end,
8 To trusse the pray too heauie for his flight;
Which comming downe to ground, does free it selfe by fight.

1 Long he them bore above the subject plain,

subject > {Subjacent, lying below}

2 So far as yewen bow a shaft may send,

yewen > {Made of yew, the traditional wood for longbows}

3 Till struggling strong did him at last constrain
4 To let them down before his flight's end:
5 As haggard hawk, presuming to contend

haggard > untamed; wild (used of a hawk caught as an adult)

6 With hardy fowl, above its able might,

able might > strength, capabilities

7 Its weary pounces all in vain does spend

pounces > claws, talons

8 To truss the prey too heavy for its flight;

truss > {Seize in the talons, usually in mid air, and carry off;
used of birds of prey}

9 Which, coming down to ground, does free itself by fight.

111.20

He so disseized of his gryping grosse,
2 The knight his thrillant speare againe assayd
In his bras-plated body to embosse,
4 And three mens strength vnto the stroke he layd;
Wherewith the stiffe beame quaked, as affrayd,
6 And glauncing from his scaly necke, did glyde
Close vnder his left wing, then broad displayd.
8 The percing steele there wrought a wound full wyde,
That with the vncouth smart the Monster lowdly cryde.

1 He so disseized of his gripping gross,

so disseized > thus dispossessed
gripping gross > heavy grasping; gripped load; strong hold; clumsy
hold; _or perhaps an amalgam of these ideas, as:_ heavy and
strongly gripped load

2 The knight his thrilling spear again essayed

thrilling > piercing
essayed > attempted

3 In his brass-plated body to emboss,

emboss > encase; _hence:_ bury

4 And three men's strength to the stroke he laid;
5 Wherewith the stiff beam quaked as afraid,

Wherewith > With which
beam > shaft
as > [as though]

6 And glancing from his scaly neck did glide

glancing > darting, shooting (esp. obliquely)

7 Close under his left wing, then broad displayed.

displayed > spread, spread out

8 The piercing steel there wrought a wound full wide,

full > exceedingly

9 That with the uncouth smart the monster loudly cried.

That > [So that]
uncouth > strange, unusual
smart > acute pain

111.21

He cryde, as raging seas are wont to rore,
2 When wintry storme his wrathfull wreck does threat,
The rolling billowes beat