1 With that at him a quivering dart he threw, 2 With so fell force and villainous despite,
so > such fell > fierce, terrible despite > malice; rage
3 That through his habergeon the forkhead flew,
habergeon > {Sleeveless coat of chain-mail} forkhead > barbed head
4 And through the linked mail empierced quite,
empierced > pierced, pierced keenly
5 But had no power in his soft flesh to bite: 6 That stroke the hardy squire did sore displease, 7 But more that him he could not come to smite;
more > [it displeased him more]
8 For by no means the high bank he could seize,
seize > reach, arrive at (an obsolete nautical sense)