English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700; Knights and knighthood -- Poetry; Virtues -- Poetry
stole > robe
Una > "One" (Latin; she is the sole Truth)
101.46
Now when that ydle dreame was to him brought,
2 Vnto that Elfin knight he bad him fly,
Where he slept soundly void of euill thought,
4 And with false shewes abuse his fantasy,
In sort as he him schooled priuily:
6 And that new creature borne without her dew,
Full of the makers guile, with +vsage+ sly
8 He taught to imitate that Lady trew,
Whose semblance she did carrie vnder feigned hew.
7 vsage > visage _1609_
1 Now when that idle dream was to him brought,
idle > empty, baseless
2 To that Elfin knight he bade him fly,
Elfin > {Of a race native to Faery Land (see 210.71 ff.)}
3 Where he slept soundly, void of evil thought,
4 And with false shows abuse his fantasy,
shows > appearances
abuse his fantasy > deceive his imagination
5 In sort as he him schooled privily:
In sort as > [As, in the manner in which]
privily > secretly
6 And that new creature, born without her due,
7 Full of the maker's guile, with usage sly
usage > practice, craft [of Archimago]; behaviour, demeanour [of the
sprite]
8 He taught to imitate that lady true,
9 Whose semblance she did carry under feigned hue.
hue > appearance; colours
101.47
Thus well instructed, to their worke they hast,
2 And comming where the knight in slomber lay,
The one vpon his hardy head him plast,
4 And made him dreame of loues and lustfull play,
That nigh his manly hart did melt away,
6 Bathed in wanton blis and wicked ioy:
Then seemed him his Lady by him lay,
8 And to him playnd, how that false winged +boy,+
Her chast hart had subdewd, to learne Dame +Pleasures+ toy.
boy, > boy _1609_
Pleasures > pleasures _1596_
1 Thus well instructed, to their work they hasten,
2 And, coming where the knight in slumber lay,
3 The one upon his hardy head himself placed,
The one > [The sprite who had visited Morpheus]
hardy head > courageous head; _or:_ hardihead: hardihood, boldness,
courage
4 And made him dream of loves and lustful play,
5 That nigh his manly heart did melt away,
6 Bathed in wanton bliss and wicked joy:
7 Then seemed him his lady by him lay,
Then seemed him > [Then it seemed to him that]
8 And to him complained how that false winged boy
that false winged boy > [Cupid]
9 Her chaste heart had subdued, to learn Dame Pleasure's toy.
subdued > led aside, stolen away (Latin _subduco_, cognate with
_seduco_ and hence "seduce")
learn > learn; teach [her]
Dame Pleasure's toy > love-making, lust (Dame Pleasure = Venus;
toy = amorous game)
101.48
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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