[440-25] Her blind boy is Cupid, the mischievous little god of love.
[440-26] Paphos was a city in Cyprus, where Venus loved to live.
[440-27] Juno’s walk was very stately and dignified.
[440-28] Juno was a large, noble, motherly-looking woman, who is represented in art as attended by the nymphs and the hours, as well as by Iris. The goose and the cuckoo were as much Juno’s birds as the peacock. She was the protectress of young married people and infants, and so was worshipped especially by women.
[441-29] Foison and plenty mean about the same thing. The phrase might be read, overflowing plenty, a great plenty.
[441-30] This means, may a new spring come as soon as you have gathered the harvest of the old one. May there be no winter in your lives.
[441-31] Ferdinand is still amazed, and inquires if they are really spirits that he sees.
[442-32] So rare a wonder’d father means, so rarely wonderful a father.
[442-33] Crisp means curled, alluding to the wavelets that the breezes make on the surface of the water.
[442-34] The sicklemen are reapers called from the harvest fields to make merry.