ars shut up in a brazen castle,
165 who thence suffered them not to issue: and therefore

suffered > allowed
issue > come out

166 besought the Faery Queen to assign her some one of her
167 knights to take on him that exploit. Presently that clownish

Presently > Promptly, at once

168 person, upstarting, desired that adventure: whereat the

upstarting > starting up, getting up
whereat > at which, whereupon

169 queen much wondering, and the lady much gainsaying, yet
170 he earnestly importuned his desire. In the end the lady told

importuned > pressed

171 him that unless that armour which she brought would serve

brought > [had brought]

172 him (that is, the armour of a Christian man, specified by St
173 Paul, _Ephesians_ 6.11-17), he could not succeed in that
174 enterprise; which being forthwith put upon him with due

due > appropriate

175 furnitures thereto, he seemed the goodliest man in all that

furnitures > gear, fittings
goodliest > most handsome

176 company, and was well liked of the lady. And eftsoons taking

of > by
eftsoons > thereupon

177 on him knighthood, and mounting on that strange courser,
178 he went forth with her on that adventure: where begins the
179 first book, viz.
180
181 _A gentle knight was pricking on the plain,_ etc.

gentle > generous, courteous
pricking > spurring his horse, riding

182
183 The second day there came in a palmer bearing an infant

palmer > {A pilgrim who has returned from the Holy Land, carrying a
palm-leaf or palm-branch as a token; or: an itinerant monk}

184 with bloody hands, whose parents he complained to have
185 been slain by an enchantress called Acrasia: and therefore
186 craved of the Faery Queen to appoint him some knight to
187 perform that adventure, which being assigned to Sir
188 Guyon, he presently went forth with that same palmer:
189 which is the beginning of the second book and the whole
190 subject thereof. The third day there came in a groom, who

groom > young man

191 complained before the Faery Queen that a vile enchanter
192 called Busirane had in hand a most fair lady called Amoret,

hand > custody

193 whom he kept in most grievous torment, because she would
194 not yield him the pleasure of her body. Whereupon Sir
195 Scudamour, the lover of that