sleeping memorie
8 Of those same antique Peres, the heauens brood,
Which +_Greeke_+ and _Asian_ riuers stained with their blood.

9 _Greeke_ > _Greece 1596, 1609_

1 "For so must all things excellent begin,
2 And eke enrooted deep must be that tree

eke > also, moreover

3 Whose big embodied branches shall not lin

embodied > {Consisting of human bodies; it is the family tree whose
scion will be Elizabeth}
lin > cease, desist (see 210.2:5)

4 Till they to heaven's height forth stretched be.
5 For from your womb a famous progeny
6 Shall spring, out of the ancient Trojan blood,

Trojan > (See 210.9:6 ff., 309.38 ff.)

7 Which shall revive the sleeping memory
8 Of those same antique peers, the heavens' brood,

antique > ancient
peers > nobles
brood > offspring; race

9 Which Greek and Asian rivers stained with their blood.

303.23

Renowmed kings, and sacred Emperours,
2 Thy fruitfull Ofspring, shall from thee descend;
Braue Captaines, and most mighty warriours,
4 That shall their conquests through all lands extend,
And their decayed kingdomes shall amend:
6 The feeble Britons, broken with long warre,
They shall vpreare, and mightily defend
8 Against their forrein foe, that comes from farre,
Till vniuersall peace compound all ciuill iarre.

1 "Renowned kings, and sacred emperors,

sacred > {Commonly used (-1590) as an epithet of royalty; also,
here, specifically because Britomart's lineage can be traced back
to Aeneas, whose father, Anchises, was a mortal, and whose
mother, Venus, was a goddess}

2 Your fruitful offspring, shall from you descend;
3 Brave captains, and most mighty warriors,
4 That shall their conquests through all lands extend
5 And their decayed kingdoms shall amend:

amend > repair, restore

6 The feeble Britons, broken with long war,
7 They shall uprear, and mightily defend
8 Against their foreign foe, that comes from far,

their foreign foe > [the Spanish; or Roman Catholics in general]

9 Till universal peace compound all civil jar.

compound > settle
jar > discord

303.24

It was not, _Britomart_, thy wandring eye,
2 Glauncing vnwares in charmed looking glas,
But the streight course of heauenly destiny,
4 Led with eternall prouidence, that has
Guided thy glaunce, to bring his will to pas:
6 Ne is thy fate, ne is thy fortune ill,
To loue the prowest k