Aaliyah Bryant

ENG 311_ 22211

Term Paper
The Allegory in the House of Holiness
“Her faithfull knight faire Una brings/ to house of Holinesse, / Where he taught

repentance, and /the way to heavenly blesse.” (10). This quote is from a story called “The Faerie

Queene.” The epic poem follows the journey of the Redcrosse Knight. One of those journeys

was to a place called the House of Holiness to renew his faith after the effects from a creature

named Despair. In this allegorical journey, the readers see that even someone as strong as

Redcrosse can be weakened. He goes on to meet different characters throughout the House of

Holiness that represent a trait of holiness as well as learning about a place called the New

Jerusalem.

Even the physically strongest of people need the House of Holiness. Redcrosse was

seriously wounded from Despair as well as his long imprisonment in Orgoglio's castle.

Throughout the House of holiness, Redcrosse had to regain his strength and it took a lot of work.

However, the work he has done is good and therefore belongs to God in both power and will

(10.9). This line is based of the bible verses Ephesians 2.8-9 and Philippians 2.13. Daniel W.

Doerksen in “‘All the Good is God’s’: Predestination in Spenser’s ‘Faerie Queene’, Book 1” “…

regards man as constantly responsible though not free in the complete sense that God is. Man has

as much power and choice as he needs for living, but it is all a gift from God.” (Doerksin, 17). So

while Redcrosse did good work in this journey, the good is not his. Instead it is God’s because

gave him the gift to do good. This would be reference that is commonly used in Christianity that

no one is born good. That goodness belongs to God.

 The owner of the House of Holiness is Dame Caelia. Her name means heavenly. This

would be a reference that when one achieves holiness, they are heavenly. Dame Caelia is

described, “From heaven to come, or thither to arise, / The mother of three daughters, well

upbrought/ In goodly thewes, and godly exercise;” (10.29-31). This means that Caelia is heaven

on earth due to bringing up her daughters well in Christian values. In “In The Spiritual Allegory

of the Faerie Queene, Book 1”, Frederick Morgan Padelford states, “Spenser believed that it was

not enough for the Christian gentlemen to be saved; he must know the whole scheme of salvation

and must be nurtured in the faith.” (Padelford, 14). This is exactly what Caelia did with her

daughters as they represent the three most holiness traits.

The name of Caelia’s daughters Fidelia, Speranza, and Charissa. These daughters’ names,

respectively, means Faith, Hope, and Charity. Fidelia and Speranza are virgins who remained

chaste throughout their marriage. However, Charity has plenty of children. According to the

Bible, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” (1

Corinthians 13:13). Spenser made the personifications of faith, a complete trust and confidence

in something, and hope, a desire for something to happen, virgins because faith and hope are

something for oneself that does not need to be spread. However the personification of charity,

which is the love of everyone, has many children because that love needs to be spread to others

hence why charity is the greatest of the three holiest traits.

When Una and Redcrosse first arrived at the House of Holiness, they are greeted by an

old porter named Humilta, who represents humility. Then, they are taken to a happy house guest

named Zele, who represents zeal. Finally they are received by Reverence, a gentle squire who

takes them to Dame Caelia (10. 40-60). The reader would notice how these personifications all

lead to each other and it starts with humility. Redcrosse is already full of pride, so he must learn
to humble himself. Harry Rusche, the author of “Pride, Humility, and Grace in Book I of The

Faerie Queene”, states that Redcrosse must learn, “…not an antidote for melancholy, but a

Christian humility, which comes with the acceptance of grace; when pride is overcome, its

concomitant despair is likewise vanquished.” (Rusche, 30). Once Redcrosse achieves that

humility, it will lead to joy, which is zeal, and develop a great respect also known as reverence.

Fidelia teaches Redcrosse about God, sin, and virtue leading Redcrosse to think about

how bad of a person he was. Speranza tries to cheer him up but Redcrosse becomes depressed.

Therefore, he goes to see a man named patience where his journey of healing begins. Patience

helps a lot with the pain of sin by giving him medicines and salves with great power to heal him.

(10. 180-216). Patience, to wait without being distressed, is there at the beginning of his healing

and at the end of his healing. As the Bible says, “The end of something is better than its

beginning. Patience is better than pride.” (Ecclesiastes 7:8). Before, Redcrosse was filled with

pride, corruption, and sin, however, Patience was there to start his healing. Afterwards,

Redcrosse was purged of his symbolic wounds, and Patience was there during his recovery. This

shows that Redcrosse did get better and it was thanks to Patience he got through it, no thanks to

Pride.

To go deeper into his purging, Patience need the help of Penance, Remorse, and

Repentance. Penance whipped him, Remorse pricked his heart, and Repentance bathed his

wounds in salt water (10. 235-40). These personifications show that Redcrosse voluntarily

punishes himself for his sins and then shows regret deep in his heart for what he has done wrong

but the most important part of the healing comes Repentance actually heals him despite it being

painful. According to Calvinism, “‘Moreover as hatred of sin, which is the beginning of

repentance, first gives us access to the knowledge of Christ, who manifests himself to none but
miserable and afflicted sinners, groaning, labouring, burdened, hungry and thirsty, pining away

with grief and wretchedness, so if we would stand in Christ, we must aim at repentance, cultivate

it during our whole lives, and continue it to the last.’” (Padelford, 16). In other words, in order to

get to repentance, one must pay for their sins and feel guilt and regret in order for them to truly

stand in Christ.

After the torture he received, Redcrosse finally meets Mercy. Charissa is fully healed

from her childbirth and is ready to teach the knight about virtue. However, she enlists help from

Mercy, who teaches him that mercy, also known as forgiveness, should always be his goal (10.

289-306). Mercy’s words echoes Article XVII words, “‘…by God’s mercy, they attain to

everlasting felicity.’” (Doerksin, 15). This means that forgiveness eventually leads to happiness.

This very moment was foreshadowed when Redcrosse was dealing the effects of Despair and

Una saved him from the creature. Redcrosse experienced mercy for his pride of trying to take on

a dangerous creature which lead to this very journey of the House of Holiness. In this journey, he

has experienced grace from the personified holiness traits which lead him to something better.

Mercy then takes Redcrosse to a hospital to show him the way of heaven. There was an

old man named Contemplation shows him a glorious city that is too beautiful to describe. This

city was the only city that was nicer than Cleopolis, the city of the Faerie Queene. This place was

called the new Hierusalem, also known as the new Jerusalem. It was a place that God chosen for

those who was cleansed from all their sins (10. 505-8). According to the article, “The New

Jerusalem as Pinnacle of Salvation: Text (Rev 21:1-22:5) and Intertext”, Jan A du Rand says,

“The new Jerusalem (21:1-22:5) is the ultimate fulfilment of the whole salvation story. It finishes

off the Bible story as a ring composition concentrating on the new creation, the new paradise, the

new temple, the pilgrimage of the nations and their rulers and the new covenant.” (du Rand,
298). The meaning of this city is a new beginning where everyone is dissolved of their past sin

self. Take Redcrosse for example, before the house of holiness he was filled with pride, sin, and

corruption. After his journey, he was purged of his sins and became a new man of holiness. This

shows that Redcrosse is indeed a “chosen one” for the new Jerusalem as he redeemed himself of

his sin.

Taken together, Redcrosse may be physically strong but not strong enough to take on sin

by himself. He had to go on a journey of Holiness with the help of personified holiness traits in

order to lead him to a place that he was chosen to be apart of. However, Redcrosse is not the only

one who goes on this journey. Many people of Christian faith identify with Redcrosse as they to

had to find their holiness. This story gives a clear idea of what one must do to achieve holiness.

The reason of this to truly be happy and stand in Christ to have a spiritual relationship with him.
Bibliography

Doerksin, Daniel W. “‘All the Good Is God's’: Predestination in Spenser's ‘Faerie Queene’,
Book I.” Christianity and Literature, vol. 32, no. 3, 1983, pp. 11–18.

Du Rand, Jan A. “THE NEW JERUSALEM AS PINNACLE OF SALVATION: TEXT (REV

21:1-22:5) AND INTERTEXT.” Neotestamentica, vol. 38, no. 2, 2004, pp. 275–302.

Holy Bible. Foundation Publications, Inc, 2001.

Padelford, Frederick Morgan. “The Spiritual Allegory of the Faerie Queene, Book One.” : The
Journal of English and Germanic Philology, vol. 22, no. 1, Jan. 1923, pp. 1–17.

Rusche, Harry. “Pride, Humility, and Grace in Book I of The Faerie Queene.” Studies in English
Literature, vol. 7, no. 1, 1967, pp. 29–39.

Spenser, Edmund. “The Faerie Queene, Book 1.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature,
by Stephen Greenblatt, B, 2018, pp. 253–405.