Great lady of the greatest isle, whose light

greatest isle > [Britain]

4 Like Phoebus' lamp throughout the world does shine,

Phoebus > (Phoebus Apollo, god of the sun; Elizabeth's light is
elsewhere (e.g. 300.4:8) compared to that of the moon and
(209.4:6) to that of the morning star)

5 Shed your fair beams into my feeble eyes,
6 And raise my thoughts, too humble and too vile,

vile > lowly, wretched

7 To think of that true glorious type of yours,

type > image, representation

8 The argument of my afflicted style:

argument > subject-matter
afflicted > humble, lowly; contemptible (Latin _afflictus_)
style > literary composition; _hence:_ poem, song (cf. _SC_,
"Januarie", 10)

9 Which to hear vouchsafe, O dearest dread, awhile.

dread > {Object of awe or reverence}

CANTO I

_The Patron of true Holinesse,
Foule Errour doth defeate:
Hypocrisie him to +entrape+,
Doth to his home entreate._

3 _entrape_ > _entrappe 1590;_ entrap _1609_

1 The patron of true Holiness

patron > protector, defender, champion

2 Foul Error does defeat:
3 Hypocrisy, him to entrap,

Hypocrisy > (Archimago, introduced at 101.29, named at 101.43:6)

4 Does to his home entreat.

entreat > [entreat the patron of true Holiness]

101.1

A Gentle Knight was pricking on the plaine,
2 Y cladd in mightie armes and siluer shielde,
Wherein old dints of deepe wounds did remaine,
4 The cruell markes of many'a bloudy fielde;
Yet armes till that time did he neuer wield:
6 His angry steede did chide his foming bitt,
As much disdayning to the curbe to yield:
8 Full iolly knight he seemd, and faire did sitt,
As one for knightly giusts and fierce encounters fitt.

1 A gentle knight was pricking on the plain,

gentle > generous, courteous (to take the meaning of this word as
"noble", "high-born", would be to anticipate the revelation at
110.65 ff.; at I:153 he is described as "clownishe", i.e. rustic,
unsophisticated)
pricking > spurring his horse, riding

2 Clad in mighty arms and silver shield,

arms > armour (see I:171-3)

3 Wherein old dints of deep wounds did remain,

dints > dents, indentations

4 The cruel marks of many a bloody field;

field > field of battle, battle

5 Yet arms till that time did he never wield.

never wield > (See I:152 ff.: "In the beginning of the feast ...")

6 His angry steed d