67 course thereof I have fashioned, without expressing any
68 particular purposes or by accidents therein occasioned. The

by accidents > side issues

69 general end, therefore, of all the book is to fashion a

fashion > represent; _also:_ mould, train

70 gentleman or noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline:

gentle > noble; courteous; graceful

71 which for that I conceived should be most plausible and

for that > [to that end]
plausible > popularly acceptable, agreeable

72 pleasing, being coloured with an historical fiction, which

coloured > painted, depicted; disguised

73 the most part of men delight to read rather for variety of

the most part of > [most]

74 matter than for profit of the example. I chose the history of
75 King Arthur, as most fit for the excellency of his person,

excellency > excellence

76 being made famous by many men's former works, and also
77 furthest from the danger of envy and suspicion of present

suspicion > [suspicion of political bias]

78 time. In which I have followed all the antique poets

antique > ancient (esp. of ancient Greece and Rome)

79 historical, first Homer who, in the persons of Agamemnon
80 and Ulysses, has ensampled a good governor and a virtuous

ensampled > exemplified

81 man: the one in his _Iliad_, the other in his _Odyssey_; then
82 Virgil, whose like intention was to do in the person of

like > similar

83 Aeneas; after him, Ariosto comprised them both in his

Aeneas > (Central character of Virgil's _Aeneid_)
Ariosto > (Lodovico Ariosto, 1474-1533, Italian poet)

84 Orlando; and lately Tasso dissevered them again, and formed

Orlando > (_Orlando Furioso_, 1516)
Tasso > (Torquato Tasso, 1544-1595, Italian poet)
dissevered > separated

85 both parts in two persons, namely that part which they in
86 Philosophy call Ethics, or virtues of a private man, coloured

coloured > depicted

87 in his Rinaldo: the other, named Politics, in his Godfredo.

Rinaldo > (_Rinaldo_, 1562)
Godfredo > (Count Godfredo, central character of _Gerusalemme
Liberata_, 1581)

88 By example of which excellent poets, I labour to portray in
89 Arthur, before he was king, the image of a brave knight,

brave > brave; splendid

90 perfected in the twelve private