rom her dull horse, in desperate distresse,
And to her feet betooke her doubtfull sickernesse.

1 Which when she perceived, she was dismayed
2 At that same last extremity full sore,

At > By
full sore > very greatly, exceedingly grievously

3 And of her safety greatly grew afraid;
4 And now she gan approach to the sea-shore,

gan > began to

5 As it befell, that she could fly no more,

that > [so that]
fly > flee

6 But yield herself to spoil of greediness.
7 Lightly she leapt, as a wight forlore,

Lightly > Quickly
wight > person, woman
forlore > forsaken

8 From her dull horse, in desperate distress,

dull > slow, sluggish

9 And to her feet betook her doubtful sickerness.

betook > entrusted
sickerness > security

307.26

Not halfe so fast the wicked _Myrrha_ fled
2 From dread of her reuenging fathers hond:
Nor halfe so fast to saue her maidenhed,
4 Fled fearefull _Daphne_ on th'_AEg{ae}an_ strond,
As _Florimell_ fled from that Monster yond,
6 To reach the sea, ere she of him were raught:
For in the sea to drowne her selfe she fond,
8 Rather then of the tyrant to be caught:
Thereto feare gaue her wings, and neede her courage taught.

1 Not half so fast the wicked Myrrha fled

Myrrha > (Whose incestuous desire for her own father led to her
transformation into a tree: see _Met._ 10.312 ff.)

2 From dread of her revenging father's hand:
3 Nor half so fast, to save her maidenhead,
4 Fled fearful Daphne on the Aegean strand,

Aegean > (Daphne was the daughter of the river-god Peneus, in
Thessaly, the largest division of Greece, which is bounded on the
east by the Aegean Sea)
strand > shore

5 As Florimell fled from that monster yond,

yond > mad, furious; _also:_ yonder

6 To reach the sea, ere she of him were raught:

of > by
raught > reached, laid hold of, seized

7 For in the sea to drown herself she fond,

fond > [would] fond: [would] try; _or perhaps a contortion of:_
fained: was eager, desired

8 Rather than of the tyrant to be caught:

of > by

9 Thereto fear gave her wings, and need her courage taught.

Thereto > To that purpose

307.27

It fortuned (high God did so ordaine)
2 As she arriued on the roring shore,
In minde to leape into the mighty maine,
4 A little boate lay houing her before,
In which there slept a fisher old and pore,
6 The whiles his nets