Sectari, aut timidas passus me cuspide lyncas
Sternere, sed tristes turbare cubilibus ursos
Fulmineosque sues, et sicubi maxima tigris
Aut seducta iugis fetae spelunca leaenae.
Ipse sedens vasto facta exspectabat in antro,
Si sparsus magno remearem sanguine; nec me
Ante nisi inspectis admisit ad oscula telis.’
2014 ff. The argument is to the effect that Prowess, which is acknowledged to be the virtue opposed to Sloth, see Mirour, 10136 &c., must show itself partly in the spirit of warlike boldness, ‘the corage of hardiesce,’ leading to such undertakings as those of which the Lover had disputed the necessity.
2040. And that, i.e. ‘And as to that’: cp. Prol. 122.
2045 ff. The fight between Hercules and Achelous is related in detail by Ovid, Metam. ix. 31-88. Some parts of this seem to be reproduced by Gower, but the details are not very exactly copied. For the story generally he had some other authority, whence he got for example the names ‘Oënes’ and ‘Calidoyne.’