of old,
2 And girt in with two walls on either side;
3 The one of iron, the other of bright gold,
4 That none might through break, nor over-stride:

That > [So that]

5 And double gates it had, which opened wide,
6 By which both in and out men might pas;

pas > pass; pace

7 The one fair and fresh, the other old and dried:
8 Old Genius the porter of them was,

Genius > "Guardian Spirit" (Latin: his evil double is described at
212.47 ff.)
porter > {Door-keeper; one who has charge of a door or gate}

9 Old Genius, who a double nature has.

306.32

He letteth in, he letteth out to wend,
2 All that to come into the world desire;
A thousand thousand naked babes attend
4 About him day and night, which doe require,
That he with fleshly weedes would them attire:
6 Such as him list, such as eternall fate
Ordained hath, he clothes with sinfull mire,
8 And sendeth forth to liue in mortall state,
Till they againe returne backe by the hinder gate.

1 He lets in, he lets out to wend,
2 All that to come into the world desire;
3 A thousand thousand naked babes attend
4 About him day and night, which do require

require > request; demand; insist

5 That he with fleshly weeds would them attire:

weeds > clothing; _hence:_ fleshly weeds = bodies

6 Such as him list, such as eternal fate

list > pleases; please

7 Ordained has, he clothes with sinful mire,

mire > [clay, flesh (after _Gen._ 2.7)]

8 And sends forth to live in mortal state,
9 Till they again return back by the hinder gate.

hinder > rear, posterior; _also:_ latter (of the two mentioned in
stanza 31, i.e. the gate which is "old and dride")

306.33

After that they againe returned beene,
2 They in that Gardin planted be againe;
And grow +afresh+, as they had neuer seene
4 Fleshly corruption, nor mortall paine.
Some thousand yeares so doen they there +remaine+;
6 And then of him are clad with other hew,
Or sent into the chaungefull world againe,
8 Till thither they returne, where first they grew:
So like a wheele around they runne from old to new.

3 afresh > a fresh _1596_
5 remaine > remaire _1596_

1 After they again returned been,

been > [are, have]

2 They in that garden planted be again;
3 And grow afresh, as they had never seen

as > [as though]

4 Fleshly corruption, nor mortal pain.
5 Some thousand