English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700; Knights and knighthood -- Poetry; Virtues -- Poetry
Both horse and man vp lightly rose againe,
2 And fresh encounter towards him addrest:
But th'idle stroke yet backe recoyld in vaine,
4 And found no place his deadly point to rest.
Exceeding rage enflam'd the furious beast,
6 To be auenged of so great despight;
For neuer felt his imperceable brest
8 So wondrous force, from hand of liuing wight;
Yet had he prou'd the powre of many a puissant knight.
1 Both horse and man up lightly rose again,
lightly > immediately; easily
2 And fresh encounter towards him addressed:
3 But the idle stroke yet back recoiled in vain,
idle > futile
4 And found no place its deadly point to rest.
5 Exceeding rage inflamed the furious beast,
6 To be avenged of so great despite;
so > such a
despite > outrage; act of defiance
7 For never felt his impierceable breast
impierceable > {Not pierceable}
8 So wondrous force from hand of living wight;
So > Such
wight > being, person, mortal
9 Yet had he proved the power of many a puissant knight.
proved > tested
puissant > powerful
111.18
Then with his wauing wings displayed wyde,
2 Himselfe vp high he lifted from the ground,
And with strong flight did forcibly diuide
4 The yielding aire, which nigh too feeble found
Her flitting partes, and element +vnsound+,
6 To beare so great a weight: he cutting way
With his broad sayles, about him soared round:
8 At last low stouping with vnweldie sway,
Snatcht vp both horse and man, to beare them quite away.
5 vnsound > vnfound _1596_
1 Then, with his waving wings displayed wide,
displayed > spread, spread out
2 Himself up high he lifted from the ground,
3 And with strong flight did forcibly divide
4 The yielding air, which nigh too feeble found
5 Her flitting parts and element unsound,
flitting > unsubstantial; yielding (cf. 104.5:5, 208.2:4)
unsound > unsubstantial
6 To bear so great a weight: he, cutting way
7 With his broad sails, about him soared round:
sails > wings (of a hawk)
8 At last, low stooping with unwieldy sway,
stooping > swooping (as a hawk on its prey)
sway > momentum, swing; sweep; force
9 Snatched up both horse and man, to bear them quite away.
111.19
Long he them bore aboue the subiect plaine,
2 So farre as Ewghen bow a shaft may send,
Till struggling strong did him at last constraine,
4 To let them downe before his flightes end:
As hagard hauke presuming to contend
6 With hardie fowle, aboue his hable might,
His wearie pounces all in vaine doth spend,
8 To trusse the pray too heauie for his flight;
Which comming downe to ground, does free it selfe by fight.
1 Long he them bore above the subject plain,
subject > {Subjacent, lying below}
2 So far as yewen bow a shaft may send,
yewen > {Made of yew, the traditional wood for longbows}
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account