4 The antique rolls, which there lie hidden still,
antique > ancient
5 Of Faery knights and fairest Tanaquil,
Faery > {An archaic variant of "fairy", used by Spenser to denote
the imaginary land, analogous to Britain, where his poem is set}
Tanaquil > (Caia Tanaquil, wife of Tarquinius Priscus, 5th King of
Rome (- 577 BC); an exemplary queen, taken as a type for the
Faery Queen. See 210.76)
6 Whom that most noble Briton prince so long
Briton prince > (Prince Arthur. For the origin of Arthur's quest for the Faery Queen, see 109.8-15)
7 Sought through the world, and suffered so much ill,
suffered > [for whom he suffered] ill > evil, distress
8 That I must rue his undeserved wrong: 9 O, help you my weak wit, and sharpen my dull tongue!
help you my > [help my; "you" intensifies the imperative mood] wit > wit; mind dull > dull, lacklustre; blunt