English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700; Knights and knighthood -- Poetry; Virtues -- Poetry
3 And sad remembrance now the prince moves
4 With fresh desire his voyage to pursue:
voyage > journey
5 Als Una yearned her travel to renew.
Als > As; also (chiefly in northern dialect)
6 Then those two knights, fast friendship to bind,
fast > firm
7 And love establish each to other true,
8 Gave goodly gifts, the signs of grateful mind,
grateful > grateful; _also:_ agreeable, pleasing
9 And eke, as pledges firm, right hands together joined.
eke > also
109.19
Prince _Arthur_ gaue a boxe of Diamond sure,
2 Embowd with gold and gorgeous ornament,
Wherein were closd few drops of liquor pure,
4 Of wondrous worth, and vertue excellent,
That any wound could heale incontinent:
6 Which to requite, the _Redcrosse_ knight him gaue
A booke, wherein his Saueours testament
8 Was writ with golden letters rich and braue;
A worke of wondrous grace, and able soules to saue.
1 Prince Arthur gave a box of diamond sure,
sure > steadfast (if referring to the diamond); secure (if referring
to the box)
2 Embowed with gold and gorgeous ornament,
Embowed > Encircled
3 Wherein were closed few drops of liquor pure,
few > [a few]
4 Of wondrous worth, and virtue excellent,
virtue > powers, efficacy
5 That any wound could heal incontinent:
incontinent > immediately
6 Which to requite, the Redcross Knight him gave
7 A book, wherein his Saviour's testament
testament > (The New Testament)
8 Was written with golden letters rich and brave;
brave > splendid
9 A work of wondrous grace, and able souls to save.
109.20
Thus beene they parted, _Arthur_ on his way
2 To seeke his loue, and th'other for to fight
With _Vnaes_ foe, that all her realme did pray.
4 But she now weighing the decayed plight,
And shrunken synewes of her chosen knight,
6 Would not a while her forward course pursew,
Ne bring him forth in face of dreadfull fight,
8 Till he recouered had his former hew:
For him to be yet weake and wearie well she knew.
1 Thus been they parted, Arthur on his way
been > [were]
2 To seek his love, and the other to fight
3 With Una's foe, that all her realm did prey.
prey > plunder, ravage
4 But she, now weighing the decayed plight
5 And shrunken sinews of her chosen knight,
6 Would not awhile her forward course pursue,
7 Nor bring him forth in face of dreadful fight,
8 Till he recovered had his former hue:
hue > appearance
9 For him to be yet weak and weary well she knew.
109.21
So as they traueild, lo they gan espy
2 An armed knight towards them gallop fast,
That seemed from some feared foe to fly,
4 Or other griesly thing, that him +agast+.
Still as he fled, his eye was backward cast,
6 As if his feare still followed him behind;
Als flew his steed, as he his bands had brast,
8 And with his winged heeles did tread the wind,
As he had beene a fole of _Pegasus_ his kind.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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