1,900 Matching Annotations
  1. Jul 2019
    1. And knitting all his force got one hand free, Wherewith he grypt her gorge with so great paine, That soone to loose her wicked bands did her constraine.

      The Red Cross Knight manages to free one of his arms and grabs the monster by the throat.

    2. And with his trenchand blade her boldly kept From turning backe, and forced her to stay: Therewith enrag’d she loudly gan to bray, And turning fierce, her speckled taile aduaunst, Threatning her angry sting, him to dismay: Who nought aghast, his mightie hand enhaunst: The stroke down fro[m]; her head vnto her shoulder glaunst.

      She's dazed by the blow, but then becomes even angrier, rushes on top of Red Cross Knight and wraps him up with her tail.

    3. Their dam vpstart, out of her den effraide, And rushed forth, hurling her hideous taile About her cursed head, whose folds displaid Were stretcht now forth at length without entraile. She lookt about, and seeing one in mayle Armed to point, sought backe to turne againe; For light she hated as the deadly bale,

      She hates light so is put off by the shine of his armor.

    4. So pure and innocent, as that same lambe, She was in life and euery vertuous lore, And by descent from Royall lynage came Of ancient Kings and Queenes,

      The lady is just as virtuous as the lamb, and she's from a formerly great and powerful royal family.

    5. For an Historiographer discourseth of affaires orderly as they were done, accounting as well the times as the actions; but a Poet thrusteth into the middest, even where it most concerneth him, and there recoursing to the things forepast, and divining of things to come, maketh a pleasing analysis of all.

      He is explaining the differences between poet and historian.

    6. And euer as he rode, his hart did earne To proue his puissance in battell braue Vpon his foe, and his new force to learne; Vpon his foe, a Dragon horrible and stearne.

      The Red Cross Knight slaying the dragon, illustration to the 1596 edition of The Faerie Queene

    7. But forth vnto the darksome hole he went, And looked in: his glistring armor made A litle glooming light, much like a shade, By which he saw the vgly monster plaine, Halfe like a serpent horribly displaide, But th’other halfe did womans shape retaine, Most lothsom, filthie, foule, and full of vile disdaine.

    8. Be well aware, quoth then that Ladie milde, Least suddaine mischiefe ye too rash prouoke: The danger hid, the place vnknowne and wilde,

      The lady warns him to be careful, reminding them that they have no idea where they are and that danger can lurk anywhere.

    9. She falling before the Queene of Faeries, complayned that her father and mother, an ancient King and Queene, had bene by an huge dragon many yeers shut up in a brazen Castle

      She complains that her father and mother are shut up in a castle by a dragon.

    10. Soone after entred a faire Ladie in mourning weedes, riding on a white Asse, with a dwarfe behind her leading a warlike steed, that bore the Armes of a knight, and his speare in the dwarfes hand.

      The fair lady comes riding on a white ass, accompanied by a dwarf. (Asse = ass, an animal which is related to a horse but which is smaller and has long ears.)

    11. But forth vnto the darksome hole he went, And looked in: his glistring armor made A litle glooming light, much like a shade, By which he saw the vgly monster plaine, Halfe like a serpent horribly displaide, But th’other halfe did womans shape retaine, Most lothsom, filthie, foule, and full of vile disdaine.

      In a cave the Red Cross Knight encounters a horrible creature, half serpent, half woman.

    12. The day with cloudes was suddeine ouercast, And angry Ioue an hideous storme of raine Did poure into his Lemans lap so fast, That euery wight to shrowd it did constrain, And this faire couple eke to shroud the[m]selues were fain.

      Rain falls so heavily and they need to find cover.

    13. erfected in the twelve private morall vertues, as Aristotle hath devised

      He declares in the letter that his intention is to present the example of a perfect gentleman and noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline. He speaks of the twelve virtues of a private gentleman, according to Aristotle.

    14. Temperance

      Temperance is defined as moderation or voluntary self-restraint. It is typically described in terms of what an individual voluntarily refrains from doing. This includes restraint from retaliation in the form of non-violence and forgiveness, restraint from arrogance in the form of humility and modesty, restraint from excesses such as extravagant luxury or splurging now in the form of prudence, and restraint from excessive anger or craving for something in the form of calmness and self-control.

    15. Britomartis

      Britomartis was a Greek goddess of mountains and hunting, who was primarily worshipped on the island of Crete. She was sometimes believed to be an oread, or a mountain nymph, but she was often conflated or syncretized with Artemis and Aphaea, the "invisible" patroness of Aegina.

    16. LO I the man, whose Muse whilome did maske, As time her taught, in lowly Shepheards weeds, Am now enforst a far vnfitter taske, For trumpets sterne to chaunge mine Oaten reeds,

      The First Book, entitled The Legend of the Knight of the Red Cross, or of Holiness, are introduced by the following invocation to Clio, Cupid, Venus, Mars, and Queen Elizabeth, and then commences the story.

    17. Arthure: whom I conceive, after his long education by Timon (to whom he was by Merlin delivered to be brought up, so soone as he was borne of the Lady Igrayne) to have seen in a dreame or vision the Faerie Queene

      Arthur and the Fairy Queen by Johann Heinrich Füssli, c. 1788

    18. SIR WALTER RALEIGH, KNIGHT

      Sir Walter Raleigh was an English landed gentleman, writer, poet, soldier, politician, courtier, spy and explorer. He was cousin to Sir Richard Grenville and younger half-brother of Sir Humphrey Gilbert. He is also well known for popularizing tobacco in England. Raleigh was one of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era.

    1. as Sir Launcelot with the wife of King Arthur, his master ; Sir Tristram with the wife of King Mark, his uncle ; Sir Lamerock with the wife of King Lote, that was his own aunt

      Sounds like lots of complex relationships here lol

    2. These be the enchantments of Circe, brought out of Italy to mar men’s manners in England; much by example of ill life, but more by precepts of fond books of late translated out of Italian into English, sold in every shop in London

      He is saying some of worst books in Italy are now translated into English and are sold everywhere in London, but the authority pays no attention.

    3. .

      I think the first part of these excerpts about his method of teaching Latin is way easier to understand than the second part about his trip in Italy as the latter requires us to have some historical and literature background to understand what the author really wants to tell his reader. I do agree with him that corporal punishment in schools (and in families, too) is really awful to the physical and psychological development of a child. We should avoid at all costs.

    4. let him translate into English his former lesson. Then shewing it to his master, let the master take from him his Latin book, and pausing an hour at the least, then let the child translate his own English into Latin again in another paper book.

      I think his method combines practice with theory, and is an effective way to teach kids languages.

    5. First, let him teach the child chearfully and plainly the cause and matter of the letter ; then, let him construe k into English, so oft as the child may easily carry away the understanding of it

      He stresses the importance of early education.

    6. Roger Ascham

      Roger Ascham was an English scholar and didactic writer, famous for his prose style, his promotion of the vernacular, and his theories of education. He acted as Princess Elizabeth's tutor in Greek and Latin between 1548 and 1550, and served in the administrations of Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I.

    1. .

      This reading is long but is totally worth it! We learned how to frame a story in an interesting way; how to write a good story without an actual plot (no story twists, no build-up or climax and even the ending is kind of ambiguous). We also learned how to employ irony in the text in a subtle way... there are really too many things we can learn from this text just by looking at the writing style, and I haven't yet talked about the themes...

    2. for they do not willingly suffer any war to break in upon their island; and if that should happen, they would only defend themselves by their own people; but would not call for auxiliary troops to their assistance.

      To sum up: Utopians hate war.

    3. But as they force no man to go into any foreign war against his will, so they do not hinder those women who are willing to go along with their husbands

      Men only go to the battlefield if they are willing to do so, and they can bring their wives along.

    4. “They have but few laws, and such is their constitution that they need not many.  They very much condemn other nations whose laws, together with the commentaries on them, swell up to so many volumes; for they think it an unreasonable thing to oblige men to obey a body of laws that are both of such a bulk, and so dark as not to be read and understood by every one of the subjects.

    5. Before marriage some grave matron presents the bride, naked, whether she is a virgin or a widow, to the bridegroom, and after that some grave man presents the bridegroom, naked, to the bride. 

      This is some weird wedding custom. (You only need to know this if you want to marry a Utopian. :)

    6. The Prince himself has no distinction, either of garments or of a crown; but is only distinguished by a sheaf of corn carried before him; as the High Priest is also known by his being preceded by a person carrying a wax light.

    7. they erect statues to the memories of such worthy men as have deserved well of their country, and set these in their market-places, both to perpetuate the remembrance of their actions and to be an incitement to their posterity to follow their example

      To encourage good behavior of their citizens, statues of good men are set up in the marketplaces to remind people of their good acts.

    8. If any man should reproach another for his being misshaped or imperfect in any part of his body, it would not at all be thought a reflection on the person so treated, but it would be accounted scandalous in him that had upbraided another with what he could not help.

      To mock a person with disabilities is a shameful act.

    9. every man has some peculiar trade to which he applies himself; such as the manufacture of wool or flax, masonry, smith’s work, or carpenter’s work; for there is no sort of trade that is in great esteem among them

      Everyone contributes to the society and this is what makes everyone equal.

    10. It is a fundamental rule of their government, that no conclusion can be made in anything that relates to the public till it has been first debated three several days in their council.

      I love that they have all kinds of open and democratic processes.

  2. Jun 2019
    1. They cultivate their gardens with great care, so that they have both vines, fruits, herbs, and flowers in them; and all is so well ordered and so finely kept that I never saw gardens anywhere that were both so fruitful and so beautiful as theirs.  And this humour of ordering their gardens so well is not only kept up by the pleasure they find in it, but also by an emulation between the inhabitants of the several streets, who vie with each other. 

      They take care of their gardens well and have competitions for who has the nicest one.

    2. they sow much more and breed more cattle than are necessary for their consumption, and they give that overplus of which they make no use to their neighbours. 

      They make sure everyone has enough to eat, no more beggars fighting for food.

    3. The nearest lie at least twenty-four miles’ distance from one another, and the most remote are not so far distant but that a man can go on foot in one day from it to that which lies next it. 

      Utopia seems to be a difficult place to access.