CALVINISM IN THE ".FAERIE QUEENE „ OF SPENSER

UNA

The Red Cross Knight who represents a man and not an abstraction, met with persons who are meant for abstractions. On the contrary Una, an abstraction, has to deal with persons, among which the « Lyon », the « Satyres » and « Satyrane » represent different categories of men unable to be her champions, i. e. unable to perform the mission of the Red Cross Knight : to kill the Dragon Sin.

The « ramping Lyon » is the first being that Una sees after having left the Hermitage of Archimago (I : m : 5) :

« It fortuned out of the thickest wood

A ramping Lyon rushed suddainly,

Hunting full greedie after salvage blood ;

Soone as the royall virgin he did spy,

With gaping mouth at her ran greedily,

To have attonce devour'd her tender corse :

But to the pray when as he drew more ny,

His bloudie rage asswaged with remorse,

And with the sight amazed, forgat his furious forse. »

Percival (p. 198) interprets the Lion as meant for « the nata- ral man, guided only by Reason, and not as yet regenerate by Faith : Rom. II, 14 ». But the text he quotes does not speak of reason : « For when the Gentiles, which have not the Law, do by nature the things contained in the Law, these, having not the Law, are a law unto themselves ». Therefore we will explain the Lion as meaning only the natural man, the man without religion. The conclusion, when reading Spenser, is that to such a man Truth is revealed : the Lion sees Una unveiled (st. 5) .