Of euery finest fingers touch affrayd;
6 Ne any noise she made, ne word she spake,
But inly sigh'd. At last the royall Mayd
8 Out of her quiet slomber did awake,
And chaungd her weary side, the better ease to take.

1 Which when none she found, with easy shift

shift > movement

2 (For fear lest her unwares she should abraid)

unwares > unexpectedly
abraid > startle

3 The embroidered quilt she lightly up did lift,

lightly > lightly; unchastely (as at 301.59:6)

4 And by her side herself she softly laid,
5 Of every finest finger's touch afraid;
6 Nor any noise she made, nor word she spoke,
7 But inly sighed. At last the royal maid

inly > inwardly

8 Out of her quiet slumber did awake,
9 And changed her weary side, the better ease to take.

301.62

Where feeling one close couched by her side,
2 She lightly lept out of her filed bed,
And to her weapon ran, in minde to gride
4 The loathed leachour. But the Dame halfe ded
Through suddein feare and ghastly drerihed,
6 Did shrieke alowd, that through the house it rong,
And the whole family therewith adred,
8 Rashly out of their rouzed couches sprong,
And to the troubled chamber all in armes did throng.

1 Where feeling one close couched by her side,
2 She lightly leapt out of her filed bed,

lightly > quickly
filed > defiled

3 And to her weapon ran, in mind to gride

gride > wound, pierce; _hence:_ run through

4 The loathed lecher. But the dame, half dead
5 Through sudden fear and ghastly drearihead,

ghastly > frightful, terrible (as if induced by fear of the
supernatural)
drearihead > dreariness, grief; _hence:_ horror

6 Did shriek aloud, that through the house it rang,

that > [so that]

7 And the whole family, therewith adrad,

family > household
therewith adrad > frightened by that

8 Rashly out of their roused couches sprang,

Rashly > Hastily; suddenly
couches > beds

9 And to the troubled chamber all in arms did throng.

301.63

And those six Knights that Ladies Champions,
2 And eke the _Redcrosse_ knight ran to the stownd,
Halfe armd and halfe vnarmd, with them attons:
4 Where when confusedly they came, they fownd
Their Lady lying on the sencelesse grownd;
6 On th'other side, they saw the warlike Mayd
All in her snow-white smocke, with locks vnbownd,
8 Threatning the point of her auenging