ously
6 Hurling his sword away, he lightly lept
Vpon the beast, that with great cruelty
8 Rored, and raged to be vnder-kept:
Yet he perforce him held, and strokes vpon him hept.

1 He wist not how him to despoil of life,

wist > knew

2 Nor how to win the wished victory,
3 Sith him he saw still stronger grow through strife,

Sith > Since
still > ever; yet

4 And himself weaker through infirmity;

infirmity > weakness; _hence:_ fatigue; _also, in tune with the
allegory:_ weakness of character, moral frailty

5 Greatly he grew enraged, and furiously
6 Hurling his sword away, he lightly leapt

lightly > quickly

7 Upon the beast, that with great cruelty
8 Roared, and raged to be under-kept:
9 Yet he perforce him held, and strokes upon him heaped.

perforce > by force

307.34

As he that striues to stop a suddein flood,
2 And in strong banckes his violence +enclose+,
Forceth it swell aboue his wonted mood,
4 And largely ouerflow the fruitfull plaine,
That all the countrey seemes to be a Maine,
6 And the rich furrowes flote, all quite fordonne:
The wofull husbandman doth lowd complaine,
8 To see his whole yeares labour lost so soone,
For which to God he made so many an idle boone.

2 enclose > containe _sugg. various editors_

1 As he that strives to stop a sudden flood,
2 And in strong banks its violence enclose,

enclose > [does] contain, [to] contain

3 Forces it swell above its wonted mode,

swell > [to swell]
wonted > customary
mode > way of being; _hence:_ level

4 And largely overflow the fruitful plain,

largely > copiously; freely

5 That all the country seems to be a main,

That > [So that]
main > {Broad expanse of water}

6 And the rich furrows float, all quite fordone:

fordone > ruined

7 The woeful husbandman does loud complain,
8 To see his whole year's labour lost so soon,
9 For which to God he made so many an idle boon.

idle boon > useless prayer

307.35

So him he held, and did through might amate:
2 So long he held him, and him bet so long,
That at the last his fiercenesse gan abate,
4 And meekely stoup vnto the victour strong:
Who to auenge the implacable wrong,
6 Which he supposed donne to _Florimell_,
Sought by all meanes his dolour to prolong,
8 Sith dint of steele his carcas could not quell:
His maker with her charmes had fram