t, and with the winged boy
haunt > resort
the winged boy > [Cupid]
4 Sporting himself in safe felicity:
5 Who, when he has with spoils and cruelty
Who > [Cupid]
6 Ransacked the world, and in the woeful hearts
7 Of many wretches set his triumphs high,
triumphs > (The word "triumph" is cognate with the Greek _triambos_,
meaning a hymn to Bacchus, the god of wine, associated with
madness and frenzy. Bacchus compelled the women of Thebes to
celebrate festivals to him on Mount Cytheron (see 306.29:4);
perhaps this connexion was in Spenser's mind)
8 Thither resorts, and laying his sad darts
sad darts > grievous arrows
9 Aside, with fair Adonis plays his wanton parts.
306.50
And his true loue faire _Psyche_ with him playes,
2 Faire _Psyche_ to him lately reconcyld,
After long troubles and vnmeet vpbrayes,
4 With which his mother _Venus_ her reuyld,
And eke himselfe her cruelly exyld:
6 But now in stedfast loue and happy state
She with him liues, and hath him borne a chyld,
8 _Pleasure_, that doth both gods and men aggrate,
_Pleasure_, the daughter of _Cupid_ and _Psyche_ late.
1 And his true love, fair Psyche, with him plays,
Psyche > ("The Soul"; her allegorical story is told in _The Golden
Ass_ by Apuleius)
2 Fair Psyche, to him lately reconciled
3 After long troubles and unmeet upbrays,
unmeet > unfitting; _hence:_ unfair, unreasonable
upbrays > reproaches, reproofs
4 With which his mother, Venus, her reviled,
5 And eke himself her cruelly exiled:
eke > also
6 But now in steadfast love and happy state
7 She with him lives, and has him borne a child,
8 Pleasure, that does both gods and men aggrate,
Pleasure > (Volupia or Voluptas, the personification of sensual
pleasure)
aggrate > please; gratify (SUS)
9 Pleasure, the daughter of Cupid and Psyche late.
late > late (i.e. recently deceased, qualifying "_Psyche_"); recent
(qualifying "daughter")
306.51
Hither great _Venus_ brought this infant faire,
2 The younger daughter of _Chrysogonee_,
And vnto _Psyche_ with great trust and care
4 Committed her, yfostered to bee,
And trained vp in true feminitee:
6 Who no lesse carefully her tendered,
Then her owne daughter _Pleasure_, to whom shee
8 Made her companion, and her lessoned
In all the lore of loue, and goodly womanhead.
1 Hither great Venus brought this in
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