]
such as > [like that]
historiographer > chronicler, historian

140 historiographer discourses of affairs orderly, as they were

orderly > in sequence

141 done, accounting as well the times as the actions, but a poet

well > [much]
times > dates

142 thrusts into the middest, even where it most concerns him,

middest > middle [of the story; cf. _in medias res_ (Horace, _Ars
Poetica_ 148-9)]

143 and there, recoursing to the things forepassed, and divining

recoursing > returning
forepassed > [which have already happened]

144 of things to come, makes a pleasing analysis of all. The
145 beginning, therefore, of my history, if it were to be told by a
146 historiographer, should be the twelfth book, which is the
147 last, where I devise that the Faery Queen kept her annual

devise > contrive; conjecture, conceive
kept > observed, celebrated

148 feast +twelve+ days, upon which twelve several days, the

twelve > [over a period of twelve]
several > different

149 occasions of the twelve several adventures happened: which

occasions > {Causes; circumstances giving rise to the origins}

150 (being undertaken by twelve several knights) are in these
151 twelve books severally handled and discoursed. The first was
152 this. In the beginning of the feast, there presented himself a
153 tall, clownish young man who, falling before the Queen of

clownish > rustic, unsophisticated

154 Faeries, desired a boon (as the manner then was), which

boon > favour, request

155 during that feast she might not refuse: which was that he
156 might have the achievement of any adventure which during

achievement > {The action of achieving; the opportunity to pursue and
successfully conclude}

157 that feast should happen; that being granted, he rested him

him > [himself]

158 on the floor, unfit through his rusticity for a better place.
159 Soon after entered a fair lady in mourning weeds, riding on a

weeds > clothing, attire

160 white ass, with a dwarf behind her leading a warlike steed,
161 that bore the arms of a knight, and his spear in the dwarf's

arms > {Weapons, shield and armour}

162 hand. She, falling before the Queen of Faeries, complained
163 that her father and mother (an ancient king and queen) had
164 been by a huge dragon many ye