ABSTRACT
Guyon is told that ‘Honour and dignitie’ derive from Philotime alone and that she can advance him ‘for workes and merites just.’ In Spenser’s Protestant allegory, Philotime is therefore seen to be both morally and theologically at fault, for justification by works alone is contrary to reformed religious doctrine. Guyon’s response to Mammon’s offer is ironic in its claims of unworthiness: he thanks him but adds that he is ‘fraile flesh and earthly wight,/Unworthy match for such immortall mate,’ and also that his love is ‘avowd to other Lady late’ and that ‘To chaunge love causelesse is reproch to warlike knight.’ Yet Mammon is superficially astute in offering Philotime, for at the beginning of the temptations, Guyon ‘evermore himselfe with comfort feedes,/ Of his owne vertues, and prayse-worthy deedes’ (2): he is as familiar as any of Philotime’s ‘route of people’ with this ‘worldes blis/For which ye men do strive.’
