The Faerie Queene (136 page)

In Canto VI, the sixth age of trial and confusion, Mutabilitie appears to mean flux, disorder, and decay. But in the next Canto, the pageant of the months reveals the beauty of constancy within the wheel of change. This is the seventh canto of the seventh book, and the number – itself a symbol of God's immutability and of eternal rest – recalls the stability and repose which completed the labours of creation and pronounced it good.Then, in the eighth Canto, we look beyond creation and its weeks to the sabbath which is both the seventh day of rest and the eighth day of resurrection, the glory of which Gloriana's feast is but a type.

(Nelson, W., ed.,
Form and Convention,
p. 99)

abray: awake

address: make ready, array, arm

aduise, auise: look at, consider, perceive, resolve

al, all: although

albe: although

algates: altogether, entirely, at all

amain: violently, vehemently

amate: dismay, cast down, daunt

anon: immediately, soon

appease: cease

aread, arede, areed: advise, consider, counsel, make known, utter, tell

assay: (noun) value, quality, affliction, attack

assay: (verb) attempt, assault, afflict

astoned, astonied: astonished, stunned

awfull: full of awe

ay: always

beheast: command

behight, behote, behott: call, name, promise, grant, ordain

beliue, biliue, byliue, bliue: quickly, fast, at once

bespeak: speak

bewray: disclose, reveal, tell

to boot: to avail, to be of use

bootless: useless

buffe: blow, stroke

buxome: yielding, compliant, submissive

can: (as auxiliary verb) did

carle: churl, base fellow

cast, cast for: plan, determine

caytive: (noun) captive; (adj.) base

certes: certainly

cheare, cheere, chiere: expression

close: secret

convay: carry on, remove

corps, corse: body, corpse

couch: lower spear for attack

crime: accusation, sin, evil

darrayne: challenge, wage war

debonaire: gracious, courteous

derived: taken away

dight: decked, adorned, arranged

dint: blow, stroke

discoloured: of various colours

dispiteous: unpitying

disport: entertainment

doome: judgement

doughty: valiant, brave

dreriment: gloom, sorrow

durst: dared

earne: yearn

earst, erst: at first, lately, previously

eft: again, afterwards, then

eftsoones: soon after, at once

eeke, eke: also

eld: age

embay: bathe, pervade, suffuse

emprise: enterprise, undertaking

equall: impartial, equitable

errant: wandering

fain: eager, glad

faitour: cheat, villain

fealtie: loyalty

fell: fierce, savage

fillet: headband

fond: foolish

for thy, forthy: therefore

fbrwarn: prevent

forwearied: weary, tired out

frame: make

fray: (noun) battle; (verb) frighten

free: noble

fro: from

front: forehead

gainsaid: opposed

gan: did, began

gay: bright

guerdon: reward

habergeon: sleeveless coat of mail

(armour)

hard, hardly; with difficulty

heben: ebony

hew:
see

hight: called, named

hove: rise hue

hew: appearance, complexion, colour

humblesse: humility

impart: share, make known

iolly: gallant, brave

kind: nature kind,

kindly: natural

leman: lover

leuer, liefer: rather, preferable

liefe: beloved, love, lover

lin: cease

list: wish, desire, like, choose

lout: bow

louely: loving, lovingly

lowre: frown

make: lover, mate

manner: kind of

mauger, maulgre: in spite of, reluctantly

meed: reward

meet: proper

mell: meddle

ment, meynt: joined mickle

muchell: much

moe: more

mortal: deadly

mote: might, must, may

natheless: nevertheless

nathemore: neverthemore, none the more

ne: nor, not

neather: lower

nigh: nearly, almost

nill: will not

nor… nor: neither… nor

n'ote: could not

n'ould: would not or

… or: either… or

pain: care

paynim: pagan

pelfe: wealth

perdy: indeed, truly; literally ‘by God' (French)

perforce: of necessity, forcibly

pight: placed, pitched

plaint: complaint, lamentation playn,

pleyn: complain prick: ride fast, spur a horse

priuy: secret

priuily: within

proue: try, test

prowe: brave

puissance: power

purfled: decorated

purpose: conversation

puruey: provide

purueyance: provision, preparation

quit, quitten, quight: return, requite, rescue

raught: reached; taken away

read, rede, reed:
see
aread

recreant: (noun) coward; (adj.) cowardly

redoubted: reverenced, dreaded, feared

renowmed: renowned

repining: angry rew

rue: cause to pity

ruth: pity

sad: serious,

strong salvage: savage

saue: except

scath: harm

science: knowledge

secret: inner,

hidden seuerall: of various kinds

shend: Teproach, put to shame

seely, silly: simple, innocent, harmless

sith, sithens: since

smart: woe, injury

sooth: truth

sted: place, situation

steep: moisten, saturate

still: always

stound, stownd: state of being stunned; pain; moment

stoure, stowre: tumult, disturbance

surquedry: pride, arrogance, presumption

swowne: swoon

tho: then

thrall: slave

thrill: pierce

trayne: trick, deceit

triall: experience

vncouth: strange, unknown

vndight:
see
dight

vneath: with difficulty, scarcely, hardly

vnkind:
see
kind

vnweening: unknowing

vnwonted: unaccustomed

vassal: subject

visage: face

vouchsafe: grant

wain: chariot

ward: (noun) guard; (verb) guard, repel, ward off

ween: deem, think, intend

weet, wot, wote: know, discover, learn

to weet: to wit, truly, to be sure, namely

welkin: (noun) sky; (adj.) heavenly wex, wexed, wox, woxen: grow,

become, became

whenas: when

whereas: where

whether: which

whileare: some time ago, before, lately

whilome: formerly, once

wight: human being, creature

wise: manner, guise

wist: knew won,

wonne: dwell; dwelling

wood: mad

wont: accustomed

wot, wote: know

wreake: avenge, carry out

wroth: angry

y-, as prefix, denotes past tense

yeed, yede: go

yfere: together

ymp: child, offspring, scion

yode, yod: went

yrksome: troublesome

ywis: certainly

^*
Four pages missing from the microfilm of the copytext have been supplied from the Armour-Osgood copy in Firestone Library (Ex 3940.332.1596), providing text for I.7.44–50and IV.3.45.5-9-52.1-4.