Book 3: Chastity

Canto 1

Guyon, Arthur, and Arthur’s squire Timias encounter a knight whom they do
not recognize. The knight jousts with Guyon, knocking him from his horse.
Guyon and the knight reconcile despite Guyon’s wounded pride.
Unbeknownst to any of the three travelers, the unknown knight is Britomart,
a woman on her own quest.

A beautiful woman runs by the group, followed by a man apparently intent

on raping her. Arthur and Guyon follow the woman, while Timias gives
chase to the woman’s attacker. Britomart, unmoved by fleeting beauty,
continues on her way. She finds adventure in the form of six knights
attacking a lone defender. Taking the cause of the weaker party, Britomart
defeats three of the aggressors while the single knight defeats one and the
last two surrender. The lone knight is revealed to be Redcrosse. The two
defeated knights take Britomart and Redcrosse to Castle Joyous. There
they meet the mistress of the castle, Malecasta, whose practice is to sleep
with any knight who seeks shelter. Redcrosse rejects her proposition,
claiming a previous betrothal (to Una from Book 1). Malecasta’s minions
accost Redcrosse, but their mistress’s attention turns to Britomart, whom
she still believes to be a man. Malecasta secretly goes to Britomart’s bed,
but is horrified to learn her mistake and faints. The six knights from the
previous battle arrive to defend Malecasta, and one of them wounds
Britomart with an arrow. Redcrosse arrives to aid Britomart, and the two
escape Castle Joyous together.

Canto 2

As they travel, Britomart reveals her story to Redcrosse. She has fallen in
love with the knight Artegall, although she insults him to Redcrosse that she
might hear his reputation defended by another knight. Britomart had been
struck by Cupid’s arrow when seeing Artegall’s image in a magic mirror.
Her nurse, Glauce, attempted to cure her lovesickness through magic and
potions, but failed.
Canto 3

Britomart continues her personal history, describing how Glauce’s last

attempt to help lead Britomart to Merlin, whose magic mirror brought this
upon Britomart in the first place. Merlin advises Britomart to give in to her
love, citing her destiny to produce a line of noble rulers. Thus advised,
Britomart set out on her quest. Once her story is finished, Redcrosse and
Britomart part as friends.

Canto 4

As Britomart muses over her sorry state, the knight Marinell arrives and
they do battle. Britomart wounds him, but his mother appears to take him
away to heal.

In the meantime, we learn that the woman Arthur and Guyon pursued
isFlorimell, Marinell’s beloved. She is still being pursued by the lustful
ruffian, who is in turn being pursued by Timias. When they stop to rest,
Arthur muses over his own unfulfilled love and resigns himself to a lonely
night in the forest.
Canto 5

The next morning, Arthur learns that Florimell is searching for her beloved
Marinell, whom she thinks is dead. Arthur sets out to find her. Timias,
meanwhile, has caught up with Florimell’s attacker only to be ambushed by
him and his two brothers. Timias bests the three men, but receives a
dangerous wound to the thigh. He faints from blood loss. Belphoebe the
huntress arrives and heals him. Timias falls in love with her, but is left to
mourn that fate has caused him to become impassioned by the virginal
(and therefore unavailable) beauty.

Canto 6

Belphoebe’s background is described. She is the daughter of

Chrysogonee, a faerie maid, who bore her and her twin sister, Amoretta.
Chrysogonee was sleeping when she gave birth, and nymphs owing
allegiance to Diana found the newborn babies. Diana kept Belphoebe while
Venus took charge of Amoretta. Belphoebe was raised to be a huntress;
Amoretta, to be a mother to the souls of the Garden of Adonis.

Canto 7
Florimell, still fleeing her would-be rapist, finds refuge at a witch’s cottage.
The witch’s son lusts for her, but Florimell is able to fend him off until she
can sneak away. Angered that her son remains impassioned by an
unrequited love, the witch sends a beast to hunt down and kill Florimell.
Florimell escapes, but the horse she was riding does not. When the horse’s
remains are found, they are mistaken for Florimell’s. Meanwhile, the
giantess Arganta attempts to capture the Squire of Dames, but the knight
Palladine drives her away.

Canto 8

Back at the witch’s house, the witch creates an imitation Florimell out of
snow and wax to sate her lovesick son’s lust. The knight Braggadocchio
and his squire Trompart steal the false Florimell, and then lose her to
another knight. The real Florimell continues her flight by crossing the water,
only to be accosted by a lustful sailor. The sea god Proteus rescues her,
only to seek her for himself. Florimell resists him. Elsewhere, Satyrane and
the Squire of Dames meet Paridell, himself in pursuit of Florimell.

Canto 9

Satyrane, the Squire of Dames, and Paridell arrive at Malbecco’s castle,

but Malbecco refuses them entry. Britomart arrives and she and Paridell
battle, but Satyrane ends the conflict and reconciles them. The four plot
together to burn Malbecco’s castle to the ground, but Malbecco is
intimidated by this threat and allows them to enter. Paridell makes amorous
overtures with the lady of the castle, Hellenore, at dinner, while he and
Britomart relate their respective lineages.

Canto 10

Paridell convinces Hellenore to run away with him. Hellenore steals some
of Malbecco’s money and sets the rest aflame. As they are escaping,
Hellenore cries out for help, forcing Malbecco to choose between saving
his wife or his money. He cannot decide at first, but eventually pursues
Paridell and his wife. En route, he meets Braggadocchio and Trompart,
whom he requests to chase Hellenore with him. The three find Paridell
alone; he has abandoned Hellenore in the forest. Braggadocchio nearly
battles Paridell, but slyly manages to avoid it. Trompart advises Malbecco
to protect his remaining money by burying it safely in the ground, only to
return later to steal it for himself. Malbecco resumes his pursuit of
Hellenore, ultimately finding her cavorting with satyrs in the forest. That
night, he begs Hellenore to come back to him, but she refuses. Driven mad
with jealousy, Malbecco runs away through the dark night until his body
wastes away. Only his superhumanly jealous spirit remains to wander the
earth.

Canto 11

Leaving Malbecco’s castle, Britomart and Satyrane encounter the giant

Ollyphant (brother to Arganta), chasing a young man. Britomart and
Satyrane pursue, the giant, but are separated in the forest. Britomart finds
a knight Sir Scudamore bemoaning his inability to rescue his beloved
Amoretta from an evil wizard. Britomart agrees to help him. As they
approach the castle, they discover that a flaming porch protects it;
Britomart charges through it unharmed, but Scudamore is forced back.
Britomart observes that the interior of the castle is decorated with tapestries
depicting the conquests of Cupid.

Canto 12

Britomart lurks in the chamber of Cupid watching a procession pass by.

Cupid, followed by Fancy, Desire, Hope, and Doubt pass by. Amoretta
follows them while carrying her own beating heart on a silver tray. The next
night, Britomart sees the procession again, but this time she follows it to the
wizard Busyrane’s chamber. She sees Busyrane chanting spells and
writing with Amoretta’s blood. Britomart attacks him, driving him down and
nearly killing him, but Amoretta prevents her from striking the killing blow.
Amoretta explains that she needs Busyrane to reverse his enchantments
before he dies. Busyrane does so, but escapes with his life. Britomart
brings Amoretta to Scudamore; the two join in an embrace so loving that
they appear to merge into a single being. Britomart remembers her own
love for Artegall and renews her desire to be with him.