English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700; Knights and knighthood -- Poetry; Virtues -- Poetry
Proteus > (The Old Man of the Sea, a god who could assume any shape
or form when trying to evade questioners)
5 Sometime a fowl, sometime a fish in lake,
Sometime > Sometimes
6 Now like a fox, now like a dragon fell,
fell > fierce, terrible
7 That of himself he oft for fear would quake,
That > [So that]
8 And oft would fly away. O who can tell
9 The hidden power of herbs, and might of magic spell?
102.11
But now seemde best, the person to put on
2 Of that good knight, his late beguiled guest:
In mighty armes he was yclad +anon,+
4 And siluer +shield:+ vpon his coward brest
A bloudy crosse, and on his crauen crest
6 A bounch of haires discolourd diuersly:
Full iolly knight he seemde, and well addrest,
8 And when he sate vpon his courser free,
_Saint George_ himselfe ye would haue deemed him to be.
3 anon, > anon: _1590, 1596_
4 shield: > shield, _1590, 1596_
1 But now seemed best the person to put on
seemed > [it seemed]
person to put on > [appearance to assume]
2 Of that good knight, his late beguiled guest:
late > recently
3 In mighty arms he was clad anon,
anon > straightway
4 And silver shield: upon his coward breast
5 A bloody cross, and on his craven crest
bloody > blood-red
6 A bunch of hairs discoloured diversely:
hairs > plumes; _perhaps_ horsehair plumes
discoloured > varicoloured
7 Full jolly knight he seemed, and well addressed;
Full > Very
jolly > gallant; handsome; fine
addressed > armed, arrayed
8 And, when he sat upon his courser free,
free > willing
9 Saint George himself you would have deemed him to be.
102.12
But he the knight, whose semblaunt he did beare,
2 The true _Saint George_ was wandred far away,
Still flying from his thoughts and gealous feare;
4 Will was his guide, and griefe led him astray.
At last him chaunst to meete vpon the way
6 A faithlesse Sarazin all arm'd to point,
In whose great shield was writ with letters gay
8 _Sans foy_: full large of limbe and euery ioint
He was, and cared not for God or man a point.
1 But he, the knight, whose semblant he did bear,
semblant > outward aspect
2 The true Saint George, was wandered far away,
3 Still flying from his thoughts and jealous fear;
4 Will was his guide, and grief led him astray.
grief > rage, pain; grief
5 At last him chanced to meet upon the way
6 A faithless Saracen, all armed to point,
Saracen > {Arab or Moslem of the time of the Crusades; pagan}
to point > to the smallest detail, completely
7 In whose great shield was writ with letters gay
In > [On]
writ > painted
8 _Sansfoy_: full large of limb and every joint
_Sansfoy_ > "Without Faith" (French, _sans foi_)
full > very, exceedingly
9 He was, and cared not for God or man a point.
point > jot, whit
102.13
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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