The Legend of Cambel and Triamond, or of Friendship explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Friendship and Enmity

  The chapter opens with a meditation on how true friendship and enmity arise from occasion, exemplified by Cambell and Triamond's bond and the strife between Blandamour and Paridell.

• Love and Desire

  The contest for Florimell's girdle and the beauty pageant highlight the pursuit of love and the dangers of lust, as seen in Amoret's abduction by a savage lust-figure.

• Allegory and Symbolism

  The girdle of Florimell, originally Venus's cestus, allegorically represents chastity and the restraint of lascivious desire, while the savage man embodies raw lust.

Characters to notice

• Cambell

  One of the central knights in the friendship narrative; participates in the tournament and jestingly resolves a dispute.

• Triamond

  Knight bound in friendship with Cambell; awarded the second day's prize in the tournament.

• Blandamour

  Vainglorious knight who provokes others and claims the false Florimell; engages in a dispute over her.

• Paridell

  Knight who challenges Blandamour over the false Florimell; later presents Duessa in the beauty contest.

• Britomart

  Victorious in the tournament as the Knight of the Hebene Spear; awarded the fairest lady as paramour, causing Artegall's resentment.

• Amoret

  Displayed by Britomart in the beauty contest; later abducted by a savage creature while Britomart sleeps.

Key passages

• “faithfull frends, And friends profest are chaungd to foemen fell: The cause of both, of both their minds depends, And th'end of both likewise of both their ends: For enmitie, that of no ill proceeds But of occasion, with th'occasion ends; And friendship, which a faint affection breeds Without regard of good, dyes like ill grounded seeds.”

  True friends can become bitter enemies, and both friendship and enmity arise from circumstance; enmity born of chance ends when the occasion passes, while shallow friendship, lacking genuine goodness, withers like poorly rooted seeds.

  Opening moral reflection on the nature of friendship and enmity.

• “That goodly belt was Cestus hight by name, And as her life by her esteemed deare. No wonder then, if that to winne the same So many Ladies sought, as shall appeare; For pearelesse she was thought that did it beare.”

  That beautiful belt was called the Cestus, and Florimell valued it as dearly as her own life, so it is no surprise that many ladies sought to win it, since the wearer was considered unmatched in beauty.

  Description of the magical girdle and its significance in the tournament.

• “It was to weete that snowy Florimell, Which Ferrau late from Braggadochio wonne: Whom he now seeing, her remembred well, How having reft her from the witches sonne, He soone her lost: wherefore he now begunne To challenge her anew, as his owne prize, Whom formerly he had in battell wonne, And proffer made by force her to reprize.”

  This was the false snowy Florimell, which Ferrau had recently taken from Braggadocchio; seeing her, Paridell remembered how he had taken her from the witch's son and then lost her, so he now claimed her again as his prize won in battle and offered to reclaim her by force.

  Paridell recognizes and challenges for the false Florimell.