Peace shall louingly perswade
4 The warlike minds, to learne her goodly lore,
And ciuile armes to exercise no more:
6 Then shall a royall virgin raine, which shall
Stretch her white rod ouer the _Belgicke_ shore,
8 And the great Castle smite so sore with all,
That it shall make him shake, and shortly learne to fall.

1 "Thenceforth eternal union shall be made
2 Between the nations different afore,

different afore > previously at variance

3 And sacred Peace shall lovingly persuade
4 The warlike minds to learn her goodly lore,

lore > teaching, doctrine

5 And civil arms to exercise no more:

arms > feats of arms; _hence:_ war

6 Then shall a royal virgin reign, who shall

royal virgin > [Elizabeth]

7 Stretch her white rod over the Belgic shore,

white rod > {Sceptre, symbol of authority (now called a white staff
or white wand) carried by certain officials, such as the steward
of the sovereign's household. Cf. 101.5:5, 209.27:7}
Belgic > {Of the Netherlands, referring to the campaign in the Low
Countries. See I:640}

8 And the great castle smite so sore withal,

the great castle > (The Castilian king, Philip II of Spain (cf.
111.7:2-6, 112.18, 510.26). At I:538 Spenser speaks of "those
huge Castles of Castilian king", meaning the galleons of the
Armada)

9 That it shall make him shake, and shortly learn to fall.

303.50

But yet the end is not. There _Merlin_ stayd,
2 As ouercomen of the spirites powre,
Or other ghastly spectacle dismayd,
4 That secretly he saw, yet note discoure:
Which suddein fit, and halfe extatick stoure
6 When the two fearefull women saw, they grew
Greatly confused in behauioure;
8 At last the fury past, to former hew
+Hee+ turnd againe, and chearefull looks +as earst+ did shew.

9 Hee > She _1590 etc.: FE_
9 as earst > _omitted from 1590 and 1596_

1 "But yet the end is not." There Merlin stayed,

stayed > halted

2 As overcome of the spirit's power,

As > [As if]
of > by

3 Or other ghastly spectacle dismayed,

other > [by another]
ghastly > ghastly, supernatural

4 That secretly he saw, yet no'te discover:

no'te > could not
discover > disclose

5 Which sudden fit, and half ecstatic stour

stour > distress; conflict, turmoil

6 When the two fearful women saw, they grew
7 Greatly confused in behaviour;
8 At last, the fury past, to former hue