of the Sabbath can be not
>just
>> one but perceived to be one. So I don't want Elizabeth to be there, but
>the
>> reading of "Elizabeth" as "God's Sabbath"--she brought peace to England,
>seems
>> to be the idea--was in fact current. If silly. I've read an essay on it,
>but
>> the volume is in my other office. Anne Prescott.
>>
>> >===== Original Message From Sidney-Spenser Discussion List
>> <[log in to unmask]> =====
>> >In PL Milton really pounds home the theme of Satan and his hosts in full
>> >celestial armor and I wonder how much Archimago's depiction influenced
>him.
>> >
>> >It is interesting that the fallen angels were allowed to keep their arms
>> >after being thrown out of heaven.
>> >
>> >I've been curious about Spenser's reference to Sabaoth (Saboath) sight.
>> >I've seen it referred to as one of the seven sacred names of God and
>> >referncing his militant attributes as Lord of Armies or Lord of Hosts. Is
>> >anyone aware of other connotations?
>> >
>> >There is an interesting passage in PL which references Satan as saboath
>or
>> >lord of hosts (the title is not exclusively reserved for God but like
>adoni
>> >can simply mean a lord, chief, or prince):
>> >
>> >S ubjection to his Empire tyrannous:
>> >A mightie Hunter thence he shall be styl'd
>> >B efore the Lord, as in despite of Heav'n,
>> >O r from Heav'n claming second Sovrantie;
>> >A nd from Rebellion shall derive his name,
>> >T hough of Rebellion others he accuse.
>> >H ee with a crew, whom like Ambition joyns (XII 32-37)
>> >
>> >I think Milton used this alternate spelling to emphasize the linkage
>between
>> >the biblical allusions to God as Sabaoth in that he can also fold in an
>> >allusion to the Ark of the covenant as well by transposing Baot as BOAT
>(or
>> >ark) which he elaborates a little later in the poem.
>> >
>> >B y his prescript a Sanctuary is fram'd
>> >O f Cedar, overlaid with Gold, therein
>> >A n Ark, and in the Ark his Testimony,
>> >T he Records of his Cov'nant, over these (XII 248-251)
>> >
>> >The inherent contradiction (like Archimago's disguise) is that Satanic
>power
>> >can be masked behind what appears to be the arms and war implements of
>the
>> >almighty. What is thought to house or encase the Divinity may in fact
>> >disguise a more sinister tenant.
>> >
>> >-John
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >>From: aprescot <[log in to unmask]>
>> >>Reply-To: Sidney-Spenser Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
>> >>To: [log in to unmask]
>> >>Subject: Re: Armored Prelates
>> >>Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2003 00:37:23 -0500
>> >>
>> >>Ah, the Church Militant! Two thoughts, which of course could be
>late-night
>> >>and
>> >>post-airplane fantasy: first, I have become more and more convinced that
>> >>Spenser knew and was in part shaped by Erasmus' Enchiridion and
>Archimago's
>> >>taking over the Pauline armor for me seems a general parody, of course,
>but
>> >>also a perversion of the knighthood that Erasmus so compellingly
>describes.
>> >>It's as though You opened up Durer's knight and found that wonderful
>devil
>> >>wasn't on the path threatening him but actually inside the armor.
>Second,
>> >>hadn't Ignatius been a soldier? I may be making that up, but I do know
>that
>> >>Jesuits have sometimes been called the Pope's army. Anne Prescott.
>> >>
>> >> >===== Original Message From Sidney-Spenser Discussion List
>> >><[log in to unmask]> =====
>> >> >Hello! I'm suddenly wondering about thesources and
>cultural-historical
>> >> >resonance of Archimago's impersonation of RCK, in particular his
>dressing
>> >>as
>> >> >(transforming into?) a knight ; provided we read Arch. as a priestly
>> >>figure
>> >> >or --better-- as a monk or friar, does anyone know of contemporary
>> >>European
>> >> >historical or past and present fictional characters with distinctly
>> >> >ecclesiastical (Catholic or Prot or even Judaic and Muslim)
>establishment
>> >> >identities who dress as warriors? Including, perhaps, images of an
>> >>armored
>> >> >Pope? I understand that Arch. is impersonating the One True Faith
>> >>wrapped
>> >> >in its Paul-to-Ephesians spiritual armor, thus is a covert-recusant
>> >>Catholic
>> >> >with all that implied politically in 1580's England, but is there
>another
>> >> >reference here?
>> >> >
>> >> >--Tom Herron
>> >> >
>> >> >_________________________________________________________________
>> >> >The new MSN 8: advanced junk mail protection and 2 months FREE*
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>> >>
>> >>anne prescott
>> >>english, barnard college
>> >
>> >
>> >_________________________________________________________________
>> >MSN 8 helps eliminate e-mail viruses. Get 2 months FREE*.
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>>
>> anne prescott
>> english, barnard college
anne prescott
english, barnard college
|
