]

4 Has great or glorious in mortal eye,

Has > [Holds which is]

5 Adorns the person of her majesty;
6 That men, beholding so great excellence,

That > [So that]
so > such

7 And rare perfection in mortality,

mortality > mortal form; mortal existence; mortals collectively

8 Do her adore with sacred reverence,
9 As the idol of her Maker's great magnificence.

idol > image

202.42

To her I homage and my seruice owe,
2 In number of the noblest knights on ground,
Mongst whom on me she deigned to bestowe
4 Order of _Maydenhead_, the most renownd,
That may this day in all the world be +found,+
6 An yearely solemne feast she wontes to +make+
The day that first doth lead the yeare around;
8 To which all knights of worth and courage bold
Resort, to heare of straunge aduentures to be told.

5 found, > found: _1609_
6 make > hold _conj. various editors_

1 "To her I homage and my service owe,
2 In number of the noblest knights on ground,

number > [the company]
on ground > in the world

3 Amongst whom on me she deigned to bestow
4 Order of Maidenhead, the most renowned

Order of Maidenhead > (A reference to the Order of the Garter, the
highest chivalric order of English knighthood, instituted
c. 1344; the sovereign (i.e. Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen) is
head of the order)

5 That may this day in all the world be found:
6 A yearly solemn feast she wonts to make

yearly > (See I:144-8: "The beginning therefore of my history ...")
wonts > is accustomed
make > [observe, hold: see Textual Appendix]

7 The day that first does lead the year around;

day > (Probably Lady Day, 25 March, the first day of the new year in
the Julian calendar; cf. also this passage in the general
argument to _SC_: "For it is wel known, and stoutely mainteyned
with strong reasons of the learned, that the yeare beginneth in
March")

8 To which all knights of worth and courage bold
9 Resort, to hear of strange adventures to be told.

202.43

There this old Palmer shewed himselfe that day,
2 And to that mighty Princesse did complaine
Of grieuous mischiefes, which a wicked Fay
4 Had wrought, and many whelmd in deadly paine,
Whereof he crau'd redresse. My Soueraine,
6 Whose glory is in gracious deeds, and ioyes
Throughout the world her mercy to maintaine,
8 Eftsoones deuisd redresse for such annoyes;
Me all vnfit fo