Page "Archimago" Paragraph 3

At the beginning of canto 2, after the " feigning dreame " and " faire-forged Spright " tell Archimago they failed to seduce Redcross, the enchanter first throws a fit and then moderates his behavior in a swerve that duplicates Redcross's swing from " fierce despight " to " sufferance wise " ( 1. 1. 50 ).

The futility of his threats sends the mage back to " his balefull bookes ," and from these he gets the idea of transforming the dream spirit into an airy semblance of what in later cantos will be the very image of our truant hero undone by the witch's wiles,