Some thoughts on temperance inspired by a student paper on the Faerie Queene , Book 2.  The student cited an article linking Guyon’s story with the developing “modern” view of time as a commodity.  With the new view of time, temperance began to be linked with self-restraint in time.  Instead of a sheathed sword, the hourglass became the new symbol of temperance.
The article argues that Spenser was opposing this development, but I’m not so sure.  And, whatever Spenser thought, the link of time and temperance seems more than linguistic.  Temperance is not inaction or passivity, certainly not for Spenser.  Temperance is instead patience, waiting for the right time to act.  That is, temperance is timeliness.  When Guyon goes into his frenzy and destroys the Bower of Bliss at the end of the poem, he is not being intemperate but perfectly temperate, because the time has come for just this zeal.
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
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