A number of words contain contractions which enabled the printer better to fit the line on the page. Since these are a device of the printer rather than the author, the contractions are given in their expanded form in the text and listed separately here.
Except for the ampersand, the contractions consist of a letter (a, e, o, or u) with a tilde above it. In this list, "a-tilde" is shown as "{a~}". The long "s" is shown as "/".
The contractions used in the copy text (excluding the introductory material and stanzas 43-7 of Book III in the 1590 edition) are as follows:
Contraction Expands to Occurrences Per cent
{a~} am 1 0.61 {a~} an 10 6.06 {e~} em 9 5.45 {e~} en 24 14.55 {o~} om 14 8.48 {o~} on 13 7.88 {u~} un 7 4.24 & and 87 52.73
101.5:9 Whom to auenge, /he had this Knight from far c{o~}peld. 101.6:9 And this faire couple eke to /hroud th{e~}/elues were fain. 101.17:9 The /troke down fr{o~} her head vnto her /houlder glaun/t. 101.24:9 A /treame of cole black bloud forth gu/hed fr{o~} her cor/e. 101.36:4 Sweet /l{o~}bring deaw, the which to /leepe them biddes. 101.39:9 Whiles /ad Night ouer him her m{a~}tle black doth /pred. 102.6:7 Had /pent his lampe, & brought forth dawning light, 102.7:9 Then gan /he waile & weepe, to /ee that woefull /towre. 102.17:9 And /treames of purple bloud new dies the verd{a~}t fields. 102.34:9 That many err{a~}t knights hath brought to wretchedne//e. 103.36:9 Life from Sansfoy thou took/t, San/loy /hall fr{o~} thee take. 103.41:8 His corage more, that fr{o~} his griping pawes 104.29:4 Who/e wealth was want, who/e pl{e~}ty made him pore, 104.33:9 Trembling through ha/ty rage, wh{e~} choler in him /weld. 104.36:9 Dead /culs & bones of men, who/e life had gone a/tray. 105.6:9 The yron walles to ward their blowes are weake & fraile. 105.28:7 Vnle//e /he cha{u~}/t their /tubborne mouths to twitch; 105.38:3 Fr{o~} /urging gulf two mon/ters /traight were brought, 105.43:9 Great paines, & greater prai/e, both neuer to be donne. 105.46:9 Where they /hould liue in woe, & die in wretchedne//e. 106.6:2 Does throw out thrilling /hriekes, & /hrieking cryes, 106.19:9 Fr{o~} her own wor/hip, they her A//e would wor/hip fayn. 106.33:9 That they the woods are pa/t, & come now to the plaine. 107.3:3 Which through the tr{e~}bling leaues full gently playes 107.11:8 Through that fraile fo{u~}taine, which him feeble made, 107.44.9 He has them now foure yeres be/iegd to make th{e~} thrall. 108.1:9 For who/e deliuer{a~}ce /he this Prince doth thither guide. 108.38:6 For now three Moones haue ch{a~}ged thrice their hew, 109.2:9 Should die vnknown, & buried be in thankle//e thought. 109.16:9 True Loues are oft{e~} /own, but /eldom grow on ground. 109.42:9 Wh{e~} houre of death is come, let none aske whence, nor why. 110.5:9 For /treight & narrow was the way, which he did /how. 110.31:3 Whom /till /he fed, whiles they were weake & young, 110.57:9 More deare vnto their God, then yo{u~}glings to their dam. 110.60:9 For bloud can nought but /in, & wars but /orrowes yield. 110.67:7 Through pa//ing brightne//e, which did quite c{o~}found 111.8:9 Was /wolne with wrath, & poy/on, & with bloudy gore. 111.18:9 Snatcht vp both hor/e & man, to beare them quite away. 111.22:9 That flames of fire he threw forth fr{o~} his large no/ethrill. 111.28:2 With heat, toyle, wounds, armes, /mart, & inward fire 112.13:2 With /haumes, & trompets, & with Clarions /weet; 201.P3:9 He w{o~}der would much more: yet /uch to /ome appeare. 201.10:9 Witne//e ye heau{e~}s, whom /he in vaine to helpe did call. 201.12:9 The /trick{e~} Deare doth chalenge by the bleeding wound. 201.24:2 Through woods & mountaines, till they came at la/t 201.52:3 And then with words & weedes of wondrous might, 202.6:9 And thenceforth were renowmd, & /ought from place to place. 202.24:9 Does ride on both their backs, & faire her /elfe doth /aue. 202.29:9 That more to mighty h{a~}ds, th{e~} rightfull cau/e doth tru/t. 202.31:3 Weake /he makes /tr{o~}g, & /tr{o~}g thing does increace, 202.33:9 Their minds to plea/ure, & their mouthes to dainty fare. 202.46:9 They wi/t their houre was /p{e~}t; th{e~} each to re/t him hyes. 203.2:9 T'auenge his Par{e~}ts death on them, that had it wrought. 203.43:9 Depart to woods vntoucht, & leaue /o proud di/daine? 203.44:9 Wh{e~} fir/t I heard her horne /ound with /uch gha/tline//e. 204.2:9 Teach him the weake to /tr{e~}gthen, & the /tr{o~}g /uppre//e. 204.7:9 And where he hits, nought knowes, & whom he hurts, nought cares. 204.27:1 The Maid{e~} proud through pray/e, and mad through loue 204.33:2 Through wounds, & /trokes, & /tubborne handeling, 204.33:9 But all your hurts may /oone through t{e~}perance be ea/d. 204.40:3 But wh{e~}ce /hould come that harme, which thou doe/t /eeme 204.44:8 Then loe, where bound /he /its, wh{o~} thou ha/t /ought, 204.45:3 That knights & knighthood doe/t with /hame vpbray, 204.45:4 And /hew/t th'en/{a~}ple of thy childi/h might, 205.5:6 Thereby thine armes /eeme /tr{o~}g, but m{a~}hood fraile; 205.22:9 That armd with fire, more hardly he mote him with/t{o~}d. 205.27:6 Whom then /he does transforme to m{o~}/trous hewes, 205.29:9 Did breath out bounteous /mels, & painted colors /hew. 205.36:8 Through many a /troke, & many a /treaming wound, 205.38:9 And Atin aie him pricks with /purs of /hame & wrong. 207.A:3 Is by him tempted, & led downe, 207.3:2 Couer'd with boughes & /hrubs from heauens light, 207.5:9 The antique /hapes of kings and ke/ars /traunge & rare. 207.11:3 Sheilds, /teeds, and armes, & all things for thee meet 207.13:9 So mak'/t thou kings, & gayne/t wrongfull gouernement. 207.19:9 From heauens /ight, and powre of all which th{e~} pur/ew. 207.21:9 And both did gna/h their teeth, & both did threaten life. 207.25:9 Here Sleep, there Riche//e, & Hel-gate th{e~} both betwext. 207.37:9 Till that him thus be/pake their /oueraigne Lord & /ire. 207.43:8 With crownes and Diademes, & titles vaine, 207.45:9 Th{e~}ceforth /he /ought for helps, to cloke her crime withall. 208.13:9 Your /elfe his prowe//e prou'd & found him fiers & bold. 208.31:9 Right /owre, & feele the law, the which thou ha/t defa/t. 208.32:8 And through his /houlder pier/t; wherwith to gro{u~}d 208.40:5 Glad was the knight, & with fre/h courage fraught, 208.40:9 Emong/t the /hepheard /waynes, then wexeth wood & yond. 209.19:4 Braunched with gold & pearle, mo/t richly wrought, 209.20:9 She graunted, & them leading forth, the /ame did /hew. 209.36:9 As if /ome pen/iue thought c{o~}/traind her gentle /pright. 209.47:2 This parts great workman/hip, & wondrous powre, 209.53:2 Thence brought th{e~} to the /econd roome, who/e wals 209.54:9 But Alma thence th{e~} led to th'hindmo/t roome of three. 209.55:4 Right firme & /trong, though /omewhat they declind, 209.57:8 Some made in books, /ome in long parchm{e~}t /crolles, 210.5:9 By /ea to haue bene fr{o~} the Celticke mayn-land brought. 210.15:3 Which through the world th{e~} /warmd in euery part, 210.17:9 Fr{o~} Guendolene his wife, though alwaies faithfull prou'd. 210.40:5 And ran/ackt Greece well tryde, wh{e~} they were wroth; 210.42:9 Tho/e yet of her be Merti{a~} lawes both nam'd & thought. 210.48:9 Nought el/e, but trea/on, from the fir/t this l{a~}d did foyle. 210.66:5 Through his faire daughters face, & flattring word; 210.73:9 A bridge of bras, who/e /ound heau{e~}s thunder /eem'd to bee. 211.19:5 Wh{e~} the wroth We/tern wind does reaue their locks; 211.44:9 From th'earth, & from her wombe new /pirits to reprize. 212.1:9 M{o~}g/t thou/and dangers, & ten thou/and magick mights. 212.32:9 The worlds /weet In, from paine & weari/ome turmoyle. 212.51:9 That /till it breathed forth /weet /pirit & hole/ome /mell. 212.81:9 Tryde all her arts, & all her /leights, thence out to wre/t. 212.82:4 They tooke them both, & both them /trongly bound 301.6:3 That /eem'd both /hield & plate it would haue riued; 301.6:9 That mi/chieuous mi/chance his life & limbes did /pare. 301.14:9 Saue Beares, Lions, & Buls, which romed them around. 301.28:9 Then to the next /he rode, & downe the next did beare. 301.53:2 With /ighes, and /obs, and plaints, & piteous griefe, 301.56:9 With whom he meant to make his /port & courtly play. 301.58:8 Where through long watch, & late dayes weary toile, 301.58:9 She /oundly /lept, & carefull thoughts did quite a//oile. 301.67:9 They tooke their /teeds, & forth vp{o~} their iourney went. 303.2:9 Which the late world admyres for wondrous monim{e~}ts. 303.7:9 When /o he coun/eld with his /prights enc{o~}pa/t round. 303.60:9 Both /peare & /hield of great powre, for her purpo/e fit. 303.61:9 Them/elues they forth conuayd, & pa//ed forward right. 304.8:9 Which in the/e troubled bowels raignes, & rageth rife. 304.15:9 Decline her head, & touch her crouper with her crowne. 304.38:9 To /ee friends graue, th{e~} dead the graue /elfe to engro//e. 304.46:1 Through thick and thin, through mountaines & through plains, 304.46:2 Tho/e two great ch{a~}pions did attonce pur/ew 305.3:9 Thicke fore/t, was be/cratcht, & both his feet nigh lame. 305.33:9 She with her /carfe did bind the wound fr{o~} cold to keepe. 306.4:6 The/e two were twinnes, & twixt them two did /hare 306.29:2 Where mo/t /he wonnes, wh{e~} /he on earth does dwel. 306.43:9 Threw forth mo/t dainty odours, & mo/t /weet delight. 306.44:8 That nether Ph{oe}bus beams could through th{e~} throng, 307.21:2 With herbs, with charms, with co{u~}/ell, & with teares, 309.10:9 And threatned him with force & puni/hment extreme. 309.15:9 Confounds both land & /eas, and skyes doth ouerca/t. 309.16:9 Then drew he his bright /word, & gan about him throw. 309.18:9 Though nought beleu'd, & entra{u~}ce late did not refu/e. 309.48:3 Whom hauing /laine, through luckles arrowes gla{u~}ce 309.48:9 And great adu{e~}tures found, that now were l{o~}g to /ayne. 309.49:9 That fed on liuing fle/h, & druncke mens vitall blood. 311.36:9 Yet was thy loue her death, & her death was thy /mart. 311.46:1 Kings Queenes, Lords Ladies, Knights & Damzels gent 311.51:9 For loue in thou/and m{o~}/trous formes doth oft appeare. 311.52:6 Their /werds & /peres were broke, & hauberques rent; 312.9:9 That /oone they life conceiu'd, & forth in flames did fly.
In five places, the ligatured "ss" is used. This resembles an overlarge
Greek beta, and is shown here as a dollar sign.
104.15:3 But to Due$' each one him/elfe did paine 202.35:1 Eli$a (/o the elde/t hight) did deeme 207.52:1 There mournfull Cypre$e grew in greate/t /tore, 210.47:1 Whil/t they were young, Ca$ibalane their Eme 210.52:4 His daughter Genui$' in marriage:
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