ngeon. This Orgoglio is Orgueil, or Carnal Pride;
not the pride of life, spiritual and subtle, but the common and vulgar
pride in the power of this world: and his throwing the Redcrosse Knight
into a dungeon, is a type of the captivity of true religion under the
temporal power of corrupt churches, more especially of the Church of
Rome; and of its gradually wasting away in unknown places, while carnal
pride has the preeminence over all things. That Spenser means,
especially, the pride of the Papacy, is shown by the 16th stanza of the
book; for there the giant Orgoglio is said to have taken Duessa, or
Falsehood, for his "deare," and to have set upon her head a triple
crown, and endowed her with royal majesty, and made her to ride upon a
seven-headed beast.

In the meantime, the dwarf, the attendant of the Redcrosse Knight, takes
his arms, and finding Una tells her of the captivity of her lord. Una,
in the midst of her mourning, meets Prince Arthur, in whom, as Spenser
himself tells us, is set forth generally Magnificence; but who, as is
shown by the choice of the hero's name, is more especially the
magnificence, or literally, "great doing" of the kingdom of England.
This power of England, going forth with Truth, attacks Orgoglio, or the
Pride of Papacy, slays him; strips Duessa, or Falsehood, naked; and
liberates the Redcrosse Knight. The magnificent and well-known
description of Despair follows, by whom the Redcrosse Knight is hard
bested, on account of his past errors and captivity, and is only saved
by Truth, who, perceiving him to be still feeble, brings him to the
house of Coelia, called, in the argument of the canto, Holiness, but
properly, Heavenly Grace, the mother of the Virtues. Her "three
daughters, well up-brought," are Faith, Hope, and Charity. Her porter is
Humility; because Humility opens the door of Heavenly Grace. Zeal and
Reverence are her chamberlains, introducing the new comers to her
presence; her groom, or servant, is Obedience; and her physician,
Patience. Under the commands of Charity, the matron Mercy rules over
her hospital, under whose care the Knight is healed of his sickness; and
it is to be especially noticed how much importance Spenser, though never
ceasing to chastise all hypocrisies and mere observances of form,
attaches to true and faithful _penance_ in effecting this cure. Having
his strength restored to him, the Knight is trusted to the guidance of
Mercy, who, leading him forth by a nar