Chapter Flora to Florimel of F by Brewer's Readers Handbook

he wanted to sink the ship; but the Spaniards boarded it, complimented him on his heroic conduct, and he died. As the ship (the Revenge) was on its way to Spain, it was wrecked, and went to the bottom, so it never reached Spain after all. Tennyson has a poem on the subject (1878).

Flores, the lover of Blanchefleur.—Boccaccio: Il Filocopo (1340).

Boccaccio has repeated the tale in his Decameron, x. 5 (1352), in which Flores is called “Ansaldo,” and Blanchefleur “Dianora.” Flores and Blanchefleur, before Boccaccio’s time, were noted lovers, and are mentioned as early as 1288 by Matfres Eymengau de Bezers, in his Breviari d’ Amor.

Chaucer has taken the same story as the basis of the Frankelein’s Tale, and Bojardo has introduced it as an episode in his Orlando Innamorato, where the lover is “Prasildo” and the lady “Tisbina.” (See Prasildo.)

The chroniclers of Charlemagne,
Of Merlin, and the Mort d’Arthure,
Mingled together in his brain,
With tales of Flores and Blanchefleur
   —Longfellow.

Floreski (Count), a Pole, in love with princess Lodois’ka . At the opening of the play he is travelling with his servant Varbel to discover where the princess has been placed by her father during the war. He falls in with the Tartar chief Kera Khan, whom he overpowers in fight, but spares his life, and thus makes him his friend. Floreski finds the princess in the castle of baron Lovinski, who keeps her a virtual prisoner; but the castle being stormed by the Tartars, the baron is slain, and the princess marries the count.—J. P. Kemble: Lodoiska.

Florez, son of Gerrard king of the beggars. He assumes the name of Goswin, and becomes, in Bruges, a wealthy merchant. His mistress is Bertha, the supposed daughter of Vandunke the burgomaster.—Fletcher: The Beggars’ Bush (1622).

Florian, “the foundling of the forest,” discovered in infancy by the count De Valmont, and adopted as his own son. Florian is light-hearted and volatile, but with deep affection, very brave, and the delight of all who know him. He is betrothed to his cousin, lady Geraldine, a ward of count De Valmont.—Dimond: The Foundling of the Forest.

Florimel “the Fair,” courted by sir Satyrane, sir Peridure, and sir Calidore (each 3 syl), but she herself “loved none but Marinel,” who cared not for her. When Marinel was overthrown by Britomart, and was reported to be dead, Florime l resolved to search into the truth of this rumour. In her wanderings, she came weary to the hut of a ha g, but when she left the hut the hag sent a savage monster to bring her back. Florimel, however, jumped in to a boat and escaped; but she fell into the hands of Proteus, who kept her in a dungeon “deep in the bottom of a huge great rock.” One day, Marinel and his mother went to a banquet given by Proteus to the sea-gods; and as Marinel was loitering about, he heard the captive bemoaning her hard fate, and all “for love of Marinel.” His heart was touched; he resolved to release the prisoner, and obtained from his mother a warrant of release, signed by Neptune himself. Proteus did not dare to disobey; so the lady was released, and became the happy bride of her liberator.—Spenser: Faërie Queene, iii. 4, 8, and iv. 11, 12 (1590, 1596).

(The name Florimel means “honey-flower.”)

Florimel (The False), made by a witch of Riphæan snow and virgin wax, with an infusion of vermilion. Two burning lamps in silver sockets served for eyes, fine gold wire for locks, and for soul “a sprite that had fallen from heaven.” Braggadoccio, seeing this false Florimel, carried “her” off as the veritable Florimel; but when she was stripped of her borrowed plumes, this waxen Florimel vanished into thin air, leaving nothing behind except the “golden girdle that was about her waist.”—Spenser: Faërie Queene, iii. 8 and v. 3 (1590, 1596).