212.46

All this, and more might in that goodly gate
2 Be red; that euer open stood to all,
Which thither came: but in the Porch there sate
4 A comely personage of stature tall,
And semblaunce pleasing, more then naturall,
6 That trauellers to him seemd to entize;
His looser garment to the ground did fall,
8 And flew about his heeles in wanton wize,
Not fit for speedy pace, or manly exercize.

1 All this and more might in that goodly gate

might > could
goodly > beautiful

2 Be read; that ever open stood to all

read > discerned

3 Who thither came: but in the porch there sat
4 A comely personage, of stature tall
5 And semblance pleasing, more than natural,
6 That travellers to him seemed to entice;
7 His looser garment to the ground did fall,

looser > too-loose

8 And flew about his heels in wanton wise,

wise > fashion, manner

9 Not fit for speedy pace, or manly exercise.

pace > movement, motion

212.47

They in that place him _Genius_ did call:
2 Not that celestiall powre, to whom the care
Of life, and generation of all
4 That liues, pertaines in charge particulare,
Who wondrous things concerning our welfare,
6 And straunge phantomes doth let vs oft +forsee+,
And oft of secret ill bids vs beware:
8 That is our Selfe, whom though we do not see,
Yet each doth in him selfe it well perceiue to bee.

6 forsee > foresee _1609_

1 They in that place him Genius did call

Genius > "Guardian Spirit" (Latin; cf. 306.31:8-9)

2 (Not that celestial power, to whom the care

that celestial power > (The Greeks thought that each man had a demon
assigned to him at the moment of his birth; the demon accompanied
him throughout his life and after death conducted his soul to
Hades. The Romans held a similar belief: the genius (the name
shares the same root as "geno", "gigno", to beget or bring forth)
was worshipped as the god of generation. Each place also had its
own genius or guardian spirit. Spenser is saying that the porter
here is _not_ that celestial power, and I have shown the
parenthesis recommended by Warton (1762))

3 Of life, and generation of all
4 That lives, pertains in charge particular,
5 Who wondrous things concerning our welfare,
6 And strange phantoms does let us oft foresee,
7 And oft of secret ill bids us beware:

ill > evil

8 That is our Self, whom though we