English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700; Knights and knighthood -- Poetry; Virtues -- Poetry
6 That it would pity any living eye.
That > [So that]
pity > [move to pity]
7 Large floods of blood down their sides did rail;
Large > Plentiful, copious
rail > gush, flow
8 But floods of blood could not them satisfy:
9 Both hungered after death: both chose to win, or die.
106.44
So long they fight, and +fell+ reuenge pursue,
2 That fainting each, themselues to breathen let,
And oft refreshed, battell oft renue:
4 As when two Bores with rancling malice met,
Their gory sides fresh bleeding fiercely fret,
6 Till breathlesse both them selues aside retire,
Where foming wrath, their cruell tuskes they whet,
8 And trample th'earth, the whiles they may respire;
Then backe to fight againe, new breathed and entire.
1 fell > full _1590_
1 So long they fight, and fell revenge pursue,
fell > fierce, terrible
2 That, fainting each, themselves to breathe let,
fainting each, themselves to breathe let > [the fact that each
becomes temporarily faint allows them both a chance to recover
their breath]
3 And, oft refreshed, battle oft renew:
4 As when two boars, with rankling malice met,
5 Their gory sides fresh-bleeding fiercely fret,
fret > cut [with crisscross wounds]; gnaw, devour
6 Till, breathless, both themselves aside retire,
7 Where, foaming wrath, their cruel tusks they whet,
8 And trample the earth, while they may respire,
respire > breathe again, recover breath
9 Then back to fight again, new breathed and entire.
entire > fresh, refreshed
106.45
So fiersly, when these knights had breathed once,
2 They gan to fight returne, increasing more
Their puissant force, and cruell rage attonce,
4 With heaped strokes more hugely, then before,
That with their drerie wounds and bloudy gore
6 They both deformed, scarsely could be known.
By this sad _Vna_ fraught with anguish sore,
8 Led with their noise, which through the aire was +thrown:+
Arriu'd, where they in erth their fruitles bloud had sown.
8 thrown: > thrown, _1609_
1 So fiercely, when these knights had breathed once,
2 They gan to fight return (increasing more
gan > did
3 Their puissant force and cruel rage at once
puissant > powerful
at once > simultaneously
4 With heaped strokes, more hugely than before),
5 That with their dreary wounds and bloody gore
dreary > gory; grievous
6 They both, deformed, scarcely could be known.
deformed > disfigured, rendered hideous
7 By this sad Una, fraught with anguish sore,
By this > At this; by this time
fraught > filled
8 Led with their noise, which through the air was thrown,
9 Arrived where they in earth their fruitless blood had sown.
106.46
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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