d goodness was his meditation.

110.47

Great grace that old man to him giuen had;
2 For God he often saw from heauens hight,
All were his earthly eyen both blunt and bad,
4 And through great age had lost their kindly sight,
Yet wondrous quick and persant was his spright,
6 As Eagles eye, that can behold the Sunne:
That hill they scale with all their powre and might,
8 That his frayle thighes nigh wearie and fordonne
Gan faile, but by her helpe the top at last he wonne.

1 Great grace that old man to him given had;
2 For God he often saw from heaven's height,
3 All were his earthly eyes both blunt and bad,

All > Even; _hence:_ even though, although

4 And through great age had lost their kindly sight,

kindly > native, natural

5 Yet wondrous quick and perceant was his spirit,

perceant > piercing, percipient

6 As eagle's eye, that can behold the sun:

behold the sun > (Cf. _Parliament of Fowls_ 330-1)

7 That hill they scale with all their power and might,
8 That his frail thighs, nigh weary and fordone,

That > [So that]
fordone > ruined; exhausted

9 Gan fail; but by her help the top at last he won.

Gan > Did; began to
won > reached, attained

110.48

There they do finde that godly aged Sire,
2 With snowy lockes adowne his shoulders shed,
As hoarie frost with spangles doth attire
4 The mossy braunches of an Oke halfe ded.
Each bone might through his body well be red,
6 And euery sinew seene through his long fast:
For nought he car'd his carcas long vnfed;
8 His mind was full of spirituall repast,
And pyn'd his flesh, to keepe his body low and chast.

1 There they do find that godly aged sire,

sire > father; elderly man

2 With snowy locks adown his shoulders shed,

adown > down

3 As hoary frost with spangles does attire
4 The mossy branches of an oak half dead.
5 Each bone might through his body well be read,

read > seen

6 And every sinew seen, through his long fast:

through > as a result of

7 For naught he cared his carcase long unfed;

naught > not at all, nothing at all
cared > [cared about; cared for]

8 His mind was full of spiritual repast,
9 And pined his flesh to keep his body low and chaste.

pined > starved
low > weak, lacking vigour

110.49

Who when these two approching he aspide,
2 At their first presence grew agrieued sore,