Also, following the general frame of the story, further similarities in details may be noted.

The fire, which Koeppel mentions.

But in the porch, that did them sore amate,
A flaming fire, ymixt with smouldry smoke.

III, xi, 21.

Occupava l'entrata un foco ardente.

R., V, 58.

Britomart is able to pass through the fire unscathed obviously, according to the allegory, because she is perfect in chastity (III, xi, 25-26). In Tasso, a steel column standing opposite the entrance of the cave bears the inscription:

A' leali d'Amor concesso è 'l passo,

Agli altri no, per mezzo il vivo foco.

R., V, 59.

In Spenser the tapestries; in Tasso the sculptures.

And eke all Cupids warres they did repeate,
And cruell battailes, which he whilome fought
Gainst all the gods, to make his empire great.

Le vittorie d'Amor, gli alti trofei
Ch' egli acquistò contra i celesti Dei.

(11)

III, xi, 29.

R., V,

59.

For round about, the walls yclothed were
With goodly arras of great majesty,
Woven with gold and silke so close and nere,
That the rich metall lurked privily,

As faining to be hidd from envious eye;
Yet here, and there, and every where unwares
It shewd it selfe, and shone unwillingly;
Like a discoloured snake, whose hidden snares

Through the greene gras his long bright burnisht back declares.

III. xi, 28.

Lassa! qual sotto i fior l'angue è celato,

Tal sotto cortesia, sotto bellezza

S'asconde in te perfido cor spietato,

Che l'altrui fede e 'l puro amor disprezza.

(12)

R., XI, 3.

With that, her glistring helmet she unlaced;
Which doft, her golden lockes, that were up bound
Still in a knot, unto her heeles downe traced,
And like a silken veile in compasse round

About her backe and all her bodie wound:

Like as the shining skie in summers night,

What time the dayes with scorching heat abound,
Is creasted all with lines of firie light,

That it prodigious scemes in common peoples sight.

Iv, i, 13.

For the first five lines of this simile, Dodge has found a parallel in O. F., XXXII, 79,13 including the loosing of the golden hair and the subsequent concealment of the body. On the other hand, 11. 6-9 have no parallel in the Furioso. With regard to these lines Upton writes: 14

though the scene of action lies in Fairy land, we must often transfer our thoughts to English ground; and consider the various occurrences which happened in Queen Eliz. reign, as alluded to, and shadowed in this poem. If we turn to Camden, anno 1574, he will tell us, 'that the clouds flamed with fire in the month of November, streaming from the north towards the south; and the next night the heavens seemed to burn, the flames arising from the horizon round about, and meeting in the vertical point.' This prodigy our poet brought into a simile: so he has likewise brought into a simile the comet or blazing star mentioned by Camden, anno 1582, in B. III C. i St. 16. 'Tis very happy in a poet, whose subject is universal and philosophical, sometimes if he can become particular and historical.

The comet simile which Upton mentions has already been shown by Koeppel to be a probable memory from Tasso.15 The lines under present consideration also have a parallel in Tasso which might well have served for the initial suggestion. As Godfrey addresses his troops before Jerusalem

Parve che nel fornir di tai parole
Scendesse un lampo lucido e sereno,

13 Op. cit., p. 202. 14 Op. cit., II, 582. 15 Op. cit., pp. 353-354.

Here it will be seen that the time of year is identical: summers night," "estiva notte." Spenser would not associate the "time the dayes with scorching heat abound" with the " month of November."

(13)

He can let drive at him with all his power,
And with his axe him smote in evill hower,
That from his shoulders quite his head he reft:
The headlesse tronke, as heedlesse of that stower,
Stood still a while, and his fast footing kept,
Till, feeling life to fayle, it fell, and deadly slept.
IV, iii, 20.

E tra 'l collo e la nuca il colpo assesta,
E tronchi i nervi, e 'l gorgozzuol reciso,
Gio rotando a cader prima la testa,
Prima bruttò di polve immonda il viso,
Che giù cadesse il tronco; il tronco resta
(Miserabile mostro!) in sella assiso;
Ma libero del fren con mille rote
Calcitrando il destrier da se lo scote.

(14)

G. L., IX, 70.

On the last day of the Tournament of Florimell's Girdle, after Artegall has held full sway over Satyrane and his band throughout the day, at sunset Britomart, the stranger Knight of the Heben Spear, rushes forth suddenly and without warning and takes the victory from him. Thereupon Spenser comments:

So nought may be esteemed happie till the end.

Iv, iv, 43.

To the reader of Italian literature, this situation with its concluding comment strongly suggests a stanza in Tasso. In the assault upon Jerusalem, a massive wooden tower is used with considerable effect. At the close of a day of hard usage, it is at last being withdrawn to a place of safety when two of its wheels are injured at the last moment.

Da' gran perigli uscita ella sen viene
Giungendo a loco omai di sicurezza;
Ma qual nave talor ch' a vele piene

Corre il mar procelloso, e l'onde sprezza,
Poscia in vista del porto, o su l'arene,
O su i fallaci scogli un fianco spezza;
O qual destrier passa le dubbie strade,
E presso al dolce albergo incespa e cade:
Tale inciampa la torre; e tal da quella
Parte che volse all' impeto de' sassi,
Frange due rote debili, st ch' ella
Ruinosa pendendo arresta i passi.

...

G. L., XI, 84-85.

In both the English and Italian, the essential idea is the same: that, even at the last moment, the success which one has achieved may be taken from him.

The ultimate source of Tasso's stanza is probably found in Dante. Dante's point is that the destiny which God bestows upon the individual should not be judged too hastily, for the high may still fall in the end, and the low rise. Then Dante writes:

E legno vidi già dritto e veloce

Correr lo mar per tutto suo cammino,

Perire al fine all' entrar della foce.

(15)

Par., xin, 136-138.

The following simile from the Gerusalemme is offered as the only possible parallel I have found for the one in Spenser.

Like as in sommers day, when raging heat
Doth burne the earth, and boyled rivers drie,

That all brute beasts, forst to refraine fro meat,
Doe hunt for shade, where shrowded they may lie,
And missing it, faine from themselves to flie;
All travellers tormented are with paine:

A watry cloud doth overcast the skie,
And poureth forth a sudden shoure of raine,

That all the wretched world recomforteth againe.

Non è sì grato ai caldi giorni il tuono
Che speranza di pioggia al mondo apporte
Come fu caro alle feroci genti

L'altero suon de' bellici instrumenti.

Iv, iv, 47.

G. L., I, 71.

In Spenser the simile is used as a comparison to the relief which Britomart afforded to the Knights of Maidenhead when she saved

the day for them at the Tournament of Florimell's Girdle. The simile in Tasso is used to describe the joy which the army before Jerusalem experienced at the signal for battle. In each case, the comparison is with the relief which rain brings to the world on a hot day.

(16)

And as his hand he up againe did reare,
Thinking to worke on her his utmost wracke,
His powrelesse arme, benumbd with secret feare,
From his revengefull purpose shronke abacke,
And cruell sword out of his fingers slacke
Fell downe to ground, as if the steele had sence,
And felt some ruth, or sence his hand did lacke,
Or both of them did thinke, obedience

To doe to so divine a beauties excellence.

The following, although of doubtful value, is offered as the closest parallel I have found for the simile of Spenser's in question.

Whereof whenas the Prince was well aware,

He to him turnd with furious intent,
And him against his powre gan to prepare;
Like a fierce bull, that being busie bent
To fight with many foes about him ment,
Feeling some curre behinde his heeles to bite,
Turnes him about with fell avengement;

So likewise turnde the Prince upon the knight,
And layd at him amaine with all his will and might.

VI, vi, 27.

Qual orso, che colui che l' ha percosso
Di sbranar con gli unghion rabbioso tenta,
S' altri in questo lo fiede, ei tosto addosso
(Il primiero lasciando) a lui s' avventa;
Tale il Pagan verso Florindo mosso...

R., VIII, 60.