The Faerie Queene

Calidore is troubled because he wants to abandon his old quest of pursuing the Blatant Beast to continue his new quest of loving Pastorella. One day, he is walking and comes across a lovely hill called Mount Acidale that overlooks a tranquil vale. The place is so lovely that supposedly Venus herself relaxed there.

As Calidore goes up Mount Acidale, he hears a shepherd playing pipes and see 100 pale naked maidens dancing. They are the Graces, the handmaidens of Venus. The shepherd playing for them is the famous Colin Clout. In the middle of the circle is one unnamed lady, and she’s the one Colin Clout is playing for. Calidore is amazed by what he sees, but as soon as the Graces spot him, they all disappear.

Calidore tells Colin Clout he is lucky to be playing for such dainty damsels, but Colin replies that he isn’t because once the damsels disappear, they can never be called back again. Colin explains that the damsels—the Graces—are daughters of Jupiter. But he doesn’t know the identity of the woman in the center of the circle, who was the most chaste and beautiful of all the Graces. Colin calls this woman Gloriana.

Calidore apologizes to Colin Clout for interrupting him. His heart aches for Pastorella, so he returns to her and continues doing whatever he can to serve her. Coridon, however, continues to be a rival for Pastorella’s affection and tries to outdo Calidore’s good deeds.

One day, Calidore, Coridon, and Pastorella are gathering strawberries in the woods when a tiger runs at Pastorella. Coridon runs to the rescue first but cowardly gives up. Calidore then runs forward and hits the tiger so hard with his shepherd’s staff that its head flies off. He places the decapitated tiger head at the feet of Pastorella, and from then on, she loves him much better than Coridon.

Calidore joyfully woos Pastorella, but one day the shepherds’ peaceful life is interrupted by the arrival of some brigands who ransack the place. They take everything Melibee has and kidnap Pastorella as well as Coridon. The brigands take Pastorella, Coridon, and Melibee to their cave on a little island, which is hidden by overgrown grass. The brigands intend to sell their captives as slaves.