89. AND SLUGGISH GERMAN, etc., and sluggish brother dost relax thy strength
to send his (Sansfoy's) foe after him, that he may overtake him. In ll.
86-88 Sansjoy addresses his brother, in ll. 89-90 himself. _German_ is any
blood relation.

100. The Knight supposed that Duessa's encouraging words were addressed to
him.

114. Spenser here, with fine dramatic effect, imitates Homer, who saves
Paris and Aeneas by a similar device. _Iliad_, iii, 380, and v, 345.

159. TEARES. This mention of the man-eating crocodile's tears is based on
an old Latin proverb. Sir John Mandeville repeats the story.

172. GRIESLY NIGHT. According to mythology (Hesiod's _Theog_., 123), one of
the first things created, the daughter of Chaos, and mother of Aether (sky)
and Hemera (day); also of Deceit, Strife, Old Age, and Vengeance. See xxii
and xxvii.

202. ON GRONING BEARE, on a bier with groaning friends around.

204. O WHAT OF GODS, etc., O what is it to be born of gods, if old
Aveugle's (the father of the three Saracens) sons are so ill treated.

219. AND GOOD SUCCESSES, etc., and good results which follow their foes.

221. OR BREAKE THE CHAYNE, refers to Jove's proposition to fasten a golden
chain to the earth by which to test his strength. Homer's _Iliad_, viii,
19. Cf. Milton's _Paradise Lost_, ii, 1051.

225. BAD EXCHEAT, bad gain by exchange. _Escheat_ is an old legal term,
meaning any lands or goods which fall to the lord of a fief by forfeiture.
Cf. "rob Peter to pay Paul."

229. SHALL WITH HIS OWNE BLOUD, etc., shall pay the price of the blood that
he has spilt with his own.

263. Here Spenser imitates Homer's _Odyssey_, xvi, 163.

267. THE GHASTLY OWLE. The poet follows the Latin rather than the Greek
poets, who regard the owl as the bird of wisdom.

273. OF DEEP AVERNUS HOLE. Avernus in the poets is a cavern (in an ancient
crater), supposed to be the entrance to the infernal regions. Cf. Vergil's
_Aeneid_, vi, 237. In Strabo's Geography it is a lake in Campania.

298. CERBERUS, the dog which guarded the lower regions. This stanza is an
imitation of Vergil's _Aeneid_, vi, 417 _seq_. In Dante's _Inferno_ Vergil
appeases him by casting handfuls of earth into his maw.

xxxv. In this stanza we see the influence of Homer and Vergil. Ixion, the
king of Lapithae, was chained by order of Zeus to a fiery-winged wheel for
aspiring to the love of the goddess Hera (Juno). Sisyphus had to roll a
huge stone forever up a hill for