The Faerie Queene: Book III: Canto VIII Summary & Analysis

The hag spots the hyena-like beast running back toward her. She sees Florimell’s gold belt and thinks the beast has destroyed her, which upsets her lovesick son to the point where he could almost kill his mother. She flees.

The hag gets the idea of pacifying her son by changing someone else to look like Florimell. She gathers some pure snow and molds it, putting two burning lamps in the eyes and using golden wire for the hair, then she has one of her sprites control the body.

The sprite is already well trained in the ways of women, and so the son is pleased. One day, they go walking in the woods until eventually they come across Braggadochio. Proud Braggadochio tells “Florimell” (the sprite in disguise) that he’d like to ride off with her, then proceeds to do so.

But as Braggadochio is riding off with the sprite disguised as Florimell, he comes across a powerful-looking knight. The knight wants the fake Florimell. Braggadochio suggests they should fight, but that first they should turn around and ride away from each other, to give themselves space to charge and attack. As the knight does this, Braggadochio runs away, leaving his “lady” behind.

Meanwhile, the real Florimell is stuck at sea, still in the boat. Though she is safe in the boat, the fisherman who owns the boat falls asleep, and the boat begins to drift. When he wakes up, Florimell asks him to pilot the boat to shore, but the old fisherman just grins to see such a lovely woman aboard his boat and begins to feel lustful. He greedily leaps at her, but she rebukes him.

The old fisherman doesn’t heed Florimell’s refusal and throws her down. Florimell shouts and prays for anyone to help her. Proteus, the shepherd of the seas, comes to her aid and beats the fisherman harshly with his staff. Florimell gets up, unsure whether she can trust Proteus, but his soothing voice comforts her. He takes Florimell away to his bower while tossing the lecherous old fisherman onto the shore.

Proteus tries to entertain and woo Florimell, even transforming himself into a faerie knight because he believes that’s what she likes. When this doesn’t work, Proteus begins transforming into more dreadful things, like a giant or a centaur, in order to threaten her, then locks her in his dungeon.

The narrator regrets that it’s time to turn away from Florimell back to the adventures of Sir Satyrane. Having recently finished talking with the Squire of Dames, he sees a knight riding towards him that he recognizes as Paridell, based on the colors of his crest. Paridell tells of the ruin of Marinell and of the sudden departure of Florimell, whom all the knights in court are searching for.

Sir Satyrane tells Paridell that he fears Florimell is dead (since he found her gold belt and since the monster ate her horse). Paridell is upset to hear this, although he remains determined to keep looking, despite the bad odds. The Squire of Dames, who is still nearby, notes that the sun is going down, so he suggests that they all find somewhere to stay. They make their way to a castle, but for some mysterious reason, the door won’t open to lodgers.