confounded by
threat > thrust; menace, threat

111.11

His huge long tayle wound vp in hundred foldes,
2 Does ouerspred his long bras-scaly backe,
Whose wreathed boughts when euer he vnfoldes,
4 And thicke entangled knots adown does +slacke.+
Bespotted +as+ with shields of red and blacke,
6 It sweepeth all the land behind him farre,
And of three furlongs does but litle lacke;
8 And at the point two stings in-fixed arre,
Both deadly sharpe, that sharpest steele exceeden farre.

4 slacke. > slack. _1590;_ slack; _1609_
5 as > all _1590 etc.: FE_

1 His huge long tail, wound up in hundred folds,

hundred > [a hundred, a large number]

2 Does overspread his long brass-scaly back,
3 Whose wreathed boughts whenever he unfolds,

boughts > coils

4 And thick entangled knots adown does slack,

adown > down

5 Bespotted as with shields of red and black,

Bespotted > {Spotted all over; the prefix is intensive}

6 It sweeps all the land behind him far,
7 And of three furlongs does but little lack;

furlong > {An eighth of a mile, 220 yards, about 201 metres}

8 And at the point two stings infixed are,
9 Both deadly sharp, that sharpest steel exceed far.

sharpest steel exceed > [exceed sharpest steel in sharpness]

111.12

But stings and sharpest steele did far exceed
2 The sharpnesse of his cruell rending clawes;
Dead was it sure, as sure as death in deed,
4 What euer thing does touch his rauenous pawes,
Or what within his reach he euer drawes.
6 But his most hideous head my toung to +tell,+
Does tremble: for his deepe deuouring iawes
8 Wide gaped, like the griesly mouth of hell,
Through which into his darke abisse all rauin fell.

6 tell, > tell _1609_

1 But stings and sharpest steel did far exceed

did far exceed > [were far exceeded by]

2 The sharpness of his cruel rending claws;
3 Dead was it sure, as sure as death indeed,
4 Whatever thing does touch his ravenous paws,
5 Or what within his reach he ever draws.
6 But his most hideous head my tongue to tell

hideous > immense; odious; hideous
tell > describe

7 Does tremble: for his deep devouring jaws
8 Wide gaped, like the grisly mouth of hell,

grisly > horrible, fearsome

9 Through which into his dark abyss all ravin fell.

abyss > abyss; infernal region
ravin > plunder, prey

111.13

And that more wondrous was,