English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700; Knights and knighthood -- Poetry; Virtues -- Poetry
woody > silvan, forest-dwelling
hamadryads > (Or dryads: spirits of the trees; the Greek word _drys_
means a timber-tree, and specifically the oak, sacred to Zeus
(Jove))
2 Her to behold do thither run apace,
3 And all the troop of lightfoot naiads
lightfoot > light-footed
naiads > (Or naiades: nymphs of fresh water)
4 Flock all about to see her lovely face:
5 But, when they viewed have her heavenly grace,
6 They envy her in their malicious mind,
7 And fly away for fear of foul disgrace:
8 But all the satyrs scorn their woody kind,
kind > race, sort
9 And henceforth nothing fair but her on earth they find.
106.19
Glad of such lucke, the luckelesse lucky maid,
2 Did her content to please their feeble eyes,
And long time with that saluage people staid,
4 To gather breath in many miseries.
During which time her gentle wit she plyes,
6 To teach them truth, which worshipt her in vaine,
And made her th'Image of Idolatryes;
8 But when their bootlesse zeale she did restraine
From her own worship, they her Asse would worship fayn.
1 Glad of such luck, the luckless lucky maid
2 Did her content to please their feeble eyes,
her content > [content herself]
3 And long time with that savage people stayed,
savage > wild, uncivilized
4 To gather breath in many miseries.
5 During which time her gentle wit she plies,
gentle > gentle; courteous; noble
6 To teach them truth, who worshipped her in vain,
in vain > without understanding, profanely
7 And made her the image of idolatries;
8 But when their bootless zeal she did restrain
bootless > unavailing, futile
9 From her own worship, they her ass would worship fain.
fain > gladly [instead of Una herself]
106.20
It fortuned a noble warlike knight
2 By iust occasion to that forrest came,
To seeke his kindred, and the lignage right,
4 From whence he tooke his well deserued name:
He had in armes abroad wonne muchell fame,
6 And fild far landes with glorie of his might,
Plaine, faithfull, true, and enimy of shame,
8 And euer lou'd to fight for Ladies right,
But in vaine glorious frayes he litle did delight.
1 It fortuned, a noble warlike knight
2 By just occasion to that forest came,
3 To seek his kindred, and the lineage right,
right > true
4 From whence he took his well deserved name:
name > (Sir Satyrane; he is not named until 106.28:6)
5 He had in arms abroad won mickle fame,
arms > feats of arms
mickle > much
6 And filled far lands with glory of his might;
7 Plain, faithful, true, and enemy of shame,
8 And ever loved to fight for ladies' right,
9 But in vainglorious frays he little did delight.
106.21
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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