The Poetical Works of John Skelton, Volume 2 (of 2)
Date: 2019-07-28T00:00:00+00:00
Keywords: English poetry -- Early modern; 1500-1700

The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Poetical Works of John Skelton, Volume 2 (of 2)

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Title: The Poetical Works of John Skelton, Volume 2 (of 2)

Author: John Skelton

Editor: Alexander Dyce

Release date: July 28, 2019 [eBook #59998]

Language: English

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/59998

Credits: Produced by Jonathan Ingram and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE POETICAL WORKS OF JOHN SKELTON, VOLUME 2 (OF 2) ***

Transcriber’s Note: Volume I is available as PG ebook #59997.

THE
POETICAL WORKS OF SKELTON.

LONDON:
PRINTED BY LEVEY, ROBSON, AND FRANKLYN,
Great New Street, Fetter Lane.

THE
POETICAL WORKS
OF
JOHN SKELTON:

WITH NOTES,
AND
SOME ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHOR AND HIS WRITINGS,
BY THE
REV. ALEXANDER DYCE.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. II.

LONDON:
THOMAS RODD, GREAT NEWPORT STREET.
MDCCCXLIII.

THE POETICAL WORKS
OF
JOHN SKELTON.

SPEKE, PARROT.[1]
THE BOKE[2] COMPILED BY MAISTER SKELTON, POET LAUREAT, CALLED SPEAKE, PARROT.

[Lectoribus auctor recipit[3] opusculi hujus auxesim.

Crescet in immensum me vivo pagina præsens;

Hinc mea dicetur Skeltonidis aurea fama.

Parot.]

Lucanus.[4] Tigris et Euphrates uno se fonte resolvunt.

My name is Parrot, a byrd of paradyse,
By nature deuysed of a wonderous[5] kynde,
Dyentely dyeted with dyuers dylycate spyce,

Tyl Euphrates, that flode, dryueth me into Inde;

Where men of that countrey by fortune me fynd,

And send me to greate ladyes[6] of estate:

Then Parot must haue an almon or a date;

Topographia, quam habet hæc avicula in deliciis.

A cage curyously caruen, with syluer pyn, 10
Properly paynted, to be my couertowre;
A myrrour of glasse, that I may toote therin;

These maidens ful mekely with many a diuers[7] flowre

Freshly they dresse, and make swete my bowre,

With, Speke, Parrot, I pray you, full curtesly they say;

Parrot is a goodly byrd, a[8] prety popagey:

Delectatur in factura sua, tamen res est forma fugax.

With my becke bent, my[9] lyttyl wanton eye,

My fedders freshe as is the emrawde grene,

About my neck a cyrculet lyke the ryche rubye,

My lyttyll leggys, my feet both fete and clene, 20

I am a mynyon to wayt vppon a[10] quene;

My proper Parrot, my lyttyl prety foole;

With ladyes I lerne, and go with them to scole.

Psittacus a vobis aliorum nomina disco: Hoc per me didici dicere,[11] Cæsar, ave.

Hagh, ha, ha, Parrot, ye can laugh pretyly!

Parrot hath not dyned of al this[12] long day:

Lyke your[13] pus cate, Parrot can mute and cry

In Lattyn, in Ebrew, Araby, and Caldey;[14]
In Greke tong Parrot can bothe speke and say,
As Percyus, that poet, doth reporte of me,
Quis expedivit psittaco suum chaire? 30

Docibilem se pandit in omni idiomate. Polichronitudo Basileos.

Dowse[15] French of Parryse Parrot can lerne,
Pronounsynge my purpose after my properte,
With, Perliez byen, Parrot, ou perlez rien;
With Douch, with Spanysh, my tong can agre;
In Englysh to God Parrot can supple,[16]

Cryst saue Kyng Henry[17] the viii., our royall kyng,

The red rose in honour to florysh and sprynge!

Katerina universalis vitii ruina, Græcum est. Fidasso de cosso, i. habeto fidem in temet ipso. Auctoritate[m] inconsultam taxat hic. Lege Flaccum, et observa plantatum diabolum.

With Kateryne incomparable, our ryall[18] quene also,

That pereles pomegarnet, Chryst saue her noble grace!

Parrot, saves[19] habler Castiliano, 40

With fidasso de cosso[20] in Turkey and in Trace;

Vis consilii expers,[21] as techith me Horace,

Mole ruit sua, whose dictes ar[22] pregnaunte,

Souentez foys,[23] Parrot, en souenaunte.

Sæpenumero hæc pensitans psittacus ego pronuntio.[24] Aphorismo, quia paronomasia certe incomprehensibilis.

My lady maystres,[25] dame Philology,

Gaue me a gyfte in my nest whan I[26] laye,

To lerne all language, and it to spake aptely:

Now pandez mory,[27] wax frantycke, some men[28] saye;

Phroneses for[29] Freneses may not holde her way.

An almon now for Parrot, dilycatly drest; 50

In Salve festa dies, toto theyr doth[30] best.

Aptius hic loquitur animus quam lingua. Notum adagium et exasperans.

Moderata juvant, but toto doth excede;
Dyscressyon is moder of noble vertues all;
Myden[31] agan in Greke[32] tonge we rede;
But reason and wyt wantyth theyr prouyncyall
When wylfulnes is vycar generall.
Hæc res acu tangitur, Parrot, par ma foy:
Ticez vous, Parrot, tenez vous coye.

Besy, besy,[33] besy, and besynes agayne!

Que pensez voz, Parrot? what meneth this besynes? 60

Vitulus in Oreb troubled Arons brayne,
Melchisedeck mercyfull made Moloc mercyles;
To wyse is no vertue, to medlyng, to restles;
In mesure is tresure, cum sensu maturato;[34]
Ne tropo sanno,[35] ne tropo mato.

Aram was fyred with Caldies fyer called Ur;

Iobab[36] was brought vp in the lande of Hus;[37]

The lynage of Lot toke supporte of Assur;

Iereboseth is Ebrue, who lyst the cause[38] dyscus.

Peace, Parrot, ye prate, as ye were ebrius: 70

Howst thé, lyuer god van hemrik, ic seg;

In Popering[39] grew peres, whan Parrot was an eg.

What is this to purpose? Ouer in a whynnymeg![40]

Hop Lobyn of Lowdeon wald haue e[41] byt of bred;

The iebet of Baldock was made for Jack Leg;

An arrow vnfethered and without an hed,

A bagpype[42] without blowynge standeth in no sted:

Some run to far before, some run to far behynde,

Some be to churlysshe, and some be to kynde.

Ic dien serueth for the[43] erstrych[44] fether, 80

Ic dien is the language of the land of Beme;
In Affryc tongue byrsa is a thonge of lether;
In Palestina there is Ierusalem.

Colostrum now for Parot, whyte bred and swete creme!

Our Thomasen[45] she doth trip, our Ienet she doth shayle:

Parrot hath a blacke beard and a fayre grene tayle.

Moryshe myne owne shelfe, the costermonger sayth;[46]

Fate, fate, fate, ye Irysh[47] water lag;

In flattryng fables men fynde but lyttyl fayth:

But moveatur terra, let the world wag; 90

Let syr Wrig wrag[48] wrastell with syr Delarag;[49]

Euery man after his maner of wayes,

Pawbe une aruer, so the Welche man sayes.

Suche shredis of sentence, strowed in the shop

Of auncyent Aristippus and such other mo,
I gader togyther and close in my crop,[50]
Of my wanton conseyt, unde depromo
Dilemmata docta in pædagogio
Sacro vatum, whereof to you I breke:

I pray you, let Parot haue lyberte to speke. 100

But ware the cat, Parot, ware the fals cat!

With, Who is there? a mayd? nay, nay, I trow:

Ware ryat, Parrot, ware ryot, ware that!

Mete, mete for Parrot, mete, I say, how!

Thus dyuers of language by lernyng I grow:

With, Bas me, swete Parrot, bas me, swete swete;

To dwell amonge ladyes Parrot is mete.

Parrot, Parrot, Parrot, praty popigay!

With my beke I can pyke my lyttel praty too;

My delyght is solas, pleasure, dysporte, and pley; 110

Lyke a wanton, whan I wyll, I rele to and froo:

Parot can say, Cæsar, ave, also;

But Parrot hath no fauour to Esebon:

Aboue all other byrdis, set Parrot alone.

Ulula, Esebon, for Ieromy doth wepe!
Sion is in sadnes, Rachell ruly doth loke;
Madionita Ietro, our Moyses kepyth his shepe;
Gedeon is gon, that Zalmane vndertoke,
Oreb et Zeb, of Judicum rede the boke;

Now Geball, Amon, and Amaloch,—harke, harke! 120

Parrot pretendith to be a bybyll clarke.

O Esebon, Esebon! to thé is cum agayne

Seon, the regent Amorræorum,

And Og, that fat hog of[51] Basan, doth retayne,

The crafty coistronus Cananæorum;[52]

And asylum, whilom refugium miserorum,

Non fanum, sed profanum, standyth in lyttyll sted:

Ulula, Esebon, for Iepte is starke ded!

Esebon, Marybon, Wheston next Barnet;

A trym tram for an horse myll it were a nyse thyng; 130

Deyntes for dammoysels, chaffer far fet:

Bo ho doth bark wel, but Hough ho he rulyth[53] the ring;

From Scarpary to Tartary renoun therin doth spryng,

With, He sayd, and we said, ich wot now what ich wot,

Quod magnus est dominus Judas Scarioth.

Tholomye and Haly were cunnyng and wyse

In the volvell, in the quadrant, and in the astroloby,

To pronostycate truly the chaunce of fortunys dyse;

Som trete of theyr tirykis, som of astrology,

Som pseudo-propheta with chiromancy:[54] 140

Yf fortune be frendly, and grace be the guyde,

Honowre with renowne wyll ren on[55] that syde.

Monon calon agaton,
Quod Parato
In Græco.

Let Parrot, I pray you, haue lyberte to prate,

For aurea lingua Græca ought to be magnyfyed,

Yf it were cond perfytely, and after the rate,

As lingua Latina, in scole matter occupyed;

But our Grekis theyr Greke so well haue applyed, 150

That they cannot say in Greke, rydynge by the way,

How, hosteler, fetche my hors a botell of hay!

Neyther frame a silogisme in phrisesomorum,

Formaliter et Græce, cum medio termino:

Our Grekys ye walow in the washbol Argolicorum;

For though ye can tell in Greke what is phormio,

Yet ye seke out your Greke in Capricornio;

For they[56] scrape[57] out good scrypture, and set in a gall,

Ye go about to amende, and ye mare all.

Some argue secundum quid ad simpliciter, 160
And yet he wolde be rekenyd pro Areopagita;
And some make distinctions multipliciter,

Whether ita were before non, or non[58] before ita,

Nether wise nor wel lernid, but like hermaphrodita:

Set sophia asyde, for euery Jack Raker

And euery mad medler must now be a maker.

In Academia Parrot dare no probleme kepe;
For Græce fari[59] so occupyeth the chayre,
That Latinum fari may fall to rest and slepe,

And syllogisari was drowned at Sturbrydge fayre; 170

Tryuyals[60] and quatryuyals so sore now they appayre,

That Parrot the[61] popagay hath pytye to beholde

How the rest of good lernyng is roufled[62] vp and trold.

Albertus de modo significandi,
And Donatus be dryuen out of scole;
Prisians hed broken now handy dandy,
And Inter didascolos is rekened for a fole;
Alexander, a gander of Menanders[63] pole,
With Da Cansales, is cast out of the gate,
And Da Racionales dare not shew his pate. 180

Plauti[64] in his comedies a chyld shall now reherse,

And medyll with Quintylyan in his Declamacyons,[65]

That Pety Caton can scantly construe a verse,

With Aveto in Græco, and such solempne salutacyons,

Can skantly the tensis of his coniugacyons;

Settynge theyr myndys so moche of eloquens,

That of theyr scole maters lost is the hole sentens.

Now a nutmeg, a nutmeg, cum gariopholo,[66]

For Parrot to pyke vpon, his brayne for to stable,

Swete synamum styckis and pleris cum musco![67] 190

In Paradyce, that place of pleasure perdurable,

The progeny of Parrottis were fayre and fauorable;

Nowe in valle Ebron Parrot is fayne to fede:

Cristecrosse and saynt Nycholas, Parrot, be your good spede!

The myrrour that I tote in, quasi diaphanum,
Vel quasi speculum, in ænigmate,
Elencticum,[68] or ells enthymematicum,[69]
For logicions to loke on, somwhat sophistice:

Retoricyons[70] and oratours in freshe humanyte,

Support Parrot, I pray you, with your suffrage ornate, 200

Of confuse tantum auoydynge the chekmate.

But of that supposicyon that callyd is arte
Confuse distributive, as Parrot hath deuysed,
Let euery man after his merit take his parte,

For in this processe Parrot nothing hath surmysed,

No matter pretendyd, nor nothyng enterprysed,

But that metaphora, allegoria with all,

Shall be his protectyon, his pauys, and his wall.

For Parot is no churlish chowgh, nor no flekyd pye,

Parrot is no pendugum, that men call a carlyng, 210

Parrot is no woodecocke, nor no butterfly,

Parrot is no stameryng stare, that men call a starlyng;

But Parot is my[71] owne dere harte and my dere[72] derling;

Melpomene, that fayre mayde, she burneshed his beke:

I pray you, let Parrot haue lyberte to speke.

Parrot is a fayre byrd for a lady;
God of his goodnes him framed and wrought;
When Parrot is ded, she dothe not putrefy:

Ye, all thyng mortall shall torne vnto nought,

Except mannes soule, that Chryst so dere bought; 220

That neuer may dye, nor neuer dye shall:

Make moche of Parrot, the[73] popegay ryall.[74]

For that pereles prynce that Parrot dyd create,

He made you of nothynge by his magistye:

Poynt well this probleme that Parrot doth prate,

And remembre amonge how Parrot and ye

Shall lepe from this lyfe, as mery as we be;

Pompe, pryde, honour, ryches, and worldly lust,

Parrot sayth playnly, shall tourne all to dust.

Thus Parrot dothe pray you 230
With hert most tender,
To rekyn with this recule now,[75]
And it to remember.

Psittacus, ecce, cano, nec sunt mea carmina Phœbo

Digna scio, tamen est plena camena deo.

Secundum Skeltonida famigeratum,

In Piereorum catalogo numeratum.

Itaque consolamini invicem in verbis istis, &c.[76]

Candidi lectores, callide callete; vestrum fovete Psittacum, &c.[77]

[Galathea.

Hic occurrat[78] memoriæ Pamphilus de amore Galatheæ.

Speke, Parotte, I pray yow, for Maryes saake,

Whate mone he made when Pamphylus loste hys make.

Parrotte.

In ista cantilena[79] ore stilla plena abjectis frangibulis et aperit.

My propire Besse, 240
My praty Besse,
Turne ones agayne to me:
For slepyste thou, Besse,
Or wakeste thow, Besse,
Myne herte hyt ys with thé.

Quid quæritis tot capita, tot census?
My deysy delectabyll,
My prymerose commendabyll,
My vyolet amyabyll,
My ioye inexplicabill,
Nowe torne agayne to me. 250

I wylbe ferme and stabyll,
And to yow seruyceabyll,
And also prophytabyll,
Yf ye be agreabyll
To turne agayne to me,
My propyr Besse.

Maro: Malo me Galatea petit, lasciva puella, Et fugit ad salices, &c.

Alas, I am dysdayned,
And as a man halfe maymed,
My harte is so sore payned!
I pray thé, Besse, vnfayned, 260
Yet com agayne to me!
Be loue I am constreyned
To be with yow retayned,
Hyt wyll not be refrayned:
I pray yow, be reclaymed,
And torne agayne to me,
My propyr Besse.

Quod[80] Parot, the popagay royall.

Martialis cecinit carmen fit mihi scutum:—

Est mihi lasciva pagina, vita proba.[81]

Galethea.

Zoe kai psyche.[82] Non omnes capiunt verbum istud, sed quibus datum est desuper.

Now kus me, Parrot, kus me, kus, kus, kus:[83]

Goddys blessyng lyght on thy swete lyttyll[84] mus! 270

Vita et anima,

Zoe kai psyche.[85]

Aquinates.[86]

Concumbunt[87] Græce. Non est hic sermo pudicus.

Sua consequentia[88] magni æstimatur momenti Attica sane eloquentia.

Ergo[89] Attica[90] dictamina
Sunt[91] plumbi lamina,
Vel[92] spuria vitulamina:
Avertat hæc[93] Urania![94]

[Amen.]

Amen, Amen,[95]
And set to[96] a D,
And then it is, Amend
Our new found A, B, C.

Cum cæteris paribus.[97]

[Lenuoy primere.

Go, litell quayre, namyd the Popagay, 280

Home to resorte Jerobesethe perswade;

For the cliffes of Scaloppe they rore wellaway,

And the sandes of Cefas begyn to waste and fade,

For replicacion restles that he of late ther made;

Now Neptune and Eolus ar agreed of lyclyhode,

For Tytus at Dover abydythe in the rode;

Lucina she wadythe among the watry floddes,

And the cokkes begyn to crowe agayne the day;

Le tonsan de Jason is lodgid among the shrowdes,

Of Argus revengyd, recover when he may; 290

Lyacon of Libyk and Lydy hathe cawghte hys pray:

Goe, lytyll quayre, pray them that yow beholde,

In there remembraunce ye may be inrolde.

Yet some folys say that ye arre ffurnysshyd with knakkes,

That hang togedyr as fethyrs in the wynde;

But lewdlye ar they lettyrd that your lernyng lackys,

Barkyng and whyning, lyke churlysshe currys of kynde,

For whoo lokythe wyselye in your warkys may fynde

Muche frutefull mater: but now, for your defence

Agayne all remordes arme yow with paciens. 300

Monostichon.

Ipse sagax æqui ceu verax nuntius ito.

Morda[98] puros mal desires. Portugues.

Penultimo die Octobris, 33ᵒ.

Secunde Lenuoy.

Passe forthe, Parotte, towardes some passengere,

Require hym to convey yow ovyr the salte fome;

Addressyng your selfe, lyke a sadde messengere,

To ower soleyne seigneour Sadoke, desire hym to cum home,

Makyng hys pylgrimage by nostre dame de Crome;

For Jerico and Jerssey shall mete togethyr assone

As he to exployte the man owte of the mone.

With porpose and graundepose he may fede hym fatte,

Thowghe he pampyr not hys paunche with the grete seall: 310

We haue longyd and lokyd long tyme for that,

Whyche cawsythe pore suters haue many a hongry mele:

As presydent and regente he rulythe every deall.

Now pas furthe, good Parott, ower Lorde be your stede,[99]

In this your journey to prospere and spede!

And thowe sum dysdayne yow, and sey how ye prate,

And howe your poemys arre barayne of polyshed eloquens,

There is none that your name woll abbrogate

Then nodypollys and gramatolys of smalle intellygens;

To rude ys there reason to reche to your sentence: 320

Suche malyncoly mastyvys and mangye curre dogges

Ar mete for a swyneherde to hunte after hogges.

Monostichon.

Psittace, perge[100] volans, fatuorum tela retundas.

Morda[101] puros mall desers. Portugues.

In diebus Novembris, 34.

Le dereyn Lenveoy.

Prepayre yow, Parrot, breuely your passage to take,

Of Mercury vndyr the trynall aspecte,

And sadlye salute ower solen syre Sydrake,

And shewe hym that all the world dothe coniecte,

How the maters he mellis in com to small effecte;

For he wantythe of hys wyttes that all wold rule alone;

Hyt is no lytyll bordon to bere a grete mylle stone: 330

To bryng all the see into a cheryston pytte,
To nombyr all the sterrys in the fyrmament,
To rule ix realmes by one mannes wytte,

To suche thynges ympossybyll reason cannot consente:

Muche money, men sey, there madly he hathe spente:

Parrot, ye may prate thys vndyr protestacion,

Was neuyr suche a senatour syn Crystes incarnacion.

Wherfor he may now come agayne as he wente,

Non sine postica sanna, as I trowe,

From Calys to Dovyr, to Caunterbury in Kente, 340

To make reconyng in the resseyte how Robyn loste hys bowe,

To sowe corne in the see sande, ther wyll no crope growe.

Thow ye be tauntyd, Parotte, with tonges attayntyd,

Yet your problemes ar preignaunte, and with loyalte acquayntyd.

Monostichon.

I, properans, Parrot[e],[102] malas sic corripe linguas.

Morda puros mall desires. Portigues.

15 kalendis Decembris, 34.

Distichon miserabile.

Altior, heu, cedro, crudelior, heu, leopardo!

Heu, vitulus bubali fit dominus Priami!

Tetrastichon,—Unde species Priami est digna imperio.

Non annis licet et Priamus sed honore voceris:

Dum foveas vitulum, rex, regeris, Britonum;

Rex, regeris, non ipse regis: rex inclyte, calle; 350

Subde tibi vitulum, ne fatuet nimium.

God amend all,

That all amend may!

Amen, quod Parott,

The royall popagay.

Kalendis Decembris, 34.

Lenvoy royall.

Go, propyr Parotte, my popagay,

That lordes and ladies thys pamflett may behold,

With notable clerkes: supply to them, I pray,

Your rudenes to pardon, and also that they wolde

Vouchesafe to defend yow agayne the brawlyng scolde, 360

Callyd Detraxion, encankryd with envye,

Whose tong ys attayntyd with slaundrys obliqui.

For trowthe in parabyll ye wantonlye pronounce,

Langagys diuers, yet vndyr that dothe reste
Maters more precious then the ryche jacounce,
Diamounde, or rubye, or balas of the beste,

Or eyndye sapher with oryente perlys[103] dreste:

Wherfor your remorde[r]s ar madde, or else starke blynde,

Yow to remorde erste or they know your mynde.

Distichon.

I, volitans,[104] Parrote, tuam moderare Minervam: 370

Vix tua percipient, qui tua teque legent.

Hyperbato[n].

Psittacus hi notus[105] seu Persius est puto notus,

Nec reor est nec erit licet est erit.

Maledite soyte bouche malheurewse! 34

Laucture de Parott.

O my Parrot, O unice dilecte, votorum meorum omnis lapis, lapis pretiosus operimentum tuum!

Parrott.

Sicut Aaron populumque, sic bubali vitulus, sic bubali vitulus, sic bubali vitulus.

Thus myche Parott hathe opynlye expreste:

Let se who dare make vp the reste.

Le Popagay sen va complayndre.[106]

Helas! I lamente the dull abusyd brayne,
The enfatuate fantasies, the wytles wylfulnes
Of on and hothyr at me that haue dysdayne:
Som sey, they cannot my parables expresse;
Som sey, I rayle att ryott recheles; 380

Some say but lityll, and thynke more in there thowghte,

How thys prosses I prate of, hyt ys not all for nowghte.

O causeles cowardes, O hartles hardynes!

O manles manhod, enfayntyd all with fere!

O connyng clergye, where ys your redynes

To practise or postyll thys prosses here and there?

For drede ye darre not medyll with suche gere,

Or elles ye pynche curtesy, trulye as I trowe,

Whyche of yow fyrste dare boldlye plucke the crowe.

The skye is clowdy, the coste is nothyng clere; 390

Tytan bathe truste vp hys tressys of fyne golde;

Iupyter for Saturne darre make no royall chere;

Lyacon lawghyth there att, and berythe hym more bolde;

Racell, rulye ragged, she is like to cache colde;

Moloc, that mawmett, there darre no man withsay;

The reste of suche reconyng may make a fowle fraye.

Dixit, quod Parrott, the royall popagay.

Cest chose maleheure[u]se,

Que mall bouche.

Parrotte.

Jupiter ut nitido deus est veneratus Olympo;
Hic coliturque deus. 400
Sunt data thura Jovi, rutilo solio residenti;
Cum Jove thura capit.

Jupiter astrorum rector dominusque polorum;[107]

Anglica sceptra regit.

Galathea.

I compas the conveyaunce vnto the capitall

Of ower clerke Cleros, whythyr, thydyr, and why not hethyr?

For passe a pase apase ys gon to cache a molle,

Over Scarpary mala vi, Monsyre cy and sliddyr:

Whate sequele shall folow when pendugims mete togethyr?

Speke, Parotte, my swete byrde, and ye shall haue a date, 410

Of frantycknes and folysshnes whyche ys the grett state?

Parotte.

Difficille hit ys to ansswere thys demaunde;

Yet, aftyr the sagacite of a popagay,—

Frantiknes dothe rule and all thyng commaunde;

Wylfulnes and braynles no[w] rule all the raye;

Agayne ffrentike frenesy there dar no man sey nay,

For ffrantiknes, and wylfulnes, and braynles ensembyll,

The nebbis of a lyon they make to trete and trembyll;

To jumbyll, to stombyll, to tumbyll down lyke folys,

To lowre,[108] to droupe, to knele, to stowpe, and to play
cowche quale, 420

To fysshe afore the nette, and to drawe polys;

He make[th] them to bere babylles, and to bere a lowe sayle;

He caryeth a kyng in hys sleve, yf all the worlde fayle;

He facithe owte at a fflusshe, with, shewe, take all!

Of Pope Julius cardys he ys chefe cardynall.

He tryhumfythe, he trumpythe, he turnythe all vp and downe,

With, skyregalyard, prowde palyard, vaunteperler, ye prate!

Hys woluys hede, wanne, bloo as lede, gapythe over the crowne:

Hyt ys to fere leste he wolde were the garland on hys pate,

Peregall with all prynces farre passyng hys estate; 430

For of ower regente the regiment he hathe, ex qua vi,

Patet per versus, quod ex vi bolte harvi.

Now, Galathea, lett Parrot, I pray yow, haue hys date;

Yett dates now ar deynte, and wax verye scante,

For grocers were grugyd at and groynyd at but late;

Grete reysons with resons be now reprobitante,

For reysons ar no resons, but resons currant:

Ryn God, rynne Devyll! yet the date of ower Lord

And the date of the Devyll dothe shrewlye accord.

Dixit, quod Parrott, the popagay royall.

Galathea.

Nowe, Parott, my swete byrde, speke owte yet ons agayne, 440

Sette asyde all sophysms,[109] and speke now trew and playne.

Parotte.

So many[110] morall maters, and so lytell vsyd;

So myche newe makyng, and so madd tyme spente;

So myche translacion in to Englyshe confused;

So myche nobyll prechyng, and so lytell amendment;

So myche consultacion, almoste to none entente;

So myche provision, and so lytell wytte at nede;—

Syns Dewcalyons flodde there can no clerkes rede.

So lytyll dyscressyon, and so myche reasonyng;

So myche hardy dardy, and so lytell manlynes; 450

So prodigall expence, and so shamfull reconyng;

So gorgyous garmentes, and so myche wrechydnese;

So myche portlye pride, with pursys penyles;

So myche spente before, and so myche vnpayd behynde;—

Syns Dewcalyons flodde there can no clerkes fynde.

So myche forcastyng, and so farre an after dele;

So myche poletyke pratyng, and so lytell stondythe in stede;

So lytell secretnese, and so myche grete councell;

So manye bolde barons, there hertes as dull as lede;

So many nobyll bodyes vndyr on dawys hedd; 460

So royall a kyng as reynythe vppon vs all;—

Syns Dewcalions flodde was nevyr sene nor shall.

So many complayntes, and so smalle redresse;

So myche callyng on, and so smalle takyng hede;

So myche losse of merchaundyse, and so remedyles;

So lytell care for the comyn weall, and so myche nede;

So myche dowȝtfull daunger, and so lytell drede;

So myche pride of prelattes, so cruell and so kene;—

Syns Dewcalyons flodde, I trowe, was nevyr sene.

So many thevys hangyd, and thevys never the lesse; 470

So myche prisonment ffor matyrs not worthe an hawe;

So myche papers weryng for ryghte a smalle exesse;

So myche pelory pajauntes vndyr colower of good lawe;

So myche towrnyng on the cooke stole for euery guy gaw;

So myche mokkyshe makyng of statutes of array;—

Syns Dewcalyons flodde was nevyr, I dar sey.

So braynles caluys hedes, so many shepis taylys;

So bolde a braggyng bocher, and flesshe sold so dere;

So many plucte partryches, and so fatte quaylles;

So mangye a mastyfe curre, the grete grey houndes pere; 480

So bygge a bulke of brow auntlers cabagyd that yere;

So many swannes dede, and so small revell;—

Syns Dewcalyons flodde, I trow, no man can tell.

So many trusys takyn, and so lytyll perfyte[111] trowthe;

So myche bely joye, and so wastefull banketyng;

So pynchyng and sparyng, and so lytell profyte growthe;

So many howgye howsys byldyng, and so small howse-holding;

Suche statutes apon diettes, suche pyllyng and pollyng;

So ys all thyng wrowghte wylfully withowte reson and skylle;—

Syns Dewcalyons flodde the world[112] was never so yll. 490

So many vacabondes, so many beggers bolde;

So myche decay of monesteries and of relygious places;

So hote hatered agaynste the Chyrche, and cheryte so colde;

So myche of my lordes grace, and in hym no grace ys;

So many holow hartes, and so dowbyll faces;

So myche sayntuary brekyng, and preuylegidde barrydd;—

Syns Dewcalyons flodde was nevyr sene nor lyerd.

So myche raggyd ryghte of a rammes horne;

So rygorous revelyng[113] in a prelate specially;

So bold and so braggyng, and was so baselye borne; 500

So lordlye of hys lokes and so dysdayneslye;

So fatte a magott, bred of a flesshe flye;

Was nevyr suche a ffylty gorgon,[114] nor suche an epycure,

Syn[s] Dewcalyons flodde, I make thé faste and sure.

So myche preuye wachyng in cold wynters nyghtes;

So myche serchyng of loselles, and ys hymselfe so lewde;

So myche coniuracions for elvyshe myday sprettes;

So many bullys of pardon puplysshyd and shewyd;

So myche crossyng and blyssyng, and hym all beshrewde;

Suche pollaxis and pyllers, suche mvlys trapte with gold;— 510

Sens Dewcalyons flodde in no cronycle ys told.

Dixit, quod Parrot.

Crescet in immensum me vivo Psittacus iste;

Hinc mea dicetur Skeltonidis inclyta fama.

Quod Skelton Lawryat,
Orator Regius.
34.]

[1] Speke, Parrot] From the ed. by Lant of Certayne bokes compyled by mayster Skelton, &c., n. d., collated with the same work ed. Kynge and Marche, n. d., and ed. Day, n. d.; with Marshe’s ed. of Skelton’s Workes, 1568; and with a MS. in the Harleian Collection, 2252. fol. 133, which has supplied much not given in the printed copies, and placed between brackets in the present edition. The marginal notes are found only in MS.

[2] The boke, &c.... Speake, Parrot] So Marshe’s ed. Not in other eds.

[3] recipit] MS. “recepit.” The next two lines are given very inaccurately here in MS., but are repeated (with a slight variation) more correctly at the end of the poem. The Latin portions of the MS. are generally of ludicrous incorrectness, the transcriber evidently not having understood that language.

[4] Lucanus] See Phar. iii. 256. But the line here quoted is from Boethii Consol. Phil. lib. v. met. 1.

[5] wonderous] So other eds. Lant’s ed. “wonderuos.”

[6] to greate ladyes] MS. “to grece to lordes.”

[7] ful mekely with many a diuers] MS. “full meryly with many dyuors.”

[8] a] MS. “and a.”

[9] my] MS. “and my.”

[10] a] So MS. Eds. “the.”

[11] dicere] MS. (which alone has these marginal notes) “dictorem:” the whole runs in Martial thus:

“Psittacus a vobis aliorum nomina discam:

Hoc didici per me dicere, Cæsar, ave.”

xiv. 73.

[12] this] Ed. of Kynge and Marche, “thie.”

[13] your] MS. “ower.”—In this line a friend would read “muie;” but MS. has “mewte.”

[14] Ebrew, Araby, and Caldey] MS. “Ebrue and in Caldee.”

[15] Dowse] Other eds. “Howse.” MS. “Dowche.”

[16] can supple] MS. “can shewe propyrlye.”

[17] Henry] MS. “herry.”

[18] ryall] Other eds. and MS. (with various spelling) “roial.”

[19] saves] So MS. Eds. “sauies:”—“habler” ought to be “hablar;” but throughout this work I have not altered the spelling of quotations in modern languages, because probably Skelton wrote them inaccurately.

[20] fidasso de cosso] So MS. Eds. of Lant, and of Kynge and Marche, “sidasso de cosso.” Eds. of Day, and of Marshe, “sidasso de costo.” See notes.

[21] expers] Not in MS.

[22] dictes ar] Other eds. “dices at.”

[23] Souentez foys, &c.] This line found only in Lant’s ed. and MS. The latter has “Souentem,” (or “Sonentem,”) &c.

[24] pronuntio] Probably not the right reading. The MS. seems to have either “pō sio” or “pō fio.”

[25] maystres] Other eds. “maysters” and “maisters.”

[26] I] MS. “he.”

[27] mory] MS. “mery:” but the context seems to confirm the other reading.

[28] men] MS. “mad.”

[29] for] Other eds. “sor” and “or.”

[30] theyr doth] MS. “ys the.”

[31] Myden] So MS. Eds. “Niden.”

[32] Greke] MS. “grekys.”

[33] Besy, besy, &c.] Instead of this stanza, MS. has,—

“Besy, besy, besy, and Besynes agayne

Thus parott dothe pray yow with herte moste tentyr,” &c.

omitting what occurs between the first of these lines and the second (p. 11) in eds.

[34] maturato] Other eds. “marturato.”

[35] sanno] Marshe’s ed. “saung.”

[36] Iobab] Eds. of Day, and Marshe, “Iob.” See notes.

[37] Hus] Ed. of Kynge and Marche, “Pus.”

[38] cause] Eds. of Day, and Marshe, “law.”

[39] Popering] Other eds. “popeting.”

[40] whynnymeg] Other eds. (with various spelling) “whynnynmeg.”

[41] wald haue e] Other eds. “would (and “wold”) haue a:” but the reading of Lant’s ed. seems to have been intended for Scotch.

[42] bagpype] So other eds. (with various spelling). Lant’s ed. “Bagbyte.”

[43] the] Not in other eds.

[44] erstrych] So other eds. Lant’s ed. “exstrych.”

[45] Thomasen] Marshe’s ed. “thomase.”

[46] sayth] Other eds. “say.”

[47] Irysh] Marshe’s ed. “trysh.”

[48] Wrig wrag] Eds. of Day, and Marshe, “wrig wag.”

[49] Delarag] Other eds. “declarag.”

[50] crop] Other eds. “cryp” and “crip.”

[51] Og, that fat hog of] Other eds. “hog that fat hog or.”

[52] Cananæorum] Eds. “canaueorum.”

[53] Hough ho he rulyth] Day’s ed. “hough he ruleth.” Marshe’s ed. “hough ho ruleth.”

[54] chiromancy] So Marshe’s ed. Other eds. “ciromancy.”

[55] on] Other eds. “of.”

[56] they] Qy. “ye” here—or “they” in the three preceding lines?

[57] scrape] Eds. of Kynge and Marche, and of Day, “scape.”

[58] non, or non] Lant’s ed. “non or uou.” Other eds. “uou or uou.”

[59] Græce fari] Eds. of Day, and Marshe, “grecisari.”

[60] Tryuyals] Eds. of Day, and Marshe, “Triuiale.”

[61] the] Eds. of Day, and Marshe, “that.”

[62] roufled] Eds. of Day, and Marshe, “roulled.”

[63] Menanders] See notes.

[64] Plauti] Lant’s ed. “Plautfi.” Other eds. “Plaut si.”

[65] Declamacyons] Eds. (with various spelling) “declaracyons.” See ante p. 374, note 5.

[66] gariopholo] See notes.

[67] pleris cum musco] Ed. of Kynge and Marche, “pleris com musco.” Eds. of Day, and Marshe, “pleris commusco.” Instead of “pleris,” the Rev. J. Mitford proposes “flarnis” (species placentæ).

[68] Elencticum] Eds. “Elencum.”

[69] enthymematicum] Eds. “Emtimematicum” and “Emtimaticum.”

[70] Retoricyons] Other eds. “Retorcions.”

[71] my] Other eds. “myne” and “mine.”

[72] dere] Not in eds. of Day, and Marshe.

[73] the] Other eds. “that.”

[74] ryall] Eds. of Day, and Marshe, (with various spelling), “royall.”

[75] now] Not in MS.

[76] Itaque consolamini invicem in verbis istis, &c.] “&c.” not in eds. of Day, and Marshe. MS. “Itaque consolamyni in verbis istibus.” Before these words eds. have “Galathea,” which MS. rightly, I think, omits.

[77] Candidi lectores, callide callete; vestrum fovete Psittacum, &c.] Eds. of Day, and Marshe, “—— seuete psitacum,” omitting “&c.” MS. omits this passage here, but gives it after the words with which the eds. of Speke, Parrot conclude (see p. 14), having “callige” instead of “callete,” and wanting “&c.”

[78] Hic occurrat, &c.] Was no doubt intended for a marginal note, though in MS. (it is wanting in eds.) it is not clearly distinguished from the text.

[79] In ista cantilena, &c.] Grossly corrupted. The Rev. J. Mitford proposes “ore stillanti.” MS. has “eperit.”

[80] Quod] MS. “Quid.”

[81] Est mihi lasciva pagina, vita proba] “Lasciva est nobis pagina, vita proba est.” Ep. i. 5.

[82] Zoe kai psyche ... desuper] Is plainly a marginal note, though in MS. (it is not in eds.) it is placed after “Concumbunt Græce,” &c.

[83] kus, kus, kus] MS. “kus, kus.”

[84] lyght on thy swete lyttyll] MS. “lyghten thy lytyll swete.”

[85] Zoe kai psyche] Eds. “zoelzepsiche;” and so MS., with slight variation of spelling: the Latin which precedes shews the true reading. These words are followed in eds. by “Amen;” which MS. rightly gives a little after.

[86] Aquinates] Has crept into the text in eds., and is not clearly distinguished from the text in MS. But it is certainly a marginal note—meaning Juvenal, from whom “Concumbunt Græce,” &c. is quoted: see Sat. vi. 191.

[87] Concumbunt] Other eds. “Concubunt.”

[88] Sua consequentia, &c.] Another marginal note (not in eds.) which MS. does not clearly distinguish from the text.

[89] Ergo] Not in MS.

[90] Attica] So MS. Eds. “Actica.”

[91] Sunt] So MS. Eds. “Suus.”

[92] Vel] MS. “Ve.”

[93] hæc] So MS. Eds. “hoc.”

[94] Urania] Eds. of Day, and Marshe, “Vxania.”

[95] Amen, Amen] Occurs twice in MS. by a mistake of the transcriber.

[96] to] Not in MS.

[97] Cum cæteris paribus] After these words, MS. has the passage “Candidi lectores ... fovete Psittacum,” which has been already given: see p. 11.

[98] Morda] So MS. afterwards: here “Merda.”

[99] stede] MS. “spede.”

[100] Psittace, perge] MS. “Psitago perage.”

[101] Morda] So MS. afterwards: here “Merda.”

[102] Parrot[e] Must be considered here as a Latin word, and a trisyllable—u.

[103] perlys] MS. “prelys.”

[104] volitans] MS. “vtilans”—not, I think, a mistake for “rutilans:” compare ante, “Psittace, perge, volans,” p. 16, and “I, properans, Parrot,” p. 17.

[105] notus] Qy. “motus?” but I have no idea what these two lines mean.

[106] complayndre] MS. “complayndra.”

[107] polorum] MS. “populorum.”

[108] lowre] Qy. “lowte?”

[109] sophysms] MS. “sophyns.”

[110] many] MS. “many many.”

[111] perfyte] MS. “profyte.”

[112] the world] MS. “the world the world.”

[113] revelyng] So MS. literatim,—meant for “ruelyng” (ruling).

[114] ffylty gorgon] MS. seems to have “ffyltyrͬgogon,”—the r in the word (apparently) having been drawn through, and another r placed over it, which, I suppose, ought to have stood above the og.

HERE AFTER FOLOWETH A LYTELL BOKE,[115] WHICHE HATH TO NAME
WHY COME YE NAT[116] TO COURTE?
COMPYLED BY MAYSTER SKELTON, POETE LAUREATE.

The relucent mirror[117] for all Prelats and Presidents, as well spirituall as temporall, sadly to loke vpon, deuised in English by Skelton.

All noble men,[118] of this take hede,

And beleue it as your Crede.

To hasty of sentence,
To ferce for none offence,
To scarce of your expence,
To large in neglygence,
To slacke in recompence,
To haute in excellence,
To lyght [in] intellegence,
And to lyght in[119] credence; 10
Where these kepe resydence,
Reson is banysshed thence,
And also dame Prudence,
With sober Sapyence.[120]
All noble men, of this take hede,
And beleue it as your Crede.

Than without collusyon,
Marke well this conclusyon,
Thorow[121] suche abusyon,
And by suche illusyon, 20
Vnto great confusyon
A noble man may fall,
And his honour appall;
And[122] yf ye thynke this shall
Not rubbe you on the gall,
Than the deuyll take all!
All noble men, of this take hede,
And beleue it as your Crede.

Hæc vates ille,

De quo loquuntur mille.[123] 30

WHY COME YE NAT TO COURT?

For age is a page
For the courte full vnmete,
For age cannat[124] rage,
Nor basse her swete swete:
But whan age seeth that rage
Dothe aswage and refrayne,
Than wyll age haue a corage
To come to court agayne.
But
Helas, sage ouerage
So[125] madly decayes, 40
That age for dottage
Is reconed[126] now adayes:
Thus age (a[127] graunt domage)
Is nothynge set by,
And rage in arerage
Dothe rynne lamentably.
So
That rage must make pyllage,
To catche that catche may,
And with suche forage
Hunte the boskage, 50
That hartes wyll ronne away;
Bothe hartes and hyndes,
With all good myndes:
Fare well, than, haue good day!
Than, haue good daye, adewe!
For defaute of rescew,
Some men may happely rew,
And some[128] theyr hedes mew;
The tyme dothe fast ensew,
That bales begynne to brew: 60
I drede, by swete Iesu,
This tale wyll be to trew;
In faythe, dycken, thou krew,
In fayth, dicken, thou krew, &c.
Dicken, thou krew doutlesse;
For, trewly to expresse,
There hath ben[129] moche excesse,
With banketynge braynlesse,
With ryotynge rechelesse,
With gambaudynge thryftlesse, 70
With spende and wast witlesse,
Treatinge of trewse restlesse,
Pratynge for peace peaslesse.
The[130] countrynge at Cales
Wrang vs on the males:[131]
Chefe counselour was carlesse,
Gronynge, grouchyng, gracelesse;
And to none entente
Our talwod is all brent,
Our fagottes are all spent, 80
We may blowe at the cole:
Our mare hath cast her fole,
And Mocke hath lost her sho;
What may she do therto?
An ende of an olde song,
Do ryght and do[132] no wronge,
As ryght as a rammes horne;
For thrifte is threde bare worne,
Our shepe are shrewdly shorne,
And trouthe is all to-torne; 90
Wysdom is laught to skorne,
Fauell is false forsworne,
Iauell is nobly borne,
Hauell and Haruy Hafter,
Iack Trauell and Cole Crafter,
We shall here more herafter;
With pollynge and shauynge,
With borowynge and crauynge,[133]
With reuynge and rauynge,
With swerynge and starynge, 100
Ther vayleth no resonynge,
For wyll dothe rule all thynge,
Wyll, wyll, wyll, wyll, wyll,
He ruleth alway styll.
Good reason and good skyll,
They may garlycke pyll,
Cary sackes to the myll,
Or pescoddes they may shyll,
Or elles go rost a stone:
There is no man but one 110
That hathe the strokes alone;
Be it blacke or whight,
All that he dothe is ryght,
As right as a cammocke croked.
This byll well ouer loked,
Clerely perceuye we may
There went the hare away,
The hare, the fox, the gray,
The harte, the hynde, the buck:
God sende vs better luck! 120
God sende vs better lucke, &c.
Twit, Andrewe, twit, Scot,[134]
Ge heme, ge scour thy pot;
For we haue spente our shot:
We shall haue a tot quot
From the Pope of Rome,
To weue all in one lome
A webbe of lylse wulse,
Opus male dulce:
The deuyll kysse his[135] cule! 130
For, whyles he doth rule,
All is warse and warse;
The deuyll kysse his arse!
For whether he blesse or curse,
It can not be moche worse.
From Baumberow to Bothombar[136]
We haue cast vp our war,
And made[137] a worthy trewse,
With, gup, leuell suse!
Our mony madly lent,[138] 140
And mor madly spent:
From Croydon to[139] Kent,
Wote ye whyther they went?
From Wynchelsey to Rye,
And all nat[140] worth a flye;
From Wentbridge to Hull;
Our armye waxeth dull,
With, tourne all home agayne,
And neuer a Scot slayne.
Yet the good Erle of Surray, 150
The Frenche men he doth fray,
And vexeth them day by day
With all the power he may;
The French men he hath faynted,
And made[141] theyr hertes attaynted:
Of cheualry he is the floure;
Our Lorde be his soccoure!
The French men he hathe so mated,
And theyr courage abated,
That they are but halfe men; 160
Lyke foxes in theyr denne,
Lyke cankerd cowardes all,
Lyke vrcheons[142] in a stone wall,
They kepe them in theyr holdes,
Lyke henherted cokoldes.
But yet they ouer shote vs
Wyth crownes and wyth scutus;
With scutis and crownes of gold
I drede we are bought and solde;
It is a wonders warke: 170
They shote all at one marke,
At the Cardynals hat,
They[143] shote all at that;
Oute of theyr stronge townes
They shote at him with crownes;
With crownes of golde enblased
They make him so amased,
And his eyen so dased,
That he ne se can
To know God nor man. 180
He is set so hye
In his ierarchy
Of frantycke frenesy
And folysshe fantasy,
That in the Chambre of Starres[144]
All maters there he marres;
Clappyng his rod on the borde,
No man dare speke a worde,
For he hathe all the sayenge,
Without any renayenge; 190
He rolleth in his recordes,
He sayth, How saye ye, my lordes?
Is nat[145] my reason good?
Good euyn, good Robyn Hood![146]
Some say yes, and some
Syt styll as they were dom:
Thus thwartyng ouer thom,
He ruleth all the roste
With braggynge and with bost;
Borne vp on euery syde 200
With pompe and with pryde,
With, trompe vp, alleluya!
For dame Philargerya[147]
Hathe so his herte in holde,
He loueth nothyng but golde;
And Asmodeus of hell
Maketh his membres swell
With Dalyda to mell,
That wanton damosell.[148]
Adew, Philosophia, 210
Adew, Theologia!
Welcome, dame Simonia,
With dame Castrimergia,
To drynke and for to eate
Swete ypocras[149] and swete meate!
To kepe his flesshe chast,
In Lent for a repast
He eateth capons[150] stewed,
Fesaunt and partriche mewed,
Hennes, checkynges, and pygges; 220
He foynes and he frygges,
Spareth neither mayde ne wyfe:
This is a postels lyfe!
Helas! my herte is sory
To tell of vayne glory:
But now vpon this story
I wyll no further ryme
Tyll another tyme,
Tyll another tyme, &c.[151]
What newes, what newes?[152] 230
Small newes the[153] true is,
That be worth ii. kues;
But at the naked stewes,
I vnderstande how that
The sygne of the Cardynall Hat,
That inne is now shyt vp,
With, gup, hore, gup, now gup,
Gup, Guilliam[154] Trauillian,
With, iast you, I say, Jullian!
Wyll ye bere no coles? 240
A mayny of marefoles,
That occupy theyr holys,
Full of pocky molys.
What here ye of Lancashyre?
They were nat[155] payde their hyre;
They are fel as any fyre.
What here ye of Chesshyre?
They haue layde all in the myre;
They grugyd,[156] and sayde
Theyr wages were nat[157] payde; 250
Some sayde they were afrayde
Of the Scottysshe hoste,[158]
For all theyr crack[159] and bost,
Wylde fyre and thonder;
For all this worldly wonder,
A hundred myle asonder
They were whan they[160] were next;
That is a trew text.
What here ye of the Scottes?
They make vs all sottes, 260
Poppynge folysshe dawes;
They make vs to pyll strawes;
They play their olde pranckes,
After Huntley bankes:
At the streme of Banockes burne
They dyd vs a shrewde turne,
Whan Edwarde of Karnaruan
Lost all that[161] his father wan.
What here ye of the Lorde Dakers?
He maketh vs Jacke Rakers; 270
He sayes we ar but crakers;
He calleth vs England men
Stronge herted lyke an hen;
For the Scottes and he
To well they do agre,
With, do thou for me,
And I shall do for thé.
Whyles the red hat doth endure,
He maketh himselfe cock sure;
The red hat with his lure 280
Bryngeth all thynges vnder cure.
But, as the worlde now gose,
What here ye of the Lorde Rose?
Nothynge to purpose,
Nat[162] worth a cockly fose:
Their hertes be in thyr hose.
The Erle of Northumberlande
Dare take nothynge on hande:
Our barons be so bolde,
Into a mouse hole they wolde 290
Rynne[163] away and crepe,
Lyke a mayny of shepe;
Dare nat[164] loke out at dur[165]
For drede of the mastyue cur,
For drede of the bochers dogge
Wold wyrry them lyke an hogge.
For and this curre do gnar,
They must stande all a far,
To holde vp their hande at the bar.
For all their noble blode 300
He pluckes them by the hode,
And shakes them by the eare,
And brynge[s] them in suche feare;
He bayteth them lyke a bere,
Lyke an oxe or a bull:
Theyr wyttes, he saith, are dull;
He sayth they haue no brayne
Theyr astate to mayntayne;
And maketh them to[166] bow theyr kne
Before his maieste. 310
Juges of the kynges lawes,
He countys them foles and dawes;
Sergyantes of the coyfe eke,
He sayth they are to seke
In pletynge of theyr case
At the Commune Place,
Or at the Kynges Benche;
He wryngeth them suche a wrenche,
That all our lerned men
Dare nat[167] set theyr penne 320
To plete a trew tryall
Within Westmynster hall;
In the Chauncery where he syttes,
But suche as he admyttes
None so hardy to speke;
He sayth, thou huddypeke,
Thy lernynge is to lewde,
Thy tonge is nat[168] well thewde,
To seke before our grace;
And openly in that place 330
He rages and he raues,
And cals them cankerd knaues:
Thus royally he dothe deale
Vnder the kynges brode seale;
And in the Checker he them cheks;
In the Ster Chambre he noddis and beks,
And bereth him there so stowte,
That no man dare rowte,
Duke, erle, baron, nor lorde,
But to his sentence must accorde; 340
Whether he be knyght or squyre,
All men must[169] folow his desyre.
What say ye of the Scottysh kynge?
That is another thyng.
He is but an yonglyng,
A stalworthy[170] stryplyng:
There[171] is a whyspring and a whipling,
He shulde be hyder[172] brought;
But, and it were well sought,
I trow all wyll be nought, 350
Nat[173] worth a shyttel cocke,
Nor worth a sowre calstocke.
There goth many a lye
Of the Duke of Albany,
That of shulde go his hede,
And brought in quycke or dede,
And all Scotlande owers
The mountenaunce of two houres.
But, as some men sayne,
I drede of some false trayne 360
Subtelly wrought shall be
Vnder a fayned treatee;
But within monethes thre
Men may happely se
The trechery and the prankes
Of the Scottysshe bankes.
What here ye of Burgonyons,
And the Spainyardes onyons?
They haue slain our Englisshmen
Aboue threscore and ten: 370
For all your amyte,
No better they agre.
God saue my lorde admyrell!
What here ye of Mutrell?
There with I dare nat[174] mell.
Yet what here ye tell
Of our graunde counsell?
I coulde say some what,
But speke ye no more of that,
For drede of the red hat 380
Take peper in the nose;
For than thyne heed of gose,
Of by the harde arse.
But there is some trauarse
Bytwene some and some,
That makys our syre to glum;
It is some what wronge,
That his berde is so longe;
He morneth in blacke clothynge.
I pray God saue the kynge! 390
Where euer he go or ryde,
I pray God be his gyde!
Thus wyll I conclude my style,
And fall to rest a whyle,
And so to rest a whyle, &c.
Ones[175] yet agayne
Of you I wolde frayne,
Why come ye nat[176] to court?—
To whyche court?
To the kynges courte, 400
Or to Hampton Court?—
Nay, to the kynges court:
The kynges courte
Shulde haue the excellence;
But Hampton Court
Hath the preemynence,
And Yorkes Place,
With my lordes grace,
To whose magnifycence
Is all the conflewence, 410
Sutys and supplycacyons,
Embassades of all nacyons.
Strawe for lawe canon,[177]
Or for the lawe common,
Or for lawe cyuyll!
It shall be as he wyll:
Stop at law tancrete,
An obstract or a concrete;
Be it soure, be it swete,
His wysdome is so dyscrete, 420
That in a fume or an hete,
Wardeyn of the Flete,
Set hym fast by the fete!
And of his royall powre
Whan him lyst to lowre,
Than, haue him to the Towre,
Saunz aulter remedy,
Haue hym forthe by and by
To the Marshalsy,
Or to the Kynges Benche! 430
He dyggeth so in the trenche
Of the court royall,
That he ruleth them all.
So he dothe vndermynde,
And suche sleyghtes dothe fynde,
That the kynges mynde
By hym is subuerted,
And so streatly coarted
In credensynge his tales,
That all is but nutshales 440
That any other sayth;
He hath in him suche fayth.
Now, yet all this myght be
Suffred and taken in gre,
If that that he wrought
To any good ende were brought;
But all he bringeth to nought,
By[178] God, that me dere bought!
He bereth the kyng[179] on hand,
That he must pyll his lande, 450
To make his cofers ryche;
But he laythe all in the dyche,
And vseth suche abusyoun,
That in the conclusyoun
All commeth to confusyon.
Perceyue the cause why,
To tell the trouth playnly,
He is so ambicyous,
So shamles, and[180] so vicyous,
And so supersticyous, 460
And so moche obliuyous
From whens that he came,
That he falleth into[181] a cæciam,[182]
Whiche, truly to expresse,
Is a forgetfulnesse,
Or wylfull blyndnesse,
Wherwith the Sodomites
Lost theyr inward syghtes,
The Gommoryans also
Were brought to deedly wo, 470
As Scrypture recordis:
A cæcitate cordis,
In the Latyne synge we,
Libera nos, Domine!
But this madde Amalecke,
Lyke to a Mamelek,[183]
He regardeth lordes
No more than potshordes;
He is in suche elacyon
Of his exaltacyon, 480
And the supportacyon
Of our souerayne lorde,
That, God to recorde,
He ruleth all at wyll,
Without reason or skyll:
How be it the[184] primordyall
Of his wretched originall,
And his base progeny,
And his gresy genealogy,
He came of the sank royall, 490
That was cast out of a bochers stall.
But how euer he was borne,
Men wolde haue the lesse scorne,
If he coulde consyder
His byrth and rowme togeder,[185]
And call to his mynde
How noble and how kynde
To him he hathe founde
Our souereyne lorde, chyfe grounde
Of all this prelacy, 500
And set hym nobly
In great auctoryte,
Out from a low degre,
Whiche he can nat[186] se:
For he was parde
No doctor of deuinyte,
Nor doctor of the law,
Nor of none other saw;
But a poore maister of arte,
God wot, had lytell parte 510
Of the quatriuials,
Nor yet of triuials,
Nor of philosophy,
Nor of philology,
Nor of good pollycy,
Nor of astronomy,
Nor acquaynted worth a fly
With honorable Haly,
Nor with royall Ptholomy,
Nor with Albumasar, 520
To treate of any star
Fyxt or els mobyll;
His Latyne tonge dothe hobbyll,
He doth but cloute and cobbill
In Tullis faculte,
Called humanyte;
Yet proudly he dare pretende
How no man can him amende:
But haue ye nat[187] harde this,
How an one eyed man is 530
Well syghted when
He is amonge blynde men?
Than, our processe for to stable,
This man was full vnable
To reche to suche degre,
Had nat[188] our prynce be
Royall Henry the eyght,
Take him in suche conceyght,
That he set him on heyght,
In exemplyfyenge 540
Great Alexander the kynge,
In writynge as we fynde;
Whiche of his royall mynde,
And of his noble pleasure,
Transcendynge out of mesure,
Thought to do a thynge
That perteyneth to a kynge,
To make vp one of nought,
And made to him be brought
A wretched poore man, 550
Whiche his lyuenge wan
With plantyng of lekes
By the dayes and by the wekes,
And of this poore vassall
He made a kynge royall,
And gaue him a realme to rule,
That occupyed a showell,
A mattoke, and a spade,
Before that he was made
A kynge, as I haue tolde, 560
And ruled as he wolde.
Suche is a kynges power,
To make within an hower,
And worke suche a myracle,
That shall be a spectacle
Of renowme and worldly fame:
In lykewyse now the same
Cardynall is promoted,
Yet with lewde condicyons cotyd,[189]
As herafter ben notyd, 570
Presumcyon and vayne glory,
Enuy, wrath, and lechery,
Couetys and glotony,
Slouthfull to do good,
Now frantick, now starke wode.
Shulde this man of suche mode
Rule the swerde of myght,
How can he do ryght?
For he wyll as sone smyght
His frende as his fo; 580
A prouerbe longe ago.
Set vp a wretche on hye
In a trone triumphantlye,
Make him a great astate,
And he wyll play checke mate
With ryall[190] maieste,
Counte him selfe as good as he;
A prelate potencyall,
To rule vnder Bellyall,
As ferce and as cruell 590
As the fynd of hell.
His seruauntes menyall
He dothe reuyle, and brall,
Lyke Mahounde in a play;
No man dare him withsay:
He hath dispyght and scorne
At them that be well borne;
He rebukes them and rayles,
Ye horsons, ye vassayles,
Ye knaues, ye churles sonnys, 600
Ye rebads, nat[191] worth two plummis,
Ye raynbetyn beggers reiagged,
Ye recrayed ruffyns all ragged!
With, stowpe, thou hauell,
Rynne, thou iauell!
Thou peuysshe pye pecked,
Thou losell longe necked!
Thus dayly they be decked,
Taunted and checked,
That they ar so wo, 610
They wot not whether to go.
No man dare come to the speche
Of this gentell Iacke breche,
Of what estate he be,
Of spirituall dygnyte,
Nor duke of hye degre,
Nor marques, erle, nor lorde;
Whiche shrewdly doth accorde,
Thus he borne so base
All noble men shulde out face, 620
His countynaunce lyke a kayser.
My lorde is nat[192] at layser;
Syr, ye must tary a stounde,
Tyll better layser be founde;
And, syr, ye must daunce attendaunce,
And take pacient sufferaunce,
For my lordes grace
Hath nowe no tyme nor space
To speke with you as yet.
And thus they shall syt, 630
Chuse them syt or flyt,
Stande, walke, or ryde,
And his layser abyde
Parchaunce halfe a yere,
And yet neuer the nere.
This daungerous dowsypere,
Lyke a kynges pere;
And within this xvi. yere
He wolde haue ben ryght fayne
To haue ben a chapleyne, 640
And haue taken ryght gret payne
With a poore knyght,
What soeuer he hyght.
The chefe of his owne counsell,
They can nat[193] well tell
Whan they with hym shulde mell,
He is so fyers and fell;
He rayles and he ratis,
He calleth them doddypatis;
He grynnes and he gapis, 650
As it were iack napis.
Suche a madde bedleme
For to rewle this reame,[194]
It is a wonders[195] case:
That the kynges grace
Is toward him so mynded,
And so farre blynded,
That he can nat[196] parceyue
How he doth hym disceyue,
I dought, lest by sorsery, 660
Or suche other loselry,
As wychecraft, or charmyng;
For he is the kynges derlyng,
And his swete hart rote,
And is gouerned by this mad kote:
For what is a man the better
For the kynges letter?
For he wyll tere it asonder;
Wherat moche I wonder,
How suche a hoddypoule 670
So boldely dare controule,
And so malapertly withstande
The kynges owne hande,
And settys nat[197] by it a myte;
He sayth the kynge doth wryte
And writeth he wottith nat[198] what;
And yet for all that,
The kynge his clemency
Despensyth with his demensy.
But what his grace doth thinke, 680
I haue no pen nor inke
That therwith can mell;
But wele I can tell
How Frauncis Petrarke,
That moche noble clerke,
Wryteth how Charlemayn
Coude nat[199] him selfe refrayne,
But was rauysht with a rage
Of a lyke dotage:
But how that came aboute, 690
Rede ye the story oute,
And ye shall fynde surely
It was by nycromansy,
By carectes and coniuracyon,
Vnder a certeyne constellacion,
And a certayne fumygacion,
Vnder a stone on a golde ryng,
Wrought to Charlemayn the king,
Whiche constrayned him forcebly
For to loue a certayne body 700
Aboue all other inordinatly.
This is no fable nor no lye;
At Acon it was brought to pas,
As by myne auctor tried it was.
But let mi masters mathematical
Tell you the rest, for me they shal;
They haue the full intellygence,
And dare vse the experyens,
In there obsolute consciens
To practyue[200] suche abolete sciens; 710
For I abhore to smatter
Of one so deuyllysshe a matter.
But I wyll make further relacion
Of this isagogicall colation,
How maister Gaguine, the crownycler
Of the feytis of war
That were done in Fraunce,
Maketh remembraunce,
How Kynge Lewes of late
Made vp a great astate 720
Of a poore wretchid man,
Wherof moche care began.
Iohannes Balua was his name,
Myne auctor writeth the same;
Promoted was he
To a cardynalles dygnyte
By Lewes the kyng aforesayd,
With hym so wele apayd,
That he made him his chauncelar
To make all or to mar, 730
And to rule as him lyst,
Tyll he cheked at the fyst,
And agayne all reason
Commyted open trayson
And[201] against his lorde souerayn;
Wherfore he suffred payn,
Was hedyd, drawen, and quarterd,
And dyed stynkingly marterd.
Lo, yet for all that
He ware a cardynals hat, 740
In hym was small fayth,
As myne auctor sayth:
Nat[202] for that I mene
Suche a casuelte shulde be sene,
Or suche chaunce shulde fall
Vnto our cardynall.
Allmyghty God, I trust,
Hath for him dyscust
That of force he must
Be faythfull, trew, and iust 750
To our most royall kynge,
Chefe rote of his makynge;
Yet it is a wyly mouse
That can bylde his dwellinge house
Within the cattes eare[203]
Withouten drede or feare.
It is a nyce reconynge,
To put all the gouernynge,
All the rule of this lande
Into one mannys hande: 760
One wyse mannys hede
May stande somwhat in stede;
But the wyttys of many wyse
Moche better can deuyse,
By theyr cyrcumspection,
And theyr sad dyrrection,
To cause the commune weale
Longe to endure in heale.
Christ kepe King Henry the eyght
From trechery and dysceyght, 770
And graunt him grace to know
The faucon from the crow,
The wolfe from the lam,
From whens that mastyfe cam!
Let him neuer confounde
The gentyll greyhownde:
Of this matter the grownde
Is easy to expounde,
And soone may be perceyued,[204]
How the worlde is conueyed. 780
But harke, my frende, one worde
In ernest or in borde:
Tell me nowe in this stede
Is maister Mewtas dede,
The kynges Frenshe secretary,
And his vntrew aduersary?
For he sent in writynge
To Fraunces the French kyng
Of our maisters counsel in eueri thing:
That was a peryllous rekenyng!— 790
Nay, nay, he is nat[205] dede;
But he was so payned in the hede,
That he shall neuer ete more bred.
Now he is gone to another stede,
With a bull vnder lead,
By way of commissyon,
To a straunge iurisdictyon,
Called Dymingis Dale,
Farre byyonde Portyngale,
And bathe his pasport to pas 800
Ultra Sauromatas,
To the deuyll, syr Sathanas,
To Pluto, and syr Bellyall,
The deuyls vycare generall,
And to his college conuentuall,
As well calodemonyall
As to cacodemonyall,[206]
To puruey for our cardynall
A palace pontifycall,
To kepe his court prouyncyall, 810
Vpon artycles iudicyall,
To contende and to stryue
For his prerogatyue,
Within that consystory
To make sommons peremtory
Before some prothonotory[207]
Imperyall or papall.
Vpon this matter mistycall
I haue tolde you part, but nat[208] all:
Herafter perchaunce I shall 820
Make a larger[209] memoryall,
And a further rehersall,
And more paper I thinke to blot,
To the court why I cam not;
Desyring you aboue all thynge
To kepe you from laughynge
Whan ye fall to redynge
Of this wanton scrowle,
And pray for Mewtas sowle,
For he is well past and gone; 830
That wolde God euerychone
Of his affynyte
Were gone as well as he!
Amen, amen, say ye,
Of your inward charyte;
Amen,
Of your inward charyte.
It were great rewth,
For wrytynge of trewth
Any man shulde be 840
In perplexyte
Of dyspleasure;
For I make you sure,
Where trouth is abhorde,
It is a playne recorde
That there wantys grace;
In whose place
Dothe occupy,
Full vngracyously,
Fals flatery, 850
Fals trechery,[210]
Fals brybery,
Subtyle Sym Sly,
With madde foly;
For who can best lye,
He is best set by.
Than farewell to thé,
Welthfull felycite!
For prosperyte
Away than wyll fle. 860
Than must we agre
With pouerte;
For mysery,
With penury,
Myserably
And wretchydly
Hath made askrye
And outcry,
Folowynge the chase
To dryue away grace. 870
Yet sayst thou percase,
We can lacke no grace,
For my lordes grace,
And my ladies grace,
With trey duse ase,
And ase in the face,
Some haute and some base,
Some daunce the trace
Euer in one case:
Marke me that chase 880
In the tennys play,
For synke quater trey
Is a tall man:
He rod, but we ran,
Hay, the gye and the gan!
The gray gose is no swan;
The waters wax wan,
And beggers they ban,
And they cursed Datan,
De tribu Dan, 890
That this warke[211] began,
Palam et clam,
With Balak and Balam,
The golden ram
Of Flemmyng dam,
Sem, Iapheth, or Cam.
But howe comme to pas,
Your cupbord that was
Is tourned to glasse,
From syluer to brasse, 900
From golde to pewter,
Or els to a newter,
To copper, to tyn,
To lede, or alcumyn?
A goldsmyth your mayre;
But the chefe of your fayre
Myght stande nowe by potters,
And suche as sell trotters:
Pytchars,[212] potshordis,
This shrewdly accordis 910
To be a cupborde[213] for lordys.
My lorde now and syr knyght,
Good euyn and good nyght!
For now, syr Trestram,
Ye must weare bukram,
Or canues of Cane,
For sylkes are wane.
Our royals that shone,
Our nobles are gone
Amonge the Burgonyons, 920
And Spanyardes onyons,
And the Flanderkyns.
Gyll swetis, and Cate spynnys,
They are happy that wynnys;
But Englande may well say,
Fye on this wynnyng all way!
Now nothynge but pay, pay,
With, laughe and lay downe,
Borowgh, cyte, and towne.
Good Sprynge of Lanam 930
Must counte what became
Of his clothe makynge:
He is at suche takynge,
Though his purse wax dull,
He must tax for his wull
By nature of a newe writ;
My lordys grace nameth it
A quia non satisfacit:
In the spyght of his tethe
He must pay agayne 940
A thousande or twayne
Of his golde in store;
And yet he payde before
An[214] hunderd pounde and more,
Whiche pyncheth him sore.
My lordis grace wyll bryuge
Downe this hye sprynge,
And brynge it so lowe,
It shall nat[215] euer flowe.
Suche a prelate, I trowe, 950
Were worthy to rowe
Thorow the streytes of[216] Marock
To the gybbet of Baldock:
He wolde dry vp the stremys
Of ix. kinges realmys,[217]
All ryuers and wellys,
All waters that swellys;
For with vs he so mellys
That within Englande dwellys,
I wolde he were somwhere ellys; 960
For els by and by
He wyll drynke vs so drye,
And suck vs so nye,
That men shall scantly
Haue peny or halpeny.
God saue his noble grace,
And graunt him a place
Endlesse to dwell
With the deuyll of hell!
For, and he were there, 970
We nede neuer feere
Of the fendys blake:
For I vndertake
He wolde so brag and crake,
That he wolde than make
The deuyls to quake,
To shudder and to shake,
Lyke a fyer drake,
And with a cole rake
Brose[218] them on a brake, 980
And bynde them to a stake,
And set hell on fyer,
At his owne desyer.
He is suche a grym syer,
And suche a potestolate,
And suche a potestate,
That he wolde breke the braynes
Of Lucyfer[219] in his chaynes,
And rule them echone
In Lucyfers trone. 990
I wolde he were gone;
For amonge vs is none
That ruleth but he alone,
Without all good reason,
And all out of season:
For Folam peason
With him be nat[220] geson;
They growwe very ranke
Vpon euery banke
Of his herbers grene, 1000
With my lady bryght and shene;
On theyr game it is sene
They play nat[221] all clene,
And it be as I wene.
But as touchynge dyscrecyon,[222]
With sober dyrectyon,
He kepeth them in subiectyon:
They can haue no protectyon
To rule nor to guyde,
But all must be tryde, 1010
And abyde the correctyon
Of his[223] wylfull affectyon.
For as for wytte,
The deuyll spede whitte!
But braynsyk and braynlesse,
Wytles and rechelesse,
Careles and shamlesse,
Thriftles and gracelesse,
Together are bended,
And so condyscended, 1020
That the commune welth
Shall neuer haue good helth,
But tatterd and tuggyd,
Raggyd and ruggyd,
Shauyn and shorne,
And all threde bare worne.
Suche gredynesse,
Suche nedynesse,
Myserablenesse,
With wretchydnesse, 1030
Hath brought in dystresse
And moche heuynesse
And great dolowre
Englande, the flowre
Of relucent honowre,
In olde commemoracion
Most royall Englyssh nacion.
Now all is out of facion,
Almost in desolation;
I speke by protestacion: 1040
God of his miseracyon
Send better reformacyon!
Lo, for to do shamfully
He iugeth it no foly!
But to wryte of his shame,
He sayth we ar to blame.
What a frensy is this,
No shame to do amys,
And yet he is ashamed
To be shamfully named![224] 1050
And ofte prechours be blamed,
Bycause they haue proclamed
His madnesse by writynge,
His symplenesse resytynge,
Remordynge and bytynge,
With chydyng and with flytynge,[225]
Shewynge him Goddis lawis:
He calleth the prechours dawis,
And of holy scriptures sawis
He counteth them for gygawis, 1060
And putteth them to sylence
And[226] with wordis of vyolence,
Lyke Pharao, voyde of grace,
Dyd Moyses sore manase,
And Aron sore he thret,
The worde of God to let;
This maumet in lyke wyse
Against the churche doth ryse;
The prechour he dothe dyspyse,
With crakynge in suche wyse, 1070
So braggynge all with bost,
That no prechour almost
Dare speke for his lyfe
Of my lordis grace nor his wyfe,
For he hath suche a bull,
He may take whom he wull,
And as many as him lykys;
May ete pigges in Lent for pikys,
After the sectes of heretykis,
For in Lent he wyll ete 1080
All maner of flesshe mete
That he can ony[227] where gete;
With other abusyons grete,
Wherof for[228] to trete
It wolde make the deuyll to swete,
For all priuileged places
He brekes and defaces,
All placis of relygion
He bathe them in derisyon,
And makith suche prouisyon 1090
To dryue them at diuisyon,
And fynally in conclusyon
To bringe them to confusyon;
Saint Albons to recorde
Wherof this vngracyous lorde
Hathe made him selfe abbot,
Against their wylles, God wot.
All this he dothe deale
Vnder strength of the great seale,
And by his legacy, 1100
Whiche madly he dothe apply
Vnto an extrauagancy
Pyked out of[229] all good lawe,
With reasons that ben rawe.
Yet, whan he toke first his hat,
He said he knew what was what;
All iustyce he pretended,
All thynges sholde be amended,
All wronges he wolde redresse,
All iniuris he wolde represse, 1110
All periuris he wolde oppresse;
And yet this gracelesse elfe,
He is periured himselfe,
As playnly it dothe appere,
Who lyst to enquere
In the regestry
Of my Lorde of Cantorbury,
To whom he was professed
In thre poyntes expressed;
The fyrst to do him reuerence, 1120
The seconde to owe hym obedyence,[230]
The thirde with hole affectyon
To be vnder his subiectyon:
But now he maketh obiectyon,
Vnder the protectyon
Of the kynges great seale,
That he setteth neuer a deale
By his former othe,
Whether God be pleased or wroth.
He makith so proude pretens, 1130
That in his equipolens
He iugyth him equiualent
With God omnipotent:
But yet beware the rod,
And the stroke of God!
The Apostyll Peter
Had a pore myter
And a poore cope
Whan he was creat Pope,
First in Antioche; 1140
He dyd neuer approche
Of Rome to the see
Weth suche dygnyte.
Saynt Dunstane, what was he?
Nothynge, he sayth, lyke to me:[231]
There is a dyuersyte
Bytwene him and me;
We passe hym in degre,
As legatus a latere.
Ecce, sacerdos magnus, 1150
That wyll hed vs and hange vs,
And streitly strangle vs
And[232] he may fange vs!
Decre and decretall,
Constytucyon prouincyall,
Nor no lawe canonicall,
Shall let the preest pontyficall
To syt in causa sanguinis.
Nowe God amende that is amys!
For I suppose that he is 1160
Of Ieremy the whyskynge rod,
The flayle, the scourge of almighty God.
This Naman Sirus,
So fell and so irons,
So full of malencoly,
With a flap afore[233] his eye,
Men wene that he is pocky,
Or els his surgions they lye,
For, as far as they[234] can spy
By the craft of surgery, 1170
It is manus Domini.
And yet this proude Antiochus,
He is so ambicious,
So elate, and so vicious,
And so cruell hertyd,
That he wyll nat[235] be conuertyd;
For he setteth God apart,
He is nowe so ouerthwart,
And so payned with pangis,
That all his trust hangis 1180
In Balthasor, whiche heled
Domingos nose that was wheled;
That Lumberdes nose meane I,
That standeth yet awrye;
It was nat[236] heled alderbest,
It standeth somwhat on the west;
I meane Domyngo Lomelyn,
That was wont to wyn
Moche money of the kynge
At the cardys and haserdynge: 1190
Balthasor, that helyd Domingos nose[237]
From the puskylde pocky pose,[238]
Now with his gummys of Araby
Hath promised to hele our cardinals eye;
Yet sum surgions put a dout,
Lest he wyll put[239] it clene out,
And make him lame of his neder limmes:
God sende him sorowe for his sinnes!
Some men myght aske a question,
By whose suggestyon 1200
I toke on hand this warke,
Thus boldly for to barke?
And men lyst to harke,
And my wordes marke,
I wyll answere lyke a clerke;
For trewly and vnfayned,
I am forcebly constrayned,
At Iuuynals request,
To wryght of this glorious gest,
Of this vayne gloryous best, 1210
His fame to be encrest
At euery solempne feest;
Quia difficile est
Satiram non scribere.
Now, mayster doctor, howe say ye,
What soeuer your name be?
What though ye be namelesse,
Ye shall nat[240] escape blamelesse,
Nor yet shall scape shamlesse:
Mayster doctor in your degre, 1220
Yourselfe madly ye ouerse;
Blame Iuuinall, and blame nat[241] me:
Maister doctor Diricum,
Omne animi vitium, &c.
As Iuuinall dothe recorde,
A small defaute in a great lorde,
A lytell cryme in a great astate,
Is moche more inordinate,
And more horyble to beholde,
Than any other a thousand folde. 1230
Ye put to blame ye wot nere whom;
Ye may weare a cockes come;
Your fonde hed in your furred hood,[242]
Holde ye your tong, ye can no goode:
And at more conuenyent tyme
I may fortune for to ryme
Somwhat of your madnesse;
For small is your sadnesse
To put any man in lack,
And say yll behynde his back: 1240
And my wordes marke truly,
That ye can nat[243] byde thereby,
For smegma non est cinnamomum,
But de absentibus nil nisi bonum.
Complayne, or do what ye wyll,
Of your complaynt it shall nat[244] skyl:
This is the tenor of my byl,
A daucock ye be, and so shalbe styll.

Sequitur Epitoma
De morbilloso Thoma,
Necnon obscœno
De Polyphemo, &c.

Porro perbelle dissimulatum
Illum Pandulphum,[245] tantum legatum,
Tum formidatum nuper prælatum,
Ceu Naman Syrum nunc elongatum,[246]
In solitudine jam commoratum,
Neapolitano morbo gravatum,
Malagmate, cataplasmate stratum,[247]
Pharmacopolæ[248] ferro foratum,
Nihilo magis alleviatum,
Nihilo melius aut medicatum, 10
Relictis famulis ad famulatum,
Quo[249] tollatur infamia,
Sed major patet insania;
A modo ergo ganea
Abhorreat ille ganeus,
Dominus male creticus,
Aptius dictus tetricus,
Fanaticus, phreneticus,
Graphicus sicut metricus
Autumat. 20
Hoc genus dictaminis
Non eget examinis
In centiloquio
Nec centimetro
Honorati
Grammatici
Mauri.

[115] Here after foloweth a lytell boke, &c.] From the ed. by Kele, n. d., collated with that by Wyght, n. d., with that by Kytson, n. d., and with Marshe’s ed. of Skelton’s Workes, 1568.

[116] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[117] The relucent mirror, &c.... by Skelton] So Marshe’s ed. Not in other eds.

[118] All noble men, &c.] These twenty-eight introductory lines, which are found in all the eds. of this poem, are also printed as a distinct piece, in the various editions of Certaine bokes compyled by Mayster Skelton, &c., n. d., and in Marshe’s ed. of Skelton’s Workes, 1568.

[119] in] Certayne bokes, &c., and the distinct piece in Marshe’s ed., “of.”

[120] Sapyence] Eds. of Kytson, and (in both places) Marshe, and all eds. but one of Certaine bokes, &c., “Pacyence” (with various spelling).

[121] Thorow] So (with various spelling) Certaine bokes, &c., and the distinct piece in Marshe’s ed. Other eds. “Through.”

[122] And] Certaine bokes, &c., and the distinct piece in Marshe’s ed., “That.”

[123] mille] Other eds. “in ille.”

[124] cannat] Other eds. “cannot.”

[125] So] Other eds. “To.”

[126] reconed] Other eds. “recouered.”

[127] a] Not in eds. of Kytson, and Marshe.

[128] some] Not in other eds.

[129] ben] Other eds. “be.”

[130] The] Eds. “They.”

[131] males] Eds. “wales.” See notes.

[132] do] Not in eds. of Kytson, and Marshe.

[133] crauynge] Kele’s ed. “crauyne.” Other eds. “crauyng.”

[134] Scot] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “scote.”

[135] his] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “hes.”

[136] Bothombar] Other eds. “Bothambar.”

[137] made] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “mad.”

[138] lent] Marshe’s ed. “sent.”

[139] to] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “in to.”

[140] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[141] made] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “mad.”

[142] vrcheons] Eds. of Kytson, and Marshe, “heons.”

[143] They] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “Thy.”

[144] Starres] Kele’s ed. “sterres.” Other eds. “sters” and “stars.”

[145] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[146] Hood] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “hode.”

[147] Philargerya] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “Philargera.”

[148] damosell] Other eds. “damsell.”

[149] ypocras] Kele’s ed. “ypocrus.” Other eds. “ipocras.”

[150] capons] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “copons.”

[151] &c.] Not in other eds.

[152] newes] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “news” here, but not in the earlier part of this, nor in the next line.

[153] the] Eds. of Wyght, and Marshe, “that.”

[154] Guilliam] Other eds. “Gilliam.”

[155] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[156] grugyd] Other eds. “grudge.”

[157] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[158] hoste] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “hoost.”

[159] crack] Other eds. “crake.”

[160] they] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “the.”

[161] that] So other eds. Not in Kele’s ed.

[162] Nat] Other eds. “Not.”

[163] Rynne] Other eds. “Runne.”

[164] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[165] at dur] Other eds. “a dur.”

[166] maketh them to] Other eds. “make to.”

[167] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[168] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[169] must] Not in Marshe’s ed.

[170] stalworthy] Eds. of Kytson, and Marshe, “tall worthy.”

[171] There] Eds. of Kytson, and Marshe, “her” and “Her.”

[172] hyder] Other eds. “hither.”

[173] Nat] Other eds. “Not.”

[174] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[175] Ones] Other eds. “Once.”

[176] nat] Other eds, “not.”

[177] canon] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “conon.”

[178] By] Marshe’s ed. “But.”

[179] kyng] Kele’s ed. “dkeyng.” Other eds. “king.”

[180] and] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “an.”

[181] into] Marshe’s ed. “in.”

[182] a cæciam] Eds. “Acisiam:” see a similar misprint in v. 476. Compare v. 472. The Rev. J. Mitford conjectured “acrisiam” (judicii inopiam).

[183] a Mamelek] Eds. “Amamelek.”

[184] the] Eds. of Kytson, and Marshe, “they be.”

[185] togeder] Other eds. “together.”

[186] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[187] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[188] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[189] cotyd] Eds. of Kytson, and Marshe, “noted.”

[190] ryall] Other eds. “royall.”

[191] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[192] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[193] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[194] reame] Other eds. “realm.”

[195] wonders] Other eds. “wonderous.”

[196] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[197] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[198] wottith nat] Other eds. “wot not.”

[199] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[200] practyue] Other eds. “practique.”

[201] And] Perhaps ought to be thrown out. Compare v. 1062.

[202] Nat] Other eds. “Not.”

[203] eare] Marshe’s ed. “eares.”

[204] perceyued] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “perceyuid.”

[205] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[206] cacodemonyall] Eds. (with various spelling) “cacademonyall:” but compare the preceding line.

[207] prothonotory] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “prothonetory.”

[208] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[209] larger] Marshe’s ed. “large.”

[210] trechery] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “terchery.”

[211] warke] Other eds. “worke.”

[212] Pytchars] The Editor of 1736 printed “Pytchars and”—without the authority, I believe, of any old ed.

[213] cupborde] So other eds. Kele’s ed. here (but not previously, see v. 898) “copborde.”

[214] An] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “And.”

[215] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[216] of] Not in other eds.

[217] realmys] Marshe’s ed. “realme.”

[218] Brose] Other eds. “Bruse.”

[219] Lucyfer] Kele’s ed. “Lucyfers.” Other eds. “Lucifer.”

[220] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[221] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[222] dyscrecyon] Eds. of Kele, Wyght, and Kytson (with various spelling), “dystrectyon.” Marshe’s ed. “discretion.”

[223] his] Other eds. “him.”

[224] named] Marshe’s ed. “name.”

[225] flytynge] Eds. of Kytson, and Marshe, “fiting.”

[226] And] Perhaps ought to be thrown out. Compare v. 735.

[227] ony] Other eds. “any.”

[228] for] Not in eds. of Kytson, and Marshe.

[229] of] Not in Marshe’s ed.

[230] obedyence] Kele’s ed. “obedynce.” Other eds. “obedience.”

[231] me] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “we.”

[232] And] Eds. of Kytson, and Marshe, “That.”

[233] afore] Eds. of Kytson, and Marshe, “before.”

[234] they] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “the.”

[235] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[236] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[237] nose] Marshe’s ed. “pose.”

[238] pose] Kytson’s ed. “nose.”

[239] put] Wyght’s ed. “but.”

[240] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[241] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[242] hood] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “hode.”

[243] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[244] nat] Other eds. “not.”

[245] Pandulphum] Other eds. “pandulohum.”

[246] elongatum] Marshe’s ed. “longatum.”

[247] cataplasmate stratum] Eds. “cataplasmati statum.”

[248] Pharmacopolæ] Eds. (with various spelling) “Pharmacapoli.”

[249] Quo] Marshe’s ed. “Quod.”

DECASTICHON VIRULENTUM IN GALERATUM LYCAONTA MARINUM, &c.

Proh dolor, ecce, maris lupus, et nequissimus ursus,

Carnificis vitulus, Britonumque bubulcus iniquus,

Conflatus vitulus vel Oreb, vel Salmane vel Zeb,

Carduus, et crudelis Asaphque Datan reprobatus,

Blandus et Achitophel regis, scelus omne Britannum,

Ecclesias qui namque Thomas confundit ubique,

Non sacer iste Thomas, sed duro corde Goleas,

Quem gestat mulus,—Sathane, cacet,[250] obsecro, culus

Fundens asphaltum, precor! Hunc versum lege cautum;

Asperius nihil est misero quum surget in altum.[251] 10

[250] cacet] Other eds. “caret.”

[251] quum surget in altum] Not in Marshe’s ed.

APOSTROPHA AD[252] LONDINI CIVES (CITANTE[253] MULUM ASINO AUREO GALERATO) IN OCCURSUM ASELLI,[254] &c.

Excitat, en,[255] asinus mulum,[256] mirabile visu,

Calcibus! O vestro cives occurrite asello,

Qui regnum regemque regit, qui vestra gubernat

Prædia, divitias, nummos, gazas, spoliando!

Dixit alludens, immo illudens, paradoxam de asino aureo galerato.

xxxiiii.

Hæc vates ille,

De quo loquuntur mille.

[252] ad] Eds. “an.”

[253] citante] Eds. “citanto” and “citando.”

[254] aselli] Eds. “aguile:” compare the second line. The Editor of 1736 printed “asini.”

[255] en] Eds. “eu.”

[256] mulum] Other eds. “multum.”

SKELTON, LAUREATE, &c.
HOWE THE DOUTY DUKE OF ALBANY,[257] LYKE A COWARDE KNYGHT, RAN AWAYE SHAMFULLY, WITH AN HUNDRED THOUSANDE TRATLANDE SCOTTES AND FAINT HARTED FRENCHEMEN, BESIDE THE WATER OF TWEDE, &c.

Reioyse, Englande,
And vnderstande
These tidinges newe,
Whiche be as trewe
As the gospell:
This duke so fell
Of Albany,
So cowardly,
With all his hoost
Of the Scottyshe coost, 10
For all theyr boost,
Fledde lyke a beest;
Wherfore to ieste
Is my delyght
Of this cowarde knyght,
And for to wright
In the dispyght
Of the Scottes ranke
Of Huntley banke,
Of Lowdyan, 20
Of Locryan,
And the ragged ray
Of Galaway.
Dunbar, Dunde,
Ye shall trowe me,
False Scottes are ye:
Your hartes sore faynted,
And so[258] attaynted,
Lyke cowardes starke,
At the castell of Warke, 30
By the water of Twede,
Ye had euill spede;
Lyke cankerd curres,
Ye loste your spurres,
For in that fraye
Ye ranne awaye,
With, hey, dogge, hay!
For Sir William Lyle
Within shorte whyle,
That valiaunt knyght, 40
Putte you to flyght;
By his valyaunce
Two thousande[259] of Fraunce
There he putte backe,
To your great lacke,
And vtter shame
Of your Scottysshe name.
Your chefe cheftayne,
Voyde of all brayne,
Duke of all Albany, 50
Than shamefuly
He reculed backe,
To his great lacke,
Whan he herde tell
That my lorde amrell
Was comyng downe,
To make hym frowne
And to make hym lowre,
With the noble powre
Of my lorde cardynall, 60
As an hoost royall,
After the auncient manner,
With sainct Cutberdes banner,
And sainct Williams also;
Your capitayne ranne to go,
To go, to go, to go,
And brake vp all his hoost;
For all his crake and bost,
Lyke a cowarde knyght,
He fledde, and durst nat fyght, 70
He ranne awaye by night.
But now must I
Your Duke ascry
Of Albany
With a worde or twayne
In sentence playne.
Ye duke so doutty,
So sterne, so stoutty,
In shorte sentens,
Of your pretens 80
What is the grounde,
Breuely and rounde
To me expounde,
Or els wyll I
Euydently
Shewe as it is;
For the cause is this,
Howe ye pretende
For to defende
The yonge Scottyshe kyng, 90
But ye meane a thyng,
And ye coude bryng
The matter about,
To putte his eyes out
And put hym downe,
And set hys crowne
On your owne heed
Whan he were deed.
Such trechery
And traytory 100
Is all your cast;
Thus ye haue compast
With the Frenche kyng
A fals rekenyng
To enuade Englande,
As I vnderstande:
But our kyng royall,
Whose name ouer all,
Noble Henry the eyght,
Shall cast a beyght, 110
And sette suche a snare,
That shall cast you in care,
Bothe Kyng Fraunces and thé,
That knowen ye shall be
For the moost recrayd
Cowardes afrayd,
And falsest forsworne,
That euer were borne.
O ye wretched Scottes,
Ye puaunt pyspottes, 120
It shalbe your lottes
To be knytte vp with knottes
Of halters and ropes
About your traytours throtes!
O Scottes pariured,
Vnhaply vred,
Ye may be assured
Your falshod discured
It is and shal be
From the Scottish se 130
Vnto Gabione!
For ye be false echone,
False and false agayne,
Neuer true nor playne,
But flery, flatter, and fayne,
And euer to remayne
In wretched beggary
And maungy misery,
In lousy lothsumnesse
And scabbed scorffynesse, 140
And in abhominacion
Of all maner of nacion,
Nacion moost in hate,
Proude and poore of state.
Twyt, Scot, go kepe thy den,
Mell nat with Englyshe men;
Thou dyd nothyng but barke
At the castell of Warke.
Twyt, Scot, yet agayne ones,
We shall breke thy bones, 150
And hang you vpon polles,
And byrne you all to colles;
With, twyt, Scot, twyt, Scot, twyt,
Walke, Scot, go begge a byt
Of brede at ylke mannes hecke:
The fynde, Scot, breke thy necke!
Twyt, Scot, agayne I saye,
Twyt, Scot of Galaway,
Twyt, Scot, shake thy dogge,[260] hay!
Twyt, Scot, thou ran away. 160
We set nat a flye
By your Duke of Albany;
We set nat a prane
By suche a dronken drane;
We set nat a myght
By suche a cowarde knyght,
Suche a proude palyarde,
Suche a skyrgaliarde,
Suche a starke cowarde,
Suche a proude pultrowne, 170
Suche a foule coystrowne,
Suche a doutty dagswayne;
Sende him to F[r]aunce agayne,
To bring with hym more brayne
From Kynge Fraunces of Frauns:
God sende them bothe myschauns!
Ye Scottes all the rable,
Ye shall neuer be hable
With vs for to compare;
What though ye stampe and stare? 180
God sende you sorow and care!
With vs whan euer ye mell,
Yet we bear away the bell,
Whan ye cankerd knaues
Must crepe into your caues
Your heedes for to hyde,
For ye dare nat abyde.
Sir Duke of Albany,
Right inconuenyently
Ye rage and ye raue, 190
And your worshyp depraue:
Nat lyke Duke Hamylcar,
With the Romayns that made war,
Nor lyke his sonne Hanyball,
Nor lyke Duke Hasdruball
Of Cartage in Aphrike;
Yet somwhat ye be lyke
In some of their condicions,
And their false sedycions,
And their dealyng double, 200
And their weywarde trouble:
But yet they were bolde,
And manly manyfolde,
Their enemyes to assayle
In playn felde and battayle;
But ye and your hoost,
Full of bragge and boost,
And full of waste wynde,
Howe ye wyll beres bynde,
And the deuill downe dynge, 210
Yet ye dare do nothynge,
But lepe away lyke frogges,
And hyde you vnder logges,
Lyke pygges and lyke hogges,
And lyke maungy dogges.
What an army were ye?
Or what actyuyte
Is in you, beggers braules,
Full of scabbes and scaules,
Of vermyne and of lyce, 220
And of all maner vyce?
Syr duke, nay, syr ducke,
Syr drake of the lake, sir ducke
Of the donghyll, for small lucke
Ye haue in feates of warre;
Ye make nought, but ye marre;
Ye are a fals entrusar,
And a fals abusar,
And an vntrewe knyght;
Thou hast to lytell myght 230
Agaynst Englande to fyght;
Thou art a graceles wyght
To put thy selfe to flyght:
A vengeaunce and dispight
On thé must nedes lyght,
That durst nat byde the sight
Of my lorde amrell,
Of chiualry the well,
Of knighthode the floure
In euery marciall shoure, 240
The noble Erle of Surrey,
That put thé in suche fray;
Thou durst no felde derayne,
Nor no batayle[261] mayntayne
Against our st[r]onge captaine,
But thou ran home agayne,
For feare thou shoulde be slayne,
Lyke a Scottyshe keteryng,
That durst abyde no reknyng;
Thy hert wolde nat serue thé: 250
The fynde of hell mot sterue thé!
No man hath harde
Of suche a cowarde,
And such a mad ymage
Caried in a cage,
As it were a cotage;
Or of suche a mawment
Caryed in a tent;
In a tent! nay, nay,
But in a mountayne gay, 260
Lyke a great hill
For a wyndmil,
Therin to couche styll,
That no man hym kyll;
As it were a gote
In a shepe cote,
About hym a parke
Of a madde warke,
Men call it a toyle;
Therin, lyke a royle, 270
Sir Dunkan, ye dared,
And thus ye prepared
Youre carkas to kepe,
Lyke a sely shepe,
A shepe of Cottyswolde,
From rayne and from colde,
And from raynning of rappes,
And suche after clappes;
Thus in your cowardly castell
Ye decte you to dwell: 280
Suche a captayne of hors,[262]
It made no great fors
If that ye had tane
Your last deedly bane
With a gon stone,
To make you to grone.
But hyde thé, sir Topias,
Nowe into the castell of Bas,
And lurke there, lyke an as,
With some Scotyshe [l]as, 290
With dugges, dugges, dugges:
I shrewe thy Scottishe lugges,
Thy munpynnys, and thy crag,
For thou can not but brag,
Lyke a Scottyshe hag:
Adue nowe, sir Wrig wrag,
Adue, sir Dalyrag!
Thy mellyng is but mockyng;
Thou mayst giue vp thy cocking,
Gyue it vp, and cry creke, 300
Lyke an huddypeke.
Wherto shuld I more speke
Of suche a farly freke,
Of suche an horne keke,
Of suche an bolde captayne,
That dare nat turne agayne,
Nor durst nat crak a worde,
Nor durst nat drawe his swerde
Agaynst the Lyon White,
But ran away quyte? 310
He ran away by nyght,
In the owle flyght,
Lyke a cowarde knyght.
Adue, cowarde, adue,
Fals knight, and mooste vntrue!
I render thé, fals rebelle,
To the flingande fende of helle.
Harke yet, sir duke, a worde,
In ernest or in borde:
What, haue ye, villayn, forged, 320
And virulently dysgorged,
As though ye wolde parbrake,
Your auauns to make,
With wordes enbosed,
Vngraciously engrosed,
Howe ye wyll vndertake
Our royall kyng to make
His owne realme to forsake?
Suche lewde langage ye spake.
Sir Dunkan, in the deuill waye, 330
Be well ware what ye say:
Ye saye that he and ye,—
Whyche he and ye? let se;
Ye meane Fraunces, French kyng,
Shulde bring about that thing.
I say, thou lewde lurdayne,
That neyther of you twayne
So hardy nor so bolde
His countenaunce to beholde:
If our moost royall Harry 340
Lyst with you to varry,
Full soone ye should miscary,
For ye durst nat tarry
With hym to stryue a stownde;
If he on you but frounde,
Nat for a thousande pounde[263]
Ye durst byde on the grounde,
Ye wolde ryn away rounde,
And cowardly tourne your backes,
For all your comly crackes, 350
And, for feare par case
To loke hym in the face,
Ye wolde defoyle the place,
And ryn your way apace.
Thoughe I trym you thys trace
With Englyshe somwhat base,
Yet, saue[264] voster grace,
Therby I shall purchace
No displesaunt rewarde,
If ye wele can regarde 360
Your cankarde cowardnesse
And your shamfull doublenesse.
Are ye nat frantyke madde,
And wretchedly bestadde,
To rayle agaynst his grace,
That shall bring you full bace,
And set you in suche case,
That bytwene you twayne
There shalbe drawen a trayne
That shalbe to your payne? 370
To flye ye shalbe fayne,
And neuer tourne agayne.
What, wold Fraunces, our friar,
Be suche a false lyar,
So madde a cordylar,
So madde a murmurar?
Ye muse somwhat to far;
All out of ioynt ye iar:
God let you neuer thriue!
Wene ye, daucockes, to driue 380
Our kyng out of his reme?
Ge heme, ranke Scot, ge heme,
With fonde Fraunces, French kyng:
Our mayster shall you brynge
I trust, to lowe estate,
And mate you with chekmate.
Your braynes are ydell;
It is time for you to brydell,
And pype in a quibyble;
For it is impossible 390
For you to bring about,
Our kyng for to dryue out
Of this his realme royall
And lande imperiall;
So noble a prince as he
In all actyuite
Of hardy merciall actes,
Fortunate in all his faytes.[265]
And nowe I wyll me dresse
His valiaunce to expresse, 400
Though insufficient am I
His grace to magnify
And laude equiualently;
Howe be it, loyally,
After myne allegyaunce,
My pen I will auaunce
To extoll his noble grace,
In spyght of thy cowardes face,
In spyght of Kyng Fraunces,
Deuoyde of all nobles, 410
Deuoyde of good corage,
Deuoyde of wysdome sage,
Mad, frantyke, and sauage;
Thus he dothe disparage
His blode with fonde dotage.
A prince to play the page
It is a rechelesse rage,
And a lunatyke ouerage.
What though my stile be rude?
With trouthe it is ennewde: 420
Trouth ought to be rescude,
Trouthe should nat be subdude.
But nowe will I expounde
What noblenesse dothe abounde,
And what honour is founde,
And what vertues be resydent
In our royall regent,
Our perelesse president,
Our kyng most excellent:
In merciall prowes 430
Lyke vnto Hercules;
In prudence and wysdom
Lyke vnto Salamon;
In his goodly person
Lyke vnto Absolon;
In loyalte and foy
Lyke to Ector of Troy;
And his glory to incres,
Lyke to Scipiades;
In royal mageste 440
Lyke unto Ptholome,
Lyke to Duke Iosue,
And the valiaunt Machube;
That if I wolde reporte
All the roiall sorte
Of his nobilyte,
His magnanymyte,
His animosite,
His frugalite,[266]
His lyberalite, 450
His affabilite,
His humanyte,
His stabilite,
His humilite,
His benignite,
His royall dignyte,
My lernyng is to small
For to recount them all.
What losels than are ye,
Lyke cowardes as ye be, 460
To rayle on his astate,
With wordes inordinate!
He rules his cominalte
With all benignite;
His noble baronage,
He putteth them in corage
To exployte dedes of armys,
To the domage and harmys
Of suche as be his foos;
Where euer he rydes or goos, 470
His subiectes he dothe supporte,
Maintayne them with comforte
Of his moste princely porte,
As all men can reporte.
Than ye be a knappishe sorte,
Et faitez a luy grant torte,
With your enbosed iawes
To rayle on hym lyke dawes;
The fende scrache out your mawes!
All his subiectes and he 480
Moost louyngly agre
With hole hart and true mynde,
They fynde his grace so kynde;
Wherwith he dothe them bynde
At all houres to be redy
With hym to lyue and dye,
And to spende[267] their hart blode,
Their bodyes and their gode,
With hym in all dystresse,
Alway in redynesse 490
To assyst his noble grace;
In spyght of thy cowardes face,
Moost false attaynted traytour,
And false forsworne faytour.
Auaunte, cowarde recrayed!
Thy pride shalbe alayd;
With sir Fraunces of Fraunce
We shall pype you a daunce,
Shall tourne you to myschauns.
I rede you, loke about; 500
For ye shalbe driuen out
Of your lande in shorte space:
We will so folowe in the chace,
That ye shall haue no grace
For to tourne your face;
And thus, Sainct George to borowe,
Ye shall haue shame and sorowe.

Lenuoy.

Go, lytell quayre, quickly;
Shew them that shall you rede,
How that ye are lykely 510
Ouer all the worlde[268] to sprede.
The fals Scottes for dred,
With the Duke of Albany,
Beside the water of Twede
They fledde full cowardly.
Though your Englishe be rude,
Barreyne of eloquence,
Yet, breuely to conclude,
Grounded is your sentence
On trouthe, vnder defence 520
Of all trewe Englyshemen,
This mater to credence
That I wrate with my pen.

SKELTON LAUREAT, OBSEQUIOUS ET LOYALL.[269]
TO MY LORDE CARDYNALS RIGHT NOBLE GRACE, &c.

Lenuoy.

Go, lytell quayre, apace,
In moost humble wyse,
Before his noble grace,
That caused you to deuise
This lytel enterprise;
And hym moost lowly pray,
In his mynde to comprise
Those wordes his grace dyd saye
Of an ammas gray.

Ie foy enterment en sa bone grace.

[257] Howe the douty Duke of Albany, &c.] From Marshe’s ed. of Skelton’s Workes, 1568.

[258] so] Qy. “sore?”

[259] thousande] Ed. “thausande.”

[260] thy dogge] Qy. “thé, dogge?” but see notes.

[261] Nor no batayle, &c.] The Editor of 1736 chose to give this passage thus;

“Nor a batayle mayntayne
With our stronge captayne
For you ran,” &c.

[262] hors] Ed. “fors.”

[263] pounde] Ed. “pouned.”

[264] saue] Ed. “saua.”

[265] faytes] Qy. “factes?”

[266] frugalite] Ed. “fragalite.”

[267] And to spende, &c.] This line and the next transposed in ed.

[268] worlde] Ed. “worlds.”

[269] Skelton Laureat, obsequious et loyall] Perhaps these words are a portion of the superscription to the Lenuoy which follows. The Lenuoy itself does not, I apprehend, belong to the poem on the Duke of Albany. See Account of Skelton, &c.

NOTES TO VOLUME I.

OF THE DEATH OF THE NOBLE PRINCE, KYNGE EDWARDE THE FORTH.

Page 1. “Indeed if he well weighed that Epitaph of King Edward the fourth, made by Skelton, which I find inserted amongst the vnprinted Workes of Lydgate, he would be more modest in this kinde.” Qvaternio, 1633, p. 239, by Nash, who cites a considerable portion of this poem from a MS.—Lydgate could not have been alive at the period of Edward’s decease: see Warton’s Hist. of E.P. ii. 51. ed. 4to. (note), Ritson’s Bibl. Poet., &c.

Edward the Fourth died April 9th, 1483, in the 41st year of his age and the 23d of his reign: see Sir H. Nicolas’s Chron. of Hist. pp. 325, 349, sec. ed. These lines were probably composed soon after the king’s death—per Skeltonidem laureatum having been subsequently added to the title.

v. 8. lykynge] i. e. joy, pleasure.

Page 2. v. 22. a chery fayre] If this is to be understood as cherry-fair (which I think doubtful), the line ought to be pointed,

“Not certayne, but as a chery fayre, full of wo.”

The first of the following parallel passages is cited by Richardson in his Dict. under Cherry (as also from the same work of Gower,

“And that endureth but a throwe,

Right as it were a cherie feste.”

B. vi. fol. cxxxiii. ed. 1554).

and Mr. Halliwell has obligingly forwarded to me a letter from one of his friends, who states that “cherry-wakes or cherry-fairs used not long since to be held in Worcestershire on Sunday-evenings after divine service, and that in his own village there were three in the season, one for the early cherries, and two others for those of later growth.”

“For all is but a cherie feire

This worldes good, so as thei tell.”

Gower’s Conf. Am., Prol. fol. 3. ed. 1554.

“This worlde ys but a chyrye feyre, whan ȝe be heyest ȝe mowe aslake.”

Lydgate’s verses entitled Make Amendes,—MS. Cott. Calig. A ii. fol. 67.

“Reuoluyng als this liif a chere fayre

To loke how sone she deyde the fayrist wight.”

Poems by C. Duke of Orleans,—MS. Harl. 682. fol. 42.

“Thys werld hyt turnys euyn as a whele,
All day be day hyt wyl enpayre,
And so, sone, thys worldys wele,
Hyt faryth but as a chery fare.”

How the wise man taught his son,—Pieces of An. Pop. Poetry, p. 90. ed. Ritson.

Page 2. v. 28. to contribute Fraunce] i. e. to take tribute of France. In 1475 Edward withdrew from France with his army on condition that Louis should pay him immediately 75 thousand crowns, settle on him an annuity for life of 50 thousand more, &c. See Lingard’s Hist. of Engl. v. 303. ed. 8vo.

v. 35. as who sayth] A not unfrequent expression in our early poetry, equivalent to—as one may say, as the saying is.

Page 3. v. 37. I se wyll, they leve that doble my ȝeris] i. e. I see well, that they live that double my years.

v. 38. This dealid this world] i. e. Thus dealed this world. Skelton elsewhere, like many of our old poets, uses this for thus; as in his Ware the Hauke;

“Where Christis precious blode
Dayly offred is,
To be poluted this.”

v. 179. vol. i. 161.

v. 40. Had I wyst] i. e. Had I known,—the exclamation of one who repents of a thing done unadvisedly. It is very common in our early poetry. In The Paradyse of daynty deuises, 1576, the second copy of verses is entitled Beware of had I wyst.

v. 52. occupy] i. e. possess,—or, rather, use: “Surgyons occupy oyntmentes, &c., Vulnarii medici vtuntur,” &c. Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. I. vi. ed. 1530.

v. 53. I made the Tower stronge] “Edward iv ... fortified the Tower, and made it strong.” Stow’s Survey, B. i. 79. ed. 1720.

v. 54. I purchased Tetersall] I have not found elsewhere any mention of Edward the Fourth having possessed Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire. “It does not appear into whose hands the Tattershall estate fell after the death of the Lord Treasurer Cromwell [in 1455], until the year 1487, when Henry VII. granted the manor to his mother Margaret Countess of Richmond,” &c. Hist. of the County of Lincoln, ii. 73.

v. 55. I amendid Douer] “K. Edw. iv., by the advice of Lord Cobham, expended 10,000l. in repairing and fortifying the several works, and beautifying the apartments in it [Dover Castle].” Hasted’s Hist. of Kent, iv. 63.

Page 3. v. 56. And London I prouoked to fortify the wall]—prouoked, i. e. incited, caused.—“In the Seventeenth of Edward iv., Ralph Josceline, Maior, caused part of the Wall about the City to be repaired, to wit, between Aldgate and Aldersgate,” &c. Stow’s Survey, B. I. 10. ed. 1720.

v. 57. I made Notingam a place full royall] Leland, describing Nottingham Castle, says; “But the moste bewtifullest Part and gallant Building for lodgyng is on the Northe side, wher Edward the 4. began a right sumptuus pece of Stone Work, of the which he clerely finichid one excellent goodly Toure of 3. Hightes yn Building, and brought up the other Part likewise from the Foundation with Stone and mervelus fair cumpacid Windoes to layyng of the first soyle for Chambers and ther lefte.” Itin. i. 107. ed. 1770.

v. 58. Wyndsore] “The present magnificent fabrick [St. George’s Chapel at Windsor], which exhibits one of the most beautiful specimens in this or any other kingdom, of that richly ornamented species of architecture, which prevailed towards the close of the fifteenth and the commencement of the 16th century, was begun by King Edward IV., who having found it necessary to take down the old chapel on account of its decayed state, resolved to build another on the same site, upon a larger scale, and committed the superintendence of the building to Richard Beauchamp, bishop of Salisbury. The work was not completed till the reign of King Henry VIII.,” &c. Lysons’s Berkshire, p. 424: see too p. 468 of the same volume.—An account of the manors, &c., granted by Edward to Windsor College, will be found in Pote’s Hist. of Wind. Castle, p. 107.

—— Eltam] “K. Edw. iv. repaired this house [Eltham Palace] with much cost, and inclosed Horne-Park,” &c. Hasted’s Hist. of Kent, i. 51.

Page 4. v. 64. solas] i. e. sport, amusement.

v. 66. Lady Bes] Edward married, May 1st, 1464, the Lady Elizabeth Grey, widow of Sir John Grey, and daughter of Wydevile Lord Rivers by Jacquetta (or Jacqueline) Duchess of Bedford.

v. 70. But Windsore alone, now I haue no mo]—mo, i. e. more.—“He [Edward IV.] lies buried at Windsor, in the new Chappel (whose Foundation himself had laid, being all the Works of Piety by him left) under a Monument of Steel, polish’d and gilt, [iron gilt—see Lysons’s Berkshire, p. 210.], representing a Pair of Gates, betwixt Two Towers, all of curious transparent Workmanship after the Gothick Manner, which is placed in the North-Arch, faced through with Touch-Stone, near to the High-Altar.” Sandford’s Geneal. Hist. p. 413. ed. 1707.

Page 4. v. 73.

Why should a man be proude or presume hye?

Sainct Bernard therof nobly doth trete,

Seyth a man is but a sacke of stercorry,

And shall returne vnto wormis mete.

Why, what cam of Alexander the greate?

Or els of stronge Sampson, who can tell?

Were not wormes ordeyned theyr flesh to frete?

And of Salomon, that was of wyt the well?
Absolon profferyd his heare for to sell,
Yet for al his bewte wormys ete him also]

—stercorry, i. e. dung: frete, i. e. eat, devour: heare, i. e. hair.—In cap. iii. of Meditationes piissimæ de cognitione humanæ conditionis, a piece attributed to Saint Bernard, we find, “Nihil aliud est homo, quam sperma fœtidum, saccus stercorum, cibus vermium.... Cur ergo superbis homo.... Quid superbis pulvis et cinis,” &c. Bernardi Opp. ii. 335-36. ed. 1719. In a Rythmus de contemptu mundi, attributed to the same saint, are these lines;

“Dic ubi Salomon, olim tam nobilis?

Vel ubi Samson est, dux invincibilis?

Vel pulcher Absalon, vultu mirabilis?

...

O esca vermium! O massa pulveris!

O roris vanitas, cur sic extolleris?”

Opp. ii. 913-14. ed. 1719.

(This Rythmus is printed by Mr. Wright among The Latin Poems attributed to Walter Mapes, p. 147.) So also Lydgate in a poem on the mutability of human affairs;

“And wher is Salomon moost soueryn of konnynge,

Richest of bildyng, of tresour incomparable?

Face of Absolon moost fair, moost amyable?

...

And wher is Alisaundir that conqueryd al?”

MS. Harl. 2255. fol. 4, 5.

—of wyt the well: so in Cæsar Augustus;

“Of witt art thou the welle.”—Townely Mysteries, p. 68.

v. 85. I haue played my pageyond] i. e. I have played my pageant,—my part on the stage of life. Compare

“Theyr pageandes are past
And ours wasteth fast
Nothynge dothe aye last
But the grace of God.”

Feylde’s Contrav. bytwene a louer and a Iaye, sig. B iii. n. d. 4to.

“Playis heir thair padyanis, syne gois to graif.”

Dunbar’s Poems, i. 213. ed. Laing.

“To playe this parte or padgeant.” Palsgrave’s Acolastus, 1540, sig. S.—The word pageant was originally applied to the temporary erections (sometimes placed upon wheels) on which miracle-plays were exhibited, afterwards to the exhibition itself. See Sharp’s Diss. on Coventry Pag. and Myst., p. 2; Collier’s Hist. of Engl. Dram. Poet., ii. 151.

Page 4. v. 86. yeld] i. e. eld, age.

Page 5. v. 87. This] i. e. Thus: see note on v. 38.

SKELTON LAUREATUS LIBELLUM SUUM, &c.

Page 6. v. 3. leonis] See note on v. 109 of next poem.

VPON THE DOLOUR[U]S DETHE AND MUCHE LAMENTABLE CHAUNCE OF THE MOST HONORABLE ERLE OF NORTHUMBERLANDE.

This elegy must have been written soon after the earl’s murder: see v. 162.—“The subject of this poem ... is the death of Henry Percy, fourth earl of Northumberland, who fell a victim to the avarice of Henry vii. In 1489 the parliament had granted the king a subsidy for carrying on the war in Bretagne. This tax was found so heavy in the North, that the whole country was in a flame. The E. of Northumberland, then lord lieutenant for Yorkshire, wrote to inform the king of the discontent, and praying an abatement. But nothing is so unrelenting as avarice: the king wrote back that not a penny should be abated. This message being delivered by the earl with too little caution, the populace rose, and, supposing him to be the promoter of their calamity, broke into his house, and murdered him, with several of his attendants, who yet are charged by Skelton with being backward in their duty on this occasion. This melancholy event happened at the earl’s seat at Cocklodge, near Thirske, in Yorkshire, April 28, 1489. See Lord Bacon, &c. If the reader does not find much poetical merit in this old poem (which yet is one of Skelton’s best [?]), he will see a striking picture of the state and magnificence kept up by our ancient nobility during the feudal times. This great earl is described here as having, among his menial servants, KNIGHTS, SQUIRES, and even BARONS: see v. 32, 183, &c., which, however different from modern manners, was formerly not unusual with our greater Barons, whose castles had all the splendour and offices of a royal court, before the Laws against Retainers abridged and limited the number of their attendants.” Percy.

Page 6. v. 4. Of the bloud royall descending nobelly] “The mother of Henry, first Earl of Northumberland, was Mary daughter to Henry E. of Lancaster, whose father Edmond was second son of K. Henry iii. The mother and wife of the second Earl of Northumberland were both lineal descendants of K. Edward iii. The Percys also were lineally descended from the Emperour Charlemagne and the ancient Kings of France, by his ancestor Josceline de Lovain (son of Godfrey Duke of Brabant), who took the name of Percy on marrying the heiress of that house in the reign of Hen. ii. Vid. Camdeni Britan., Edmondson, &c.” Percy.

v. 6. again] i. e. against.

Page 7. v. 14. Elyconys] i. e. Helicon’s.

v. 16. astate] i. e. estate, high rank.

v. 20. nobles] i. e. nobless, nobleness.

v. 21. dites] i. e. ditties.

v. 24. hastarddis] “i. e. perhaps, hasty, rash fellows.” Percy.—Jamieson gives “Hastard. Irascible.” Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang.

—— tene] i. e. wrath.

v. 26. Confetered] i. e. Confederated.

v. 27. slee] i. e. slay.

v. 30. ken] i. e. know.

v. 34. karlis of kind] i. e. churls by nature.

v. 35. slo] i. e. slay.

Page 8. v. 40. bode] i. e. abode.

v. 41. glose] “i. e. set a false gloss or colour.” Percy.

v. 43. redouted] i. e. dreaded.

v. 45. great estates] i. e. persons of great estate or rank.

—— lowted] i. e. bowed, made obeisance.

v. 46. mayny] i. e. train, company, set.

v. 48. paues] i. e. shield (properly a large shield covering the body).

v. 49. mot] i. e. may.

v. 51. fyll] i. e. fell.

v. 53. agayne] i. e. against.

v. 59. worshyp] i. e. honour, respectability.

v. 62. againe] i. e. against (and so in the next line).

v. 63. slee] i. e. slay.

Page 9. v. 71. fals packing] i. e. false dealing (packing is—iniquitous combination, collusion, for evil purposes, for deceiving, &c.).

v. 73. occupied] i. e. used: see note, p. 86, v. 52.

—— shilde] i. e. shield.

v. 78. renyed] i. e. refused.

v. 81. buskt them] “i. e. prepared themselves, made themselves ready.” Percy. Rather,—hied.

Page 9. v. 81. bushment] i. e. ambushment.

—— baile] i. e. sorrow, trouble.

v. 82. Againe] i. e. Against.

—— wring] “i. e. contend with violence.” Percy.

v. 84. forsed] i. e. regarded.

v. 87. Presed] i. e. Pressed.

v. 88. faught them agagne] i. e. fought against them.

Page 10. v. 96. whose] i. e. whoso.

v. 98. sort] i. e. set, band.

v. 100. wode] i. e. frantic, wild.

v. 102. gode] i. e. good.

v. 106. spylt] i. e. destroyed.

v. 109. The myghty lyon] “Alluding to his crest and supporters.” Percy.

—— doutted] i. e. dreaded.

v. 115. shoke] i. e. shook.

Page 11. v. 118. mysuryd] “i. e. misused, applied to a bad purpose.” Percy.

v. 123. sleest] i. e. slayest.

v. 125. enharpit of mortall drede] “i. e. hooked, or edged with mortal dread.” Percy.

v. 126. kit] i. e. cut.

v. 128. aureat] i. e. golden, excellent.

—— ellumynynge] i. e. embellishing.

v. 131. fuyson] i. e. abundance.

v. 134. Paregall] i. e. Equal (thoroughly equal).

v. 135. Surmountinge] i. e. Surpassing.

v. 136. reporte me] i. e. refer.

v. 142. enkankered] i. e. corroded.

v. 143. worshiply] i. e. honourably.

v. 145. supprised] i. e. overpowered, smitten.

—— lust] i. e. liking, desire.

Page 12. v. 151. Tretory] i. e. Traitory, treachery.

v. 152. holl] i. e. whole.

v. 154. sle] i. e. slay.

v. 155. hole quere] i. e. whole quire.

v. 160. holy] i. e. wholly.

v. 162. yonge lyon] See note on v. 109. The fifth Earl of Northumberland was only eleven years old at his father’s death.

v. 166. Agayn] i. e. Against.

v. 172. faytors] “i. e. deceivers, dissemblers.” Percy.—“Faytoure, Fictor, Simulator.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

Page 12. v. 176. chere] i. e. countenance, or (as it may mean here) spirit.

Page 13. v. 179. Algife] i. e. Although.

—— thorow saught] i. e. sought through.

v. 181. complayne] i. e. lament for.

v. 186. worshyply] i. e. honourably.

v. 195. finaunce] i. e. fine, forfeiture.

v. 196. from the fendys pray] “i. e. from being the prey of the fiends.” Percy.

v. 199. eterminable] i. e. interminable.

Page 14. v. 212. hole sorte] i. e. whole company.

v. 213. mot] i. e. may.

—— ad magistrum Rukshaw] The person here addressed was perhaps “William Rowkshaw, priest,” by whom a letter, dated from the Gilbertine priory of Watton in the east riding of Yorkshire, is printed among the Plumpton Correspondence, p. 82. Camd. Soc. ed.

AGAYNSTE A COMELY COYSTROWNE, THAT CURYOWSLY CHAWNTYD, AND CURRYSHLY COWNTRED, &c.

Page 15. Coystrowne (which Skelton uses again in his poem Howe the douty Duke of Albany, &c., v. 171. vol. ii. 73., and has Latinized in his Speke, Parot, v. 125. vol. ii. 7.) is written by Chaucer quistron;

“This God of Loue of his fashion
Was like no knaue ne quistron,
[Ne resembloit pas un garçon].”

Rom. of the Rose, fol. 113,—Workes, ed. 1602.

Urry renders it—a beggar (Fr. questeur); but Tyrwhitt observes, “I rather believe it signifies a scullion, un garçon de cuisine.” Gloss. to C.T.—Douce says that Tyrwhitt’s explanation is correct, citing the words “un quistron de sa cusyne” from the prose French chronicle of the Brut of England, and Caxton’s version of them, “a knave of his kychen.” See Gloss. to Weber’s Met. Rom.—Roquefort has “Questron: bâtard, enfant d’une prostituée.” Gloss. de la Lang. Rom.—In Scottish poetry custroun occurs several times: see Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. and Suppl., where are various conjectures on the derivation and meaning of the word.

In Prompt. Parv. we find “Cowntryn in songe. Occento.” ed. 1499. To counter is properly—to sing an extemporaneous part upon the plain chant. Skelton uses the word in other places, and perhaps not always in its strict sense.

v. 4.

In peuyshnes yet they snapper and fall,

Which men the viii dedly syn call]

Snapper is commonly explained—stumble; but Palsgrave makes a distinction between the words: “I Snapper as a horse dothe that tryppeth, Ie trippette. My horse dyd nat stumble he dyd but snapper a lytell, Mon cheual ne choppyt poynt il ne fit que tripetter vng petit.” Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccclxv. (Table of Verbes.)—Compare the following lines;

“Not say y this but wel parcas that y
In pevisshe synne myght happe me ī aseven
Which is the viii synne to synnes vii.”

Poems by C. Duke of Orleans,—MS. Harl. 682. fol. 145.

Page 15. v. 6. prendergest] A word (probably the origin of the surname Prendergast) which I am unable to explain.

v. 8. bayardys bun] i. e. horse-loaf, a sort of bread formerly much used for feeding horses: bayard is, properly, a bay horse.

v. 9. sumdele] i. e. somewhat.

v. 11. maunchet] Properly, a small loaf of fine white bread.

—— morell] Properly, a dark-coloured, a black horse.

v. 13. carp] Which generally means—speak, talk,—is sometimes found applied to music, and here, perhaps, is equivalent to—make a noise.

v. 14. Lo, Jak wold be a jentylman!] So in Heywood’s Dialogue;

“Iacke would be a gentleman, if he could speake French.”

Sig. D 2,—Workes, ed. 1598.

See also Ray’s Proverbs, p. 124. ed. 1768.

v. 15.

Wyth, Hey, troly, loly, lo, whip here, Jak,
Alumbek sodyldym syllorym ben!
Curyowsly he can both counter and knak
Of Martyn Swart and all hys mery men]

Hey, troly, loly, Ritson observes, is a chorus or burden “of vast antiquity;” see Anc. Songs, ii. 8. ed. 1829: counter; see note on title of the poem: knak, i. e. triflingly, or affectedly shew off his skill in singing about, &c. In A very mery and Pythie Commedie, called The longer thou liuest, the more foole than art, &c. Newly compiled by W. Wager, 4to. n. d. (written in the early part of Elizabeth’s reign), Moros sings, among other fragments of songs,

“Martin swart and his man, sodledum sodledum,

Martin swart and his man, sodledum bell.”

Sig. A 3.

and in a comparatively recent drama we find;

“The Beare, the Boare, and Talbot with his tuskish white,

Oh so sore that he would bite,
The Talbot with his Tuskish white,
Soudledum Soudledum;

The Talbot with his Tuskish white, Soudledum bell.

The Talbott with his Tuskish white,
Oh so sore that he would bite,
Orebecke soudledum, sing orum bell.”

The Varietie (by the Duke of Newcastle), 1649. 12mo. p. 41.

Martin Swart, “a noble man in Germany, and in marciall feactes verye expert,” (Hall’s Chron. (Henry VII.) fol. ix. ed. 1548), headed the auxiliaries sent by the Duchess of Burgundy with Lambert Simnel, and fell, fighting with great valour, at the battle of Stoke.

Page 15. v. 19. pohen] i. e. pea-hen.

Page 16. v. 21. An holy water clarke] Aquæbajulus; an office generally mentioned with contempt.

v. 23. solfyth to haute] i. e. solfas too haughtily,—highly.

v. 25. to sharp is hys my] “The syllable Mi used in solmisation.” Hawkins’s Hist. of Music, iii. 41.

v. 26. pyrdewy] Compare Hycke Scorner;

“Than into loues daunce we were brought,

That we played the pyrdewy.”

Sig. A v. ed. W. de Worde.

and Colkelbie Sow;

“Sum Perdowy sum Trolly lolly.”

v. 303. Laing’s Early Pop. Poet. of Scotland.

v. 27. besy] i. e. busy.

v. 29. a lewde lewte] i. e. a vile lute.

—— Roty bully joyse] “The initial words of some old song.” Hawkins’s Hist. of Music, iii. 41.—In our author’s Magnyfycence, Courtly Abusyon exclaims,

“Rutty bully, ioly rutterkyn, heyda!”

v. 757, vol. i. 249.

Perhaps the same air is alluded to in Colkelbie Sow;

“Sum Rusty bully with a bek.”

v. 320.—Laing’s Early Pop. Poet. of Scotland.

v. 33. and he wyst] i. e. if he knew.

v. 34. sped] i. e. versed.

—— tauellys] “Tauell an instrument for a sylke woman to worke with.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxix. (Table of Subst.)

v. 36. a payre of clauycordys] i. e. a clavichord (so, formerly, an organ was called a pair of organs); of which see an engraving in Hawkins’s Hist. of Music, ii. 443.

v. 43. jet] Is explained in modern dictionaries—strut.—“I Get I vse a proude countenaunce and pace in my goyng, Ie braggue.” “I Iette with facyon and countenaunce to set forthe myselfe, Ie braggue.” “I Go a iettynye or a ryottynge, Ie raude.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fols. ccxlvi, cclxv, ccli. (Table of Verbes.)

Page 16. v. 47. dumpys] i. e. dumps.

v. 48. prycke songe] i. e. music pricked or noted down; when opposed (see v. 54) to plain song, it meant counter-point, as distinguished from mere melody.

v. 49. a larg and a long] Characters in old music: one large contained two longs, one long two breves, &c.

v. 50. iape] i. e. jest, joke.

v. 51. solayne] i. e. sullen.

Page 17. v. 53. fayne] Palsgrave gives, “I feyne in syngyng, Ie chante a basse voyx. We maye nat synge out we are to nere my lorde, but lette vs fayne this songe,” &c. Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccxxxv. (Table of Verbes.) But here, I apprehend, fayne can only mean—sing in falsetto. Our author, in The Bowge of Courte, has

“His throte was clere, and lustely coude fayne.”

v. 233. vol. i. 39.

v. 55. Thys docter Deuyas commensyd in a cart] So again Skelton in his Colyn Cloute,

“Auaunt, syr doctour Deuyas!”

v. 1159. vol. i. 356.

Compare a much later writer: “What, a graue Doctor, a base Iohn Doleta the Almanack-maker, Doctor Deuse-ace and Doctor Merryman?” Nash’s Haue with you to Saffron-Walden, 1596. sig. L 3.—commensyd, i. e. who took his degree.

v. 60. ne] i. e. nor.

v. 61. wark] i. e. work, business.

v. 62. walk, and be nought!] Equivalent to—away, and a mischief on you!

v. 68. Take thys in worth] “I Take in worthe or I take in good worthe, Ie prens en gré.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccclxxxiiii. (Table of Verbes.)

v. 69. Wryten at Croydon by Crowland in the Clay] Concerning this line, the Rev. Joseph Hunter has obligingly remarked to me: “I was in hope of finding ‘Croydon by Crowland in the Clay’ by looking in Ingulphus and his Continuator, where all the places are mentioned in which the Abbey of Crowland (Croyland) had estates. No such name as Croydon appears; and as it is not in Speed’s maps, I see little chance of meeting with the place so called by Skelton. It would be a very bold emendation to read,—

‘Wryten in Hoyland by Crowland in the Clay:’

the parts of Lincolnshire in which Crowland is situated are called Holland or formerly Hoylande.”—To G. Steinman Steinman, Esq., author of the Hist. of Croydon, I am indebted for the following observations: “The passage has been a puzzle to me. The distance is very great between Crowland and Croydon in Cambridgeshire; and in Croydon in Surrey there is no such place as Crowland, though I can point out to you ‘the Clays’ there. The manor of Crouham is in the Surrey Croydon, but far away from ‘the Clays.’”

Page 18. Qd] i. e. Quod, quoth.

VPPON A DEEDMANS HED, &c.

couenable, i. e. befitting: sentence, i. e. sense, meaning. The pointing perhaps ought to be thus;—“in Englysh couenable, in sentence commendable,” &c.

v. 13. shyderyd] i. e. split, splintered.

v. 18. fell] i. e. skin.

Page 19. v. 24. mell] i. e. meddle.

v. 29.

Oure days be datyd,
To be chekmatyd
With drawttys of deth]

Checkmate, the term at chess when the king is made prisoner, and the game consequently finished, is often used figuratively by our early writers. With the present lines compare the following passages:

“Wyth a draght he was chek mate.”

Kyng Roberd of Cysylle,—MS. Harl. 1701. fol. 93.

“But she had taken suche cold for the defaute of helpe that depe draughtes of deth toke her, that nedes she must dye,” &c. Morte d’Arthur, B. viii. c. i. vol. i. 247. ed. Southey.

v. 36. brynnyng] i. e. burning.

v. 40. rew] i. e. have pity.

v. 43. shylde] i. e. shield.

v. 45. dyne] i. e. dun, dark.

v. 46. boteles bale] i. e. remediless sorrow.

v. 48. fendys blake] i. e. fiends black.

v. 54. solace] i. e. pleasure.

“WOMANHOD, WANTON, YE WANT,” &c.

Page 20. v. 4. recheles] i. e. reckless.

v. 6. draffe] i. e. refuse: in our author’s Elynour Rummyng, v. 171. vol. i. 100, it means hog-wash,—the coarse liquor, or brewers’ grains, with which swine are fed.

Page 20. v. 13. pohen] i. e. peahen.

v. 18. auayle] i. e. advantage, profit.

v. 19. shayle] Is several times used by Skelton. “Schayler that gothe awrie with his fete boytevx.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxi. (Table of Subst.) “I Shayle as a man or horse dothe that gothe croked with his legges: Ie vas eschays. It is to late to beate him for it nowe, he shal shayle as longe as he lyueth ... il yra eschays ... I Shayle with the fete, Ientretaille des pieds.” Id. fol. cccxlviii. (Table of Verbes). “A shayle with yᵉ knees togyther and the fete outwarde: A eschays.” Id. fol. ccccxxxvii. (Table of Aduerbes).

v. 20. pyggysny] “The Romans,” says Tyrwhitt, “used oculus as a term of endearment, and perhaps piggesnie, in vulgar language, only means ocellus; the eyes of that animal being remarkably small.” Note on Chaucer’s Cant. Tales, v. 3268.—In confirmation of this etymology, Todd (Johnson’s Dict. in v. Pigsney) has shewn that the word was occasionally written pigs eie.

v. 21. quyte] i. e. requite.

Page 21. v. 26. doute] i. e. fear.

v. 28. all beshrewde] i. e. altogether cursed.

v. 29. that farly swete] i. e. that strange sweet one.

v. 30. wonnes] i. e. dwells.

—— Temmys strete] i. e. Thames’ street.

DYUERS BALETTYS AND DYTIES, &c.

solacyous] i. e. pleasant, amusing.

Page 22. v. 2. quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 4. hardely] i. e. boldly, with confidence.

v. 7. kepe] i. e. heed, regard, care.

v. 8.

With ba, ba, ba, and bas, bas, bas,

She cheryshed hym both cheke and chyn]

i. e. With kissings,—with, kiss me.

“Come ner my spouse, and let me ba thy cheke.”

Chaucer’s Wif of Bathes Prol. v. 6015. ed. Tyr.

“I wald him chuk, cheik and chyn, and cheris him so mekill.”

Dunbar’s tale of The Tua Maryit Wemen and the Wedo,—Poems, i. 71. ed. Laing.

v. 10. wyst] i. e. knew.

v. 11. He had forgoten all dedely syn] Compare our author’s Phyllyp Sparowe, v. 1080. vol. i. 84.

v. 13. He trusted her payment, and lost all hys pray] In the note below the text I inconsiderately queried if “pray” should be “pay.” Compare the last of Skelton’s Poems against Garnesche;

“And thus there ye lost yower pray [i. e. prey].”

v. 61. vol. i. 128.

Page 22. v. 15. rowth] i. e. rough.

—— waters wan] Many passages of our early poetry might be cited where this epithet is applied to water: see note on Why come ye nat to Courte, v. 887, where a wrong reading has misled H. Tooke and Richardson.

v. 18. halsyd] i. e. embraced (round the neck).

v. 19. cought] i. e. caught.

Page 23. v. 20. lefe] i. e. dear.

—— rowtyth] i. e. snoreth.

v. 21. I wys] i. e. truly, certainly (i-wis, adv.).

v. 23. lust and lykyng] “Luste pleasure delyt ... volupté.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xlvi. (Table of Subst.): lykyng; see note, p. 85. v. 8. This somewhat pleonastic expression (used again more than once by Skelton) is not uncommon in our old writers: “Allas my swete sones thenne she sayd, for your sakes I shalle lese my lykynge and lust.” Morte d’Arthur, B. xi. c. x. vol. ii. 174. ed. Southey. Nay, in the interlude of The Worlde and the Chylde, 1522, one of the characters bears the name of Lust and Lykynge.

v. 24. blowboll] “Blowbole yuroigne.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xx. (Table of Subst.).

“To blowe in a bowle, and for to pill a platter,” &c.

Barclay’s First Egloge, sig. A iiii. ed. 1570.

“Farewell Peter blowbowle I may wel call thee.”

Enterlude of Kyng Daryus, 1565. sig. B.

Among the contents of MS. Rawlinson marked C. 86., Bodl. Libr., is a ludicrous poem entitled Colyne Blowbols Testament: see Sir F. Madden’s Introd. to Syr Gawayne, &c. p. lxvi.

v. 25. luggard] i. e. heavy fellow, sluggard.

v. 28. powle hachet] So again in our author’s Garlande of Laurell;

“Powle hatchettis, that prate wyll at euery ale pole.”

v. 613. vol. i. 386.

—— bleryd thyne I] (I—eye) i. e. imposed on, put a cheat on you.

Qd.] i. e. Quod, quoth.

v. 4. pastaunce] i. e. pastime.

v. 7. corage] i. e. heart.

Page 23. v. 8. fauorable] i. e. well-favoured, beautiful.

v. 11. Menolope] In a “ballade” entitled The IX. Ladies Woorthie, printed among Chaucer’s Workes, the writer, after celebrating the eighth, “Quene Semiramys,” concludes thus;

“Also the ladie Menalip thy sister deere,
Whose marcial power no man coud withstand,
Through the worlde was not found her pere,
The famous duke Thes[e]us she had in hand,

She chastised hym and [conquered] all his land,

The proude Greekes mightely she did assaile,

Ouercame and vanquished them in battaile.”

fol. 324. ed. 1602.

Compare Hawes;

“There was quene Phantasyle with penalape

Quene helayne and quene menalape.”

The Pastime of pleasure, sig. T iii. ed. 1555.

v. 16. curtoyl] i. e. curtal.

—— set nowght by] i. e. set no value, or regard, on.

Page 24. v. 17.

Gup, morell, gup,

With jayst ye——]

morell; see note, p. 93. v. 11.—Gup and jayst are exclamations applied to horses; compare our author’s Elynour Rummyng, v. 390. vol. i. 107., and his third Poem against Garnesche, v. 13. vol. i. 120. So too in Camelles Rejoindre to Churchyarde (fol. broadside);

“Then gip fellowe asse, then jost fellowe lurden.”

v. 19. corage] i. e. heart, affection, inclination.

—— haggys] I know not in what sense Skelton uses this word: so again in his Colyn Cloute;

“I purpose to shake oute
All my connyng bagge,
Lyke a clerkely hagge.”

v. 50. vol. i. 313.

and in his poem Howe the douty Duke of Albany, &c.;

“For thou can not but brag,

Lyke a Scottyshe hag.”

v. 294. vol. ii. 76.

v. 20. Haue in sergeaunt ferrour] i. e. Bring in sergeant farrier. “Ferrour. Ferrarius. Ferrator.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. The title sergeant belongs properly to certain of the king’s servants: so in an unpublished Liber Excerpt. Temp. Hen. vii. et Hen. viii. in the Chapter-house, Westminster;

(xix. of Hen. vii.) | “Item payd to the sergeant plummer and bartram opon their indentures for grenewiche | xxli.”

Page 24. v. 23. keylyth] i. e. (perhaps) cooleth—but I do not understand the passage.

v. 24. neuer a dele] i. e. not a bit.

v. 25. wrenche] “Wrenche, a wyle gauche, ruse.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxxvi. (Table of Subst.).

v. 30. dyntes] i. e. blows.

v. 31. He bresyth theyr braynpannys] i. e. He bruiseth, breaketh their skulls, heads: “Pan of the hede. Cranium.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

v. 32. all to-brokyn] A writer in the new ed. of Boucher’s Gloss. (in v. All) justly observes that it is a mistake to suppose that in such expressions all is coupled with to, and that it becomes equivalent to omnino from being thus conjoined. The augmentative to is connected with the following word as a prefix, and often occurs without being preceded by all: so in our author’s Bowge of Courte,

“A rusty gallande, to-ragged and to-rente.”—v. 345. vol. i. 43.

—— clappys] i. e. strokes.

v. 33. to lepe the hach] i. e. to run away:—(hatch—the fastened half or part of the door, the half-door).

“I pretende [i. e. intend] therefore to leape ouer the hatche.”

The Triall of Treasure, 1567. sig. E ii.

v. 34. By theyr conusaunce knowing how they serue a wily py] Conusaunce is cognizance,—a badge worn by servants; py is magpie: there seems to be some allusion to armorial bearings.

v. 36. It can be no counsell that is cryed at the cros] i. e. It can be no secret that is proclaimed at the market-place.

v. 38. furst] i. e. first.

—— los] May mean loss, but, rather, it would seem, “Loos or bad name. Infamia.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

v. 39. warke] i. e. work.

Qd] i. e. Quod, quoth.

Page 25. v. 3. Corage wyth lust] See notes, p. 98. v. 23., p. 99. v. 19: but the whole stanza is very obscure.

v. 7. surmountyng] i. e. surpassing.

v. 8. Allectuary] i. e. Electuary.

—— arrectyd] i. e. perhaps, considered sovereign; to arrect is to impute: or it may simply mean—raised up; our author’s Garlande of Laurell begins

“Arectyng my syght towarde the zodyake.”—vol. i. 361.

—— redres] i. e. relieve, remedy.

v. 9. axys] i. e. fits, paroxysms.

“Yet I haue felt of the sicknesse through May

Both hote and cold, and axes euery day.”

Chaucer’s Cuckow and Nightingale,—Workes, fol. 316. ed. 1602.

“Ther comyth a quarteyn, seith in his gret accesse,” &c.

Lydgate’s verses Against Self-love,—MS. Harl. 2255. fol. 8.

“Help feuerous folk that tremble in ther accesse.”

Lydgate’s Prayer to St. Leonard,—MS. Harl. 2255. fol. 114.

In some parts of England and Scotland access is still used to denote the ague.—Lest any reader should think this note unnecessarily long, I may observe that in two recently published works the word “axes” is erroneously explained,—aches.

Page 25. v. 10. Of thoughtfull hertys plungyd in dystres] Skelton borrowed this line from Lydgate, whose Lyf of our Lady begins

“O thoughtful herte plungyd in distresse.”

In the Bibl. Poet. p. 82, Ritson gives these words as the commencement of a poem by Lydgate, Cott. Ap. viii., not knowing that this reference is to a MS. of the Lyf of our Lady.—Thoughtfull is anxious, heavy, sad.

“For thought and woe pyteously wepynge.”

Lydgate’s Warres of Troy, B. iv. sig. T v. ed. 1555.

v. 13. Herber] Warton appears to limit the signification of this word in old poetry to “an herbary for furnishing domestic medicines,” which, says he, “always made a part of our ancient gardens;” note on Hist. of E. P. ii. 231. ed. 4to. But Jamieson observes, that it would seem to be used for arbour by James I., Kings Quair, ii. 12, 13., and in the romance of Sir Egeir, v. 356. Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. (in v. Herbere). See also The Flower and the Leaf, and The Complaint of the Black Knight, by Chaucer.

v. 14. lusty somer] i. e. pleasant summer.

v. 16. ruddys] i. e. ruddy tints of the cheek, complexion.

v. 17. Saphyre of sadnes]—sadnes, i. e. steadiness, constancy:

“For hit is write and seide how the safere

Doth token trowthe.”

Poems by C. Duke of Orleans,—MS. Harl. 682. fol. 44.

—— enuayned with indy blew] enuayned, i. e. enveined. “Inde. Fr., Azure-coloured.” Tyrwhitt’s Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales. “Inde, ynde: couleur de bleu foncé, d’azur, indicum.” Roquefort’s Gloss. de la Lang. Rom. So again our author in his Magnyfycence;

“The streynes of her vaynes as asure inde blewe.”

v. 1571. vol. i. 276.

See too his Garlande of Laurell, v. 478. vol. i. 381. Compare Hawes;

“Lyke to a lady: for to be moost trewe
She ware a fayre: and goodly garment
Of moost fyne veluet: al of Indy blewe
With armynes powdred: bordred at the vent.”

The Pastime of pleasure, sig. K iiii. ed. 1555.

and Nevil, son of Lord Latimer, in a poem of great rarity;

“On the gates two scryptures I aspyed

Theym for to rede my mynd than I applyed

Wryten in gold and indye blewe for folkes fortheraunce.”

The Castell of pleasure, sig. A v. 1518.

Chaucer has

“Of grasse and floures, Inde and Pers.”

Romaunt of the Rose,—Workes, fol. 109. ed. 1602.

(monstrously explained in Urry’s ed. “Indian and Persian”): and Lydgate,

“Nor stonys al by nature, as I fynde,

Be not saphires that shewethe colour ynde.”

The Chorle and the Bird,—MS. Harl. 116. fol. 150.

Sir John Mandeville says that the beak of the Phœnix “is coloured blew as ynde.” Voiage and Travaile, &c., p. 58. ed. 1725.

Page 25. v. 20. Geyne] i. e. Against.

———— the emeraud comendable;

Relucent smaragd]

Emeraud (emerald) and smaragd are generally considered as synonymous; but here Skelton makes a distinction between them. So too Drayton in his Muses Elizium, 1630. p. 78; and Chamberlayne in his Pharonnida, 1659. B. ii. c. 4. p. 150. And so R. Holme: “The Emrauld is green.”—“The Smaradge is of an excellent fresh green, far passing any Leaf.” Ac. of Armory, 1688. B. ii. pp. 39, 41. James I. in his Quair mentions

“The panther like unto the smaragdyne.”

Chalmers’s Poet. Rem. of Scot. Kings, p. 85.

v. 22. perspectyue] Which generally signifies a glass to look through, seems here, from the context, to mean some sort of reflecting glass.

v. 23. Illumynyd] i. e. Adorned.

v. 26. Gayne] i. e. Against.

Page 25. v. 29. Remorse] Means commonly in early writers,—pity; but that sense is unsuited to the present passage: it seems to be used here for—remembrance, recollection.

—— most goodlyhod] i. e. perfect goodness.

v. 33. praty] i. e. pretty.

Page 26. v. 40. mastres] i. e. mistress.

v. 41. nys] i. e. ne is—is not.

v. 43. more desyrous] i. e. more desirable.

Qd] i. e. Quod, quoth.

v. 11. rede] i. e. advise.

v. 12. fals poynt] “This fals poynt ... Hæc fraus.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. s viii. ed. 1530.

v. 13. fell] i. e. skin.

Page 27. v. 15. lesard] In the Latin above, the corresponding word is anguis: long after Skelton’s time, the poor harmless lizard was reckoned venomous; so in Shakespeare’s Third Part of Henry VI., act ii. sc. 2., “lizards’ dreadful stings.”

v. 1. rasyd] i. e. torn, wounded. Skelton in his Woffully Araid has

“See how a spere my hert dyd race.”

v. 45. vol. i. 142.

v. 3. vaynys i. e. veins.

—— blo] i. e. livid. “Blo, blewe and grene coloured, as ones body is after a drie stroke, iaunastre.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxxxiiii. (Table of Adiect.).

v. 5. ouerthwart] i. e. cross, perverse, adverse.

v. 7. dyscure] i. e. discover.

MANERLY MARGERY MYLK AND ALE.

Skelton mentions this piece among his works, in the Garlande of Laurell, v. 1198. vol. i. 409. Sir John Hawkins, who printed it together with the music, says that it “appears to have been set by William Cornish of the Chapel Royal in the reign of Henry vii.” Hist. of Music, iii. 2.

Page 28. v. 1. besherewe yow] i. e. curse you,—confound you!

—— be my fay] i. e. by my faith.

v. 2. This wanton clarkes be nyse all way] i. e. These wanton scholars be always foolish, inclined to folly, to toyish tricks: compare our author’s Phyllyp Sparowe;

“Phyllyp, though he were nyse,

In him it was no vyse,” &c.

v. 173. vol. i. 56.

Page 28. v. 3. Avent] i. e. Avaunt.

—— popagay] i. e. parrot.

v. 5. Tully valy] Or Tilly vally—an exclamation of contempt, the origin of which is doubtful.

v. 6. Gup] See note, p. 99. v. 17.

—— Cristian Clowte] Compare our author’s Colyn Cloute;

“He coud not syng himselfe therout

But by the helpe of Christyan Clout.”

v. 880. vol. i. 345.

—— Jak of the vale] So our author in his Magnyfycence; “some iangelynge Jacke of the vale,” v. 260. vol. i. 234. Compare two pieces of a much later date;

“I am not now to tell a tale

Of George a Greene, or Jacke a Vale.”

The Odcombian Banquet, 1611. sig. C 3.

“And they had leauer printen Jacke a vale

Or Clim o Clough,” &c.

J. Davies,—Other Eglogues annexed to The Shepheards Pipe, 1614. sig. G 4.

v. 8. Be] i. e. By.

—— praty pode]—praty, i. e. pretty: pode, i. e., perhaps, toad. Compare Roy’s satire, Rede me, and be nott wrothe, &c.;

“A littell, pratye, foolysshe poade.”

Harl. Miscell. ix. 19. ed. Park.

v. 10. Strawe, Jamys foder, ye play the fode] The meaning of Jamys foder,—and whether “fode” is used here in the sense of—deceiver, one who feeds another with words (compare our author’s Magnyfycence, v. 1719. vol. i. 281.),—I must leave the reader to determine.

v. 12. bole] i. e. (I suppose) bull.

v. 15. I wiss] i. e. truly, certainly (i-wis, adv.).

v. 17. piggesnye] See note, p. 97. v. 20.

v. 19. Be] i. e. By.

—— hardely] i. e. assuredly.

v. 20. japed bodely] See Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cclxv. (Table of Verbes); Puttenham’s Arte of English Poesie, B. iii. c. xxii. p. 212. ed. 1589; and the Prologue to the anonymous old play, Grim the Collier of Croydon.

Page 29. v. 27. thought] i. e. sadness, grief: see note, p. 101. v. 10.

THE BOWGE OF COURTE.

“It is a bouge of courte. Ceremonia aulica est.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. s iii. ed. 1530. “Bouche à Court. Budge-a-Court, diet allowed at Court.” Cotgrave’s Dict. “The Kings Archers ... had Bouch of Court (to wit, Meat and Drink) and great Wages of six Pence by the Day.” Stow’s Survey, B. vi. 49. ed. 1720.

“The poem called the Bouge of Court, or the Rewards of a Court, is in the manner of a pageaunt, consisting of seven personifications. Here our author, in adopting the more grave and stately movement of the seven lined stanza, has shewn himself not always incapable of exhibiting allegorical imagery with spirit and dignity. But his comic vein predominates.” Warton’s Hist. of E. P., ii. 347. ed. 4to.

“Bouge of court, a corruption of bouche, Fr. An allowance of meat and drink for the tables of the inferior officers, and others who were occasionally called to serve and entertain the court. Skelton has a kind of little drama called Bouge of Court, from the name of the ship in which the dialogue takes place. It is a very severe satire, full of strong painting, and excellent poetry. The courtiers of Harry must have winced at it.” Gifford, note on Ben Jonson’s Works, vii. 428.

Page 30. v. 7. to werre hym dyde dres] i. e. did address, apply himself to war.

v. 15. rede] i. e. conceive, consider.

Page 31. v. 17. aforce] i. e. attempt.

v. 18. dyscure] i. e. discover.

v. 20. illumyne] i. e. embellish a subject.

v. 21. Auysynge] i. e. Advising.

v. 22. he so] i. e. who so.

v. 23. connynge] i. e. knowledge.

v. 30. ne wyste] i. e. knew not.

v. 31. sore enwered]—enwered means simply—wearied. Richardson (Dict. in v. En) observes that “Skelton appears to have wantoned in such compounds.”

v. 33. I me dreste] i. e. I addressed, applied myself.

v. 36.

Methoughte I sawe a shyppe, goodly of sayle,
Come saylynge forth into that hauen brood,
Her takelynge ryche and of hye apparayle]

Of this passage Mr. Wordsworth has a recollection in one of his noble Sonnets;

“A goodly Vessel did I then espy
Come like a giant from a haven broad;
And lustily along the bay she strode,
Her tackling rich, and of apparel high.”

Works, iii. 34. ed. 1836.

Page 31. v. 39. kyste] i. e. cast.

v. 40. what she had lode] i. e. what she had been freighted with.

Page 32. v. 44. prece] i. e. press,—the throng.

v. 49. hyghte] i. e. is called.

v. 50. estate] i. e. high rank, dignity.

v. 54. chaffre] i. e. merchandise.

v. 58. traues] Means here a sort of low curtain or screen.—Hall, describing the preparations for combat between the Dukes of Hereford and Norfolk, tells us that the former, having entered the lists, “set hym doune in a chayer of grene veluet whiche was set in a trauers of grene and blewe veluet,” &c.; and that the latter “satte doune in his chayer whiche was Crimosen Veluet, cortened [curtained] aboute with white and redde Damaske.” Chron. (Henry IV.) fol. iii. ed. 1548.—At a later period, curtains, which were used on the stage as substitutes for scenes, were called traverses. See also Singer’s note on Cavendish’s Life of Wolsey, p. 167. ed. 1827, and Sir H. Nicolas’s note on Privy Purse Expenses of Elizabeth of York, p. 259.

v. 60. trone] i. e. throne.

v. 61. spere] i. e. sphere.

v. 63. connynge] i. e. knowledge,—skill.

Page 33. v. 71. prese] i. e. press.

v. 72. she trowed that I had eten sause] Compare our author’s Magnyfycence;

“Ye haue eten sauce, I trowe, at the Taylors Hall.”

v. 1421. vol. i. 271.

v. 78. quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 80. glome] i. e. glum,—sullen look, frown.

v. 82. daynnously] i. e. disdainfully.

—— fro me she dyde fare] i. e. from me she did go.

v. 83. mased] i. e. amazed, confounded.

v. 87. Abasshe you not] i. e. Be not abashed.

—— hardely] i. e. confidently.

v. 88. Auaunce] i. e. Advance.

v. 89. chaffer] i. e. merchandise.

v. 90. I auyse you to speke, for ony drede] i. e. I advise you to speak, notwithstanding any dread you may feel. Compare Lydgate;

“And for al strengthe that gad yaf hym [Samson] before,

Thei hym captived.”

The prohemy of a mariage, &c.,—MS. Harl. 372. fol. 48.

Page 33. v. 92. quod] i. e. quoth.

Page 34. v. 94. And this an other] i. e. And this is another reason.

v. 95. not worth a bene] Bene (bean) is frequently used by our early poets to express any thing worthless:

“I yeue not of her harme a bene.”

Chaucer’s Rom. of the Rose,—Workes, fol. 137. ed. 1602.

v. 96. lene] i. e. lend, furnish with.

v. 100. cheuysaunce] i. e. achievement,—profit, gain.

v. 101. nys] i. e. ne is,—is not.

v. 106. werne] i. e. warn.

v. 107. styreth] i. e. steereth, directeth.

v. 108. quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 114. luste] i. e. pleasure, liking.

Page 35. v. 117. casseth] “Casser ... to casse, cassere, discharge, turne out of service, deprive of entertainment.” Cotgrave’s Dict.

v. 120. route] i. e. company, crowd.

v. 122. thronge] i. e. thronged.

v. 134. Fauell] Our author in his Magnyfycence has,

“My tonge is with fauell forked and tyned.”

v. 737. vol. i. 249.

Some readers need not be told how Fauel figures in Pierce Plowman. Ritson (An. Pop. Poetry, p. 77) explains the word by deceit, referring to the present passage of The Bowge of Courte; but Mason (note on Hoccleve’s Poems, p. 42) observes that here “Favel and Disceyte are distinct personages, though the latter (for the sake of rhyme,) is first called Subtylte,” and considers that Carpentier, in his Sup. to Du Cange, gives the truest explanation of Favel by Cajolerie. See also Supplement to Roquefort’s Gloss. de la Lang. Rom. in v. Favelle. The origin of the word, after all that has been written on it, seems still uncertain.

v. 137. Mysdempte] i. e. Misdeemed.

v. 138. Haruy Hafter] Eds., as already noticed, have “Haruy Haster;” and in the fourth of Skelton’s Poems against Garnesche, v. 164. vol. i. 131, the MS. gives the name with the same error. Compare our author’s Why come ye nat to Courte;

“Hauell and Haruy Hafter.”

v. 94. vol. ii. 29.

and his Magnyfycence;

“Nowe, benedicite, ye wene I were some hafter.”

v. 259. vol. i. 233.

“Craftynge and haftynge contryued is by me.”

v. 707. vol. i. 248.

“For to vse suche haftynge and crafty wayes.”

v. 1698. vol. i. 280.

“And from crafters and hafters I you forfende.”

v. 2485. vol. i. 307.

The sense in which Skelton employs these words is fully illustrated by the following passages of Hormanni Vulgaria, ed. 1530: “This was a subtyle and an haftynge poynt. Astus fuit, et versatilis ingenii argumentum. He is a hafter of kynde. Est versutiæ ingenitæ homo.” sig. N vi. “A flaterynge hafter is soone espyed of a wyse man. Sedulus captator,” &c. sig. O ii. “There is nothynge more set by nowe than subtyle hafters ... callidis.” sig. O iii. “There is an haftynge poynt, or a false subtylte. Stellionatus crimen est.” sig. n iiii. “—— haftynge ... dolus malus.” sig. s viii.

Page 35. v. 138. male] i. e. bag, wallet, pouch.

Page 36. v. 143. auaunce] i. e. advance.

v. 144. solace] i. e. sport.

v. 149. connynge] i. e. knowledge.

v. 150. Deynte to haue with vs suche one in store] In Chaucer’s Clerkes Tale, v. 8988, Tyrwhitt explains (and rightly, I believe) “it was deintee”—it was a valuable thing. But both in the present passage, and in a subsequent stanza of the same poem—

“Trowest thou, dreuyll, I saye, thou gawdy knaue,

That I haue deynte to see thé cherysshed thus?”

v. 337—

“deynte” seems to be equivalent to—pleasure: compare

“Bycause that he hath ioye and great deintye

To reade in bokes of olde antiquitye.”

Lydgate’s Warres of Troy (Prologue), sig. B i. ed. 1555.

“Adew, dolour, adew! my daynte now begynis.”

Dunbar’s tale of The Tua Maryit Wemen and the Wedo,—Poems, i. 76. ed. Laing.

v. 154. it is surmountynge] i. e. it is surpassing, it excels.

v. 155. ony i. e. any.

Page 37. v. 173. lewde cok wattes]—lewde, i. e. ignorant, vile. Compare our author’s third copy of verses Against venemous tongues;

“Than ye may commaunde me to gentil Cok wat.”—vol. i. 132.

and his Magnyfycence;

“What canest thou do but play cocke wat?”

v. 1206. vol. i. 264.

Is cock wat only another form of cockward, i. e. cuckold? See Arthur and the King of Cornwall, p. 279,—Syr Gawayne, &c., edited by Sir F. Madden.

Page 37. v. 174. hardely] i. e. assuredly.

v. 175. but no worde that I sayde] i. e. but mention not a word that I said.

v. 180. reboke] i. e. belch, cast up.

“As grunting and drinking, reboking vp agayne.”

Barclay’s Ship of Fooles, fol. 229. ed. 1570.

v. 181. at a brayde] i. e. at a start, at a turn, on a sudden, forthwith.

v. 183. quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 184. lete] i. e. hinder.

v. 186. Twyst] i. e. Tush.

—— ne reke] i. e. reck not.

v. 187. a soleyne freke]—soleyne, i. e. sullen: freke is here equivalent to—fellow. See Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. in v. Freik, for the various senses in which the word was used.

v. 189. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 191. whom and ha] i. e. hum and ha.

v. 193. quoke] i. e. quaked.

Page 38. v. 198. commaunde] i. e. communed, conversed.

—— party space] May mean—a short space; but (as I have noticed ad loc.) “party” is probably a misprint for “praty” (pretty).

v. 199. auowe] i. e. vow.

“That hyr auowe maad of chastyte.”

Lydgate’s Lyf of our Lady, sig. b i.

v. 210. auyse] i. e. advice.

v. 215. shryue me] i. e. confess myself, tell my mind.

v. 216. plenarely] i. e. fully.

v. 219. dyscure] i. e. discover.

v. 221. with all my besy cure] i. e. with all my busy care,—a common expression in our early poetry.

Page 39. v. 225. quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 226. all and some] Another expression frequently used by our early poets. “All and some: Tout entierement.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccccxlviii. (Table of Aduerbes).

v. 228. he wolde be come] i. e. he would go.

v. 231. lyghte as lynde] So in Annunciacio;

“A, what, I am light as lynde!”

Towneley Myst. p. 80.

and in Chaucer’s Clerkes Tale;

“Be ay of chere as light as lefe on linde.”

v. 9087. ed. Tyr.

Lynde is properly the linden or lime-tree,—used for a tree in general.

Page 39. v. 232. a versynge boxe] Does it mean—a dice-box?

v. 233. fayne] See note, p. 95. v. 53.

v. 234. foxe] i. e. fox-skin.

v. 235. Sythe I am no thynge playne] i. e. Since I, &c.—the commencement of some song.

v. 236. pykynge] i. e. picking, stealing.

—— payne] i. e. difficulty.

v. 239. sadde] i. e. grave, serious.

v. 243. auowe] See note on v. 199.

v. 245. and ye wolde it reherse] i. e. if you would recite it.

Page 40. v. 252. Heue and how rombelow] A chorus of high antiquity, (sung chiefly, it would seem, by sailors):

“They sprede theyr sayles as voyde of sorowe
Forthe they rowed saynt George to borowe
For ioye theyr trumpettes dyde they blowe
And some songe heue and howe rombelowe.”

Cocke Lorelles bote, sig. C i.

“Synge heaue and howe rombelowe, trolle on away.”

Burden to the Ballad On Thomas Lord Cromwell,—Percy’s Rel. of A. E. P., ii. 64. ed. 1794.

Varied thus:

“Wit[h], hey, howe, rumbelowe.”

Skelton’s Epitaphe, &c., v. 61. vol. i. 171.

“They rowede hard, and sungge thertoo,

With heuelow and rumbeloo.”

Richard Coer de Lion,—Weber’s Met. Rom. ii. 99.

“Maydens of Englande sore may ye morne

For your lemmans ye haue loste at Bannockys borne,

Wyth heue a lowe.

What weneth the king of England

So soone to haue wone Scotland,

Wyth rumbylowe.”

Scottish Song on the Battle of Bannockburn,—Fabyan’s Chron., vol. ii. fol. 169. ed. 1559.

“Your maryners shall synge arowe

Hey how and rumby lowe.”

The Squyr of Lowe Degre,—Ritson’s Met. Rom. iii. 179.

“I saw three ladies fair, singing hey and how,

Upon yon ley land, hey:

I saw three mariners, singing rumbelow,

Upon yon sea-strand, hey.”

Song quoted ibid., iii. 353.

“Where were many shippes and maryners noyse with hale & how.”

Morte d’Arthur, B. vii. c. xv. vol. i. 209. ed. Southey.

“Hope, Calye, and Cardronow,
Gathered out thick-fold,
With heigh, and how, rumbelow,
The young fools were full bold.”

Peblis to the Play,—Chalmers’s Poet. Rem. of Scot. Kings, p. 108.

“Robin Hood and Little John

They are both gone to fair O!

And we will go to the merry green wood,

To see what they do there O!

With Hel-an-tow

And Rum-be-low,” &c.

Cornish Song,—Gent. Mag. for Dec. 1790. vol. lx. (part sec.) 1100.

Among the songs enumerated in The Complaynt of Scotland is “Sal i go vitht zou to rumbelo fayr,” p. 101. ed. Leyden: and in Hycke Scorner mention is made of

“the londe of rumbelowe

Thre myle out of hell.”

Sig. A vii. ed. W. de Worde.

Page 40. v. 252. row the bote, Norman, rowe!] A fragment of an old song, the origin of which is thus recorded by Fabyan: “In this. xxxii. yere [of King Henry the Sixth] Jhon Norman foresaid, vpon the morowe of Simon and Judes daie, thaccustomed day when the newe Maior vsed yerely to ride with greate pompe vnto westminster to take his charge, this Maior firste of all Maiors brake that auncient and olde continued custome, and was rowed thither by water, for the whiche yᵉ Watermen made of hym a roundell or song to his greate praise, the whiche began: Rowe the bote Norman, rowe to thy lemman, and so forth with a long processe.” Chron. vol. ii. fol. 457. ed. 1559.

v. 253. Prynces of yougthe can ye synge by rote?] The meaning of this line seems to be—Can you sing by rote the song beginning, Princess of youth? Skelton, in his Garlande of Laurell, calls Lady Anne Dakers

“Princes of yowth, and flowre of goodly porte.”

v. 897. vol. i. 398.

Page 40. v. 254. Or shall I sayle wyth you a felashyp assaye] i. e., I suppose,—Or try, of good fellowship, (or, perhaps, together with me,) the song which commences Shall I sail with you? Compare the quotation from The Complaynt of Scotland in preceding page.

“Nowe, of good felowshyp, let me by thy dogge.”

Skelton’s Magnyfycence, v. 1095. vol. i. 260.

“Yng. But yf thou wylt haue a song that is good

I haue one of robynhode

The best that euer was made.

Hu. Then a feleshyp let vs here it.”

Interlude of the iiii Elementes, n. d. sig. E vii.

v. 259. bobbe me on the noll] i. e. beat me on the head.

v. 261. connynge] i. e. knowledge.

v. 262. gete] i. e. got.

v. 269. wyste] i. e. knew.

v. 275. vnneth] i. e. scarcely, not without difficulty.

Page 41. v. 276. But I requyre you no worde that I saye] i. e. But I beg you not to mention a word of what I say.

v. 277. ony] i. e. any.

v. 278. agayne you] i. e. against you, to your disadvantage.

—— wetynge] i. e. knowledge, intelligence.

v. 283. wonderly besene] i. e. of strange appearance, or array. “Well bysene: Bien accoustré.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccccxlvi. (Table of Aduerbes).

v. 284. hawte] i. e. haughty.

v. 285. scornnys] i. e. scorns.

v. 286. hode] i. e. hood.

v. 287. by Cockes blode] i. e. by God’s blood (Cock a corruption of God). “The Host’s oath in Lydgate,” says Warton, note on Hist. of E. P., ii. 349. ed. 4to. It occurs often in other writers.

v. 288. bote] i. e. bit.

v. 289. His face was belymmed, as byes had him stounge] i. e. His face was disfigured, as if bees had stung him.—In a fragment of Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, MS. Harl. 2251. fol. 97, we find

“So that a by myght close hem both two

Vnder his wynges;”

where Wayland’s ed. (B. ii. leaf li.) has “a Bee.”

v. 290. jape] i. e. jest, joke.

Page 41. v. 294. this comerous crabes hyghte] i. e. (I suppose) this troublesome crab was called.—Warton (Hist. of E. P. ii. 350) cites, without the authority of any ed., “—— crab is hyghte.”

v. 297. quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 298. euyll apayed] i. e. ill satisfied, ill pleased.

v. 301. Dawes] Equivalent to—simpleton; the daw being reckoned a silly bird: so again, in the next line but one, “doctour Dawcocke.”

Page 42. v. 302. in conceyte] i. e. in the good opinion, favour of our Lady Fortune: compare v. 270.

v. 303. hyghte] i. e. is called.

v. 304. sleyte] i. e. sleight, artful contrivance.

v. 311. layne] i. e. conceal.

v. 312. beyte] i. e. bait.

v. 315. And soo outface hym with a carde of ten] “A common phrase,” says Nares, “which we may suppose to have been derived from some game, (possibly primero), wherein the standing boldly upon a ten was often successful. A card of ten meant a tenth card, a ten.... I conceive the force of the phrase to have expressed originally the confidence or impudence of one who with a ten, as at brag, faced, or outfaced one who had really a faced card against him. To face meant, as it still does, to bully, to attack by impudence of face.” Gloss. in v. Face it, &c. “The phrase of a card of ten was possibly derived, by a jocular allusion, from that of a hart of ten, in hunting, which meant a full grown deer, one past six years of age.” Ibid. in v. Card of ten.

v. 316. assawte] i. e. assault.

v. 317. meuyd all in moode] i. e. moved all in anger.

v. 318. fawte] i. e. fault.

v. 320. I wende he had be woode] i. e. I thought he had been mad.

v. 327. hayne] i. e. (perhaps) hind, slave, peasant.

v. 329. suche maysters to playe] i. e. to play such pranks of assumed superiority. Compare v. 341. See Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. in v. Maistryss.

Page 43. v. 330. I am of countenaunce] i. e. perhaps, I am a person of credit, good means, consequence (see Gifford’s note on B. Jonson’s Works, ii. 111).

v. 332. dyspleasaunce] i. e. displeasure.

v. 334. no force] i. e. no matter.

v. 336. auenture] i. e. adventure.

v. 337. dreuyll] i. e. drudge, low fellow. “Dryuyll seruaunt.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499; and see also Todd’s Johnson’s Dict. in v. Drivel.

Page 43. v. 338. have deynte] See note on v. 150. p. 108.

v. 340. Well, ones thou shalte be chermed, I wus] i. e. Well, one time or other thou shalt be charmed (quelled, as if by a charm), certainly (I wus—i-wis, adv.).

v. 344. Ryotte] “Is forcibly and humorously pictured.” Warton, Hist. of E. P. ii. 348. ed. 4to.

v. 345. A rusty gallande, to-ragged and to-rente] i. e. A shabby gallant, utterly ragged and tattered: see note on v. 32. p. 100.

v. 346. bones] i. e. dice.

v. 348. by saynte Thomas of Kente] i. e. by saint Thomas a Becket:

“Thought I, By saint Thomas of Kent,” &c.

Chaucer’s House of Fame,—Workes, fol. 267. ed. 1602.

The picture of Ryotte in the present passage and in v. 389 sqq. gave birth no doubt to the following lines in a poem called Syrs spare your good;

No by my faith he saide incontinente
But by saint Thomas of Kente
I woulde haue at the hasarde a cast or two
For to learne to caste the dyce to and fro

And if here be any body that wyll for money playe

I haue yet in my purse money and pledges gaye
Some be nobles some be crownes of Fraunce
Haue at all who wyll of this daunce
One of them answered with that worde
And caste a bale of dyce on the borde,” &c.

I quote from Brit. Bibliog. ii. 371, where are extracts from an ed. of the poem printed by Kytson, n. d.: it originally appeared from the press of W. de Worde; see Cens. Liter. i. 55. sec. ed.

v. 349. kyst I wote nere what] i. e. cast I know never (not) what.

v. 350. His here was growen thorowe oute his hat] i. e. His hair, &c. Compare Barclay’s Argument of the first Egloge;

“At diuers holes his heare grewe through his hode.”

Sig. A i. ed. 1570.

and Heywood’s Dialogue;

“There is a nest of chickens which he doth brood

That will sure make his hayre growe through his hood.”

Sig. G 2.,—Workes, ed. 1598.

Ray gives, “His hair grows through his hood. He is very poor, his hood is full of holes.” Proverbs, p. 57. ed. 1768.

Page 43. v. 351. how he dysgysed was] i. e. what a wretched plight he was in:

“Ragged and torne, disguised in array.”

Chaucer’s Court of Loue, fol. 329,—Workes, ed. 1602.

v. 352. watchynge ouer nyghte] i. e. over-night’s debauch:

“Withdraw your hand fro riotous watchyng.”

Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, B. ix. fol. xxxi. ed. Wayland.

v. 354. ne couer myghte] i. e. might not cover.

v. 355. he wente so all for somer lyghte]—somer, i. e. summer.

Compare;

“For he sente hem forth selverles, in a somer garnement.”

Peirs Plouhman, Pass. Dec. p. 153. ed. Whit.

“It semed that he caried litel array,

Al light for sommer rode this worthy man.”

Chaucer’s Chanones Yemannes Prol. v. 16035. ed. Tyr.

See too Bale’s Kyng Iohan, p. 34. ed. Camd. Soc.; and our author’s Phyllyp Sparowe, v. 719. vol. i. 73.

v. 356. His hose was garded wyth a lyste of grene] i. e. his breeches were faced, trimmed with, &c. “There was an affectation of smartness in the trimming of his hose.” Warton, note on Hist. of E. P. ii. 348. ed. 4to.

Page 44. v. 359. Of Kyrkeby Kendall was his shorte demye] Kendal, or Kirkby in Kendal, was early famous for the manufacture of cloth of various colours, particularly green. Here the word “Kendall” seems equivalent to—green: so too in Hall’s Chronicle, where we are told that Henry the Eighth, with a party of noblemen, “came sodainly in a mornyng into the Quenes Chambre, all appareled in shorte cotes of Kentishe Kendal ... like outlawes, or Robyn Hodes men.” (Henry viii.) fol. vi. ed. 1548.—demye; i. e., says Warton, note on Hist. of E. P. ii. 348. ed. 4to., “doublet, jacket:” rather, I believe, some sort of close vest,—his “cote” having been mentioned in the preceding line.

v. 360. In fayth, decon thou crewe] The commencement of some song; quoted again by our author in A deuoute trentale for old Iohn Clarke, v. 44. vol. i. 170, and in Why come ye nat to Courte, v. 63. vol. ii. 28.

v. 361. he ware his gere so nye] i. e., I suppose, he wore his clothes so near, so thoroughly. But Warton explains it “his coat-sleeve was so short.” Note on Hist. of E. P. ii. 348. ed. 4to.

v. 363. whynarde] i. e. a sort of hanger, sword.

Page 44. v. 363.

—— his pouche,

The deuyll myghte daunce therin for ony crouche]

—ony crowche, i. e. any piece of money,—many coins being marked with a cross on one side. “The devil might dance in his purse without meeting with a single sixpence.” Warton, note on Hist. of E. P. ii. 348. ed. 4to. So in Massinger’s Bashful Lover;

“The devil sleeps in my pocket; I have no cross

To drive him from it.”

Works (by Gifford), iv. 398. ed. 1813.

v. 365. Counter he coude O lux vpon a potte]—Counter; see note, p. 92:—i. e. he could sing O lux, playing an accompaniment to his voice on a drinking-pot. O lux beata Trinitas was an ancient hymn, “which,” says Hawkins, “seems to have been a very popular melody before the time of King Henry viii.” Hist. of Music, ii. 354. In a comedy by the Duke of Newcastle is a somewhat similar passage: “I danced a Jig, while Tom Brutish whistled and play’d upon the head of a pint pot.” The Humorous Lovers, 1677, act i. sc. 1. p. 5.

v. 366. eestryche fedder] i. e. ostrich-feather.

v. 367. fresshely i. e. smartly.

v. 368. What reuell route] Compare;

“And euer be mery lett reuell rought.”

A Morality,—Anc. Mysteries from the Digby MSS. p. 187. ed. Abbotsf.

“Then made they revell route and goodly glee.”

Spenser’s Mother Hubberds Tale,—Works, vii. 428. ed. Todd.

—— quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 370. Felyce fetewse]—Felyce, i. e. Phillis: fetewse, i. e. feateous; “Fetyce and prety. Paruiculus. Elegantulus.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

v. 371. klycked] i. e. fastened. In Chaucer’s Marchantes Tale, v. 9991. ed. Tyr., “clicket” means a key. Todd (Johnson’s Dict. in v.) cites Cotgrave and Skinner for its having the signification of the ring, knocker, or hammer of a door. Richardson (Dict. in v.) remarks that the word was “applied to any fastening which was accompanied by a clicking, snapping noise.”

v. 372. rebaudrye] i. e. ribaldry.

v. 375. in the deuylles date] An exclamation several times used by Skelton.—In Pierce Plowman, a charter, which is read at the proposed marriage of Mede, is sealed “in the date of the deuil,” sig. C i. ed. 1561.

v. 378. auowe] i. e. vow: see note on v. 199. p. 109.

Page 44. v. 380. done] i. e. do.

v. 382. wake] See note on v. 352. p. 115.

—— none] i. e. noon.

v. 383. mone] i. e. moon.

Page 45. v. 386. Plucke vp thyne herte vpon a mery pyne] “Vpon a mery pynne: De hayt, as Il a le cueur de hayt.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccccxlvi. (Table of Aduerbes). The expression occurs often in our early poetry; and is found even in one of Wycherley’s comedies.

v. 387. And lete vs laugh a placke or tweyne at nale]—“plucke,” as I have observed ad loc., seems to be the right reading, though the word occurs in the preceding line: compare Thersytes, n. d.

“Darest thou trye maystries with me a plucke.”

p. 60. Rox. ed.

and a song quoted in the note on our author’s Magnyfycence, v. 757;

“A stoupe of bere vp at a pluk.”

at nale, (atten ale, at then ale; see Price’s note, Warton’s Hist. of E. P. ii. 501. ed. 1824), i. e. at the ale-house.

v. 389. of dyce a bale] i. e. a pair of dice.

v. 390. A brydelynge caste] An expression which I am unable to explain. It occurs (but applied to drinking) in Beaumont and Fletcher’s Scornful Lady;

“Let’s have a bridling cast before you go.

Fill’s a new stoop.”

act ii. sc. 2.

—— male] i. e. bag, wallet, pouch.

v. 391. burde] i. e. board.

v. 393. the dosen browne] Is used sometimes to signify thirteen; as in a rare piece entitled A Brown Dozen of Drunkards, &c., 1648. 4to., who are thirteen in number. But in our text “the dosen browne” seems merely to mean the full dozen: so in a tract (Letter from a Spy at Oxford) cited by Grey in his notes on Hudibras, vol. ii. 375; “and this was the twelfth Conquest, which made up the Conqueror’s brown Dozen in Number, compared to the twelve Labours of Hercules.”

v. 394. pas] Seems here to be equivalent to—stake; but I have not found pass used with that meaning in any works on gaming. See The Compleat Gamester, p. 119. ed. 1680.

v. 397. in my pouche a buckell I haue founde] So in our author’s Magnyfycence, after Foly and Fansy have exchanged purses, the latter says

“Here is nothynge but the bockyll of a sho,

And in my purse was twenty marke.”

v. 1120. vol. i. 261.

Page 45. v. 398. The armes of Calyce] In our author’s Magnyfycence is the same exclamation;

“By the armes of Calys, well conceyued!”

V. 685. vol. i. 247.

Whether Calais in France, or Cales (Cadiz) be alluded to, I know not.

—— crosse] See note on v. 363. p. 116.

v. 399. renne] i. e. run.

v. 401. To wete yf Malkyn, my lemman, haue gete oughte] i. e. To know if Malkin, my mistress, has got aught:—whether Malkin is the diminutive of Mal (Mary) has been disputed.

v. 406. Bordews] i. e. Bordeaux.

v. 408. auenture] i. e. adventure.

v. 411. curtel] i. e. curtal.

v. 412. lege] i. e. allege.

v. 413. haue here is myne hat to plege] Marshe’s ed., as I have noticed ad loc., omits “is:” but compare our author’s Elynour Rummyng;

“Haue here is for me,

A cloute of London pynnes.”

v. 563. vol. i. 113.

“Haue. i. take the this torne or thredebare garment.” Palsgrave’s Acolastus, 1540. sig. U ii.

Page 46. v. 414. rybaude] i. e. ribald.

v. 418. kyste] i. e. cast.

v. 420. sadde] i. e. serious, earnest.

v. 423. stede] i. e. place.

v. 425. Me passynge sore myne herte than gan agryse] For the reading of all the eds. “aryse,” I have ventured to substitute “agryse,” i. e. cause to shudder. Compare;

“Sore might hir agrise.”

Arthour and Merlin, p. 34. ed. Abbotsf.

“Of his sweuen sore him agros.”

Marie Maudelein, p. 226,—Turnbull’s Legendæ Catholicæ (from the Auchinleck MS.).

“The kinges herte of pitee gan agrise.”

Chaucer’s Man of Lawes Tale, v. 5034. ed. Tyr.

“Swiche peines, that your hertes might agrise.”

Chaucer’s Freres Tale, v. 7231. ed. Tyr.

v. 426. I dempte and drede] i. e. I deemed and dreaded.

v. 428. Than in his hode, &c.]—hode, i. e. hood.—This passage is quoted by Warton, who observes, “There is also merit in the delineation of Dissimulation ... and it is not unlike Ariosto’s manner in imagining these allegorical personages.” Hist. of E. P. ii. 349. ed. 4to.

Page 46. v. 431. coost] i. e. coast, approach.

v. 433. I sawe a knyfe hyd in his one sleue]—sleue, i. e. sleeve.—This picture somewhat resembles that of False Semblant;

“But in his sleue he gan to thring

A rasour sharpe.”

Chaucer’s Rom. of the Rose,—Workes, fol. 141. ed. 1602.

v. 434. Myscheue] i. e. Mischief.

v. 436. spone] i. e. spoon.

v. 437. to preue a dawe] i. e. to prove, try a simpleton: see note on v. 301. p. 113.—Warton, who gives the other reading, “to preye a dawe,” explains it—to catch a silly bird. Note on Hist. of E. P. ii. 349. ed. 4to.

v. 438. wrete] i. e. writ.

Page 47. v. 440. His hode was syde, his cope was roset graye] i. e. His hood was long (or full), his cope was russet grey.

v. 445. a connynge man ne dwelle maye] i. e. a wise, a learned man may not dwell.

v. 448. that nought can] i. e. that knows nothing.

v. 454. clerke] i. e. scholar.

v. 455. in the deuylles date] See note on v. 375. p. 116.

v. 456. longe] i. e. belong.

v. 457. lewde] i. e. wicked.

v. 460. herte brennynge] i. e. heart-burning.

v. 464. It is a worlde] Equivalent to—It is a matter of wonder.

Page 48. v. 466. A man can not wote where to be come] i. e. A man cannot know whither to go: compare v. 228.

v. 467. I wys] i. e. truly, certainly (i-wis, adv.).

—— home] i. e. hum.

v. 470. frere] i. e. friar.

v. 471. agayne] i. e. against.

v. 476. shall wene be hanged by the throte] i. e. (I suppose) shall think themselves hanged, &c.

v. 477. a stoppynge oyster] Compare Heywood;

“Herewithall his wife to make vp my mouth,
Not onely her husbands taunting tale auouth,
But thereto deuiseth to cast in my teeth
Checks and choking oysters.”

Dialogue, sig. E,—Workes, ed. 1598.

v. 477. poke] i. e. pouch.

v. 484. teder] i. e. toder, t’other.

v. 486. dreuyll] See note on v. 337, p. 113.

Page 48. v. 488. on flote] i. e. flowing, full.

v. 490. hode] i. e. hood.

v. 491. but what this is ynowe] i. e. but that this is enough.

Page 49. v. 502. Sterte] i. e. Started.

v. 504. nobles] i. e. the gold coins so called.

v. 508. His hode all pounsed and garded]—hode, i. e. hood: pounsed, i. e. perforated, having small holes stamped or worked in it, by way of ornament—garded, i. e. adorned with gards, facings.

v. 510. quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 513. rounde] i. e. whisper,—or, rather, mutter, for Skelton (Garlande of Laurell, v. 250. vol. i. 372) and other poets make a distinction between whisper and round:

“Me lyste not now. whysper nether rowne.”

Lydgate’s Storye of Thebes, Pars Prima, sig. b vii. ed. 4to. n. d.

“Whisper and rounde thinges ymagined falsly.”

Barclay’s Ship of Fooles, fol. 208. ed. 1570.

“They’re here with me already, whispering, rounding.”

Shakespeare’s Winter’s Tale, act i. sc. 2.

v. 521. hafte] See note on v. 138. p. 108.

v. 522. payne] i. e. difficulty.

Page 50. v. 525. shrewes] i. e. wicked, worthless fellows.

v. 527. confetryd] i. e. confederated.

v. 528. lewde] i. e. vile, rascally.

v. 529. slee] i. e. slay.

v. 530. hente] i. e. seized.

v. 536. Syth] i. e. Since.

PHYLLYP SPAROWE

Must have been written before the end of 1508; for it is mentioned with contempt in the concluding lines of Barclay’s Ship of Fooles, which was finished in that year: see Account of Skelton and his Writings.

The Luctus in morte Passeris of Catullus no doubt suggested the present production to Skelton, who, when he calls on “all maner of byrdes” (v. 387) to join in lamenting Philip Sparow, seems also to have had an eye to Ovid’s elegy In mortem Psittaci, Amor. ii. 6. Another piece of the kind is extant among the compositions of antiquity,—the Psittacus Atedii Melioris of Statius, Silv. ii. 4. In the Amphitheatrum Sapientiæ Socraticæ Joco-seriæ, &c., of Dornavius, i. 460 sqq. may be found various Latin poems on the deaths, &c. of sparrows by writers posterior to the time of Skelton. See too Herrick’s lines Upon the death of his Sparrow, an Elegie, Hesperides, 1648. p. 117; and the verses entitled Phyllis on the death of her Sparrow, attributed to Drummond, Works, 1711. p. 50.

“Old Skelton’s ‘Philip Sparrow,’ an exquisite and original poem.” Coleridge’s Remains, ii. 163.

Page 51. v. 1. Pla ce bo, &c.] Skelton is not the only writer that has taken liberties with the Romish service-book. In Chaucer’s Court of Loue, parts of it are sung by various birds; Domine, labia by the nightingale, Venite by the eagle, &c., Workes, fol. 333. ed. 1602: in a short poem by Lydgate “dyuerse foules” are introduced singing different hymns. MS. Harl. 2251. fol. 37: and see too a poem (attributed, without any authority, to Skelton) called Armony of Byrdes, n. d., reprinted (inaccurately) in Typog. Antiq. iv. 380. ed. Dibdin; and Sir D. Lyndsay’s Complaynt of the Papingo, Works, i. 325. ed. Chalmers. In Reynard the Fox we are told that at the burial of “coppe, chanteklers doughter,”—“Tho begonne they placebo domino, with the verses that to longen,” &c. Sig. a 8. ed. 1481. Compare also the mock Requiem printed (somewhat incorrectly) from MS. Cott. Vesp. B. 16. in Ritson’s Antient Songs, i. 118. ed. 1829; Dunbar’s Dirige to the King at Stirling, Poems, i. 86. ed. Laing; and the following lines of a rare tract entitled A Commemoration or Dirige of Boner, &c., by Lemeke Auale, 1569,—

“Placebo. Bo. Bo. Bo. Bo. Bo.

Heu me, beware the bugge, out quod Boner alas,

De profundis clamaui, how is this matter come to passe.

Lævaui oculos meos from a darke depe place,” &c.

sig. A viii.

Other pieces of the kind might be pointed out.

v. 6. Wherfore and why, why?] So in the Enterlude of Kyng Daryus, 1565;

“Thys is the cause wherfore and why.”

sig. G ii.

v. 7. Philip Sparowe] Philip, or Phip, was a familiar name given to a sparrow from its note being supposed to resemble that sound.

v. 8. Carowe] Was a nunnery in the suburbs of Norwich. “Here [at Norwich],” says Tanner, “was an ancient hospital or nunnery dedicated to St. Mary and St. John; to which K. Stephen having given lands and meadows without the south gate, Seyna and Leftelina two of the sisters, A.D. 1146, began the foundation of a new monastery called Kairo, Carow, or Carhou, which was dedicated to the blessed Virgin Mary, and consisted of a prioress and nine Benedictine nuns.” Not. Mon. p. 347. ed. 1744. In 1273, Pope Gregory the Tenth inhibited the Prioress and convent from receiving more nuns than their income would maintain, upon their representation that the English nobility, whom they could not resist, had obliged them to take in so many sisters that they were unable to support them. At the Dissolution the number of nuns was twelve. The site of the nunnery, within the walls, contained about ten acres. It was granted, with its chief revenues, in the 30th Henry viii. to Sir John Shelton, knight, who fitted up the parlour and hall, which were noble rooms, when he came to reside there, not long after the Dissolution. It continued in the Shelton family for several generations.

This nunnery was during many ages a place of education for the young ladies of the chief families in the diocese of Norwich, who boarded with and were taught by the nuns. The fair Jane or Johanna Scroupe of the present poem was, perhaps, a boarder at Carow.

See more concerning Carow in Dugdale’s Monast. (new ed.) iv. 68 sqq., and Blomefield’s Hist. of Norfolk, ii. 862 sqq. ed. fol.

Page 51. v. 9. Nones Blake] i. e. Black Nuns,—Benedictines.

v. 12. bederolles] i. e. lists of those to be prayed for.

Page 52. v. 24. The tearys downe hayled] So Hawes;

“That euermore the salte teres downe hayled.”

The Pastime of pleasure, sig. Q viii. ed. 1555.

v. 27. Gyb our cat] Gib, a contraction of Gilbert, was a name formerly given to a male cat:

“Gibbe our Cat,

That awaiteth Mice and Rattes to killen.”

Romaunt of the Rose,—Chaucer’s Workes, fol. 136. ed. 1602.

In Gammer Gurtons Nedle, 1575, “Gib our cat” is a person of consequence. Shakespeare (Henry iv. Part First, act i. sc. 2.) has the expression “gib cat;” and how his commentators have written “about it and about it” most readers are probably aware.

v. 29. Worrowyd her on that] So Dunbar;

“He that dois on dry breid wirry.”

Poems, i. 108. ed. Laing.

v. 34. stounde] i. e. moment, time.

v. 35. sounde] i. e. swoon.

v. 37. Vnneth I kest myne eyes] i. e. Scarcely, not without difficulty, I cast, &c.

v. 42. Haue rewed] i. e. Have had compassion.

Page 52. v. 46. senaws] i. e. sinews.

Page 53. v. 58. frete] i. e. eat, gnaw.

v. 69. marees] i. e. waters.

v. 70. Acherontes well] i. e. Acheron’s well. So,—after the fashion of our early poets,—Skelton writes Zenophontes for Xenophon, Eneidos for Eneis, Achilliedos for Achilleis, &c.

v. 75. blo] i. e. livid: see note, p. 103. v. 3.

v. 76. mare] i. e. hag.—“Mare or witche.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

v. 77. fende] i. e. fiend.

v. 78. edders] i. e. adders.

v. 82. sowre] In Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530, is “Sower of smellyng,” fol. xcvi. (Table of Adiect.),—a sense of the word which Skelton has elsewhere (third poem Against Garnesche, v. 146. vol. i. 124), and which therefore probably applies to the present passage. But qy. does “sowre” signify here—foul? “Sowre filthe. Fimus. Cenum. Lutum.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. “Sowry or defiled in soure or filth,” &c. Id.

“The riuer cler withouten sour.”

Arthour and Merlin, p. 320. ed. Abbotsf.

v. 87. outraye] “I Outray a persone (Lydgate) I do some outrage or extreme hurt to hym. Ie oultrage.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cccxi. (Table of Verbes).

“The childe playes hym at the balle,

That salle owttraye zow alle.”

The Awntyrs of Arthurs, p. 110. (Syr Gawayne, &c.)

where Sir F. Madden explains it “injure, destroy.”—In our text, “outraye” is equivalent to—vanquish, overcome; and so in the following passages;

“The cause why Demostenes so famously is brutid,

Onely procedid for that he did outray
Eschines, whiche was not shamefully confutid
But of that famous oratour, I say,
Whiche passid all other; wherfore I may
Among my recordes suffer hym namyd,

For though he were venquesshid, yet was he not shamyd.”

Skelton’s Garlande of Laurell, v. 155. vol. i. 368.

(Richardson, in his valuable Dictionary, v. Out-rage, &c., says that, in the stanza just cited, outray “is evidently—to exceed, to excel;” but the last line of the stanza, together with the present passage of Phyllyp Sparowe, and the annexed quotations from Lydgate, shew that he is mistaken.)

“Whom Hercules most strong and coragious,

Sumtime outraid, and slewe hym with his hand.”

Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, B. i. leaf xxvii. ed. Wayland.

“Al be that Cresus faught long in hys defence,

He finally by Cyrus was outrayed,
And depriued by knyghtly vyolence,
Take in the felde,” &c.

Id. B. ii. leaf lviii.

“But it may fall, a dwerye [i. e. dwarf] in his right,

To outray a gyaunt for all his gret might.”

Id. B. iii. leaf lxvii.

Page 54. v. 98. Zenophontes] i. e. Xenophon: see note on v. 70, preceding page.

v. 107. thought] See notes, p. 101. v. 10. p. 104. last line.

v. 114. go] i. e. gone.

v. 115. fole] i. e. fool.

v. 116. stole] i. e. stool.

v. 117. scole] i. e. school, instruction.

v. 118.

For to kepe his cut,

With, Phyllyp, kepe your cut!]

Compare Gascoigne in a little poem entitled The praise of Philip Sparrow;

“As if you say but fend cut phip,

Lord how the peat will turne and skip.”

Workes (Weedes), p. 285. ed. 1587.

Sir Philip Sidney in a sonnet;

“Good brother Philip, I haue borne you long,
I was content you should in fauour creepe,
While craftily you seem’d your cut to keepe,

As though that faire soft hand did you great wrong.”

Astrophel and Stella, p. 548. ed. 1613.

Brome in The Northern Lasse, 1632;

“A bonny bonny Bird I had
A bird that was my Marroe:
A bird whose pastime made me glad,
And Phillip twas my Sparrow.
A pretty Play-fere: Chirp it would,
And hop, and fly to fist,
Keepe cut, as ’twere a Vsurers Gold,
And bill me when I list.”

Act iii. sc. 2. sig. G 2.

and in The New Academy; “But look how she turnes and keeps cut like my Sparrow. She will be my back Sweet-heart still I see, and love me behind.” Act iv. sc. 1. p. 72. (Five New Playes, 1659).

Page 55. v. 125.

Betwene my brestes softe

It wolde lye and rest]

So Catullus, in the beginning of his verses Ad Passerem Lesbiæ, (a distinct poem from that mentioned at p. 120);

“Passer, deliciæ meæ puellæ,

Quicum ludere, quem in sinu tenere,” &c.

v. 127. It was propre and prest] Compare v. 264, “As prety and as prest,” where “prety” answers to “propre” in the present line. “Proper or feate. coint, godin, gentil, mignot.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr. 1530. fol. xciii. (Table of Adiect.):—prest, which generally means—ready, seems here to be nearly synonymous with propre; and so in a passage of Tusser,—“more handsome, and prest,”—cited by Todd (Johnson’s Dict. in v.), who explains it “neat, tight.”

v. 137. gressop] i. e. grasshopper.—“Cicada ... anglice a gresse hoppe.” Ortus Vocab., fol. ed. W. de Worde, n. d.

v. 138. Phyp, Phyp] See note on v. 7. p. 121.

v. 141. slo] i. e. slay.

v. 147. dome] i. e. judgment, thinking.

v. 148. Sulpicia] Lived in the age of Domitian. Her satire De corrupto statu reipub. temporibus Domitiani, præsertim cum edicto Philosophos urbe exegisset, may be found in Wernsdorf’s ed. of Poetæ Latini Minores, iii. 83.

v. 151. pas] i. e. pass, excel.

v. 154. pretende] i. e. attempt.

Page 56. v. 171. perde] i. e. par dieu, verily.

v. 173. nyse] i. e. foolish, inclined to folly, to toyish tricks: compare our author’s Manerly Margery, &c., v. 2. vol. i. 28.

v. 176. To pyke my lytell too]—too, i. e. toe.—In a comedy (already mentioned, p. 93. v. 15), The longer thou liuest, the more foole thou art, &c., n. d., by W. Wager, Moros sings

“I haue a prety tytmouse

Come picking on my to.”

sig. D ii.

v. 186. ryde and go] A sort of pleonastic expression which repeatedly occurs in our early writers.

Page 57. v. 192. Pargame] i. e. Pergamus.

v. 198. wete] i. e. know.

v. 205. be quycke] i. e. be made alive.

Page 57. v. 211. the nones] i. e. the occasion.

v. 213. My sparow whyte as mylke] Compare Sir P. Sidney;

“They saw a maid who thitherward did runne,

To catch her sparrow which from her did swerue,

As shee a black-silke Cappe on him begunne

To sett, for foile of his milke-white to serue.”

Arcadia, lib. i. p. 85. ed. 1613.

and Drayton;

“I haue two Sparrowes white as Snow.”

The Muses Elizium, p. 14. ed. 1630.

v. 216. importe] i. e. impart.

v. 218. solas] i. e. amusement.

Page 58. v. 227. hear] i. e. hair.

v. 230. kest] i. e. cast.

v. 242. bederoule] See note on v. 12. p. 122.

v. 244. Cam, and Sem] i. e. Ham, and Shem.

v. 247. the hylles of Armony]—Armony, i. e. Armenia.—So in Processus Noe;

“What grownd may this be?

Noe. The hyllys of Armonye.”

Townley Myst. p. 32.

See also Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, B. i. leaf iiii. ed. Wayland, and Heywood’s Foure P. P., sig. A i. ed. n. d.

v. 248.

Wherfore the birdes yet cry

Of your fathers bote]

The reading of Kele’s ed., “bordes,” (as I have already observed ad loc.) is perhaps the true one;—(compare Pierce Plowman;

“And [God] came to Noe anone, and bad him not let

Swyth go shape a shype of shydes and of bordes.”

Pass. Non. sig. M ii. ed. 1561.)—

and qy. did Skelton write,—

“Whereon the bordes yet lye?”

v. 253. it hyght] i. e. it is called.

Page 59. v. 264. prest] See note on v. 127, preceding page.

v. 272. hardely] i. e. assuredly.

v. 273. vengeaunce I aske and crye] Compare Magnus Herodes;

“Venjance I cry and calle.”

Townley Myst. p. 149.

v. 281. Carowe] See note on v. 8. p. 121.

v. 282. carlyshe kynde] i. e. churlish nature.

v. 283. fynde] i. e. fiend.

Page 59. v. 284. vntwynde] i. e. tore to pieces, destroyed: so again in our author’s Garlande of Laurell;

“This goodly flowre with stormis was vntwynde.”

v. 1445. vol. i. 418.

Page 60. v. 290. Lybany] i. e. Libya.

v. 294. mantycors] “Another maner of bestes ther is in ynde that ben callyd manticora, and hath visage of a man, and thre huge grete teeth in his throte, he hath eyen lyke a ghoot and body of a lyon, tayll of a Scorpyon and voys of a serpente in suche wyse that by his swete songe he draweth to hym the peple and deuoureth them And is more delyuerer to goo than is a fowle to flee.” Caxton’s Mirrour of the world, 1480. sig. e vii. See also R. Holme’s Ac. of Armory, 1688. B. ii. p. 212.—This fabulous account is derived from Pliny.

v. 296. Melanchates, that hounde, &c.] See the story of Actæon in Ovid’s Metam.;

“Prima Melanchætes in tergo vulnera fecit.” iii. 232.

v. 305.

That his owne lord bote,

Myght byte asondre thy throte!]

—bote, i. e. bit.—So in Syr Tryamoure;

“He toke the stuarde by the throte,

And asonder he it botte.”

Early Pop. Poetry (by Utterson), i. 28.

v. 307. grypes] i. e. griffins.

v. 311. The wylde wolfe Lycaon] See Ovid’s Metam. i. 163 sqq. for an account of Lycaon, king of Arcadia, being transformed into a wolf. I ought to add, that he figures in a work well known to the readers of Skelton’s time—The Recuyel of the Historyes of Troy.

v. 313. brennynge] i. e. burning.

Page 61. v. 325. gentle of corage]—corage, i. e. heart, mind, disposition. So in our author’s Magnyfycence; “Be gentyll then of corage.” v. 2511. vol. i. 308.

v. 329. departed] i. e. parted. So in our old marriage-service; “till death us depart.”

v. 336. rew] i. e. have compassion.

v. 345.

And go in at my spayre,
And crepe in at my gore
Of my gowne before]

“Cluniculum, an hole or a spayre of a womans smoke.” Ortus Vocab. fol. ed. W. de Worde, n. d. (In ed. 1514 of that work—“spayre of a womans kyrtell”). “Sparre of a gowne fente de la robe.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxvi. (Table of Subst.). “That parte of weemens claiths, sik as of their gowne or petticot, quhilk vnder the belt and before is open, commonly is called the spare.” Skene, quoted by Jamieson, Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. in v. Spare.——“Lacinia ... anglice a heme of clothe or a gore.” Ortus. Vocab. fol. ed. W. de Worde, n. d. (ed. 1514 of that work adds “or a trayne”). “Goore of a smocke poynte de chemise.” Palsgrave, ubi supra, fol. xxxvii. (Table of Subst.). Jamieson (ubi supra), in v. Gair, says it was “a stripe or triangular piece of cloth, inserted at the bottom, on each side of a shift or of a robe,”—a description which agrees with that of R. Holme, Ac. of Armory, 1688. B. iii. p. 95.

Page 61. v. 351. myne hert it sleth]—sleth, i. e. slayeth.—So Chaucer;

“Thise rockes slee min herte for the fere.”

The Frankeleines Tale, v. 11205. ed. Tyr.

Page 62. v. 360. Phyppes] See note on v. 7. p. 121.

v. 361. kusse] i. e. kiss.

“And if he maie no more do,

Yet woll he stele a cusse or two.”

Gower’s Conf. Am. lib. v. fol. cxix. ed. 1554.

v. 362. musse] i. e. muzzle,—mouth.

v. 366. this] i. e. thus: see note, p. 86. v. 38.

v. 375. Gyb] See note on v. 27. p. 122.

v. 383. bederolle] See note on v. 12. p. 122.

Page 63. v. 387.

To wepe with me loke that ye come,

All maner of byrdes in your kynd, &c.]

—loke, i. e. look. Compare Ovid (see note on title of this poem, p. 120);

“Psittacus, Eois imitatrix ales ab Indis,

Occidit: exequias ite frequenter, aves.

Ite, piæ volucres, et plangite pectora pennis,

Et rigido teneras ungue notate genas.

Horrida pro moestis lanictur pluma capillis,

Pro longa resonent carmina vestra tuba.”

Amor. lib. ii. El. vi. 5. 1.

v. 396. ianglynge] i. e. babbling, chattering—an epithet generally applied to the jay by our old poets.

v. 397. fleckyd] i. e. spotted, variegated.

v. 403. the red sparow] i. e. the reed-sparrow.

“The Red-sparrow, the Nope, the Red-breast, and the Wren.”

Drayton’s Polyolbion, Song xiii. p. 215. ed. 1622.

“The Red Sparrow, or Reed Sparrow.” R. Holme’s Ac. of Armory, 1688. B. ii. p. 246.

Page 63. v. 406. to] i. e. toe.

v. 407. The spynke] i. e. The chaffinch. In the Countrie Farme, the “spinke” is frequently mentioned (see pp. 886, 890, 891, 898, 900. ed. 1600); and in the French work by Estienne and Liebault, from which it is translated, the corresponding word is “pinçon:” in Cotgrave’s Dict. is “Pinson. A Spink, Chaffinch, or Sheldaple;” and in Moor’s Suffolk Words, “Spinx. The chaffinch.” R. Niccolls, in a poem which contains several pretty passages, has

“The speckled Spinck, that liues by gummie sappe.”

The Cuckow, 1607. p. 13.

v. 409. The doterell, that folyshe pek] The dotterel is said to allow itself to be caught, while it imitates the gestures of the fowler: pek, or peke, seems here to be used by Skelton in the sense of—contemptible fellow; so in his Collyn Cloute;

“Of suche Pater-noster pekes

All the worlde spekes.”

v. 264. vol. i. 321.

In Hormanni Vulgaria we find: “He is shamefast but not pekysshe. Verecundus est sine ignauia.” sig. N i. ed. 1530.—And see Todd’s Johnson’s Dict., and Richardson’s Dict. in v. Peak.

v. 411. toote] i. e. pry, peep, search.

v. 412. the snyte] i. e. the snipe.

v. 415. His playne songe to solfe] See note, p. 95, v. 48: solfe, i. e. solfa.

v. 418.

The woodhacke, that syngeth chur

Horsly, as he had the mur]

—woodhacke, i. e. woodpecker. “Wodehac or nothac byrde. Picus.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499: mur, i. e. a severe cold with hoarseness. Compare Lydgate;

“And at his feete lay a prykeryd curre

He rateled in the throte as he had the murre.”

Le Assemble de dyeus, sig. b i. n. d. 4to.

v. 420. lusty] i. e. pleasant.

v. 421. The popyngay] i. e. The parrot.

Page 64. v. 422. toteth] Or tooteth; see note on v. 411.

v. 424. The mauys] Is properly the song-thrush, as distinguished from the missel-thrush: see note on v. 460, p. 131.

v. 425. the pystell] i. e. the Epistle.

v. 426. a large and a longe] See note, p. 95. v. 49.

Page 64. v. 427.

To kepe iust playne songe,

Our chaunters shalbe the cuckoue]

See note, p. 95. v. 48. So Shakespeare mentions “the plain-song cuckoo gray.” Mids. Night’s Dream, act iii. sc. 1.

v. 430. puwyt the lapwyng] In some parts of England, the lapwing is called pewit from its peculiar cry.

v. 432. The bitter with his bumpe] “The Bitter, or Bitterne, Bumpeth, when he puts his Bill in the reeds.” R. Holme’s Ac. of Armory, 1688. B. ii. p. 310.

v. 434. Menander] Means here Mæander: but I have not altered the text; because our early poets took great liberties with classical names; because all the eds. of Skelton’s Speke, Parrot, have

“Alexander, a gander of Menanders pole.”

v. 178. vol. ii. 9.

and because the following passage occurs in a poem by some imitator of Skelton, which is appended to the present edition;

“Wotes not wher to wander,
Whether to Meander,
Or vnto Menander.”

The Image of Ipocrisy, Part Third.

v. 437. wake] i. e. watching of the dead body during the night.

v. 441. He shall syng the grayle]—grayle, says Warton (correcting an explanation he had formerly given), signifies here “Graduale, or the Responsorium, or Antiphonarium, in the Romish service.... He shall sing that part of the service which is called the Grayle, or graduale.” Obs. on the F. Queen, ii. 244. ed. 1762. See too Du Cange in v. Gradale, and Roquefort in v. Gréel.

v. 442. The owle, that is so foule]—foule, i. e. ugly. The Houlate, (in the poem so called, by Holland), says,

“Thus all the foulis, for my filth, hes me at feid.”

Pinkerton’s Scot. Poems, iii. 149.

v. 444. gaunce] i. e. gaunt.

v. 445. the cormoraunce] i. e. the cormorant.

v. 447. the gaglynge gaunte] In Prompt. Parv. is “Gant birde. Bistarda.” ed. 1499. Palsgrave gives “Gant byrde,” without a corresponding French term. Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xxxv. (Table of Subst.). Our author in his Elynour Rummyng has—

“In came another dant,

Wyth a gose and a gant.”

v. 515. vol. i. 111;

where gant is plainly used for gander. In the present passage, however, gaunte must have a different signification (“The gose and the gander” being mentioned v. 435), and means, I apprehend,—wild-goose: Du Cange has “Gantæ, Anseres silvestres,” &c.; and see Roquefort in v. Gans. But Nares, MS. note on Skelton, explains gaunte—gannet.

Page 64. v. 449. The route and the kowgh] The Rev. J. Mitford suggests that the right reading is “The knout and the rowgh,”—i. e. the knot and the ruff.

v. 450. The barnacle] i. e. The goose-barnacle,—concerning the production of which the most absurd fables were told and credited: some asserted that it was originally the shell-fish called barnacle, others that it grew on trees, &c.

v. 451. the wilde mallarde] i. e. the wild-drake.

Page 65. v. 452. The dyuendop] i. e. The dabchick or didapper.

v. 454. The puffin] A water-fowl with a singular bill.

v. 455. Money they shall dele, &c.] According to the ancient custom at funerals.

v. 458. the tytmose] i. e. the titmouse.

v. 460. The threstyl] Or throstle, is properly the missel-thrush: see note on v. 424. p. 129.

v. 461. brablyng] i. e. clamour, noise—properly, quarrel, squabble.

v. 462. The roke] i. e. The rook.

—— the ospraye

That putteth fysshes to a fraye]

—fraye, i. e. fright. It was said that when the osprey, which feeds on fish, hovered over the water, they became fascinated and turned up their bellies.

v. 464. denty] i. e. dainty.

v. 468. The countrynge of the coe]—countrynge; see note, p. 92: coe, i. e. jack-daw; “Coo birde. Monedula. Nodula.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

v. 469.

The storke also,
That maketh his nest
In chymneyes to rest;
Within those walles
No broken galles
May there abyde
Of cokoldry syde]

The stork breeds in chimney-tops, and was fabled to forsake the place, if the man or wife of the house committed adultery. The following lines of Lydgate will illustrate the rest of the passage:

“a certaine knight

Gyges called, thinge shameful to be tolde,

To speke plaine englishe, made him [i. e. Candaules] cokolde.

Alas I was not auised wel beforne,
Vnkonnyngly to speake such langage,
I should haue sayde how that he had an horne,
Or sought some terme wyth a fayre vysage,
To excuse my rudenesse of thys gret outrage:
And in some land Cornodo men do them cal,

And some affirme that such folke haue no gal.”

Fall of Prynces, B. ii. leaf lvi. ed. Wayland.

Page 65. v. 478.

The estryge, that wyll eate

An horshowe so great]

—estryge, i. e. ostrich: horshowe, i. e. horse-shoe.—In Struthiocamelus, a portion of that strange book Philomythie, &c., by Tho. Scot., 1616, a merchant seeing an ostrich, in the desert, eating iron, asks—

“What nourishment can from those mettals grow?

The Ostrich answers; Sir, I do not eate
This iron, as you thinke I do, for meate.
I only keepe it, lay it vp in store,

To helpe my needy friends, the friendlesse poore.

I often meete (as farre and neere I goe)

Many a fowndred horse that wants a shooe,

Seruing a Master that is monylesse:

Such I releiue and helpe in their distresse.”

Sig. E 7.

v. 482. freat] i. e. gnaw, devour.

Page 66. v. 485. at a brayde] Has occurred before in our author’s Bowge of Courte; see note, p. 109. v. 181; but here it seems to have a somewhat different meaning, and to signify—at an effort, at a push. “At a brayde, Faysant mon effort, ton effort, son effort, &c.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccccxxxviii. (Table of Aduerbes). “I Abrayde, I inforce me to do a thynge.” ... “I Breyde I make a brayde to do a thing sodaynly.” Id. fols. cxxxvi. clxxii. (Table of Verbes).

v. 487. To solfe aboue ela]—solfe, i. e. solfa: ela, i. e. the highest note in the scale of music.

v. 488. lorell] i. e. good-for-nothing fellow (see Tyrwhitt’s Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales): used here as a sportive term of reproach.

v. 491.

The best that we can,
To make hym our belman,
And let hym ryng the bellys;
He can do nothyng ellys]

“Sit campanista, qui non vult esse sophista, Let him bee a bellringer, that will bee no good Singer.” Withals’s Dict. p. 178. ed. 1634.

Page 66. v. 495.

Chaunteclere, our coke,

...

By the astrology

That he hath naturally, &c.]

So Chaucer;

“But when the cocke, commune Astrologer,

Gan on his brest to beate,” &c.

Troilus and Creseide, B. iii. fol. 164.—Workes, ed. 1602.

See also Lydgate’s Warres of Troy, B. i. sig. D v. ed. 1555; and his copy of verses (entitled in the Catalogue Advices for people to keep a guard over their tongues), MS. Harl. 2255. fol. 132.

v. 499. cought] i. e. caught: compare the first of our author’s Balettys, v. 19. vol. i. 22.

v. 500. tought] i. e. taught. “Musyke hath me tought.” Hawes’s Pastime of pleasure, sig. G iiii. ed. 1555.

v. 501. Albumazer] A famous Arabian, of the ninth century.

v. 503.

—— Ptholomy

Prince of astronomy]

The celebrated Claudius Ptolemy, an Egyptian: “Il fleurit vers l’an 125 et jusqu’à l’an 139 de l’ère vulgaire.” Biog. Univ.—In The Shepherds Kalendar (a work popular in the days of Skelton) a chapter is entitled “To know the fortunes and destinies of man born under the xii signs, after Ptolomie, prince of astronomy [i. e. astrology].” “Astronomy, and Astronomer, is the Art of, and the foreteller of things done and past, and what shall happen to any person, &c.” R. Holme’s Ac. of Armory, 1688. B. ii. p. 438.

v. 505. Haly] Another famous Arabian: “claruit circa A. C. 1100.” Fabr. Bibl. Gr. xiii. 17.

v. 507. tydes] i. e. times, seasons.

v. 509. Partlot his hen] So in Chaucer’s Nonnes Preestes Tale; Lydgate’s copy of verses (entitled in the Catalogue Advices for people to keep a guard over their tongues), MS. Harl. 2255. fol. 132; and G. Douglas’s Prol. to the xii Booke of his Eneados, p. 401. l. 54. ed. Ruddiman, who conjectures that the name was applied to a hen in reference to the ruff (the partlet), or ring of feathers about her neck.

Page 67. v. 522. thurifycation] i. e. burning incense.

Page 67. v. 524. reflary] As I have already noticed, should probably be “reflayre,”—i. e. odour. See Roquefort’s Gloss. de la Lang. Rom. in v. Flareur, and Suppl. in v. Fleror; and Cotgrave’s Dict. in v. Reflairer. In The Garlande of Laurell our author calls a lady “reflaring rosabell.” v. 977. vol. i. 401.

v. 525. eyre] i. e. air, scent.

“Strowed wyth floures, of all goodly ayre.”

Hawes’s Pastime of pleasure, sig. D iiii. ed. 1555.

See too The Pistill of Susan, st. viii.—Laing’s Early Pop. Poetry of Scot.

v. 534. bemole] i. e. in B molle, soft or flat. So in the last stanza of a poem by W. Cornishe, printed in Marshe’s ed. of Skelton’s Workes, 1568;

“I kepe be rounde and he by square

The one is bemole and the other bequare.”

v. 536.

Plinni sheweth all

In his story naturall]

See Historia Naturalis, lib. x. sect. 2.

v. 540. incyneracyon] i. e. burning to ashes.

v. 545. corage] i. e. heart,—feelings.

Page 68. v. 552. the sedeane] Does it mean subdean, or subdeacon?

v. 553. The quere to demeane] i. e. to conduct, direct the choir.

v. 555. ordynall] i. e. ritual.

v. 556. the noble fawcon] “There are seuen kinds of Falcons, and among them all for her noblenesse and hardy courage, and withal the francknes of her mettell, I may, and doe meane to place the Falcon gentle in chiefe,” Turbervile’s Booke of Falconrie, &c. p. 25. ed. 1611.

v. 557. the gerfawcon] “Is a gallant Hawke to behold, more huge then any other kinde of Falcon, &c.” Id. p. 42.

v. 558. The tarsell gentyll] Is properly the male of the gosshawk; but Skelton probably did not use the term in its exact meaning, for in the fifth line after this he mentions “the goshauke.” It is commonly said (see Steevens’s note on Romeo and Juliet, act ii. sc. 2.) to be called tiercel because it is a tierce or third less than the female. But, according to Turbervile, “he is termed a Tyercelet, for that there are most commonly disclosed three birds in one selfe eyree, two Hawkes and one Tiercell.” Booke of Falconrie, &c. p. 59. ed. 1611.

v. 560. amysse] i. e. amice—properly the first of the six vestments common to the bishop and presbyters. “Fyrst do on the amys, than the albe, than the gyrdell, than the manyple, than the stoole, than the chesyble.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. E iiii. ed. 1530.

Page 68. v. 561. The sacre] A hawk “much like the Falcon Gentle for largenesse, and the Haggart for hardines.” Turbervile’s Booke of Falconrie, &c. p. 45. ed. 1611.

v. 563. role] i. e. roll.

v. 565. The lanners] “They are more blancke Hawkes then any other, they haue lesse beakes then the rest, and are lesse armed and pounced then other Falcons be.” Turbervile’s Booke of Falconrie, &c. p. 47. ed. 1611.

—— the marlyons] Or merlins,—the smallest of the hawks used by falconers.

v. 566. morning gounes] i. e. mourning-gowns.

v. 567. The hobby] “Of all birdes of prey that belong to the Falconers vse, I know none lesse then the Hobby, unles it be the Merlyn.” Turbervile’s Booke of Falconrie, &c. p. 53. ed. 1611.

—— the muskette] i. e. the male sparrow-hawk. “You must note, that all these kind of hawkes haue their male birdes and cockes of euerie sort and gender, as the Eagle his Earne ... and the Sparrow-hawke his Musket.” Id. p. 3. “The male sparrow hawke is called a musket.” The Countrie Farme, p. 877. ed. 1600.

v. 568. sensers] i. e. censers.

—— fet] i. e. fetch.

v. 569. The kestrell] A sort of base-bred hawk.

—— warke] i. e. work, business.

v. 570. holy water clarke] See note, p. 94. v. 21.

Page 69. v. 590. And wrapt in a maidenes smocke] Spenser seems to have recollected this passage: he says, that when Cupid was stung by a bee, Venus

—— “tooke him streight full pitiously lamenting,

And wrapt him in her smock.”

See a little poem in his Works, viii. 185. ed. Todd.

v. 595. Lenger] i. e. Longer.

v. 600.

—— the prety wren,

That is our Ladyes hen]

So in a poem (attributed, on no authority, to Skelton) entitled Armony of Byrdes, n. d., and reprinted entire in Typogr. Antiq. iv. 380. ed. Dibdin;

“Than sayd the wren
I am called the hen
Of our lady most cumly.”

p. 382.

Wilbraham, in his Cheshire Gloss., p. 105, gives the following metrical adage as common in that county;

“The Robin and the Wren
Are God’s cock and hen,
The Martin and the Swallow
Are God’s mate and marrow.”

In the Ballad of Kynd Kittok, attributed to Dunbar, we are told that after death she “wes our Ledyis henwyfe,” Poems, ii. 36. ed. Laing.—An Elysium, very different from that described in the somewhat profane passage of our text, is assigned by the delicate fancy of Ovid to the parrot of his mistress, in the poem to which (as I have before observed, p. 120,) Skelton seems to have had an eye;

“Colle sub Elysio nigra nemus illice frondens,” &c.

Amor. ii. 6. 49.

Page 69. v. 609. asayde] i. e. tried—tasted: compare our author’s Elynour Rummyng, v. 397. vol. i. 108.

v. 610. Elyconys] i. e. Helicon’s.

Page 70. v. 616.

As Palamon and Arcet,

Duke Theseus, and Partelet]

See Chaucer’s Knightes Tale, and Nonnes Preestes Tale.

v. 618.

—— of the Wyfe of Bath,

That worketh moch scath, &c.]

See Chaucer’s Wif of Bathes Prologue.—scath, i. e. harm, mischief.

v. 629. Of Gawen] Son of King Lot and nephew of King Arthur. Concerning him, see the Morte d’Arthur (of which some account is given in note on v. 634),—Syr Gawayn and the Grene Knyȝt, in MS. Cott. Nero A. x. fol. 91,—Ywaine and Gawin, in Ritson’s Met. Rom. vol. i.,—the fragment of The Marriage of Sir Gawaine, at the end of Percy’s Rel. of A. E. P.,—The Awntyrs of Arthure at the Terne Wathelyn, in Laing’s Early Pop. Poetry of Scot., (the same romance, from a different MS., under the title of Sir Gawan and Sir Galaron of Galloway, in Pinkerton’s Scot. Poems, vol. iii.),—The Knightly Tale of Golagrus and Gawane, reprinted at Edinburgh in 1827 from the ed. of 1508, (the same romance, under the title of Gawan and Gologras, in Pinkerton’s Scot. Poems, vol. iii.),—and the romance of Arthour and Merlin, from the Auchinleck MS., published by the Abbotsford Club, 1838.

I had written the above note before the appearance of a valuable volume put forth by the Bannatyne Club, entitled Syr Gawayne; A collection of Ancient Romance-Poems, by Scotish and English Authors, relating to that celebrated Knight of the Round Table, with an Introduction, &c., by Sir F. Madden, 1839.

—— syr Guy] In The Rime of Sire Thopas, Chaucer mentions “Sire Guy” as one of the “romaunces of pris.” For an account of, extracts from, and an analysis of, the English romance on the subject of this renowned hero of Warwick, see Ritson’s Met. Rom. (Dissert.) i. xcii., Warton’s Hist. of E. P. i. 169. ed. 4to., and Ellis’s Spec. of Met. Rom. ii. I must also refer the reader to a volume, issued by the Abbotsford Club (while the present sheet was passing through the press), entitled The Romances of Sir Guy of Warwich, and Rembrun his son. Now first edited from the Auchinleck MS. 1840.

Page 70. v. 631.

—— the Golden Flece,

How Jason it wan]

A boke of the hoole lyf of Jason was printed by Caxton in folio, n. d. (about 1475), being a translation by that venerable typographer from the French of Raoul le Fevre. A copy of it (now before me) in the King’s Library, though apparently perfect, has no title of any sort. Specimens of this prose-romance, which is not without merit, may be found in Dibdin’s Biblioth. Spenc. iv. 199.—The story of Jason is also told by Chaucer, Legend of Hipsiphile and Medea; by Gower, Conf. Am. Lib. v.; and, at considerable length, by Lydgate, Warres of Troy, B. i.

v. 634.

Of Arturs rounde table,
With his knightes commendable,
And dame Gaynour, his quene,
Was somwhat wanton, I wene;
How syr Launcelote de Lake
Many a spere brake
For his ladyes sake;
Of Trystram, and kynge Marke,
And al the hole warke
Of Bele Isold his wyfe]

—warke, i. e. work, affair.—Concerning the various romances on the subject of Arthur, Lancelot, Tristram, &c. see Sir F. Madden’s Introduction to the volume already mentioned, Syr Gawayne, &c.—In this passage, however, Skelton seems to allude more particularly to a celebrated compilation from the French—the prose romance of The Byrth, Lyf, and Actes of Kyng Arthur, &c., commonly known by the name of Morte d’Arthur. At the conclusion of the first edition printed in folio by Caxton (and reprinted in 1817 with an Introd. and Notes by Southey) we are told “this booke was ended the ix. yere of the reygne of kyng Edward the Fourth by syr Thomas Maleore, knyght”.... “Whiche booke was reduced in to Englysshe by Syr Thomas Malory knyght as afore is sayd and by me [Caxton] deuyded in to xxi bookes chaptyred and emprynted and fynysshed in thabbey Westmestre the last day of July the yere of our lord MCCCCLXXXV.”

In the Morte d’Arthur, the gallant and courteous Sir Launcelot du Lake, son of King Ban of Benwyck, figures as the devoted lover of Arthur’s queen, Gueneuer (Skelton’s “Gaynour”), daughter of King Lodegreans of Camelard. On several occasions, Gueneuer, after being condemned to be burnt, is saved by the valour of her knight. But their criminal intercourse proves in the end the destruction of Arthur and of the fellowship of the Round Table. Gueneuer becomes a nun, Launcelot a priest. The last meeting of the guilty pair,—the interment of Gueneuer’s body by her paramour,—and the death of Launcelot, are related with no ordinary pathos and simplicity.

The same work treats fully of the loves of Sir Trystram, son of King Melyodas of Lyones, and La Beale Isoud (Skelton’s “Bele Isold”), daughter of King Anguysshe of Ireland, and wife of King Marke of Cornwall, Trystram’s uncle.—(Trystram’s wife, Isoud La Blaunche Maynys, was daughter of King Howel of Bretagne).—The excuse for the intrigue between Trystram and his uncle’s spouse is, that their mutual passion was the consequence of a love-potion, which they both drank without being aware of its nature.

“In our forefathers time,” observes Ascham, somewhat severely, “when Papistrie, as a standing poole, couered and ouerflowed all England, fewe bookes were red in our tonge, sauing certayne bookes of Chiualrie, as they sayd for pastime and pleasure, which, as some say, were made in Monasteries, by idle Monkes, or wanton Chanons: as one for example Morte Arthur: the whole pleasure of which booke standeth in two speciall pointes, in open mans slaughter, and bolde bawdrye: in which booke, those bee counted the noblest knights, that doe kill most men without any quarell, and commit fowlest aduoulteries by sutlest shifts: as Sir Launcelote, with the wife of king Arthure his maister: Sir Tristram, with the wife of King Marke his uncle: Syr Lamerocke, with the wife of king Lote, that was his own aunte. This is good stuffe, for wise men to laugh at, or honest men to take pleasure at. Yet I knowe, when Gods Bible was banished the Court, and Morte Arthure receaued into the Princes chamber.” The Schole Master, fol. 27. ed. 1571.

Page 71. v. 649.

—— of syr Lybius,

Named Dysconius]

See the romance of Lybeaus Disconus (Le beau desconnu), in Ritson’s Met. Rom. ii.; also Sir F. Madden’s note in the volume entitled Syr Gawayne, &c. p. 346.

v. 651.

Of Quater Fylz Amund,
...
... how they rode eche one
On Bayarde Mountalbon;
Men se hym now and then
In the forest of Arden]

The English prose romance on the subject of these worthies came originally from the press of Caxton, an imperfect copy of his edition n. d. folio, being in Lord Spencer’s library; see Dibdin’s Ædes Althorp. ii. 298: and that it was also translated from the French by Caxton himself, there is every reason to believe; see Dibdin’s Bibliog. Decam. ii. 438. According to the colophon of Copland’s ed., this romance was reprinted in 1504 by Wynkyn de Worde; see Typ. Antiq. ii. 116. ed. Dibdin. Copland’s edition has the following title: The right plesaunt and goodly Historie of the foure sonnes of Aimon the which for the excellent endytyng of it, and for the notable Prowes and great vertues that were in them: is no les pleasaunt to rede, then worthy to be knowen of all estates bothe hyghe and lowe, M.CCCCC.LIIII. folio.

The names of the brothers were “Reynawde, Alarde, Guycharde, and Rycharde, that were wonderfull fayre, wytty, great, mightye, and valyaunte, specyally Reynawde whiche was the greatest and the tallest manne that was founde at that tyme in al the worlde. For he had xvi. feete of length and more.” fol. i. ed. Copl. The father of this hopeful family was Duke of Ardeyne.

Bayarde—(properly a bay horse, but used for a horse in general)—“was suche a horse, that neuer was his like in all the world nor neuer shall be except Busifal the horse of the great Kinge Alexander. For as for to haue ronne. xxx. myle together he wolde neuer haue sweted. The sayd Bayard thys horse was growen in the Isle of Boruscan, and Mawgys the sonne of the duke Benes of Aygremount had gyuen to his cosin Reynawde, that after made the Kynge Charlemayne full wrothe and sory.” fol. v. Reynawde had a castle in Gascoigne called Mountawban; hence Skelton’s expression, “Bayarde Mountalbon.” A wood-cut on the title-page represents the four brothers riding “eche one” upon the poor animal. “I,” says Reynawde, relating a certain adventure, “mounted vpon Bayarde and my brethern I made to mount also thone before and the two other behynde me, and thus rode we al foure vpon my horse bayarde.” fol. lxxxii.

Charlemagne, we are told, made peace with Reynawde on condition that he should go as a pilgrim, poorly clothed and begging his bread, to the holy land, and that he should deliver up Bayard to him. When Charlemagne had got possession of the horse,—“Ha Bayarde, bayarde,” said he, “thou hast often angred me, but I am come to the poynt, god gramercy, for to auenge me;” and accordingly he caused Bayarde to be thrown from a bridge into the river Meuse, with a great millstone fastened to his neck. “Now ye ought to know that after that bayarde was caste in the riuer of meuze: he wente vnto the botom as ye haue herde, and might not come vp for bicause of the great stone that was at his necke whiche was horryble heuye, and whan bayarde sawe he myghte none otherwise scape: he smote so longe and so harde with his feete vpon the mylle stone: that he brast it, and came agayne aboue the water and began to swym, so that he passed it all ouer at the other syde, and whan he was come to londe: he shaked hymselfe for to make falle the water fro him and began to crie hie, and made a merueyllous noyse, and after beganne to renne so swyftlye as the tempest had borne him awaie, and entred in to the great forest of Ardeyn ... and wit it for very certayn that the folke of the countrey saien, that he is yet alyue within the wood of Ardeyn. But wyt it whan he seeth man or woman: he renneth anon awaye, so that no bodye maye come neere hym.” fol. cxlv.

Page 71. v. 661. Of Judas Machabeus] “Gaultier de Belleperche Arbalestrier, ou Gaultier Arbalestrier de Belleperche, commença le Romans de Judas Machabee, qu’il poursuiuit jusques à sa mort.... Pierre du Riez le coutinua jusques à la fin.” Fauchet’s Recveil de l’origine de la langue et poesie Françoise, &c., p. 197.

v. 662.—of Cesar Julious] In the prologue to an ancient MS. poem, The boke of Stories called Cursor Mundi, translated from the French, mention is made of the romance

“Of Julius Cesar the emperour.”

Warton’s Hist. of E. P. i. 123, note, ed. 4to.

v. 663.

—— of the loue betwene

Paris and Vyene]

This prose romance was printed by Caxton in folio: Here begynneth thystorye of the noble ryght valyaunt and worthy knyght Parys, and of the fayr Vyēne the daulphyns doughter of Vyennoys, the whyche suffred many aduersytees bycause of theyr true loue or they coude enioye the effect therof of eche other. Colophon: Thus endeth thystorye of the noble, &c. &c., translated out of frensshe in to englysshe by Wylliam Caxton at Westmestre fynysshed the last day of August the yere of our lord MCCCCLXXXV, and enprynted the xix day of decembre the same yere, and the fyrst yere of the regne of kyng Harry the seuenth.

Gawin Douglas tells us in his Palice of Honour, that, among the attendants on Venus,

“Of France I saw thair Paris and Veane.”

p. 16. Bann. ed.

Page 71. v. 665. duke Hannyball]—duke, i. e. leader, lord.—So Lydgate;

“Which brother was vnto duke Haniball.”

Fall of Prynces, B. ii. leaf xlv. ed. Wayland;

and in a copy of verses entitled Thonke God of alle, he applies the word to our Saviour;

“The dereworth duke that deme vs shalle.”

MS. Cott. Calig. A ii. fol. 66.

v. 667. Fordrede] i. e. utterly, much afraid.

“To wretthe the king thai were for dred [sic].”

Seynt Katerine, p. 170,—Turnbull’s Legendæ Catholicæ (from the Auchinleck MS.).

v. 668. wake] i. e. watch,—besiege.

v. 673.

Of Hector of Troye

That was all theyr ioye]

See the Warres of Troy by Lydgate, a paraphrastical translation of Guido de Colonna’s Historia Trojana: it was first printed in 1513. See too the Recuyel of the Historyes of Troy. Compare Hawes;

“Of the worthy Hector that was all theyr ioye.”

The Pastime of pleasure, sig. P iii. ed. 1555.

v. 677.

—— of the loue so hote
That made Troylus to dote
Vpon fayre Cressyde, &c.]

See Chaucer’s Troilus and Creseide.

Page 72. v. 682. Pandaer] Or Pandare as Chaucer occasionally calls Pandarus.

—— bylles] i. e. letters: see Chaucer’s Troilus and Creseide.

v. 686. An ouche, or els a ryng] “Nouche. Monile.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. “Ouche for a bonnet afficquet.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. li. (Table of Subst.). “He gaue her an ouche couched with perles, &c.... monile.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. k iii. ed. 1530.—Concerning ouche (jewel, ornament, &c.), a word whose etymology and primary signification are uncertain, see Tyrwhitt’s Gloss., to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales, v. Nouches, and Richardson’s Dict. in v. Ouch.—Here, perhaps, it means a brooch: for in the third book of Chaucer’s Troilus and Creseide, Cressid proposes that Pandarus should bear a “blew ring” from her to Troilus; and (ibid.) afterwards the lovers

“enterchaungeden her ringes,
Of which I can not tellen no scripture,
But well I wot, a broche of gold and azure,
In which a Rubbie set was like an herte,

Creseide him yaue, and stacke it on his sherte.”

Chaucer’s Workes, fol. 164. ed. 1602.

After Cressid becomes acquainted with Diomede, she gives him a brooch, which she had received from Troilus on the day of her departure from Troy. Id. fols. 179, 181. In Henrysoun’s Testament of Creseide (a poem of no mean beauty), Cressid, stricken with leprosy, bequeathes to Troilus a ring which he had given her. Id. fol. 184.

Page 72. v. 700. That made the male to wryng] So Skelton elsewhere;

“That ye can not espye

Howe the male dothe wrye.”

Colyn Cloute, v. 687. vol. i. 337.

“The countrynge at Cales

Wrang vs on the males.”

Why come ye nat to Courte, v. 74. vol. ii. 29,

and so Lydgate;

“Now al so mot I thryue and the, saide he than,

I can nat se for alle wittes and espyes,

And craft and kunnyng, but that the male so wryes

That no kunnyng may preuayl and appere

Ayens a womans wytt and hir answere.”

The prohemy of a mariage, &c.,—MS. Harl. 372. fol. 50.

I do not understand the expression. In Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530, besides “Male or wallet to putte geare in,” we find “Mayle that receyueth the claspe of a gowne in to it ... porte,” fol. xlvi. (Table of Subst.).

v. 702. The song of louers lay]—lay seems here to mean—law.

“Of louers lawe he toke no cure.”

Harpalus (from pieces by uncertain authors printed with the poems of Surrey),—Percy’s Rel. of A. E. P. ii. 68. ed. 1794.

Page 73. v. 716. kys the post] So Barclay;

“Yet from beginning absent if thou be,

Eyther shalt thou lose thy meat and kisse the post,” &c.

Egloge ii. sig. B iiii. ed. 1570.

The expression is found in much later writers: see, for instance, Heywood’s Woman Kilde with Kindnesse, sig. E 2. ed. 1617.

v. 717. Pandara] So in Chaucer (according to some copies);

“Aha (quod Pandara) here beginneth game.”

Troilus and Creseide, B. i. fol. 147,—Workes, ed. 1602.

Page 73. v. 719. But lyght for somer grene] See note, p. 115. v. 355.

v. 727. ne knew] i. e. knew not.

v. 728. on lyue] i. e. alive.

v. 732. make] i. e. mate.

v. 735. proces] i. e. story, account. So again in this poem “relation” and “prosses” are used as synonymous, vv. 961, 969; and in our author’s Magnyfycence we find

“Vnto this processe brefly compylyd.”

v. 2534. vol. i. 308.

and presently after,

“This treatyse, deuysyd to make you dysporte.”

v. 2562. p. 309.

The 15th chap. of the first book of Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces is headed “A processe of Narcissus, Byblis, Myrra,” &c.

v. 736.—of Anteocus] Whom Chaucer calls “the cursed king Antiochus.” The Man of Lawes Prol. v. 4502. ed. Tyr. His story may be found in Gower’s Confessio Amantis, lib. viii. fol. clxxv. sqq. ed. 1554.

v. 739.

—— of Mardocheus,

And of great Assuerus, &c.]

“Even scripture-history was turned into romance. The story of Esther and Ahasuerus, or of Amon or Hamon, and Mardocheus or Mordecai, was formed into a fabulous poem.” Warton, note on Hist. of E. P. ii. 178. (where some lines of the romance are quoted from a MS.) ed. 4to.

v. 741. Vesca] i. e. Vashti.

v. 742. teene] i. e. wrath: see the Book of Esther.

v. 745. Of kyng Alexander] See Weber’s Introduction, p. xx. sqq., and the romance of Kyng Alisaunder in his Met. Rom. i.; also The Buik of the most noble and vailȝeand Conquerour Alexander the Great, reprinted by the Bannatyne Club, 1831.

v. 746.—of kyng Euander] As the lady declares (v. 756) that she was slightly acquainted with Virgil, we may suppose that her knowledge of this personage was derived from The Recuyel of the Historyes of Troy, and Caxton’s Boke of Eneydos.

Page 74. v. 751. historious] i. e. historical.

v. 752. bougets and males] i. e. budgets and bags.

v. 754. sped] i. e. versed in.

v. 760. mo] i. e. more.

v. 766. Phorocides] i. e. Pherecydes.

v. 767. auncyente] i. e. antiquity.

Page 74. v. 768. to diffuse for me] i. e. too difficult for me to understand. “Dyffuse harde to be vnderstande, diffuse.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxxxvi. (Table of Adiect.).

“What quoth Doctryne where is he now

That meued this mater straunge and dyffuse.”

Lydgate’s Assemble de dyeus, sig. f ii. n. d. 4to.

“Whyche is defuse, and right fallacyous.”

Hawes’s Pastime of pleasure, sig. H i. ed. 1555.

“But oft yet by it [logick] a thing playne, bright and pure,

Is made diffuse, vnknowen, harde and obscure.”

Barclay’s Ship of Fooles, fol. 53. ed. 1570.

v. 775. enneude] “I Ennewe I set the laste and fresshest coloure vpon a thyng as paynters do whan their worke shall remayne to declare their connyng, Je renouuelle. Your ymage is in maner done, so sone as I haue ennewed it I wyl sende it you home,” &c. Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccxxvi. (Table of Verbes).

“Ylike enewed with quickenes of coloure,

Both of the rose and the lyly floure.”

Lydgate’s Warres of Troy, B. ii. sig. I ii. ed. 1555.

“And the one shylde was enewed with whyte, and the other shelde was reed.” Morte d’Arthur, B. iii. c. ix. vol. i. 81. ed. Southey.

v. 776. pullysshed] i. e. polished.

—— lusty] i. e. pleasant, beautiful.

v. 779. frowardes] i. e. frowardness.

Page 75. v. 788. sped] i. e. versed.

v. 791. Solacious] i. e. affording amusement.

v. 792. alowed] i. e. approved.

v. 793. enprowed] In the Glossary to Fry’s Pieces of Ancient Poetry, 1814, where a portion of the present poem is given, enprowed is rendered “profited of:” the whole passage is very obscure.

v. 799. warke] i. e. work.

v. 804.

—— Johnn Lydgate

Wryteth after an hyer rate]

Lydgate, however, disclaims all elevation of style: see his Fall of Prynces, Prol. sig. A iii. ed. Wayland; his Warres of Troy, B. ii. sigs. F ii, K. ii, B. v. sigs. E e i. ii. iii. ed. 1555.

v. 806. dyffuse] i. e. difficult: see note on v. 768, supra.

v. 807. sentence] i. e. meaning.

v. 809. No man that can amend, &c.] So Hawes, speaking of the works of Chaucer, Gower, and Lydgate;

“Whose famous draughtes no man can amende.”

The Pastime of pleasure, sig. G iiii. ed. 1555.

Page 75. v. 811. faute] i. e. fault.

v. 812. to haute] i. e. too high, too loftily.

Page 76. v. 817. In worth] See note, p. 95. v. 68.

v. 841. Joanna] See note, p. 122.

Page 77, v. 860.

If Arethusa wyll send

Me enfluence to endyte]

Skelton recollected that Virgil had invoked this nymph as a Muse;

“Extremum hunc, Arethusa, mihi concede laborem.”

Ecl. x. 1.

v. 869. lust] i. e. pleasure.

v. 872. enbybed] i. e. made wet.

v. 873. aureat] i. e. golden.

v. 875. Thagus] i. e. Tagus.

Page 78. v. 882. remes] i. e. realms.

v. 886. Perce and Mede] i. e. Persia and Media.

v. 896.

She floryssheth new and new

In bewte and vertew]

So Lydgate:

“And euer encrecyng in vertue new and newe.”

The Temple of Glas., sig. b vii. n. d. 4to.

See also his Warres of Troy, B. ii. sig. II i. B. iii. sig. S i. ed. 1555; and Chaucer, The Pardoneres Tale, v. 12863. ed. Tyr.

v. 903. askry] i. e. call out against, raise a shout against: see note on v. 1358, p. 152.

v. 905. odyous Enui, &c.] Here Skelton has an eye to Ovid’s picture of Envy:

“Pallor in ore sedet; macies in corpore toto:

Nusquam recta acies: livent rubigine dentes:

Pectora felle virent: lingua est suffusa veneno.

Risus abest, nisi quem visi movere dolores.

Nec fruitur somno, vigilacibus excita curis:

Sed videt ingratos, intabescitque videndo,

Successus hominum: carpitque et carpitur una:

Suppliciumque suum est.”

Met. ii. 775.

See too the description of Envy in Pierce Plowman, sig. F ii. ed. 1561.

v. 908. ledder] i. e. leather, leathern.

Page 79. v. 912. crake] i. e. creak.

v. 913. Leane as a rake] From Chaucer;

“As lene was his hors as is a rake.”

Prol. to Cant. Tales, v. 289. ed. Tyr.

Browne has the expression,—Britannia’s Pastorals, B. ii. S. 1. p. 18. ed. 1625.

Page 79. v. 915. vnlusty] i. e. unpleasant, unseemly.

v. 919. wronge] i. e. wrung.

v. 930. bete] i. e. agitated; or, perhaps, inflamed (the expression to bete a fire, to mend it, to make it burn, is a common one).

v. 931. frete] i. e. eaten, gnawed.

v. 936. semblaunt] i. e. semblance, appearance.

Page 80. v. 947. slo] i. e. slay.

v. 963. agayne] i. e. against.

v. 968. dres] i. e. address, apply.

v. 969. prosses] Equivalent to “relation” in v. 961: see note on v. 735, p. 143.

v. 970. ken] i. e. instruct.

v. 973. As hym best lyst] i. e. As best pleases him.

Page 81. v. 980. bedell] i. e., I apprehend, servitor: but Nares, MS. note on Skelton, explains it—beadsman.

v. 999. sort] i. e. set, assemblage.

v. 1002. fauour] i. e. appearance, look—or, perhaps, beauty,—in which sense the word occurs v. 1048.

v. 1003. Ennewed] See note on v. 775, p. 144.

Page 82. v. 1014.

Her eyen gray and stepe
...
With her browes bent]

“Gray coloured as ones eyes be vair.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxxxviii. (Table of Adiect.):—bent, i. e. arched. Compare Hawes;

“Her forehead stepe with fayre browes ybent

Her eyen gray.”

The Pastime of pleasure, sig. S i. ed. 1555.

I may just observe that these passages (and many others which might be cited) shew how unnecessarily Ritson substituted “brent” for “bent” in The Squyr of Lowe Degre; see his note, Met. Rom. iii. 351.

v. 1019. Polexene] i. e. Polyxena, the daughter of Priam,—celebrated by Lydgate in his Warres of Troy, and by others.

v. 1031. The Indy saphyre blew] Indy may perhaps be used here for—Indian; but I believe the expression is equivalent to—the azure blue sapphire (Skelton in his Garlande of Laurell has “saphiris indy blew,” v. 478, vol. i. 381); see note, p. 101. v. 17.

v. 1032. ennew] See note on v. 775. p. 144.

Page 82. v. 1034. lere] i. e. skin.

v. 1035. lusty] i. e. pleasant, beautiful.

—— ruddes] i. e. ruddy tints of the cheek, complexion.

Page 83. v. 1048. with fauour fret]—fauour, i. e. beauty; so Skelton has “feturs fauorable,” in the second of his Balettys, v. 8, vol. i. 23: fret, I believe, does not here mean fraught (see Tyrwhitt’s Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales), but is equivalent to—wrought, adorned,—in allusion to fret-work; so in our author’s Garlande of Laurell,—

“Fret all with orient perlys of Garnate.”

v. 485, vol. i. 381.

v. 1052.

The columbine commendable,

The ielofer amyable]

Ielofer is perhaps what we now call gillyflower; but it was formerly the name for the whole class of carnations, pinks, and sweetwilliams. So Graunde Amoure terms La Bell Pucell;

“The gentyll gyllofer the goodly columbyne.”

Hawes’s Pastime of pleasure, sig. N i. ed. 1555.

v. 1065. denayd] i. e. denied.

v. 1069. conuenyently] i. e. fittingly, suitably.

Page 84. v. 1077. sker] i. e. scar: see v. 1045.

v. 1078. Enhached] i. e. Inlaid: our author has the word again in his Garlande of Laurell;

“Enhachyde with perle and stones preciously.”

v. 40. vol. i. 363.

v. 1081. To forget deadly syn] Compare the first of our author’s Balettys, v. 11. vol. i. 22.

v. 1096. pastaunce] i. e. pastime.

v. 1097. So sad and so demure]—sad, i. e. serious, grave, sober: so afterwards, “Sobre, demure Dyane.” v. 1224.

v. 1100. make to the lure] A metaphor from falconry: “Lure is that whereto Faulconers call their young Hawks, by casting it up in the aire, being made of feathers and leather, in such wise that in the motion it looks not unlike a fowl.” Latham’s Faulconry (Explan. of Words of Art), 1658.

v. 1102. hole] i. e. whole.

Page 85. v. 1105. crased] i. e. crushed, enfeebled.

v. 1106. dased] i. e. dazzled.

v. 1116.

And to amende her tale,

Whan she lyst to auale]

—auale is generally—to let down, to lower: but I know not how to explain the present passage, which appears to be defective.

Page 85. v. 1118.

And with her fyngers smale,
And handes soft as sylke,
Whyter than the mylke,
That are so quyckely vayned]

—quyckely vayned, i. e. lively veined. Compare Hawes;

“By her propre hande, soft as any sylke.”

The Pastime of pleasure, sig. H iiii. ed. 1555.

“Her fingers small, and therto right longe,

White as the milke, with blew vaynes among.”

Id. sig. S i.

v. 1124. Vnneth] i. e. Scarcely, not without difficulty. Here again the text seems to be defective.

v. 1125. reclaymed] A metaphor from falconry. “Reclaming is to tame, make gentle, or to bring a Hawk to familiarity with the man.” Latham’s Faulconry (Explan. of Words of Art), 1658.

Page 86. v. 1146. tote] i. e. look, gaze: see note on v. 411, p. 129.

v. 1147. fote] i. e. foot.

v. 1148. hert rote] i. e. heart-root.

v. 1151.

She is playnly expresse
Egeria, the goddesse,
And lyke to her image,
Emportured with corage,
A louers pilgrimage]

I must leave the reader to form his own idea of the meaning of the last two lines, which are beyond my comprehension.

v. 1157. Ne] i. e. Nor.

—— wood] i. e. mad, furious.

Page 87. v. 1170.

So goodly as she dresses,
So properly she presses
The bryght golden tresses
Of her heer so fyne,
Lyke Phebus beames shyne.
Wherto shuld I disclose
The garterynge of her hose?]

—Phebus beames shyne, i. e. the shine of Phœbus’ beams. Compare Hawes;

“Her shining here so properly she dresses

Alofe her forehed with fayre golden tresses

...

Her fete proper, she gartered well her hose.”

The Pastime of pleasure, sig. S i. ed. 1555.

v. 1177. to suppose] i. e. to be supposed.

Page 87. v. 1178. were] i. e. wear.

v. 1179. gere] i. e. dress, clothes.

v. 1180. fresshe] i. e. gay.

v. 1184. lusty somer] i. e. pleasant summer.

v. 1194. kyrtell] “Kyrtell a garment corpset, surcot, cotelle.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xliii. (Table of Subst.). It has been variously explained (see notes on Henry IV. Part ii. act ii. sc. 4, Shakespeare by Malone and Boswell, xvii. 98, 99, Todd’s Johnson’s Dict., and Nares’s Gloss.), petticoat,—safe-guard or riding-hood,—long cloak,—long mantle, reaching to the ground, with a head to it that entirely covered the face, and usually red,—apron,—jacket,—and loose gown!!! The following note by Gifford on Cynthia’s Revels (Jonson’s Works, ii. 260) gives the most satisfactory account of a kirtle: “Few words have occasioned such controversy among the commentators on our old plays as this; and all for want of knowing that it is used in a two-fold sense, sometimes for the jacket merely, and sometimes for the train or upper petticoat attached to it. A full kirtle was always a jacket and petticoat, a half kirtle (a term which frequently occurs) was either the one or the other: but our ancestors, who wrote when this article of dress was everywhere in use, and when there was little danger of being misunderstood, most commonly contented themselves with the simple term (kirtle), leaving the sense to be gathered from the context.”

v. 1199. let] i. e. hinder.

Page 88. v. 1205. pullysshed] i. e. polished.

v. 1223. Jane] See note, p. 122.

v. 1225. hyght] i. e. called.

Page 89. v. 1242. saynt Jamys] i. e. Saint James of Compostella: see note on Elynour Rummyng, v. 354.

v. 1243. pranys] i. e. prawns.

v. 1244. cranys] i. e. cranes.

v. 1250. sadly] i. e. seriously, soberly.

v. 1251. gyse] i. e. guise, fashion.

Page 90. —— an adicyon] Though found in all the eds. of Phyllyp Sparowe which I have seen, it was not, I apprehend, originally published with the poem. It is inserted (and perhaps first appeared) in our author’s Garlande of Laurell, v. 1261. vol. i. 412, where he tells us that some persons “take greuaunce, and grudge with frownyng countenaunce,” at his poem on Philip Sparrow,—alluding probably more particularly to Barclay; see note, p. 120, and Account of Skelton and his Writings.

v. 1269. ianglynge iayes] See note on v. 396, p. 128.

Page 90. v. 1274. depraue] i. e. vilify, defame. “Thus was syr Arthur depraued and euyl sayd of.” Morte d’Arthur, B. xxi. c. i. vol. ii. 433. ed. Southey.

v. 1289. estate] i. e. high rank, dignity.

Page 91. v. 1291. Hercules that hell dyd harow]—harow, i. e. lay waste, plunder, spoil,—overpower, subdue,—Hercules having carried away from it his friends Theseus and Pirithous, as well as the dog Cerberus. The harrowing of hell was an expression properly and constantly applied to our Lord’s descent into hell, as related in the Gospel of Nicodemus. There were several early miracle-plays on this favourite subject; and Lydgate strangely enough says that Christ

“Took out of helle soulys many a peyre

Mawgre Cerberus and al his cruelte.”

Testamentum,—MS. Harl. 2255. fol. 49.

I may add, that Warner, speaking of Hercules, uses the words “harrowed hell.” Albion’s England, p. 23. ed. 1612.

v. 1293. Slew of the Epidaures, &c.] Qy. is not the text corrupted here?

v. 1295. Onocentaures] i. e. Centaurs, half human, half asses. See Ælian De Nat. Anim. lib. xvii. c. 9. ed. Gron., and Phile De Anim. Prop. c. 44. ed. Pauw. Both these writers describe the onocentaur as having the bosom of a woman. R. Holme says it “is a Monster, being the Head and Breasts of a Woman set upon the Shoulders of a Bull.” Ac. of Armory, 1688. B. ii. p. 208.

v. 1296. Hipocentaures] i. e. Centaurs, half human, half horses.

v. 1302. Of Hesperides withhold] i. e. Withheld by the Hesperides.

v. 1314. rounses] i. e. common hackney-horses (though the word is frequently used for horses in general).

v. 1318.

He plucked the bull
By the horned skull,
And offred to Cornucopia]

The “bull” means Achelous, who, during his combat with Hercules, assumed that shape:

“rigidum fera dextera cornu

Dum tenet, infregit; truncaque a fronte revellit.

Näides hoc, pomis et odoro flore repletum,

Sacrarunt; divesque meo bona Copia cornu est.”

Ovid. Met. ix. 85.

Page 92. v. 1322. Ecates] i. e. Hecate’s.

Page 92. v. 1326.

—— the venemous serpent,

That in hell is neuer brent]

—brent, i. e. burned. A somewhat profane allusion to the scriptural expression “the worm dieth not;”—(worm and serpent were formerly synonymous).

v. 1332. infernall posty]—posty, i. e. power. So Lydgate;

“Of heuene and erthe and infernal pooste.”

Testamentum,—MS. Harl. 2255. fol. 47.

v. 1333. rosty] i. e. roast.

v. 1335. wood] i. e. mad, wild.

v. 1340. frounsid] i. e. wrinkled.

v. 1344. Primo Regum] i. e. The First Book of Kings, or, as it is now called, The First Book of Samuel, chap, xxviii.

“Primo regum as ye may playnly reade.”

Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, B. ii. leaf xxxix. ed. Wayland.

v. 1345.

He bad the Phitonesse
...
But whether it were so,
He were idem in numero,
The selfe same Samuell, &c.]

—Phitonesse, i. e. Pythoness, witch,—the witch of Endor.

“And speke as renably, and faire, and wel,

As to the Phitonesse did Samuel:

And yet wol som men say it was not he,” &c.

Chaucer’s Freres Tale, v. 7091. ed. Tyr.;

and see his House of Fame, B. iii. fol. 267, Workes, ed. 1602.

“And of Phyton that Phebus made thus fine

Came Phetonysses that can so deuyne,” &c.

Lydgate’s Warres of Troy, B. ii. sig. K vi. ed. 1555.

“And secretelye this Saule is forth gone

To a woman that should him rede and wisse,

In Israell called a phytonesse.

...

To diuines this matter I commit,

...

Whether it was the soule of Samuell,” &c.

Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, B. ii. leaf xl. ed. Wayland.

See also Gower’s Conf. Am. B. iv. fol. lxxiii. ed. 1554; Barbour’s Bruce, B. iii. v. 982. ed. Jam.; G. Douglas’s Preface to his Virgil’s Æneados, p. 6, 1. 51. ed. Rudd.; and Sir D. Lyndsay’s Monarchie, B. iv. Works, iii. 151. ed. Chalmers.

Page 92. v. 1346. dresse] i. e. address, apply.

v. 1351. condityons] i. e. qualities. But in our author’s Garlande of Laurell, where this “adicyon” is given, the passage according to Fake’s ed., and rightly perhaps (compare the preceding lines), stands thus;

“And by her supersticiouns

Of wonderfull condiciouns.”

v. 1343. vol. i. 414.

Page 93. v. 1352. stede] i. e. place.

v. 1358. ascry] Has occurred before in this poem, see note on v. 903. p. 145. Palsgrave has “I Askry as fore riders of an armye do their enemyes whan they make reporte where they haue sene them: Je descouures.... Whose company dyd askry them first .... les descouuryt.” Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cliii. (Table of Verbes). But in the present passage “ascry” seems to mean assail (with a shout). In Langtoft’s Chronicle we find,

“Edward was hardie, the Londres gan he ascrie.”

p. 217. ed. Hearne,—

(who in Gloss. renders “ascrie”—cry to). The original French has,

“Sir Eduuard fiz le rays, les loundrays escrye.”

MS. Cott. Jul. A v. fol. 122.

Roquefort gives “Escrier: Faire entendre son cri d’armes dans une bataille ... marcher à l’ennemi, l’attaquer,” &c. Gloss. de la Lang. Rom. (Sup.).

v. 1360. my selfe dyscharge] i. e. unburden myself,—open my mind.

v. 1365. shene] i. e. shine.

v. 1371. Scroupe pulchra Joanna] See note, p. 122. I ought to have observed ad loc. that “Scroupe” is to be considered here as a monosyllable; unless we read “Scrope” as two short syllables.

ELYNOUR RUMMYNGE.

On the title-page and also on the last leaf of Rand’s edition of this poem, 1624, 4to, (reprinted, not with perfect accuracy, in the Harleian Miscellany; see vol. i. 415. ed. Park,) is an imaginary portrait, of which the subjoined is a fac-simile:

“When Skelton wore the Laurell Crowne,

My Ale put all the Ale-wiues downe.”

George Steevens having heard that a copy of Rand’s edition was in the Library of Lincoln Cathedral, prevailed on the Dean to bring it to London; and having made a drawing of the title-page, gave it to Richardson the printseller, who engraved and published it. Steevens, soon after, contributed to the European Magazine for May, 1794, vol. xxv. 334,—

“Verses meant to have been subjoined (with the following Motto) to a Copy from a scarce Portrait of Elinour Rumming, lately published by Mr. Richardson, of Castle-street, Leicester-square.

Ne sit ancillæ tibi amor pudori
Xanthia Phoceu! prius insolentem
Serva Briseis niveo colore
Movit Achillem.

Movit Ajacem Telamone natum
Forma captivæ dominum Tecmessæ;
Arsit Atrides medio in triumpho
Virgine rapta.

Horace.

“Eleonora Rediviva.

To seek this nymph among the glorious dead,

Tir’d with his search on earth, is Gulston fled:—

Still for these charms enamour’d Musgrave sighs;

To clasp these beauties ardent Bindley dies;—
For these (while yet unstag’d to public view)
Impatient Brand o’er half the kingdom flew;—

These, while their bright ideas round him play,

From classic Weston force the Roman lay:—

Oft too, my Storer! heaven has heard thee swear,

Not Gallia’s murder’d Queen was half so fair:—

‘A new Europa!’ cries the exulting Bull,

‘My Granger now (I thank the gods) is full:’—

Even Cracherode’s self, whom passions rarely move,

At this soft shrine has deign’d to whisper love.—

Haste then, ye swains, who Rumming’s form adore,

Possess your Elinour, and sigh no more.

W. R.”

The Marquis of Bute told Dallaway that he gave twenty guineas for the original engraving of Elinour: see Dallaway’s Letheræum, 1821, p. 6.

Rand’s edition opens with the following lines, which, I need hardly observe, are by some rhymer of the day:

“Skeltons Ghost.

To all tapsters and tiplers,
And all ale house vitlers,
Inne-keepers and cookes,
That for pot-sale lookes,
And will not giue measure,
But at your owne pleasure,
Contrary to law,
Scant measure will draw
In pot and in canne,
To cozen a man
Of his full quart a penny,
Of you there’s to many:
For in King Harry’s time,
When I made this rime
Of Elynor Rumming
With her good ale tunning,
Our pots were full quarted,
We were not thus thwarted
With froth-canne and nick-pot
And such nimble quick shot,
That a dowzen will score
For twelue pints and no more.
Full Winchester gage
We had in that age;
The Dutchmans strong beere
Was not hopt ouer heere,
To vs t’was unknowne:
Bare ale of our owne
In a bowle we might bring
To welcome the king,
And his grace to beseech,
With, Wassall my Leigh.[270]
Nor did that time know
To puffe and to blow
In a peece of white clay,
As you doe at this day,
With fier and coale,
And a leafe in a hole;
As my ghost hath late seene,
As I walked betweene
Westminster Hall
And the church of Saint Paul,
And so thorow the citie,
Where I saw and did pitty
My countrymen’s cases,
With fiery-smoke faces,
Sucking and drinking
A filthie weede stinking,
Was ne’re knowne before
Till the deuill and the More
In th’ Indies did meete,
And each other there greete
With a health they desire
Of stinke, smoake, and fier.
But who e’re doth abhorre it,
The citie smoakes for it;
Now full of fier-shops
And fowle spitting chops,
So neesing and coughing,
That my ghost fell to scoffing,
And to myselfe said,
Here’s fylthie fumes made;
Good physicke of force
To cure a sicke horse.
Nor had we such slops,
And shagge-haire on our tops:
At wearing long haire
King Harry would sweare,
And gaue a command
With speede out of hand
All heads should be powl’d,
As well young as old,
And his owne was first so,
Good ensample to show.
Y’are so out of fashion,
I know not our nation;
Your ruffes and your bands,
And your cuffes at your hands;
Your pipes and your smokes,
And your short curtall clokes;
Scarfes, feathers, and swerds,
And thin bodkin beards;
Your wastes a span long,
Your knees with points hung,
Like morrice-daunce bels;
And many toyes els,
Which much I distaste:
But Skelton’s in haste.
My masters, farewell;
Reade ouer my Nell,
And tell what you thinke
Of her and her drinke:
If shee had brew’d amisse,
I had neuer wrote this.”

[270] Leigh] Meant for “Liege.”

At the end of the poem is, from the same hand,

“Skelton’s Ghost to the Reader.[271]

Thus, countrymen kinde,
I pray let me finde,
For this merry glee,
No hard censure to be.
King Henry the Eight
Had a good conceit
Of my merry vaine,
Though duncicall plaine
It now nothing fits
The time’s nimble wits:
My lawrell and I
Are both wither’d dry,
And you flourish greene
In your workes daily seene,
That come from the presse,
Well writ I confesse;
But time will devouer
Your poets as our,
And make them as dull
As my empty scull.”

[271] Skelton’s Ghost to the Reader, &c.] I give these lines from the Harl. Miscel., the copy of Rand’s ed. which was lent to me by Mr. Heber, wanting the last leaf.

Concerning Elynour Rummyng and the poem by which Skelton has rendered her famous, Dallaway has the following remarks,—his account of the circumstances which introduced Skelton to her acquaintance being a mere hypothesis!! “When the Court of Henry viii was frequently kept at the palace of Nonsuch (about six miles distant), the laureate, with other courtiers, sometimes came to Leatherhead for the amusement of fishing, in the river Mole; and were made welcome at the cabaret of Elinor Rummyng, whom Skelton celebrated in an equivocal encomium, in a short [?—it consists of 623 lines—] poem, remarkable only for a very coarse jest, after a manner peculiar to the author and the times in which he lived, but which has been more frequently reprinted than his other works. The gist or point of this satire had a noble origin, or there must be an extraordinary coincidence of thought in the Beoni, or Topers, a ludicrous effusion of the great Lorenzo de Medici, when a young man.... Her domicile, near the bridge, still exists. The annexed etching was made from a drawing taken previously to late repairs, but it still retains its first distinction as an ale-house.”

“Some of her descendants occur in the parish register in the early part of the last century.” Letheræum, 1821, pp. 4-6.

The Tunnyng of Elynour Rummyng] Besides “I Tonne ale or wyne I put lycour in to tonnes, Je entöne,” Palsgrave has “I Tonne I masshe ale, Je brasse.... Whan tonne you and god wyll: Quant brasserez vous,” &c. Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccclxxxxi. (Table of Verbes); and here Tunnyng means—Brewing.

P. 95. v. 1.

Tell you I chyll,
If that ye wyll
A whyle be styll]

—I chyll, i. e. Ich wyll, I will. Compare Syr Gawayn and the Grene Knyȝt;

“And ȝe wyl a whyle be stylle,

I schal telle yow how thay wroȝt.”

p. 74. Bann. ed.

and the Prol. to Kyng Alisaunder;

“Yef ye wolen sitte stille,

Ful feole Y wol yow telle.”

Weber’s Met. Rom. i. 5.

Page 95. v. 4. gyll] Equivalent here to girl—a familiar name for a female; as in the proverb, “Every Jack must have his Gill:” supposed by some etymologists to be an abbreviation of Julia, Juliana, or Gillian; by Richardson (Dict. in v.) to be a corruption of giglot.

v. 6. gryll] “Grymm gryl and horryble ... horridus ... horribilis.” Prompt. Parv.,—MS. Harl. 221. (Ed. 1499 of that work omits “gryl..”) The word is of frequent occurrence; but its exact meaning here seems to be doubtful.

v. 12. lere] i. e. complexion, skin.

v. 14. chere] i. e. look, countenance.

v. 17. bowsy] i. e. bloated by drinking.

v. 21. here] i. e. hair.

v. 22. lewde] i. e. vile, nasty.

v. 23. sayne] i. e. say.

v. 25. glayre] i. e. viscous matter.

Page 96. v. 27.

Her nose somdele hoked,

And camously croked]

—somdele hoked, i. e. somewhat hooked. “Camed or short nosed. Simus.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. “A Camoise nose, that is to saie crooked vpward as the Morians [Moors].” Baret’s Alvearie. “Camuse. Flat.” Tyrwhitt’s Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales. “Camused. Flat, broad and crooked; as applied to a nose, what we popularly call a snub-nose.” Nares’s Gloss. Todd, quoting this passage of Skelton, explains camously, awry. Johnson’s Dict. in v.

v. 34. gowndy] So Lydgate;

“A goundy eye is deceyued soone,

That any colour cheseth by the moone.”

Warres of Troy, B. ii. sig. H iii. ed. 1555.

“Gownde of the eye. Ridda, Albugo.” Prompt. Parv.,—MS. Harl. 221.

v. 35. vnsowndy] i. e. unsound.

v. 38. jetty] i. e. that part of a building which projects beyond the rest.

Page 96. v. 40.

—— how she is gumbed,

Fyngered and thumbed]

i. e. what gums, fingers, and thumbs she has.

v. 45. huckels] i. e. hips.

v. 49. Foted] i. e. Footed.

v. 51. iet] i. e. strut: see note, p. 94. v. 43.

v. 52. fet] Means, perhaps, feat,—neat, handsome one.

v. 53. flocket] “Is described as a loose garment with large sleeves:” see Strutt’s Dress and Habits, &c. ii. 373.

v. 54. rocket] i. e. a garment, worn often without, and sometimes with sleeves; sometimes it was made to reach the ground, and sometimes much shorter and open at the sides. See Id. ibid.

v. 55. With symper the cocket] So Heywood in his Dialogue;

“Vpright as a candell standth in a socket,

Stoode she that day, so simper decocket.”

Sig. F,—Workes, ed. 1598.

and Jonson in his Masque, The Gipsies Metamorphosed;

“Lay by your wimbles,
Your boring for thimbles,
Or using your nimbles,
In diving the pockets,
And sounding the sockets
Of simper-the-cockets.”

Works (by Gifford), vii. 376.

In a note on the latter passage, Whalley quotes from Cotgrave’s Dict.: “Coquine, a beggar-woman, also a cockney, simper de cockit, nice thing.” Gifford (ibid.) remarks, “Cocket was a fine species of bread, as distinguished from common bread; hence, perhaps, the name was given to an overstrained affectation of delicacy. To simper at, or over, a thing, is to touch it as in scorn.” Nares (Gloss. in v.) doubts (justly, I think) the connexion of simper-the-cocket with cocket bread, and explains it, “quasi simpering coquette,” observing, that “one of Cotgrave’s words in rendering ‘coquette’ is cocket.” I may add, that in Gloss. of Prov. and Loc. Words by Grose and Pegge, ed. 1839, is, “Cocket, brisk, apish, pert,” and “Simper, to mince one’s words.”

Page 97. v. 56.

Her huke of Lyncole grene,
It had ben hers, I wene,
More then fourty yere]

“Huke surquanie, froc.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xli. (Table of Subst.). “A loose kind of garment, of the cloak or mantle kind.” Strutt’s Dress and Habits, &c. ii. 364. “Lyncolne anciently dyed the best greene of England.” Marg. note in Drayton’s Polyolbion, Song 25. p. 111. ed. 1622.—Compare a celebrated ballad;

“My cloake it was a verry good cloake,
Itt hath been alwayes true to the weare,
But now it is not worth a groat;
I have had it four and forty yeere.”

Take thy old cloak about thee,—Percy’s Rel. of A. E. P. i. 206. ed. 1794.

Page 97. v. 63. woll] i. e. wool.

v. 68. gytes] i. e. clothes. Gite is properly a gown:

“And she came after in a gite of red.”

Chaucer’s Reves Tale, v. 3952. ed. Tyr.

v. 69. pranked with pletes]—pletes, i. e. plaits. “I Pranke ones gowne I set the plyghtes in order.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cccxxi. (Table of Verbes).

v. 70. Her kyrtel Brystow red]—kyrtel; see note, p. 149. v. 1194.

“London hath scarlet, and Bristowe pleasaunt red.”

Barclay’s Fourth Egloge, sig. C iiii. ed. 1570.

“At Brystowe is the best water to dye reed.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. V ii. ed. 1530.

v. 74. gyse] i. e. guise, fashion.

v. 75. whym wham] i. e. something whimsically, fantastically devised. The word is frequently applied to articles of female finery by our early dramatists. In Ane Interlude of the Laying of a Gaist, we are told that the Gaist (ghost)

“stall fra peteouss Abrahame

An quhorle and ane quhum quhame.”

v. 74,—Laing’s An. Pop. Poetry of Scotland.

Whim-wham is used by Gray, Works, iii. 123. ed. Mitford, and by Lamb, Prose Works, ii. 142.

v. 76. trym tram] i. e. some trim, neat ornament, or pretty trifle. In Weaver’s Lusty Juuentus, Hipocrisie, after enumerating a variety of popish trumpery, adds

“And a hundred trim trams mo.”

Sig. B iiii. ed. Copland.

v. 77. brayne pan] i. e. skull, head. See note, p. 100. v. 31.

v. 78. Egyptian] i. e. gipsy.

Page 98. v. 85. gose] i. e. goose.

v. 88. shone] i. e. shoes.

v. 90. baudeth] i. e. fouls. “I Baudy or fyle or soyle with any filthe, Ie souylle.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. clviii. (Table of Verbes). “The auter clothes, and the vestementes shulde be very clene, not baudy, nor torne,” &c. Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. E iiii.

Page 98. v. 94. wonnynge] i. e. dwelling.

v. 96. Sothray] i. e. Surrey.

v. 97. stede] i. e. place.

v. 98. Lederhede] i. e. Leatherhead; see p. 157.

v. 99. tonnysh gyb] The epithet tonnysh is perhaps derived from her occupation of tunning (see note, p. 158), or perhaps it may allude to her shape: gyb is properly a male cat (see note, p. 122. v. 27); but the term, as here, is sometimes applied to a woman;

“And give a thousand by-words to my name,

And call me Beldam, Gib, Witch, Night-mare, Trot.”

Drayton’s Epistle from Elinor Cobham to Duke Humphrey,—Poems, p. 175. ed. 1619. fol.

v. 100. syb] i. e. related, akin.

v. 102. noppy] i. e. nappy.

v. 103. port sale] If the right reading, must be used here for—sale in general. “Port-sale, The Sale of Fish as soon as it is brought into the Harbour; also an Out-cry or Publick Sale of any Commodity.” Kersey’s Dict.

v. 105. To sweters, to swynkers] i. e. to those who sweat and labour hard,—to labourers of various kinds.

“For we can neyther swyncke nor sweate.”

Pierce Plowman, sig. I ii. ed. 1561.

v. 110. Now away the mare] Skelton has the same expression in his Magnyfycence, v. 1342. vol. i. 268. Compare The Frere and the Boye;

“Of no man he had no care,

But sung, hey howe, awaye the mare.”

Ritson’s An. Pop. Poetry, p. 37.

and Jyl of Braintfords Testament, n. d.;

“Ah sira, mary away the mare,

The deuil giue thee sorow and care.”

sig. B ii.

and A new Commodye &c. of the bewte & good propertes of women, &c. n. d.

“Tush syr be mery let pas awey the mare.”

sig. A ii.

The words are doubtless a portion of some song or ballad. In Ravenscroft’s Melismata, Musicall Phansies, &c. 1611, is a song (No. 6) supposed to be sung by “Seruants out of Seruice” who “are going to the Citie to looke for new;”

“Heigh ho, away the Mare,
Let vs set aside all care,
If any man be disposed to trie,
Loe here comes a lustie crew,
That are enforced to crie
A new Master, a new,” &c.

Page 99. v. 111. sley] i. e. slay.

v. 115. Wyth, Fyll the cup, fyll] So in The Hye Way to the Spyttell Hous, by Copland, n. d.;

“With fyll the pot, fyll, and go fyll me the can.”

Utterson’s Early Pop. Poet. ii. 15.

v. 122. Hardely] i. e. Assuredly.

v. 123. heles dagged] In Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. is “Daggyd. Fractillosus,”—a sense in which Skelton certainly has the word elsewhere (Garlande of Laurell, v. 630. vol. i. 386); but here perhaps dagged may mean—be-mired: “I Daggyll or I dagge a thing with myer.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cciii. (Table of Verbes).

v. 124. kyrtelles] See note, p. 149. v. 1194.

—— all to-iagged] See note, p. 100. v. 32: “I Cutte or iagge a garment.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cciii. (Table of Verbes).

v. 130. tunnynge] i. e. brewing; see note, p. 158.

v. 131. leneth ... on] i. e. lendeth, furnisheth ... of: compare v. 491.

v. 139. sorte] i. e. set, company.

v. 142. skewed] Does it mean—distorted? or walking obliquely? or squinting? see Todd’s Johnson’s Dict. in v. Skew. A friend suggests that this epithet, as well as that in the preceding line, may be applied to colour,—the words being still used as terms of the stable.

Page 100. v. 143. sho clout] i. e. shoe-cloth.

v. 145. herelace] i. e. hair-band.

v. 147. tresses vntrust] So Lydgate;—“With heyr vntrussed.” Warres of Troy, B. iii. sig. S i. ed. 1555.

v. 148. vnlust] i. e. unpleasantness, unseemliness.

v. 149.

Some loke strawry,

Some cawry mawry]

—loke, i. e. look: strawry I do not remember to have met with elsewhere: cawry mawry (as a substantive) occurs in Pierce Plowman;

“[Envy] was as pale as a pellet, in the palsey he semed

And clothed in Caurymaury,” &c.

sig. F ii. ed. 1561.

Page 100. v. 151. vntydy] i. e. sluttish.

—— tegges] A term found again in our author’s first poem Against Garnesche;

“Your wynde schakyn shankkes, your longe lothy legges

...

Bryngges yow out of fauyr with alle femall teggys.”

v. 29. vol. i. 117.

In what sense Skelton uses tegge, I cannot pretend to determine. In Warwickshire and Leicestershire, a teg means a sheep of a year old; and Ray gives, “A Tagge, a Sheep of the first Year, Suss.” Coll. of Words, &c., p. 88, appended to Proverbs, ed. 1768.

v. 152. Lyke rotten egges] Lydgate in a satirical description of a lady has—

“Colowryd lyche a rotyn eey [i. e. egg].”

MS. Harl. 2255. fol. 156.

v. 153. lewde sorte] i. e. vile set, low rabble.

v. 155. tyde] i. e. time, season.

v. 161. commy] i. e. come.

v. 163. shreud aray]—shreud, i. e. evil, bad. “Araye condicion or case poynt.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xviii. (Table of Subst.); which, however, may not be the sense of aray in the present passage. We find:—“Soo with this rumoure came in syr launcelot and fond them al at a grete araye.” Morte d’Arthur, B. xix. c. vi. vol. ii. 374. ed. Southey; the next chapter beginning “What araye is this sayd sir Launcelot,” &c. “For al this foule araye, for al this great frai.” Mery Tales, Wittie Questions, &c., 1567. p. 18, reprint. See also our author’s sacred poem, Wofully araid, vol. i. 141, and note on it.

v. 171. draffe] i. e. hog-wash—either the coarse liquor, or brewers’ grains, with which swine are fed.

v. 173. swyllynge tubbe] i. e. tub in which swillings (hog-wash) are preserved for swine.

v. 174.

For, be there neuer so much prese,

These swyne go to the hye dese]

—prese, i. e. press, throng: dese, or dais, a word of doubtful etymology, generally means—a table of estate,—the upper table raised on a platform more elevated than the others. See Tyrwhitt’s note on Cant. Tales, v. 372; and Richardson’s Dict. in v. Dais. It sometimes signifies a long bench (see Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. in v. Deis); and such seems to be its meaning here, as in the fourth line after this “the hye benche” is mentioned.—Roy in his satire against Wolsey, Rede me, and be nott wrothe, &c., has imitated the present passage of Skelton;

“For, be there never so grett prease,

They are set up at the hy dease.”

Harl. Miscell. ix. 51. ed. Park.

Page 101. v. 185.

God gyue it yll preuynge,

Clenly as yuell cheuynge]

—preuynge, i. e. proving.

“And prechest on thy benche, with evil prefe:” (i. e. evil may it prove!)

Chaucer’s Wif of Bathes Prol. v. 5829. ed. Tyr.

—yuell cheuynge, i. e. evil ending, bad success.

“God geve it yvell chevynge.”

Roy’s Rede me, &c., Harl. Miscell. ix. 79. ed. Park.

See also Cocke Lorelles bote, sig. B i., Towneley Myst. p. 108, and Chaucer’s Chanones Yemannes Tale, v. 16693. ed. Tyr.

v. 189. patch] I know not how to explain.

v. 190. ron] i. e. run.

v. 192. ioust] i. e. joist.

v. 196. bolle] i. e. bowl.

v. 198. skommeth] i. e. skimmeth.

v. 199. Whereas] i. e. Where.

v. 201. blennes] i. e. blends.

Page 102. v. 212. And ye may it broke] i. e. If you may brook it.

v. 213. loke] i. e. look.

v. 218. ble] i. e. colour, complexion.

v. 219. Ich am] i. e. I am.

v. 222. In lust and in lykyng] See note, p. 98. v. 23.

v. 223. whytyng] So in our early dramas, whiting-mop (young whiting) is a cant term for a nice young woman, a tender creature: see Puttenham’s Arte of E. P., 1589. p. 184., and note in my ed. of Webster’s Works, in. 37.

v. 224. mullyng] This term of endearment occurs in the Coventry Mysteries, applied by one of the shepherds to the infant Saviour;

“Thow I be the last that take my leve
ȝit fayre mullynge take it nat at no greve.”

MS. Cott. Vesp.. D viii. fol. 91.

Compare also Hormanni Vulgaria: “This is a fayre and swete mullynge. Blandus est puerulus insigni festiuitate.” Sig. dd vii. ed. 1530.

—— mytyng] In the Towneley Mysteries, one of the shepherds says to the infant Saviour,

“Haylle, so as I can, haylle, praty mytyng!”

p. 96.

and Jamieson gives myting as a fondling designation for a child, Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang.—In our author’s third poem Against Garnesche, v. 115. vol. i. 123, “myteyng”—(but used as a term of contempt)—is, as here, the rhyme to “wyteyng.”

Since writing the above note, I have met with a passage in the comedy called Wily Beguilde, which might be adduced in support of the reading, “nytyng;” but I still think that “mytyng” is the true one: the dramatist evidently recollected Skelton’s poem, in the ed. of which he had found “nytyng,” “nittinge,” or “nittine:”—“Comely Pegge, my nutting, my sweeting, my Loue, my doue, my honnie, my bonnie, my ducke, my deare and my deareling.” Sig. C 4. ed. 1606.

Page 102. v. 225. His nobbes and his conny] So in a song in The Triall of Treasure, 1567;

“My mouse my nobs and cony swete.”

Sig. E.

conny, i. e. rabbit.

v. 227. Bas] i. e. Kiss.

—— bonny] i. e. precious one (rather than—beautiful one,—for it has the epithet “prety”).

v. 229. This make I my falyre fonny] This, i. e. Thus; see note, p. 86. v. 38: it has been suggested that falyre means fellow; which I doubt: fonny is, I suppose, foolishly amorous; compare—

“As freshly then thou shalt begin to fonne

And dote in loue.”

Chaucer’s Court of Loue,—Workes, fol. 329. ed. 1602.

“With kissing, and with clapping, I gert the carill fon.”

Dunbar’s Tua Maryit Wemen and The Wedo, Poems, i. 71. ed. Laing.

v. 230. dronny] i. e. drone.

v. 232. rout] i. e. snore.

Page 103. v. 245. conny] i. e. rabbit.

v. 247. a salt] i. e. a salt-cellar.

—— spone] i. e. spoon.

v. 248. shone] i. e. shoon, shoes.

v. 250. a skellet] i. e. a skillet, a small kettle: in Suffolk it means a brass perforated implement for skimming the cream off milk; see Moor’s Suff. Words.

v. 251.

Some fyll theyr pot full

Of good Lemster woll]

The meaning is—in the pot which was to hold the ale they brought wool “instede of monny” (v. 244).

Page 103. v. 254. athrust] i. e. a-thirst.

v. 258. slaty or slyder] i. e. miry or slippery.

Page 104. v. 266. renne] i. e. run.

v. 269. byrle] The word birl—to pour out, furnish for, or part drink among guests—(see Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. in v., and Leyden’s Gloss. to The Comp. of Scotland in v. Beir)—is not very common in English literature: “the olde God of wyne called Baccus birlyng the wyne.” Hall’s Chronicle, (Hen. viii.) fol. lxxiii. ed. 1548.

v. 270. gest] i. e. guest.

v. 271. She swered by the rode of rest]—rode, i. e. rood,—cross: see note on Ware the Hauke, v. 69.

“That is hardly saide, man, by the roode of rest.”

Barclay’s First Egloge, sig. A iii. ed. 1570.

v. 280. haruest gyrdle] i. e. perhaps, a girdle worn at the feast after the gathering in of the corn.

v. 286. To offer to the ale tap] So in Jak Hare, a poem attributed to Lydgate;

“And with his wynnynges he makith his offrynge

At the ale stakis.”

MS. Harl. 2251. fol. 14.

v. 288. sowre dowe]—dowe, i. e. dough. “Sower dough leuayn.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxv. (Table of Subst.).

v. 289. howe] i. e. ho.

v. 292. And pype tyrly tyrlowe] Compare a Song belonging to the Tailors’ and Shearmen’s Pageant;

“Thé sange terly terlow.”

Sharp’s Diss. on Coventry Pag. and Myst., p. 114.

v. 295. hekell] i. e. comb for dressing flax.

v. 296. rocke] i. e. distaff.—In a poem entitled Cryste Crosse me Spede. A. B. C. Imprynted at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the Sonne, by me Wynkyn de Worde, 4to. (which I know only from the account of it in Typog. Antiq. ii. 367. ed. Dibdin) are the following lines;

“A grete company of gossyps gadred on a route
Went to besyege an ale hous rounde aboute
Some brought a distaffe & some a rele
Some brought a shouell & some a pele
Some brought drynke & some a tankarde

And a galon potte faste they drewe thederward,” &c.

Though no edition of Elynour Rummyng has come down to us printed anterior to Cryste Crosse me Spede, the evident imitation of the former in the passage just quoted, shews that it must have existed.

Page 104. v. 298. wharrowe] i. e. whirl, or wharve, for a spindle. “A spyndell with a wharowe—fusus cum spondulo, siue verticillo siue harpage.” Hormanni Vulg. sig. t i. ed. 1530.

v. 299. rybskyn] In Prompt. Parv., ed. 1499, “Rybskyn” stands without a Latin term; but in the copy of that work, MS. Harl. 221, is “Rybbe skynn. Melotula.” In a MS. Catholicon in Lingua materna, dated 1483, I find “Rybbynge skyn. nebrida. pellicudia.” I may add that in Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530, “Rybbe skynne” occurs without the corresponding French, fol. lix. (Table of Subst.).—Does it mean (as Albert Way, Esq. has obligingly suggested to me) a leather apron, used during the operation of flax-dressing?

Page 105. v. 303. thrust] i. e. thirst.

v. 305.

But drynke, styll drynke,

And let the cat wynke]

So in The Worlde and the Chylde, 1522;

“Manhode. Now let vs drynke at this comnaunt

For that is curtesy.

Folye. Mary mayster ye shall haue in hast

A ha syrs let the catte wyncke,” &c.

Sig. C ii.

See also three epigrams by Heywood Of the winking Cat,—Workes, sig. P 4. ed. 1598.

v. 307. gommes] i. e. gums.

v. 308. crommes] i. e. crums.

v. 314. chaffer] i. e. merchandise.

v. 319. in all the hast] Compare: “Bulwarkes were made in all the haste.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. z iii. ed. 1530.

“the ryght way

To London they tooke in all the haste.”

Smith’s xii Mery Jests of the wyddow Edyth, ed. 1573. sig. H iiii.

v. 320. vnlast] i. e. unlaced.

v. 323. all hallow] i. e. all saints,—perhaps, All-saints’ day.

v. 324.

It was a stale to take

The deuyll in a brake]

For “stare,” which is the reading of all the eds., I have substituted “stale”—i. e. lure, decoy. “Stale of fowlys takinge.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. So in Marmyon’s Hollands Leaguer, 1632;

“And if my skill not failes me, her I’ll make

A Stale, to take this Courtier in a brake.”

Act ii. sc. 1. sig. D 3.

Compare too an epigram by Heywood;

“Take time when time commeth: are we set time to take?

Beware time, in meane time, take not vs in brake.”

Workes, sig. Q 3. ed. 1598.

and Cavendish’s Life of Wolsey; “At last, as ye have heard here before, how divers of the great estates and lords of the council lay in a-wait with my Lady Anne Boleyn, to espy a convenient time and occasion to take the cardinal in a brake.” p. 147. ed. 1827.—In our text, and in the passages just quoted, brake seems to be used for trap: among its various significations, it means a strong wooden frame for confining the feet of horses, preparatory to their being shod; see Gifford’s note on Jonson’s Works, iii. 463.

Page 105. v. 327. gambone] i. e. gammon.

v. 328. resty] i. e. reasty, rancid.

v. 330. Angry as a waspy]—waspy, i. e. wasp. So Heywood;

“Now mery as a cricket, and by and by,

Angry as a waspe.”

Dialogue, sig. C 4,—Workes, ed. 1598.

v. 331. yane] “I yane I gaspe or gape.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccccxi. (Table of Verbes).

—— gaspy] i. e. gasp.

Page 106. v. 332. go bet] Compare;

“Arondel, queth Beues tho,

For me loue go bet, go.”

Sir Beues of Hamtoun, p. 129. Maitl. ed.

“Go bet, quod he, and axe redily,

What corps is this,” &c.

Chaucer’s Pardoneres Tale, v. 12601. ed. Tyrwhitt,—

who observes that in the following lines of Chaucer’s Legend of Dido (288), go bet seems to be a term of the chase;

“The herd of hartes founden is anon,

With hey, go bet, pricke thou, let gon, let gon.”

“He hath made me daunce, maugre my hede,

Amonge the thornes, hey go bette.”

The Frere and the Boye,—An. Pop. Poetry, p. 46. ed. Ritson,—

who supposes the words to be the name of some old dance.

Page 106. v. 333. met] i. e. measure.

v. 334. fet] i. e. fetched.

v. 335. spycke] “Spyk of flesshe. Popa.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. The copy of that work, MS. Harl. 221, has “Spyk or fet flesche,” &c.

v. 336. flycke] i. e. flitch.

v. 339. stut] i. e. stutter.

v. 343. sayne] i. e. says.

—— a fyest] So Hawes;

“She let no ferte nor yet fyste truelye.”

The Pastime of pleasure, sig. Q viii. ed. 1555.

“A fiest, Tacitus flatus.” Withals’s Dict. p. 343. ed. 1634.

v. 346. wyth shamfull deth] Equivalent to—may you die with a shameful death! see Tyrwhitt’s Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales, in v. With.

v. 347. callettes] i. e. trulls, drabs, jades.

v. 348. I shall breake your palettes]—palettes, i. e. crowns, pates. So in a poem by Sir R. Maitland;

“For your rewarde now I sall brek your pallat.”

Anc. Scot. Poems from. Maitl. MSS., ii. 317. ed. Pinkerton,—

who, in the Gloss., wrongly explains it “cut your throat.”

v. 350. And so was made the peace] In confirmation of the reading which I have given, compare Reynard the Fox; “Thus was the pees made by fyrapel the lupaerd frendly and wel.” Sig. e 5. ed. 1481; and see note on v. 319. p. 168.

v. 354. sainct James in Gales] The body of Saint James the Great having, according to the legend, been buried at Compostella in Galicia (Gales), a church was built over it. Pilgrims flocked to the spot; several popes having granted the same indulgences to those who repaired to Compostella, as to those who visited Jerusalem. In The foure P. P. by Heywood, the Palmer informs us that he has been

“At saynt Cornelys at saynt James in Gales

And at saynt Wynefrydes well in Walles,” &c.

Sig. A ii. ed. n. d.

v. 355. Portyngales] i. e. Portuguese.

v. 356. I wys] i. e. truly, certainly (i-wis, adv.).

v. 360. the Crosse in Chepe] Was originally erected in 1290 by Edward I. at one of the resting places of the body of his beloved Eleanor, in its progress from Herdeby, where she died, to Westminster Abbey, where she was buried; and was adorned with her image and arms. Of its being afterwards rebuilt,—of the conduits that were added to it, &c. &c. an account will be found in Stow’s Survey, B. iii. 35. ed. 1720, and Sup. to Gent. Mag. for 1764, vol. 34. 607. This structure was barbarously demolished in 1643, as a monument of Popish superstition.

Page 106. v. 362. route] i. e. disorderly crowd.

Page 107. v. 364.

Sneuelyng in her nose,

As thoughe she had the pose]

—pose, i. e. a rheum in the head. So Chaucer;

“he speketh in his nose,

And sneseth fast, and eke he hath the pose.”

The Manciples Prol. v. 17010. ed. Tyr.

See also Reves Tale, v. 4149.

v. 371. fyll] i. e. fell.

v. 372. barlyhood] Or barlikhood, is said to mean a fit of obstinacy or violent ill-humour produced by drunkenness: see Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. and Supp. in v.; also Stevenson’s addition to Boucher’s Gloss. in v. Barlic.

v. 378. newe ale in cornes] So in Thersytes, n. d.;

“I will make the drincke worse than good ale in the cornes.”

p. 56. Rox. ed.

“New ale in cornes. Ceruisia cum recrementis.” Baret’s Alvearie, in v. Ale.

v. 386. fabell] i. e. talking.

v. 387. babell] i. e. babbling.

v. 388.

—— folys fylly

That had a fole wyth wylly]

Whether folys fylly means a foolish young jade (a filly,—compare what follows), or foolish Philly (Phillis,—compare our author’s Bowge of Court, v. 370. vol. i. 44); and whether or not wylly is meant for a proper name (as it is given in the comparatively recent ed. of Rand), let the reader judge.

v. 390. Iast you, and, gup, gylly] See note, p. 99. v. 17. “What gyppe gyll with a galde backe, begynne you to kycke nowe: Hey de par le diable gilotte,” &c. Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cclxxii. (Table of Verbes). So Dunbar uses gillot for a young mare; see his Poems, i. 65, ii. 459 (note), ed. Laing.

v. 394. sennet] i. e. sennight, week.

Page 108. v. 395. pay] i. e. satisfaction, content.

v. 397. Of thyne ale let vs assay]—assay, i. e. try, taste. So in Pierce Plowman;

“I haue good ale goship said he, gloton wold thou assai.”

Sig. G ii. ed. 1561.

Page 108. v. 398. pylche] i. e. cloak of skins.

v. 399. conny] i. e. rabbit.

v. 490. loke] i. e. look.

—— donny] Richardson, Dict. in vv. Dun, Dunny, cites this line as containing an example of the latter word,—rightly, perhaps, for donne (dun) occurs in Skelton’s Magnyfycence, v. 1102. vol. i. 257.—The common people of Ireland employ donny in the sense of—poor, mean-looking, as “a donny creature;” also in the sense of—poorly, as “How are you to-day?”—“Och! but donny, very donny.” For this information I am indebted to the kindness of Miss Edgeworth, who has used the word in one of her excellent tales.

v. 407. blommer] i. e., perhaps, noise, uproar.

v. 408. a skommer] i. e. a skimmer.

v. 409. a slyce] “Sclyce to tourne meate tournoire.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxii. (Table of Subst.).

v. 412. sterte] i. e. started, rushed.

v. 414. somdele seke] i. e. somewhat sick.

v. 415. a peny cheke] Does it mean—a puny chick?

v. 418. Margery Mylkeducke] So again in our author’s Magnyfycence;

“What, Margery Mylke Ducke, mermoset!”

v. 462. vol. i. 240.

Compare one of the Coventry Mysteries;

“Malkyn Mylkedoke and fayr Mabyle.”

MS. Cott. Vesp. D viii. fol. 74.

v. 419.

Her kyrtell she did vptucke

An ynche aboue her kne]

—kyrtell; see note, p. 149. v. 1194.—So in our old ballad poetry;

“Then you must cut your gowne of greene,

An inch above your knee.”

Child Waters,—Percy’s Rel. of A. E. P. iii. 56. ed. 1794.

v. 422. stubbed] i. e. short and thick.

v. 423. pestels] i. e. legs,—so called, perhaps, because the leg-bone resembles a pestle used in a mortar. The expression “pestle of pork” frequently occurs in our early writers; as in the following passage concerning the tremendous appetite of Charlemagne; “Whan he took hys repaast he was contente wyth lytel brede, but as touchyng the pytaunce, he ete at his repaast a quarter of moton, or ii hennes, or a grete ghoos, or a grete pestel of porke, or a pecok, or a crane, or an hare all hool.” Caxton’s Lyf of Charles the Grete, &c., 1485. sig. b iii.

Page 108. v. 423. clubbed] i. e. like clubs.

v. 425. fote] i. e. foot.

v. 426. foule] i. e. ugly: see note, p. 130. v. 442.

Page 109. v. 429. cantell] i. e. corner, piece, fragment.

v. 431. quycke] i. e. live.

v. 435. punyete] i. e. pungent.

v. 436. sorte] i. e. set, company.

v. 441. I wote nere] i. e. I know never, not.

v. 443. podynges and lynkes] “Links, a kind of Pudding, the skin being filled with Pork Flesh, and seasoned with diverse Spices, minced, and tied up at distances.” R. Holme’s Ac. of Armory, 1688. B. iii. p. 83. In Scotland the terms puddings and links are applied to various intestines of animals.

v. 447. leche] i. e. physician, doctor.—Dunbar makes a distinction, which I do not understand;

“In Medicyne the most Practicianis,

Leichis, Surrigianis, and Phisicianis.”

Poems, i. 213. ed. Laing.

v. 450. keke] i. e. kick.

v. 451. the vertue of an vnset leke] “Vnsette lekes be of more vertue than they that be sette ... præstant in medicina.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. f ii. ed. 1530.

v. 452. breke] i. e. breeches.

v. 453. feders] i. e. feathers.

v. 460. noughty froslynges] i. e. worthless things, stunted by frost. In Suffolk, froslin is applied to any thing—a lamb, a goslin, a chicken, an apple, &c., nipped, or pinched, or injured by frost: see Moor’s Suffolk Words, Appendix.

Page 110. v. 462. callet] i. e. trull, drab, jade.

v. 465. wretchockes] “The famous imp yet grew a wretchock; and though for seven years together he was carefully carried at his mother’s back, rocked in a cradle of Welsh cheese, like a maggot, and there fed with broken beer, and blown wine of the best daily, yet looks as if he never saw his quinquennium.” Jonson’s Masque, The Gipsies Metamorphosed,—Workes, vii. 371. ed. Gifford, who thus comments on the passage in his authoritative style: “i. e. pined away, instead of thriving. Whalley appears to have puzzled himself sorely in this page, about a matter of very little difficulty. In every large breed of domestic fowls, there is usually a miserable little stunted creature, that forms a perfect contrast to the growth and vivacity of the rest. This unfortunate abortive, the goodwives, with whom it is an object of tenderness, call a wrethcock; and this is all the mystery. Was Whalley ignorant that what we now term chick, was once chocke and chooke?” The fol. ed. of the Masque of Gipsies has “wretch-cock,” which Nares, who does not know what to make of the word, observes “would admit of an easy derivation from wretch and cock, meaning a poor wretched fowl.” Gloss. in v.

Page 110. v. 466. shyre shakyng nought] i. e. sheer worthless. So again our author in his Magnyfycence;

“From qui fuit aliquid to shyre shakynge nought.”

v. 1319. vol. i. 267.

v. 475. fall] i. e. fallen.

v. 483. foggy] “Foggy, to full of waste flesshe.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxxxviii. (Table of Adiect.).

v. 489. craw] i. e. crop, stomach.

v. 491. on] i. e. of: compare v. 131.

Page 111. v. 492. an old rybibe] Chaucer, in The Freres Tale, says,

“This Sompnour, waiting ever on his pray,

Rode forth to sompne a widewe, an olde ribibe.”

v. 6958. ed. Tyrwhitt,—

who says he cannot guess how this musical instrument came to be put for an old woman, “unless perhaps from its shrillness.” The word so applied occurs also in Jonson’s Devil is an Ass, act i. sc. 1, where Gifford observes, “Ribibe, together with its synonym rebeck, is merely a cant expression for an old woman. A ribibe, the reader knows, is a rude kind of fiddle, and the allusion is probably to the inharmonious nature of its sounds.” Works, v. 8.

v. 493. She halted of a kybe] i. e. She limped from a chap in the heel. The following remedy is seriously proposed in The Countrie Farme, and was no doubt applied by our ancestors: “For kibes on the heeles, make powder of old shooe soles burned, and of them with oile of roses annoint the kibes; or else lay vnto the kibes the rinde of a pomegranat boiled in wine.” p. 83. ed. 1600.

v. 496.

And fell so wyde open

That one myght se her token]

Compare The foure P. P. by Heywood;

“So was thys castell layd wyde open

That euery man myght se the token.”

Sig. D i. ed. n. d.

v. 498. wroken] i. e. wreaked.

v. 501. on Gods halfe] i. e. “on God’s part, with God’s favour.” Tyrwhitt’s Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales. “A goddes halfe: De par dieu.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccccxxxvi. (Table of Aduerbes).

Page 111. v. 503. beshrew] i. e. curse.

v. 506. lampatrams] A word which I am unable to explain.

v. 507. shap] i. e. pudendum: see Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xxvi. (Table of Subst.). So in a description of purgatory-punishments in the metrical legend of Owayne Myles;

“And some were yn to shappus

And some were vp to the pappus.”

MS. Cott. Calig. A ii. fol. 91.

v. 512. stert] i. e. started.

v. 515. dant] In Kilian’s Dict. is “Dante. Ambubaia, mulier ignaua.” ed. 1605; and in Gloss. to West. and Cumb. Dialect, “Dannet, a ... woman of disreputable character:” but, for aught I know, the word in the text may have some very different signification.

v. 516. a gose and a gant] Must mean here,—a goose and a gander: yet Skelton in Phyllyp Sparowe mentions first “the gose and the gander,” and afterwards “the gaglynge gaunte:” see note, p. 130. v. 447.

v. 517. wesant] i. e. weasand.

v. 519. olyfant] i. e. elephant.

v. 520. bullyfant] Another word which I do not understand.

v. 522. hedes] i. e. heads.

Page 112. v. 525. ale pole] i. e. pole, or stake, set up before an ale-house by way of sign.

v. 535. A strawe, sayde Bele, stande vtter]—stande vtter, i. e. stand more out, back.

“Straw, quod the thridde, ye ben lewed and nice.”

Chaucer’s Chanones Yemannes Tale, v. 16393. ed. Tyr.

“Stonde vtter felowe where doest thou thy curtesy preue?”

The Worlde and the Chylde, 1522. sig. B iv.

v. 538. sterte] i. e. started.

—— fysgygge] “Trotiere: A raumpe, fisgig, fisking huswife, raunging damsell, gadding or wandring flirt.” Cotgrave’s Dict. “Fiz-gig, a wild flirting wench.” Dialect of Craven, &c.

v. 543. gat] i. e. got.

v. 549. quod] i. e. quoth.

—— hyght] i. e. called.

v. 550. bybyll] i. e. drink, tipple.

v. 553. Wheywormed] i. e. covered with whey-worms,—pimples from which a whey-like moisture exudes.

Page 113. v. 555. puscull] i. e. pustule.

v. 556. muscull] i. e. muscle,—the shell of which is frequently “scabbyd.”

Page 113. v. 557. noppy] i. e. nappy.

v. 558. soppy] i. e. sop.

v. 560. mote I hoppy] i. e. may I have good hap.

v. 561. coleth] i. e. cooleth.

—— croppy] i. e. crop, stomach.

v. 563. Haue here is for me] See note, p. 118. v. 413.

v. 573. defoyled] i. e. defiled.

v. 575. sorte] i. e. set, company.

v. 582. a pryckemedenty] i. e. one affectedly nice, finical.

v. 583.

Sat lyke a seynty,
And began to paynty
As thoughe she would faynty]

—seynty, i. e. saint: paynty, i. e. paint,—feign: faynty, i. e. faint. Compare our author’s Colyn Cloute;

“That counterfaytes and payntes

As they were very sayntes.”

v. 922. vol. i. 347.

v. 587. a lege de moy] So again in our author’s Colyn Cloute;

“And howe Parys of Troy
Daunced a lege de moy,
Made lusty sporte and ioy
With dame Helyn the quene.”

v. 952. vol. i. 348.

I have not found elsewhere the term lege de moy. Mace, in his Musick’s Monument, 1676, mentions a Tattle de Moy,—“a New Fashion’d Thing, much like a Seraband; only It has more of Conceit in It, as (in a manner) speaking the word (Tattle de Moy),” &c. p. 129.

Page 114. v. 594. I wys] i. e. truly, certainly (i-wis, adv.).

v. 598. spence] i. e. store-room, for drink, or victuals: “Spens a buttrye despencier.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxvi. (Table of Subst.).

v. 609. awne] i. e. own.

v. 610. Neyther gelt nor pawne] i. e. Neither money nor pledge.

v. 615. balke] i. e. beam, post: “Balke of an house pouste.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xix. (Table of Subst.).

v. 616. tayle] i. e. tally. “A payre of taylles, suche as folke vse to score vpon for rekennyng.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xiii. (Thirde Boke).

v. 617. yll hayle] i. e. ill health,—ill luck,—a common imprecation in our old poetry;

“Ill haile, Alein, by God thou is a fonne.”

Chaucer’s Reves Tale, v. 4087. ed. Tyr.

See too Chester Mysteries (De Del. Noe), p. 27. Roxb. ed.

Page 114. v. 619. to mytche] i. e. too much.

v. 620. mummynge] i. e. frolicking, merriment.

Page 115. v. 622. gest] i. e. story. “Gest or romauns.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

v. 623. this worthy fest] So in the Coventry Mysteries;

“At wurthy festys riche men woll bene.”

MS. Cott. Vesp. D viii. fol. 32.

and in Cavendish’s Life of Wolsey, “It is not to be doubted but that the king was privy of all this worthy feast.” p. 199. ed. 1827.

Quod] i. e. Quoth.

POEMS AGAINST GARNESCHE.

All the particulars concerning Garnesche, which I have been able to discover will be found in the Account of Skelton and his Writings.

Page 116. v. 1. Sithe] i. e. Since.

v. 4. Syr Tyrmagant]—or Termagant,—a very furious deity, whom the Crusaders and romance-writers charged the Saracens with worshipping, though there was certainly no such Saracenic divinity. Concerning the name, see Gifford’s note on Massinger’s Works, ii. 125. ed. 1813, and Nares’s Gloss. in v.—So in The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy, which in various minute particulars bears a strong resemblance to the present pieces Against Garnesche;

“Termygantis temptis and Vespasius thy eme.”

Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 85. ed. Laing.

—— tyrnyd] i. e. tourneyed, encountered.

v. 5. Syr Frollo de Franko] Was a Roman knight, governor of Gaul, slain by King Arthur: see Geoffrey of Mon. l. ix. cap. ii., The Legend of King Arthur, Percy’s Rel. of A. E. P. iii. 39. ed. 1794, &c. &c.

—— talle] i. e. valiant.

v. 6. Syr Satrapas] Neither with this, nor with the personage mentioned in the next line, have I any acquaintance.

v. 8. haue ye kythyd yow a knyght]—kythyd, i. e. made known, shewn.

“It kythit be his cognisance ane knight that he wes.”

Golagros and Gawane, p. 137, Syr Gawayne, &c. ed. Bann.

Garnesche had the dignity of knighthood; see Account of Skelton and his Writings. In the heading, and first line, of this poem, he is called Master; but knights were frequently so addressed. In Cavendish’s Life of Wolsey mention is made of “Sir William Fitzwilliams, a knight,” who is presently called “Master Fitzwilliams,” pp. 310, 311. ed. 1827, and of “Sir Walter Walshe, knight,” who is immediately after termed “Master Walshe,” pp. 339, 340, and of “that worshipful knight Master Kingston,” p. 374.

Page 116. v. 8. Syr Dugles the dowty] “The high courage of Dowglasse wan him that addition of Doughty Dowglasse, which after grew to a Prouerbe.” Marg. Note on the description of the Battle of Shrewsbury, in Drayton’s Polyolbion, Song 22. p. 37. ed. 1622.

v. 9. currysly] i. e. currishly.

v. 10. stowty] i. e. stout.

v. 11. Barabas] The robber mentioned in Scripture.

—— Syr Terry of Trace]—Trace, i. e. Thrace: but I do not recollect any romance or history in which a Sir Terry of that country is mentioned.

v. 12. gyrne] i. e. grin.

—— gomys] i. e. gums.

v. 15. Syr Ferumbras the ffreke]—ffreke (common in romance-poetry in the sense of—man, warrior) is here, as the context shews, equivalent to furious fellow: we have had the word before, see p. 109. v. 187. Consult the analysis of the romance of Sir Ferumbras in Ellis’s Spec. of Met. Rom. ii. 356, and Caxton’s Lyf of Charles the Grete, &c., 1485, for much about this Saracen, called in the latter Fyerabras,—“a meruayllous geaunte,”—“whyche was vaynquysshed by Olyuer, and at the laste baptysed, and was after a Saynt in heuen.” Sig. b viii.

v. 16. Syr capten of Catywade, catacumbas of Cayre] Cayre is Cairo; but I am unable to explain the line. In the opening of Heywood’s Four P. P., the Palmer says, he has been at “the graet God of Katewade,” alluding, as O. Gilchrist thinks, to Catwade-bridge in Sampford hundred in Suffolk, where there may have been a famous chapel and rood; see Dodsley’s Old Plays, i. 61. last ed.

v. 17. Thow] i. e. Though.

—— Syr Lybyus] See note, p. 138. v. 649.

v. 18. contenons oncomly] i. e. countenance uncomely.

v. 19. apayere] i. e. impair—become less.

Page 117. v. 22. Of Mantryble the Bryge, Malchus the murryon]—murryon, i. e. Moor; so in the third of these poems, Skelton calls Garnesche “Thou murrionn, thou mawment,” v. 170. vol. i. 125; so too in the Scottish Treasurer’s Accounts for 1501, “Peter the Moryen,” Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 306. ed. Laing; and in a folio broadside, M. Harry Whobals mon to M. Camell, &c. (among the “flytings” of Churchyard and Camell), “Some morryon boye to hold ye vp.” If the present passage means that the Bridge was guarded by a Moor called Malchus, I know not what authority Skelton followed. Concerning the Bridge of Mantryble see the analysis of the romance of Sir Ferumbras, Ellis’s Spec. of Met. Rom. ii. 389; and Caxton’s Lyf of Charles the Grete, &c., 1485, “Of the meruayllous bridge of Mantryble, of the trybute there payed for to passe ouer,” &c., sig. e viii., and how “the strong brydge of mantryble was wonne not wythoute grete payne,” sig. h viii.: it was kept by a giant, named Algolufre in the former, and Galafre in the latter, who was slain by the Frenchmen when the Bridge was won. In The Bruce of Barbour, the hero reads to his followers “Romanys off worthi Ferambrace” and how Charlemagne “wan Mantrybill and passit Flagot.” B. ii. v. 832 sqq. ed. Jam. “The tail of the brig of the mantribil” is mentioned in The Complaynt of Scotland, p. 98. ed. Leyden. Compare also Don Quixote; “nor that [history] of Fierabras, with the Bridge of Mant[r]ible, which befell in Charlemaines time, and is, I sweare, as true, as that it is day at this instant.” P. i. B. iv. c. xxii. p. 546., Shelton’s trans., 1612.

Page 117. v. 23. blake Baltazar with hys basnet routh as a bere] Does blake Baltazar mean one of the Magi, or, as they were commonly called, the Three Kings of Cologne? “the third, Balthasar, a black or Moor, with a large spreading beard,” &c. Festa Anglo-Romana, p. 7, cited in Brand’s Pop. Ant. i. 19 (note), ed. 1813: with hys basnet routh as a bere, i. e. with his cap (not helmet, it would seem,) rough as a bear.

v. 24. Lycon, that lothly luske]—Lycon is probably Lycaon; see note, p. 127. v. 311. “Here is a great knaue i. a great lyther luske, or a stout ydell lubbar.” Palsgrave’s Acolastus, 1540. sig. X ii. “Luske a vyle parsone ribavlt, esclaue, lovrdavlt.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xlvi. (Table of Subst.). The word is often used as a term of reproach in general.

v. 25. brymly] i. e. fiercely, ruggedly.

—— here] i. e. hair.

v. 26. bake] i. e. back.

—— gere] i. e. dress.

v. 30. a camoke] Is explained—a crooked stick, or tree; a crooked beam, or knee of timber.

v. 31. teggys] See note, p. 164. v. 151.

Page 117. v. 33. Orwelle hyr hauyn] By Harwich.

v. 36. Sarson] i. e. Saracen. So in The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy (see note, p. 177. v. 4), “Sarazene, syphareit,” &c. Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 75. ed. Laing.

—— ble] i. e. colour, complexion.

v. 37. As a glede glowynge] i. e. glowing like a burning coal:—but qy. did Skelton write “as a glede glowrynge?” i. e. staring like a kite. He uses glede in this latter sense in Magnyfycence, v. 1059. vol. i. p. 259: and in The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy (see note, p. 177. v. 4) we find,—

“hungry gled.”

...

“Lyke to ane stark theif glowrand in ane tedder.”

Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 70, 72. ed. Laing.

—— ien] i. e. eyne, eyes.

v. 39. passe] i. e. excel.

v. 40. Howkyd as an hawkys beke, lyke Syr Topyas] i. e. Hooked, &c. The allusion is to Chaucer’s Sire Thopas, who “had a semely nose.” v. 13659. ed. Tyr.

v. 41. buske] i. e. prepare, or rather, perhaps, hie.

v. 42. fole] i. e. fool.

Be] i. e. By.

gorbelyd] i. e. big-bellied.

Godfrey] Concerning this person, who assisted Garnesche in his compositions, and is afterwards called his scribe, I can give the reader no information.

Page 118. v. 2. [Your] gronynge, ȝour grontynge, your groinynge lyke a swyne] Skelton has elsewhere;

“Hoyning like hogges that groynis and wrotes.”

Against venemous tongues, vol. i. 132.

“The Gruntyng and the groynninge of the gronnyng swyne.”

Garlande of Laurell, v. 1376. vol. i. 415.

To groin is explained to groan, to grunt, to growl; but perhaps our author may have used it like the French “Groigner. To nuzle, or to root with the snout.” Cotgrave’s Dict.

v. 3. alle to peuiche] See note, p. 100. v. 32.

v. 4. mantycore] See note, p. 127. v. 294.

—— maltaperte] i. e. malapert, (perhaps an error of the transcriber).

v. 5. lere] i. e. complexion, skin.

—— gresyd bote] i. e. greased boot.

Page 118. v. 6.

Ye cappyd Cayface copious, your paltoke on your pate,

Thow ye prate lyke prowde Pylate, be ware yet of chek mate]

—Cayface, i. e. Caiaphas: copious is perhaps an allusion to some sort of cope, in which that personage might have figured on the stage. The usual explanations of paltock (“Paltok. Baltheus,” Prompt. Parv.; “a short garment of the doublet kind,” Strutt’s Dress and Habits, &c. ii. 352) do not seem to suit the present passage. In Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lii. (Table of Subst.) we find “Paltocke a patche palleteau;” and see what immediately follows in this poem: Thow, i. e. Though: chek mate; see note, p. 96. v. 29.

Compare The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy (see note, p. 177. v. 4)

“Thow irefull attircop, Pylat appostata.”

...

...“Cayphass thy fectour.”

Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 85, 86. ed. Laing.

v. 8. Hole] i. e. Whole, healed.

—— Deu[ra]ndall] Was the celebrated sword of Roland: see (among other works which might be referred to) Caxton’s Lyf of Charles the Grete, &c., 1485, “How Rolland deyed holyly after many martyres and orysons made to god ful deuoutely, and of the complaynte maad for hys swerde durandal.” Sig. m i.

—— awne] i. e. own.

v. 11. Ye countyr vmwhyle to capcyously, and ar ye be dysiryd]—countyr; see note, p. 92: vmwhyle, i. e. some time: to, i. e. too: ar, i. e. ere.

v. 12. all to-myryd] See note, p. 100. v. 32,—meaning, I suppose, all befouled.

v. 15. Gabionyte of Gabyone] So in his Replycacion agaynst certayne yong scolers, &c. Skelton calls them “Gabaonitæ,” vol. i. 218.

—— gane] “I Gane or gape.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccxliii. (Table of Verbes).

v. 16. Huf a galante] Compare;

“Hof hof hof a frysch galaunt.”

Mary Magdalene,—An. Mysteries from the Digby MSS. p. 85. ed. Abbotsf.

“Make rome syrs and let vs be mery

With huffa galand synge tyrll on the bery.”

Interlude of the iiii. Elementes, n. d. sig. B ii.

In some Glossary, to which I have lost the reference, is “Huff, a gallant.”

Page 118. v. 16. loke] i. e. look.

v. 17. Lusty] See note on title of the next poem, p. 183.

—— jet] i. e. strut; see note, p. 94. v. 43.

—— jaspe] Does it mean—wasp?

v. 19. that of your chalennge makyth so lytyll fors] i. e. that maketh (make) so little matter of your challenge.

Page 119. v. 22. Syr Gy, Syr Gawen, Syr Cayus, for and Syr Olyuere] Concerning the two first see notes, p. 136. v. 629: Cayus, or Kay, was the foster-brother of King Arthur; see the Morte d’Arthur, &c. &c.: for and is an expression occasionally found in much later writers; see Middleton’s Fair Quarrel, act v. sc. 1., Works, iii. 544. ed. Dyce; and Beaumont and Fletcher’s Knight of the Burning Pestle,—

“For and the Squire of Damsels, as I take it.”

Act ii. sc. 2. [sc. 3.],—

a passage which the modern editors have most absurdly altered: Olyuere was one of the twelve peers of France.

v. 23. Priamus] Perhaps the personage so named, who fought with Gawayne, and was afterwards made a knight of the Round Table; see Morte d’Arthur, B. v. ch. x. xii. vol. i. 148 sqq. ed. Southey.

v. 24. Arturys auncyent actys] An allusion, perhaps, more particularly to the Morte d’Arthur; see its other title in note, p. 137. v. 634.

v. 25. fysnamy] i. e. physiognomy. So in The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy (see note, p. 177. v. 4.)

“—— thy frawart phisnomy.”

Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 68. ed. Laing.

v. 26. to hawte] i. e. too haughty.

—— I wys] i. e. truly, certainly (i-wis, adv.).

v. 29. Godfrey] See note on title of this poem, p. 180.

—— gargons] i. e. Gorgon’s.

v. 30. Syr Olifranke] Qy. a mistake of the transcriber for Syr Olifaunte, the giant mentioned in Chaucer’s Sire Thopas?

—— splay] i. e. display.

v. 31. Baile] Seems to mean—howl, cry. “I Balle as a curre dogge doth, Ie hurle.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. clvii. (Table of Verbes).

—— folys] i. e. fools.

v. 32. ȝe] i. e. ye.

Page 119. v. 36. Gup] See note, p. 99. v. 17.

—— gorbellyd] i. e. big-bellied.

v. 37. turney] i. e. tourney, contend.

—— to fare to seke] i. e. too far at a loss, inexperienced,—unable.

v. 38. whypslovens] A term which I do not understand.

—— a coke stole] i. e. a cucking-stool, a chair or stool fixed at the end of a long pole, used for the punishment of scolds and brawlers by plunging them in the water.

v. 39. mantycore] See note, p. 127. v. 294.

—— marmoset] A kind of ape, or monkey.

Page 120.—— lusty Garnyche welle be seyn Crysteouyr] Both these epithets allude to his dress: “Lusty or fresshe in apparayle frisque.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xci. (Table of Adiect.): welle be seyn; see note, p. 112. v. 283.—Compare Dunbar;

“Gife I be lusty in array,

Than luve I paramouris thay say

...

Gife I be nocht weill als besene,” &c.

Poems, i. 185. ed. Laing.

v. 1. lewde] i. e. ignorant, vile.

v. 3. skrybe] Printed by mistake in the text “skryke”—means Godfrey; see note on title of the preceding poem, p. 180, and compare v. 90 of the present.

v. 6. I caste me] i. e. I project, design.

v. 9. fauyr] i. e. appearance, look.

v. 11. cousshons] i. e. cushions.

v. 12. condycyonns] i. e. qualities, dispositions, habits. “Condycions maners meurs.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., fol. xxv. (Table of Subst.). “Whan a man is set in autoryte, than shall his condycyons be spyed ... Mores deprehenduntur.” “Thy good condycyons ... virtutes tuas.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. N i. ed. 1530.

v. 13. Gup, marmeset, jast ye, morelle] See notes, p. 93. v. 11. p. 99. v. 17, and this page, v. 39.

v. 14. lorelle] i. e. good-for-nothing fellow (see Tyrwhitt’s Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales).

v. 15. Lewdely] i. e. Badly, (as in v. 18 lewdnes, i. e. badness); but in v. 19 it is to be understood in its more original meaning—ignorantly.

v. 18. awne] i. e. own.

v. 20. ȝe] i. e. ye.

v. 21. to wyde] i. e. too wide.

Page 120. v. 26. dryvyll] See note, p. 113. v. 337.

v. 27. your nose dedde sneuylle] So in The Flytyng of Dunbar and Kennedy (see note, p. 177. v. 4);

“Out! out! I schowt, upon that snout that snevillis.”

Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 86. ed. Laing.

v. 30. fonne] i. e. fool.

v. 31. A gose with the fete vponne] i. e. a goose with its feet on.

Page 121. v. 32. slvfferd vp] i. e. slabbered up.

—— sowse] “Succiduum. anglice. sowce.” Ortus Vocab. fol. ed. W. de Worde, n. d. (and so Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499). “Souce trippes.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxv. (Table of Subst.). And see Todd’s Johnson’s Dict. and Richardson’s Dict. in v.

v. 34. xulde] i. e. should: a provincialism (see, for instance, the Coventry Mysteries passim), to be attributed not to Skelton, but to the transcriber.

v. 36. bawdy] i. e. foul; see note, p. 161. v. 90.

v. 38. haftynge] See note, p. 107. v. 138.

—— polleynge] i. e. plundering.

v. 40. Gynys] i. e. Guines.

v. 41. spere] i. e. spire, shoot,—stripling.

v. 42. lewdly] i. e. vilely, meanly.

—— gere] i. e. apparel.

v. 46. dud frese] i. e. coarse frieze.

v. 52. ȝe] i. e. ye.

v. 53. warde] i. e. wardrobe.

v. 54. kyst a shepys ie] i. e. cast a sheep’s eye.

v. 56. gonge] i. e. privy.

v. 62. bassyd] i. e. kissed.

Page 122. v. 68. pyllyd garleke hed] Palsgrave has both “Pylled, as one that wanteth heare,” and “Pylled scalled.” Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xciii. (Table of Adiect.). Compare the next poem Against Garnesche;

“Thow callyst me scallyd, thou callyst me mad:

Thow thou be pyllyd, thow ar nat sade.”

v. 116. vol. i. 130.

Pilled-garlick was a term applied to a person whose hair had fallen off by disease; see Todd’s Johnson’s Dict. in v.

v. 69. hocupy there no stede] i. e. occupy there no place, stand in no stead,—avail nothing.

v. 70. Syr Gy of Gaunt] So our author again, in his Colyn Cloute;

“Auaunt, syr Guy of Gaunt.”

v. 1157. vol. i. 355.

In The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy (which, as already shewn, strongly resembles the present pieces Against Garnesche in several minute particulars) we find—

“thow spreit of Gy.”

Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 72. ed. Laing.

and at p. 37 of the same vol., in The Droichis Part of the Play, attributed to Dunbar,—

“I wait I am the spreit of Gy.”

So too Sir D. Lyndsay in his Epistill to the Kingis Grace before his Dreme,—

“And sumtyme, lyke the grislie gaist of Gy.”

Works, i. 187. ed. Chalmers,—

who explains it “the well-known Sir Guy of romance.” But both Dunbar and Lyndsay allude to a story concerning the ghost of a person called Guy, an inhabitant of Alost. There is a Latin tract on the subject, entitled De spiritu Guuidonis, of which various translations into English are extant in MS. One of these is now before me, in verse, and consisting of 16 closely written 4to pages: Here begynnyth a notabyll matere and a gret myracule don be oure lord ihesus cryst and shewyd In the ȝeer of his incarnacion MCCCXXIII. [printed Latin tract now before me has MCCCXXIIII.] and in the xvi day of decembyr in the Cete of Aleste. Whiche myracule ys of a certeyn man that was callyd Gy. and deyde and aftyr viii days he apperyd to his wyf aftyr the comaundment of god. of whiche apperyng she was aferd and oftyn tyme rauysshid. Than she toke conseyl and went to the ffreris of the same cete and tolde the Pryor ffrere Iohnn goly of this mater, &c. As Gaunt is the old name of Ghent, and as Alost is about thirteen miles from that city, perhaps the reader may be inclined to think,—what I should greatly doubt,—that Skelton also alludes to the same story.

Page 122. v. 71. olyfaunt] i. e. elephant.

v. 72. pykes] i. e. pickaxe. “Pykeys. Ligo. Marra.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

—— twybyll] “Twybyll writis instrument. Bisacuta. Biceps.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. “Twybill or mactok. Marra. Ligo.” Ibid. “Bipennis ... a twyble or axe, a twall.” Ortus Vocab. ed. 1514. (in the earlier ed. fol. n. d. W. de Worde, the English explanation is less full). “Twyble an instrument for carpentars bernago.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxxi. (Table of Subst.).

Page 122. v. 75. wary] Is frequently found in the sense of curse,—

(“Who so the waris wared be he.”

Isaac,—Towneley Mysteries, p. 43)—

but here, I apprehend, it means—war, contend.

v. 79. eldyr steke] i. e. elder-stick.

v. 87. sowtters] i. e. shoemakers, cobblers.

v. 88. seche a nody polle] i. e. such a silly head, ninny.

v. 89. pryste] i. e. priest.

v. 90. your scrybys nolle] i. e. your scribe’s head,—Godfrey’s; see note on title of the preceding poem, p. 180.

v. 91. fonde] i. e. foolish.

v. 93. make] i. e. compose verses.

v. 94. dawpate] i. e. simple pate, simpleton; see note, p. 113. v. 301.

Page 123. v. 101. Bolde bayarde] The proverbial expression, “as bold as blind bayard,”—(bayard, properly a bay horse, but used for a horse in general),—is very ancient, and of very frequent occurrence in our early literature; its origin is not known:

“For blynde bayarde caste peryll of nothynge,

Tyll that he stumblyng fall amydde the lake.”

Lydgate’s Warres of Troy, B. v. sig. E e ii. ed. 1555.

v. 102. kynde] i. e. nature.

v. 108.

Ye wolde be callyd a maker,

And make moche lyke Jake Raker]

i. e. You would be called a composer of verses, or poet, and you compose much in the style of Jack Raker. So again our author;

“Set sophia asyde, for euery Jack Raker

And euery mad medler must now be a maker.”

Speke, Parrot, v. 165. vol. ii. 8.

“He maketh vs Jacke Rakers;

He sayes we ar but crakers,” &c.

Why come ye nat to Courte, v. 270. vol. ii. 35.

So too in the comedy by Nicholas Udall, entitled Ralph Royster Doyster;

“Of Songs and Balades also he is a maker,

And that can he as finely doe as Jacke Raker.”

Act ii. sc. 1. p. 27. (reprint.)

Mr. Collier (Hist. of Engl. Dram. Poet. ii. 448) speaks of Jack Raker as if he really had existed: I rather think that he was an imaginary person, whose name had become proverbial.

v. 110. crakar] i. e. vaunter, big talker.

Page 123. v. 114. despyghtyng] “I Dispyte I grutche or reprime agaynst a thing.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccxiiii. (Table of Verbes).

v. 115. nat worthe a myteyng]—myteyng (which occurs in our author’s Elynour Rummyng as a term of endearment, v. 224. vol. i. 102) is here perhaps equivalent to “Myte the leest coyne that is pite.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xlviii. (Table of Subst.).

v. 117. scole] i. e. school.

v. 118. occupyed no better your tole] i. e. used no better your tool, pen: see note, p. 86. v. 52.

v. 119. Ye xulde haue kowththyd me a fole] i. e. You should have made me known for, shewn me to be, a fool.

v. 121. wyse] i. e. think, intend.

v. 122. xall] i. e. shall.

v. 123. Thow] i. e. Though.

—— Sarsens] i. e. Saracen’s.

v. 124. Row] i. e. Rough.

—— here] i. e. hair.

v. 125. heuery] i. e. every.

v. 127. peson] i. e. pease.

v. 129. geson] i. e. scarce, scanty.

v. 131.

Your skyn scabbyd and scuruy,

Tawny, tannyd, and shuruy, &c.]

—shuruy, i. e., perhaps, “shrovy, squalid.” Forby’s Vocab. of East Anglia. With this passage compare The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy (see note, p. 177. v. 4);

“Fy! skolderit skyn, thow art bot skyre and skrumple.”

...

“Ane crabbit, skabbit, evill facit messane tyk.”

...

“Thow lukis lowsy.”

Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 70, 84, 72. ed. Laing.

Page 124. v. 139. Xall kyt both wyght and grene] i. e. Shall cut both white and green,—an allusion to the dress which our author appears to have worn as Laureat; see Account of Skelton and his Writings.

v. 140. to grett] i. e. too great.

v. 143. puauntely] i. e. stinkingly, strongly.

v. 155. crawes] i. e. crops, stomachs.

v. 157. perke] i. e. perch.

v. 158. gummys] i. e. gums.

Page 124. v. 159. serpentins] “His campe was enuironed with artilerie, as fawcones, serpentynes, cast hagbushes,” &c. Hall’s Chronicle (Henry viii.), fol. xxviii. ed. 1548.

v. 160. bynde] i. e. bend; so in the next poem we find “wyll” for “well,” and “spynt” for “spent,” peculiarities to be attributed to the transcriber, not to Skelton.

v. 162. scorpyone] So in The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy (see note, p. 177. v. 4) “scorpion vennemous.” Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 75. ed. Laing.

v. 163. bawdy babyone] i. e. filthy baboon; see note, p. 161. v. 90.

v. 165. mantycore] See note, p. 127. v. 294.

v. 168. gresly gargone] i. e. grisly Gorgon.

—— glaymy] i. e., I suppose, slimy, clammy.

v. 169. seymy] i. e. greasy.

Page 125. v. 170. murrionn] i. e. Moor; see note, p. 178. v. 22.

—— mawment] “Mawment. Idolum. Simulacrum.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. “Maument marmoset, poupee.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xlvii. (Table of Subst.). “Mawment, a puppet.” Brockett’s Gloss. of North Country Words.—(Mawmet, i. e. Mahomet.)

v. 172. marmoset] A sort of ape or monkey.

v. 173. I wyll nat dy in they det]—they, i. e. thy; as in the next poem.—Compare Cocke Lorelles Bote;

“Yf he call her calat she calleth hym knaue agayne

She shyll not dye in his dette.”

Sig. B i.

v. 175. xulddst] i. e. shouldst.

v. 176. xall] i. e. shall.

v. 177. hole] i. e. whole.

v. 178. Soche pelfry thou hast pachchyd] I do not understand this line: pelfry is, perhaps, pilfery; but does it not rather mean—petty goods,—which Garnesche had pachchyd, fraudulently got together? “Muche of theyr fishe they do barter with English men, for mele, lases, and shoes, and other pelfery.” Borde’s Boke of knowledge, sig. I, reprint. “Owt of whyche countre the sayd Scottys fled, and left mych corne, butters, and other pylfre, behinde theim, whyche the ost hade.” Letter from Gray to Crumwell, State Papers, iii. 155,—the Vocabulary to which renders pylfre, pillage—wrongly, I believe.

v. 179. houyr wachyd] i. e. over watched.

v. 180. thou xuldyst be rachchyd] i. e. thou shouldest be stretched—have thy neck stretched. So in The Flytyng of Dunbar and Kennedy (see note, p. 177. v. 4);

“For substance and geir thow hes a widdy teuch

On Mont Falcone, about thy craig to rax.”

Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 79. ed. Laing.

Page 125. v. 182. be bedawyd] Does it mean—be daunted? or, be called simple fellow? see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 183. fole] i. e. fool.

v. 184. gronde] i. e. ground.

v. 186. Syr Dalyrag] So our author elsewhere;

“Let syr Wrigwrag wrastell with syr Delarag.”

Speke, Parrot, v. 91. vol. ii. 6.

“Adue nowe, sir Wrig wrag,

Adue, sir Dalyrag!”

Howe the douty Duke of Albany, &c. v. 297. vol. ii. 76.

v. 187. brag] i. e. proud, insolent.

v. 189. kyt ... to large] i. e. cut ... too large.

v. 190. Suche pollyng paiaunttis ye pley] i. e. Such plundering pageants, thievish pranks, you play. The expression to “play a pageant”—to play a part,—has before occurred, see note, p. 88. v. 85. With the present passage compare: “This one pageant hath stayned al other honest dedes ... flagitium.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. N v. ed. 1530. “That was a wyly pageaunt ... commentum.” Id. sig. N vi. “Thou gatest no worshyp by this pageant ... facinore.” Id. sig. P v. “He had thought to playe me a pagent: Il me cuyda donner le bont.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cccxvii. (Table of Verbes). “A felowe which had renued many of Robin Hodes Pagentes.” Fabyan’s Chron. vol. ii. fol. 533. ed. 1559. “After he had plaied all his troublesome pageants,” &c. Holinshed’s Chron. (Hen. viii.) vol. iii. 830. ed. 1587.

v. 191. poynt] i. e. appoint, equip.

—— fresche] i. e. smart.

v. 192. he] i. e. Godfrey; see note on title of the second of these poems, p. 180.

v. 193. rowllys] i. e. rolls.

v. 194. sowllys] i. e. souls.

v. 197.

That byrd ys nat honest

That fylythe hys owne nest]

—fylythe, i. e. defileth. This proverb occurs in The Owl and the Nightingale (a poem of the 12th century), p. 4. Rox. ed.

v. 199. wyst what sum wotte] i. e. knew what some know.

Page 126. v. 204. Jake a thrum] In his Magnyfycence our author mentions “Jacke a thrommys bybyll,” v. 1444. vol. i. 272 (also in his Garlande of Laurell, v. 209. vol. i. 370); and in his Colyn Cloute he uses the expression,—

“As wyse as Tom a thrum.”

v. 284. vol. i. 322,—

where the MS. has “Jacke athrum.”—Compare: “And therto acordes too worthi prechers, Jacke a Throme and Ione Brest-Bale.” Burlesques,—Reliquiæ Antiquæ (by Wright and Halliwell), i. 84.

goliardum] Equivalent, probably, to buffoon, or ridiculous rhymer. See Du Cange’s Gloss. in v., Tyrwhitt’s note on Chaucer’s Cant. Tales, v. 562, and Roquefort’s Gloss. in v. Goliard.

lusty Garnyshe well beseen Crystofer] See note on title of the third of these poems, p. 183.

Page 126. v. 1. gargone] i. e. Gorgon.

v. 3. Thowthe ye kan skylle of large and longe] i. e. Though you be skilled in large and long; see note, p. 95. v. 49.

v. 4.

Ye syng allway the kukkowe songe:

...

Your chorlyshe chauntyng ys al o lay]

—o lay, i. e. one strain. So Lydgate;

“The cokkowe syng can than but oon lay.”

The Chorle and the Bird,—MS. Harl. 116. fol. 151.

v. 12. Cicero with hys tong of golde] So Dunbar speaking of Homer and Tully;

“Your aureate tongis both bene all to lyte,” &c.

Poems, i. 13. ed. Laing.

v. 17. xalte] i. e. shalt.

—— warse] i. e. worse.

v. 18. They] i. e. Thy; as in the preceding poem.

Page 127. v. 23. lest good kan] i. e. that knows the least good.

v. 25. wylage] i. e. village.

v. 28. Lothsum as Lucifer] So in The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy (see note, p. 177. v. 4), “Luciferis laid.” Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 75. ed. Laing.

v. 29. gasy] i. e. gaze, look proudly.

v. 30. Syr Pers de Brasy] i. e. Pierre de Brézé, grand-seneschal of Anjou, Poitou, and Normandy, and a distinguished warrior during the reigns of Charles vii. and Lewis xi.: he fell at the battle of Montlhéry in 1465.

v. 31. caytyvys carkes] i. e. caitiff’s carcass.

v. 32. blasy] i. e. blaze, set forth.

v. 33. Gorge Hardyson] Perhaps the “George Ardeson” who is several times mentioned in the unpublished Bokis of Kyngis Paymentis Temp. Hen. vii. and viii., preserved in the Chapter-House, Westminster: one entry concerning him is as follows;

“[xxiii. of Hen. vii.]

George Ardeson and Domynicke Sall er bounden in an obligacion to pay for the lycence of cccl buttes of malvesey viˢ viiiᵈ for euery but within iii monethes next after they shalbe layde vpon lande

cxviˡⁱ xiiiˢ.”

Page 127. v. 34. habarion] i. e. habergeon. “Haburion. Lorica.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

v. 35. the Januay] i. e. the Genoese. “The ianuays ... Genuenses.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. k iii. ed. 1530.

v. 36. trysyd hys trowle away] i. e. (I suppose) enticed away his trull.

v. 37. paiantes] See note, p. 189. v. 190.

v. 39. gate] i. e. got.

—— gaudry] i. e., perhaps, trickery. In the Towneley Mysteries, gawde, trick, occurs several times.

v. 41. Fanchyrche strete] i. e. Fenchurch Street.

v. 42. lemmanns] i. e. mistresses.

v. 43. Bas] i. e. Kiss.

—— buttyng] A term of endearment, which I do not understand.

—— praty] i. e. pretty.

v. 47. Bowgy row] i. e. Budge Row: “This Ward [Cordwainers Street Ward] beginneth in the East, on the West side of Walbrooke, and runneth West, thorow Budge row (a street so called of the Budge Furr, and of Skinners dwelling there),” &c. Stow’s Survey, B. iii. 15. ed. 1720.

v. 50. mow] i. e. mouth,—mock.

Page 128. v. 54. lust] i. e. liking, inclination.

v. 55. broke] i. e. badger.

v. 56. Gup, Syr Gy] See notes, p. 99. v. 17. p. 184. v. 70.

v. 57. xulde] i. e. should.

v. 59. herey] i. e. hairy.

v. 60. on Goddes halfe] See note, p. 174. v. 501.

v. 61. pray] i. e. prey.

v. 63. auncetry] i. e. ancestry.

v. 66. askry] See notes, p. 145. v. 903. p. 152. v. 1358.

v. 68. Haroldis] i. e. Heralds.

v. 69. Thow] i. e. Though.

v. 73. brothells] i. e. harlots. “Brothell pailliarde putayn.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xxii. (Table of Subst.).

Page 128. v. 75. Betweyn the tappett and the walle] A line which occurs again in our author’s Magnyfycence, v. 1249. vol. i. 265: tappett, i. e. tapestry, hangings.

v. 76. Fusty bawdyas] An expression used again by Skelton in his Garlande of Laurell;

“Foo, foisty bawdias! sum smellid of the smoke.”

v. 639. vol. i. 387.

It occurs in the metrical tale The Kyng and the Hermyt;

“When the coppe comys into the plas,
Canst thou sey fusty bandyas, [baudyas]
And think it in your thouht?
And you schall here a totted frere
Sey stryke pantnere,
And in ye [the] cope leve ryht nouht.”

Brit. Bibliogr. iv. 90.

and several times after, in the same poem.

v. 77. harres] Equivalent to—collection. Fr. haras, a stud. “Haras of horse. Equicium.” Prompt. Parv.,—MS. Harl. 221.

v. 78. clothe of Arres] i. e. tapestry; so called from Arras in Artois, where the chief manufacture of such hangings was.

v. 79. eylythe] i. e. aileth.

—— rebawde] i. e. ribald.

v. 82. Auaunsid] i. e. Advanced.

v. 83. hole] i. e. whole.

v. 85. lorell] See note, p. 183. v. 14.

—— to lewde] i. e. too ignorant, vile.

v. 86. Lythe and lystyn] i. e. Attend and listen—a sort of pleonastic expression common in our earliest poetry.

—— all bechrewde] See note, p. 97. v. 28.

Page 129. v. 88. pointyd] i. e. appointed.

v. 89. semyth] i. e. beseemeth.

—— pyllyd pate] See note, p. 184. v. 68.

v. 91. scryue] i. e. write.

v. 92. cumys] i. e. becomes.

v. 93. tumrelle] i. e. tumbrel.

v. 94. melle] i. e. meddle.

v. 95. The honor of Englande] i. e. Henry the Eighth.

v. 97. wyl] i. e. well; as afterwards in this poem.

—— parcele] i. e. part, portion.

v. 98. yaue] i. e. gave.

v. 99. Eliconys] i. e. Helicon’s.

v. 101. commyth] i. e. becometh.

Page 129. v. 101. remorde] Fr. “Remordre. To bite again; also, to carpe at, or find fault with.” Cotgrave’s Dict. The word is frequently used by Skelton (see, for instance, vol. i. 188, where he introduces it with other terms nearly synonymous,—“reprehending” and “rebukynge”).

v. 102. creaunser] i. e. tutor: see Account of Skelton and his Writings.—Erasmus, in his Paraph. in Epist. Pauli ad Galat. cap. 4. v. 2,—Opp. vii. 956. ed. 1703-6, has these words; “sed metu cohibetur, sed alieno arbitrio ducitur, sub tutoribus et actoribus agens,” &c.: which are thus rendered in The Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testament, vol. ii. fol. xiii. ed. 1548-9; “but is kept vnder with feare, and ruled as other men wyll, passyng that tyme vnder creansers and gouernours,” &c. (Fr. creanser.)

v. 105. primordialle] i. e. original, earliest.

v. 106. rybawde] i. e. ribald.

—— reclame] i. e. tame,—a metaphor from falconry; see note, p. 148. v. 1125.

v. 111. warlde] i. e. world.

v. 114. bawdy] i. e. foul; see note, p. 161. v. 90.

Page 130. v. 117. Thow] i. e. Though.

—— pyllyd] See note, p. 184. v. 68.

—— sade] i. e. sad,—sober, discreet,—wise (see the preceding line).

v. 120. Thowth] i. e. Though.

v. 122. throw] i. e. little while, moment.

v. 125. thé froo] i. e. from thee.

v. 127. lewde] i. e. ignorant.

—— shrow] i. e. curse.

v. 132. Prickyd] i. e. Pointed.

v. 133.

I wold sum manys bake ink horne

Wher thi nose spectacle case]

—manys, i. e. man’s: bake, i. e. back: Wher, i. e. Were. Compare our author’s poem against Dundas, v. 37. vol. i. 194, and Bale’s Kynge Iohan, p. 35. Camden ed.

v. 135. wyll] i. e. well; as before in this poem.

v. 136. ouyrthwarthe] i. e. overthwart,—cross, perverse, cavillous, captious.

v. 144. steuyn] i. e. voice.

v. 145. follest] i. e. foulest.

v. 146. lyddyr] Or lither,—is—sluggish, slothful, idle; but the word is often used in the more general meaning of wicked, evil, depraved.

Page 130. v. 146. lewde] i. e. ignorant.

v. 147. well thewde] i. e. well dispositioned, well mannered.

Page 131. v. 148. Besy] i. e. Busy.

v. 149. Syr Wrig wrag] A term several times used by Skelton; see note, p. 189. v. 186.

v. 151. slyght] i. e. trick, contrivance.

v. 153. to mykkylle] i. e. too much.

v. 154. I xulde but lese] i. e. I should but lose.

v. 155. tragydese] i. e. tragedies. Skelton does not mean here dramatic pieces: compare his piece Against the Scottes, v. 72. vol. i. 184. So Lydgate’s celebrated poem, The Tragedies, gathered by Iohn Bochas, of all such Princes as fell from theyr estates, &c.

v. 157. my proces for to saue]—proces, i. e. story; see notes, p. 143. v. 735. p. 146. v. 969. So our author in his Why come ye nat to Courte;

“Than, our processe for to stable.”

v. 533. vol. ii. 43.

v. 158. xall] i. e. shall.

v. 162. a tyd] i. e. betime.

v. 164. Haruy Haftar] See note, p. 107. v. 138.

v. 166. xulde] i. e. should.

v. 170. hay ... ray] Names of dances, the latter less frequently mentioned than the former:

“I can daunce the raye, I can both pipe and sing.”

Barclay’s First Egloge, sig. A ii. ed. 1570.

v. 171. fonde] i. e. foolish.

v. 173. lewdenes] i. e. ignorance, baseness, worthlessness.

v. 176. spynt] i. e. spent, employed.

v. 180. I xall thé aquyte] i. e. I shall requite thee.

AGAINST VENEMOUS TONGUES.

Page 132. Psalm cxlij.] Vulg. cxix. 3.

Psal. lxvii.] Vulg. li. 7.

v. 4. Hoyning] “Hoigner. To grumble, mutter, murmure; to repine; also, to whyne as a child or dog.” Cotgrave’s Dict. “Hoi, a word vsed in driuing hogges,” says Minsheu; who proceeds to derive it “a Gr. κοΐ, quod est imitatio vocis porcellorum.” Guide into Tongues.

—— groynis] See note, p. 180. v. 2.

—— wrotes] i. e. roots.

Page 132. v. 2. made ... a windmil of an olde mat] The same expression occurs again in our author’s Magnyfycence, v. 1040. vol. i. 258.

v. 4. commaunde] i. e. commend.

—— Cok wat] See note, p. 108. v. 173.

Page 133. v. 2. lack] i. e. fault, blame.

v. 3. In your crosse rowe nor Christ crosse you spede]—crosse rowe, i. e. alphabet; so called, it is commonly said, because a cross was prefixed to it, or perhaps because it was written in the form of a cross. See Nares’s Gloss. in v. Christ-cross. Christ crosse you spede alludes to some other elementary form of instruction:

“How long agoo lerned ye Crist crosse me spede?”

Lydgate’s Prohemy of a mariage, &c.,—MS. Harl. 372. fol. 50.

and see title of a poem cited p. 167. v. 296.

v. 7. cognisaunce] i. e. badge.

v. 1. scole] i. e. school, teaching.

—— haute] i. e. high, lofty.

v. 2. faute] i. e. fault.

v. 2. faitours] Has been explained before (see p. 91. v. 172)—deceivers, dissemblers; and is rendered by Tyrwhitt (Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales), lazy, idle fellows; but here the word seems to be used as a general term of reproach,—scoundrels.

—— half straught] i. e. half in their senses.

v. 4. liddrous] See note, p. 193. v. 146.

—— lewde] i. e. ignorant, vile.

v. 3. vale of bonet of their proude sayle]—vale, i. e. lower: bonet means a small sail attached to the larger sails.

v. 4. ill hayle] See note, p. 176. v. 617.

Page 134. v. 4. vntayde] i. e. untied, loose.

—— renning] i. e. running.

v. 7. lewdly alowed] i. e., perhaps, ignorantly approved of.

v. 9. vertibilite] i. e. variableness.

v. 10. folabilite] i. e. folly.

v. 12. coarte] i. e. coarct, constrain.

v. 13. hay the gy of thre] Perhaps an allusion to the dance called heydeguies (a word variously spelt).

v. 2. Pharaotis] i. e. (I suppose) Pharaoh.

v. 1. vnhappy] i. e. mischievous.

Page 135. v. 2. atame] i. e. tame.

v. 1. tratlers] i. e. prattlers, tattlers.

v. 3. Scalis Malis] i. e. Cadiz. “The tounes men of Caleis, or Caleis males, sodainly rong their common bell,” &c. Hall’s Chronicle (Hen. viii.), fol. xiii. ed. 1548. “His fortunatest piece I esteem the taking of Cadiz Malez.” A Parallel of the Earl of Essex and the Duke of Buckingham,—Reliquiæ Wottonianæ, p. 177. ed. 1672.

Page 135. v. 4. nut shalis] i. e. nutshells.

v. 7. ren] i. e. run.

—— lesinges] i. e. falsehoods.

v. 8. wrate suche a bil] i. e. wrote such a letter.

v. 10. ill apayed] i. e. ill pleased, ill satisfied.

v. 1. hight] i. e. is called.

v. 2. quight] i. e. requite.

v. 5. Although he made it neuer so tough] The expression, to make it tough, i. e. to make difficulties, occurs frequently, and with several shades of meaning, in our early writers; see R. of Gloucester’s Chronicle, p. 510. ed. Hearne, and the various passages cited in Tyrwhitt’s Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales in v. Tough. Palsgrave has “I Make it tough I make it coye as maydens do or persons that be strange if they be asked a questyon.” Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccxcii. (Table of Verbes).

ON TYME.

Page 137. v. 5. hym lyst] i. e. pleases him.

v. 6. couenable] i. e. fit.

v. 10. sad] i. e. serious.

v. 17. trauell] i. e. travail, labour.

v. 21. prease] i. e. press, throng.

Page 138. v. 23. lacke] i. e. blame.

v. 24. rotys] i. e. roots.

—— vere] i. e. spring.

Quod] i. e. Quoth.

PRAYER TO THE SECONDE PARSON.

Page 139. v. 7. Agayne] i. e. Against.

v. 8. woundis fyue] A common expression in our early poetry;

“Jhesu, for thi woundes five,” &c.

Minot’s Poems, p. 5. ed. Ritson.

See too Dunbar’s Poems, i. 229. ed. Laing.

Page 140. v. 10. blo] i. e. livid; see note, p. 103. v. 3.

WOFFULLY ARAID

Is mentioned by our author as one of his compositions in the Garlande of Laurell, v. 1418. vol. i. 417.

With the opening of this piece compare Hawes’s Conuercyon of Swerers, where Christ is made to exclaim,

“They newe agayne do hange me on the rode,

They tere my sydes, and are nothynge dysmayde,

My woundes they do open, and deuoure my blode:

I, god and man, moost wofully arayde,
To you complayne, it maye not be denayde;
Ye nowe to lugge me, ye tere me at the roote,
Yet I to you am chefe refuyte and bote.”

and a little after,

“Why arte thou harde herted,” &c.

Sig. A iii. ed. n. d. 4to.

Barclay too has,

“Some sweareth armes, nayles, heart, and body,

Tearing our Lorde worse then the Jewes him arayde.”

The Ship of Fooles, fol. 33. ed. 1570.

Woffully araid is, I believe, equivalent to—wofully disposed of or treated, in a woful condition. “Araye condicion or case poynt.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xviii. (Table of Subst.)—(and see note, p. 164. v. 163).

“Isaac. What have I done, fader, what have I saide?

Abraham. Truly, no kyns ille to me.

Isaac. And thus gyltles shalle be arayde.”

Abraham,—Towneley Mysteries, p. 40.

—“His [Tybert’s] body was al to beten, and blynde on the one eye. Whan the kynge wyste this, that tybert was thus arayed, he was sore angry, &c.” Reynard the Fox, sig. b 8. ed. 1481. Again in the same romance, when Isegrym the wolf has received a kick on the head from a mare, he says to Reynard, “I am so foule arayed and sore hurte, that an herte of stone myght haue pyte of me.” Sig. f 4.

“Who was wyth loue: more wofully arayed

Than were these twayne.”

Hawes’s Pastime of pleasure, sig. I iiii. ed. 1555.

“I am fowle arayed with a chyne cowgh. Laceor pertussi.”—“He was sore arayed with sycknesse. Morbo atrociter conflictus est.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sigs. II iii. I ii. ed. 1530.

Page 141. v. 4. naid] i. e. denied.

v. 5. bloo] i. e. livid; see note, p. 103. v. 3.

v. 8. encheson] i. e. cause.

v. 9. Sith] i. e. Since.

v. 12. fretid] Equivalent to—galled.

v. 14. mowid] i. e. made mouths at, mocked.

v. 19. hart rote] i. e. heart-root.

Page 141. v. 20. panys] i. e. pains.

—— vaynys] i. e. veins.

—— crake] i. e. crack.

Page 142. v. 24.

Entretid thus in most cruell wyse,

Was like a lombe offerd in sacrifice]

Entretid, i. e. Treated. So in a “litel dite” by Lydgate, appended to his Testamentum;

“Drawen as a felon in moost cruel wyse

...

Was lik a lamb offryd in sacrifise.”

MS. Harl. 2255. fol. 64.

v. 29. bobbid] i. e. struck. So Lydgate in the piece just cited;

“Bete and eke bobbid.”

Ibid.

and in the Coventry Mysteries, Nichodemus seeing Christ on the cross, says

“Why haue ȝe bobbyd and thus betyn owth

All his blyssyd blood?”

MS. Cott. Vesp. D viii. fol. 186.

—— robbid] i. e. (I suppose) robed.

v. 30. Onfayned] Generally means un-glad, displeased, which even in the forced sense of—to my sorrow, is against the intention of the passage: it seems to be used here for—Unfeignedly: and see note, p. 207. v. 81.

—— deynyd] i. e. disdained;

“Youth dayneth counsell, scorning discretion.”

Barclay’s Fifth Egloge, sig. D ii. ed. 1570.

v. 33. myȝt] i. e. might.

v. 39. enterly] i. e. entirely.

v. 43. ȝytt] i. e. yet.

v. 45. race] i. e. tear, wound.

v. 48. Butt gyve me thyne hert]—hert, i. e. heart. With this and v. 41 compare Lydgate’s “litel dite” already cited;

“Gyff me thyn herte, and be no mor vnkynde.”

MS. Harl. 2255. fol. 66.

Page 143. v. 49. wrouȝt] i. e. wrought, formed.

—— bowgȝt] i. e. bought, redeemed.

v. 50. hyȝt] i. e. high.

v. 55. sawlys] i. e. soul’s.

v. 59. Hytt] i. e. It.

—— nayd] i. e. denied.

v. 60. blow] i. e. livid; see note, p. 103. v. 3.

NOW SYNGE WE, &c.

This piece is mentioned by Skelton as his own composition in the Garlands of Laurell, v. 1420. vol. i. 417.

Page 144. v. 1.

Now synge we as we were wont,

Vexilla regis prodeunt]

Compare Lydgate;

“Wherefore I synge as I was wont

Vexilla regis prodeunt.”

Poem about various birds singing praises to God,—MS. Harl. 2251. fol. 38.

The hymn Vexilla regis prodeunt, &c. may be seen in Hymni Ecclesiæ e Breviario Parisiensi, 1838, p. 71. I ought to add that the present poem is not a translation of it.

v. 3. onfelde is [s]playd] i. e. is displayed on field.

v. 4. nayd] i. e. denied.

v. 11. thees] i. e. thighs.

v. 13. pyne] i. e. pain.

v. 14. spylt] i. e. destroyed, put to death.

v. 17. dong] i. e. dung, struck.

Page 145. v. 25. fote] i. e. foot.

v. 31. Syth] i. e. Since.

v. 33. chere] i. e. spirit,—or reception.

v. 35. lykes] i. e. pleases.

v. 40. eysell] i. e. vinegar.

v. 51. doone] i. e. done.

Page 146. v. 60. isprode] i. e. spread.

v. 68. payne] i. e. labour, strive.

v. 71. mys] i. e. miss, fail.

v. 72. Withouten nay] i. e. Without contradiction, assuredly.

v. 74. hardnes] i. e. cruelty.

LATIN POEM.

Page 147. v. 7. gentis Agarenæ] i. e. of the race of Hagar.

THE MANER OF THE WORLD NOW A DAYES.

In giving this poem a place among our author’s undoubted productions, I now apprehend that I deferred too much to the judgment of my friend Mr. J. P. Collier, who had recently reprinted it without suspecting its genuineness. It may, after all, be Skelton’s; but at any rate it is only a rifacimento of the following verses,—found in MS. Sloane, 747. fol. 88, and very difficult to decipher:

“So propre cappes
So lytle hattes
And so false hartes
Saw y never.

So wyde gownes
In cytees and townes
And so many sellers of bromys
Say I never.

Suche garded huoes [hose]
Suche playted shoes
And suche a pose
Say y never.

Dowbletes not[?] syde
The syde so wyde
And so moche pride
Was never.

So many ryven shertes
So well appareld chyrches
And so many lewed clerkes
Say I never.

So fayre coursers
So godely trappers
And so fewe foluers
Say y never.

So many fayere suerdes
So lusty knyghtes and lordes
And so fewe covered bordes
Say I never.

So joly garded clokes
So many clyppers of grotes
And go vntyde be the throtes
Say I never.

So many wyde pu[r]ces
And so fewe gode horses
And so many curses
Say y never.

Suche bosters and braggers
And suche newe facyshyont daggers
And so many cursers
Say I never.

So many propere knyffes
So well apparelld wyfes
And so evyll of there lyfes
Say I never.

The stretes so swepynge
With wemen clothynge
And so moche swerynge
Say I never.

Suche blendynge of legges
In townes and hegges
And so many plegges
Say I never.

Of wymen kynde
Lased be hynde
So lyke the fende
Say I never.

So many spyes
So many lyes
And so many thevys
Say I never.

So many wronges
So few mery songges
And so many ivel tonges
Say I neuer.

So moche trechery
Symony and vsery
Poverte and lechery
Say I never.

So fewe sayles
So lytle avayles
And so many jayles
Sawe y never.

So many esterlynges
Lombardes and flemynges
To bere awey our wynynges
Sawe I never.

Be there sotyll weys
Al Englande decays
For suche false Januayes
Sawe I neuer.

Amonge the ryche
Where frenship ys to seche
But so fayre glosynge speche
Sawe I never.

So many poore
Comynge to the dore
And so litle socour
Sawe I never.

So prowde and say [gay?]

So joly in aray

And so litle money

Sawe I never.

So many sellers
So fewe byers
And so many marchaunt taylors
Sawe I never.

Executores havynge mony and ware
Than havynge so litle care
How the pore sowle shall fare
Sawe I never.

So many lawers vse
The truthe to refuse
And suche falsehed excuse
Sawe I never.

Whan a man ys dede
His wiffe so shortely wed
And havynge suche hast to bed
Sawe I neuer.

So many maydens blamed
Wrongefully not defamed
And beyenge so lytle ashamyd
Sawe I never.

Relygiouse in cloystere closyd
And prestes and large[272] losed
Beyenge so evyll disposyd
Sawe I never.

God saue our sovereygne lord the kynge
And alle his royal sprynge
For so noble a prince reyny[n]ge
Sawe I never.”

[272] and large] Qy. “at large?” but it is by no means certain that “large” is the reading of the MS.

Page 148. v. 9. gardes] i. e. facings, trimmings.

v. 10. Jagged] See note, p. 163. v. 124: but here probably (as certainly in v. 54) something ornamental is meant.

—— al to-torne] See note, p. 100. v. 32.

v. 15. hostryes] i. e. inns.

v. 17. warkes] i. e. works.

v. 22. preves] i. e. proves; equivalent, perhaps, to—turn out well.

Page 149. v. 25. garded hose] i. e. faced, trimmed breeches.

v. 26. cornede] i. e. horned, pointed.

v. 29. questes] i. e. inquests.

v. 31. quitte] i. e. acquitted.

v. 50. crakers] i. e. vaunters, big talkers.

v. 54. cultyng and jagging] See note above, v. 10: cultyng, I believe, should be cuttyng.

Page 150. v. 57. knackes] i. e. trifles, toys, or perhaps tricks.

v. 58. naughty packes] An expression which occurs again in our author’s Garlande of Laurell, v. 188. vol. i. 369, is common in writers of a much later date, and is not yet altogether obsolete (see The Dialect of Craven, &c. in Noughty-Pack),—equivalent to worthless, loose persons (properly, it would seem, cheaters; see Richardson’s Dict. in v. Pack).

Page 151. v. 90. kepe tuche] i. e. keep contract, agreement.

v. 93. pore] i. e. poor.

v. 94. bordoure] i. e. border.

v. 101. bowyers] i. e. bow-makers.

v. 102. fletchers] i. e. arrow-makers.

v. 105. chepers] i. e. traffickers, sellers (compare the fourth stanza on the opposite page).

v. 109. alle sellers] i. e. ale-sellers.

v. 110. baudy] i. e. foul; see note, p. 161. v. 90.

—— sellers] i. e. cellars.

v. 113. pinkers] Some cant term which I do not understand.

Page 152. v. 121. vacabounde] i. e. vagabond.

v. 122. londe] i. e. land.

v. 123. bonde] i. e. bound.

v. 129. fleyng] i. e. flying.

v. 130. males] i. e. bags, wallets, pouches.

Page 152. v. 138. covetous] i. e. covetise, covetousness.

v. 141. carders] i. e. card-players.

v. 143. yl ticers] i. e. evil-enticers.

v. 145. lollers] “Apostaticus ... anglice a renegade or loller.” Ortus Vocab. ed. 1514. “Lollar heretique.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xlv. (Table of Subst.). So at the conclusion of The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy, the term Lollard is used to signify a heretic: see Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 445 (note), ed. Laing. Compare too our author’s Replycacion, &c. v. 204. vol. i. 215.

v. 146. tollers] i. e. tellers, speakers.

v. 147. pollers] i. e. plunderers.

Page 153. v. 153. So many avayles] An expression which I do not understand: the poem just given from MS. Sloane has “So lytle avayles;” see p. 201, last stanza but two.

v. 154. geales] i. e. gaols.

v. 161. jackes] i. e. jackets.

v. 163. partlettes] i. e. ruffs.

v. 166. tucking hookes] Another expression which I do not understand.

v. 169. song] i. e. sung.

v. 178. brybors] i. e. thieves,—properly, pilferers. “Briboure. Manticulus.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499; and see note on our author’s Magnyfycence, v. 1242.

v. 182. everichone] i. e. every one.

Page 154. v. 186. convenient] i. e. fitting, suitable.

WARE THE HAUKE.

This poem was evidently called forth by a real event; but the name of the “hawking parson” has not transpired. According to Barclay, skill in hawking sometimes advanced its possessor to a benefice;

“But if I durst truth plainely vtter and expresse,

This is the speciall cause of this inconuenience,

That greatest fooles, and fullest of lewdnes,

Hauing least wit, and simplest science,

Are first promoted, and haue greatest reuerence,

For if one can flatter, and beare a Hauke on his fist,

He shalbe made Parson of Honington or of Clist.”

The Ship of Fooles, fol. 2. ed. 1570.

I may add, that afterwards, in the same work, when treating of indecorous behaviour at church, Barclay observes;

“Into the Church then comes another sotte,
Without deuotion, ietting vp and downe,
Or to be seene, and to showe his garded cote:

Another on his fiste a Sparhauke or Fawcone,” &c.

fol. 85.

Page 155. v. 5. abused] i. e. vitiated, depraved.

“Be all yonge galandes of these abused sorte,

Whiche in yonge age vnto the court resorte?”

Barclay’s Third Egloge, sig. C ii. ed. 1570.

v. 8. daw] i. e. simpleton, fool; see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 16. him fro] i. e. from him.

Page 156. v. 22. dysgysed] i. e. guilty of unbecoming conduct: so again in our author’s Colyn Cloute;

“They mought be better aduysed

Then to be so dysgysed.”

v. 581. vol. i. 333.

v. 30. apostrofacion] i. e. apostrophe.

v. 34. wrate] i. e. wrote.

v. 35. lewde] i. e. ignorant, worthless.

v. 42. Dis] Of which Skelton was rector; see Account of his Life and Writings.

v. 43. fonde] i. e. foolish.

—— fauconer] i. e. falconer.

v. 44. pawtenar] “Pautner [Pawtenere, MS. Harl. 221.]. Cassidile.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. “Will. Brito: Cassidile dicitur pera Aucupis in modum reticuli facta, in quo ponit quos in casse, id est, rete, cepit.” Du Cange’s Gloss. in v. “Pera ... anglice a skryppe or a pawtner.” Ortus Vocab. fol. ed. W. de Worde, n. d.

v. 48. hogeous] i. e. hugeous, huge.

v. 49. auter] i. e. altar.

v. 50. craked] i. e. talked vauntingly.

Page 157. v. 55. yede] i. e. went.

v. 56. pray] i. e. prey.

v. 60. tyrid] A term in falconry: the hawk tired on what was thrown to her, when she pulled at and tore it.

v. 62. mutid] i. e. dunged.

—— a chase] Compare a passage in that curious tract, by Walter Smith, xii Mery Jests of the wyddow Edyth;

“Her potage & eke her ale were well poudred

With an holsome influence that surgeons call

Pouder Sinipari that wil make on cast his gall:”

in consequence of which, she is compelled suddenly to quit the supper-table, and,

“When that she was vp, she got her foorth apace,

And er she had walkt xxx fote, she marked a chase

And eftsones another, thrugh the Hal as she yede,” &c.

Sig. f iii. ed. 1573.

“A chase at tennis is that spot where a ball falls, beyond which the adversary must strike his ball to gain a point or chace. At long tennis, it is the spot where the ball leaves off rolling.” Douce’s Illust. of Shakespeare, i. 485. Compare our author’s Why come ye nat to Courte, v. 880. vol. ii. 53.

Page 157. v. 63. corporas] i. e. communion-cloth, the fine linen cloth used to cover the body, or consecrated elements.

v. 65. gambawdis] i. e. gambols, pranks.

v. 66. wexid] i. e. waxed.

—— gery] “Gerysshe, wylde or lyght heeded farouche.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxxxviii. (Table of Adiect.).

“Howe gery fortune furyous and wode.”

Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, B. iii. leaf lxxvii. ed. Wayland.

“And as a swalowe geryshe of her flyghte,

Twene slowe and swifte, now croked nowe vpright.”

Ibid. B. vi. leaf cxxxiiii.

Tyrwhitt explains “gery—changeable.” Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales. Richardson observes that in the present passage of Skelton “it seems to be giddy (sc.) with turning round.” Dict. in v.

v. 69. the rode loft] A loft (generally placed just over the passage out of the church into the chancel,) where stood the rood,—an image of Christ on the cross, with figures of the Virgin Mary and Saint John on each side of it: compare v. 126 of the present poem;

“His hawke then flew vppon

The rode with Mary and John”.

v. 70. perkyd] i. e. perched.

v. 71. fauconer] i. e. falconer.

—— prest] i. e. ready.

v. 72. dow] i. e. pigeon.

v. 73. And cryed, Stow, stow, stow!] So Fansy, in our author’s Magnyfycence, exclaims to his hawk,

“Stowe, byrde, stowe, stowe!

It is best I fede my hawke now.”

v. 980. vol. i. 257.

Compare Brathwait’s Merlin;

“But stow, bird, stow,
See now the game’s afoote,
And white-mail’d Nisus,
He is flying to’t.”

Odes, p. 250, appended to Natures Embassie, 1621.

“Make them come from it to your fist, eyther much or little, with calling and chirping to them, saying: Towe, Towe, or Stowe, Stowe, as Falconers vse.” Turbervile’s Booke of Falconrie, &c. p. 182. ed. 1611.

Page 157. v. 76. lure] See note, p. 147. v. 1100.

v. 78. endude] “She [the hawk] Enduyth whan her meete in her bowelles falle to dygestyon.” Book of St. Albans, by Juliana Barnes, sig. C iii.

v. 79. ensaymed] i. e. purged from her grease. “Ensayme of an hawke,” says the lady just quoted, “is the greeys.” Sig. A v. See too “How you shall enseame a Hawke,” &c. in Turbervile’s Booke of Falconrie, &c. p. 115. ed. 1611.

v. 80. reclaymed] i. e. tamed; see note, p. 148. v. 1125.

v. 81. fawconer] i. e. falconer.

—— vnfayned] Either, unfeignedly (in the next line but six is “not fayne nor forge”) or un-glad, displeased: see note, p. 198. v. 30.

Page 158. v. 83. lyst] i. e. liking, inclination.

v. 85. loked] i. e. looked.

—— the frounce] Is a distemper in which a whitish foam gathers in wrinkles (frounces) about the hawk’s mouth and palate. “The Frounce proceedeth of moist and cold humours, which descend from the hawkes head to their palate and the roote of the tongue. And of that cold is engendred in the tongue the Frownce,” &c. Turbervile’s Booke of Falconrie, &c. p. 303. ed. 1611.

v. 87. the gorge] “Is that part of the Hawk which first receiveth the meat, and is called the Craw or Crop in other fowls.” Latham’s Faulconry, (Explan. of Words of Art), 1658.

v. 89. clap] i. e. stroke.

v. 91. sparred] i. e. fastened, shut (“boltyd and barryd” being in the next line).

v. 93. wyth a prety gyn]—gyn, i. e. contrivance.

“And with a prety gynne

Gyue her husbande an horne.”

The boke of mayd Emlyn, &c. n. d. sig. A ii.

v. 100. On Sainct John decollacion] i. e. On the festival of the beheading of St. John.

Page 158. v. 103. secundum Sarum] So in Sir D. Lyndsay’s Complaynt of the Papingo;

“Suppose the geis and hennis suld cry alarum,

And we sall serve secundum usum Sarum.”

Works, i. 327. ed. Chal.

The proverbial expression, “It is done secundum usum Sarum,” is thus explained by Fuller: “It began on this occasion; Many Offices or forms of service were used in severall Churches in England, as the Office of York, Hereford, Bangor, &c. which caused a deal of Confusion in Gods Worship, untill Osmond Bishop of Sarum, about the year of our Lord 1090, made that Ordinall or Office which was generally received all over England, so that Churches thence forward easily understood one another, all speaking the same words in their Liturgy. It is now applyed to those persons which do, and Actions which are formally and solemnly done, in so Regular a way by Authentick Precedents, and Paterns of unquestionable Authority, that no just exception can be taken thereat.” Worthies (Wilt-Shire), p. 146. ed. 1662.

v. 104. Marche harum] i. e. March hare.

v. 106. let] i. e. leave, desist.

v. 107. fet] i. e. fetch.

v. 110. to halow there the fox]—halow, i. e. halloo. “Men blewe the hornes and cryed and halowed the foxe.” Reynard the Fox, sig. h 5. ed. 1481.

v. 112. Boke] i. e. Book.

Page 159. v. 114. lectryne] “Lecterne to syng at.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xliiii. (Table of Subst.).

“Sum syng at the lectorne with long eares lyke an asse.”

Bale’s Kynge Johan, p. 27. Camd. ed.

Or simply, a reading-desk: see note on v. 120.

v. 116. With, troll, cytrace, and trouy] So in Apius and Virginia, by R. B., 1575;

“With hey tricke, how trowle, trey trip, and trey trace.”

Sig. B.

v. 117. hankin bouy] Compare Thersytes, n. d.;

“And we wyll haue minstrelsy
that shall pype hankyn boby.”

p. 62. Roxb. ed.

and Nash’s Haue with you to Saffron-walden, 1596; “No vulgar respects haue I, what Hoppenny Hoe and his fellow Hankin Booby thinke of mee.” Sig. K 2: and Brome’s Joviall Crew, 1652; “he makes us even sick of his sadness, that were wont to see my Ghossips cock to day, mould Cocklebread, daunce clutterdepouch and Hannykin booby, binde barrels, or do any thing before him, and he would laugh at us.” Act ii. sc. i. sig. D 2.

Page 159. v. 119. fawconer] i. e. falconer.

vv. 120, 121. gospellers ... pystillers] “Gospellar that syngeth the gospell.” “Pysteller [Epistler] that syngeth the masse.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fols. xxxvii., liiii. (Table of Subst.). But in our author’s Phyllyp Sparowe we find,

“Shal rede the Gospell at masse

...

Shal rede there the pystell.”

vv. 423, 5. vol. i. 64.

and see Todd’s Johnson’s Dict. in vv. Gospeller, Epistler.

v. 125. gydynge] “He controlled my lyuynge and gydynge.... mores.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. N vi. ed. 1530.

“Wise women has wayis, and wonderfull gydingis.”

Dunbar’s tale of The Tua Maryit Wemen and the Wedo,—Poems, i. 77. ed. Laing.

v. 127. The rode with Mary and John] See note on v. 69. p. 206.

v. 128. fon] i. e. fool.

v. 129. daw] i. e. simpleton; see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 137. hawkis bels] i. e. the bells attached to the feet of the hawk.

v. 138. losels] i. e. good-for-nothing fellows,—the same as lorels, which has several times occurred before (see note, p. 132. v. 488, &c.): “Lorell or losell or lurdeyn.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. “Lorrell or losell.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xlv. (Table of Subst.).

v. 142. snappar] i. e. stumble; but see note, p. 92. v. 4.

v. 144. loke] i. e. look.

Page 160. v. 146. bokis] i. e. books.

v. 149. mayden Meed] See the allegorical account of Meed in Pierce Plowman; where we find,

“That is mede the maid, quod she, hath noyed me full oft.”

Sig. B iv. ed. 1561.

and again, “Saue mede the mayde,” &c. sig. C iii. “Now is mede the mayde,” &c. ibid.

v. 158. toke] i. e. took.

v. 159. this] Perhaps for thus: compare v. 181.

v. 164. Exodi] i. e. the book of Exodus.

“In Exodi ben these mencions.”

Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, B. i. leaf vii. ed. Wayland.

Page 160. v. 166. Regum] i. e. The Third, now called The First, Book of Kings.

Page 161. v. 178. the rode] See note on v. 69. p. 206.

v. 181. this] i. e. thus; see note, p. 86. v. 38.

v. 183. dowues donge] i. e. pigeon’s dung.

v. 194. croked] i. e. crooked.

—— Cacus] See extract from The Recuyel of the Historyes of Troy, in note, p. 213. v. 23.

v. 196. Nother] i. e. Neither.

—— Olibrius] Was “the provost” by whose order Saint Margaret, after being put to sundry tortures, was beheaded at Antioch. Golden Legende, fol. ccxiiii. sqq. ed. 1483. See also The Legend of Seynt Mergrete, printed from the Auchinleck MS., in Turnbull’s Legendæ Catholicæ. Most readers will recollect Mr. Milman’s dramatic poem, The Martyr of Antioch.

v. 198.

—— Phalary,

Rehersed in Valery]

i. e. Phalaris, recorded in Valerius Maximus, lib. iii. cap. iii. (where it is related that the Agrigentines, at the instigation of Zeno Eleates, stoned the tyrant Phalaris to death. “’Tis plain,” says Bentley, “he mistakes Phalaris for Nearchus.” Diss. upon the Ep. of Phalaris,—Works, i. 241. ed. Dyce), and lib. ix. cap. ii.

v. 200. Sardanapall] So our early writers often spell his name;

“Last of all was Sardanapall.”

Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, Boke ii. leaf L. ed. Wayland.

Page 162. v. 204. Egeas] Is mentioned with various other evil personages in The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy,

“Herod thy uthir eme, and grit Egeass.”

Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 86. ed. Laing.

and in the Second Part of Marlowe’s Tamburlaine;

“The headstrong jades of Thrace Alcides tamed,

That King Egeus fed with humane flesh.”

Last sc. of act iv. sig. G 3. ed. 1606.

v. 205. Syr Pherumbras] See note, p. 178. v. 15.

v. 211. poll by poll] i. e. head by head,—one by one.

“And ye shall here the names poll by poll.”

Cocke Lorelles bote, sig. B ii.

v. 212. Arystobell] i. e. (I suppose) Aristobulus,—who, having succeeded his father Hyrcanus as high-priest and governor of Judea, assumed the title of king,—cast his mother into prison, and starved her to death,—caused his brother Antigonus to be assassinated,—and died after reigning a year. See Prideaux’s Connect. Part ii. B. vi.

Page 162. v. 214. miscreantys] i. e. infidels. “These thre kynges were the fyrst of myscreauntes that byleued on cryst.” The three kynges of Coleyne, sig. C ii. ed. 1526.

v. 216. Sowden] i. e. Soldan, Sultan.

v. 225. pekysh] See note, p. 129. v. 409.

v. 228. crokid] i. e. crooked.

v. 230. this] i. e. thus; as before, see v. 181.

—— ouerthwarted] i. e. cavilled, wrangled. “To hafte or ouerthwarte in a matter, to wrangle.” Baret’s Alvearie in v.

v. 231. proces] i. e. subject-matter; see notes, p. 143. v. 735. p. 146. v. 969. p. 194. v. 157.

Page 163. v. 233. loke] i. e. look.

v. 234. boke] i. e. book.

v. 239. rehers] i. e. tell, declare.

v. 240. sentence] i. e. meaning.

v. 241. scholys] i. e. schools.

v. 242. folys] i. e. fools.

v. 244. Dawcocke] See note, p. 113. v. 301.

Page 164. v. 249. fista] i. e. fist.

v. 250. you lista] i. e. you please.

v. 260. Dialetica] i. e. Dialectica.

v. 264. forica] Is Latin for a public jakes; and compare vv. 62, 183: but I cannot determine the meaning of it here.

v. 270. Jacke Harys] Must not be mistaken for the name of the person who called forth this piece; we have been already told that he “shall be nameless,” v. 38. So in our author’s Magnyfycence, Courtly Abusyon terms Cloked Colusyon “cankard Jacke Hare.” v. 768. vol. i. 250. There is a poem by Lydgate (at least attributed to him) concerning a personage called Jak Hare, of which the first stanza is as follows:

“A froward knave plainly to discryve

And a sluggard plainly to declare

A precious knave that cast hym never to thryve

His mowth wele wet his slevis right thredebare

A tourne broche a boy for wat of ware
With louryng face noddyng and slombryng
Of newe cristened called Jak Hare
Whiche of a bolle can pluk out the lyneng.”

MS. Harl. 2251. fol. 14.

Since the above note was written, the ballad on Jack Hare has been edited from MS. Lansd. 699. fol. 88. by Mr. Halliwell, among Lydgate’s Minor Poems, p. 52 (printed for the Percy Society). “The original of this,” says Mr. H. (p. 267), “is an Anglo-Norman poem of the 13th century, in MS. Digb. Oxon. 86. fol. 94, entitled ‘De Maimound mal esquier.’”

Page 164. v. 274. federis] i. e. feathers.

Page 165. v. 284. fisty] i. e. fist.

v. 290. Apostata] This form, as an English word, continued in use long after the time of Skelton.

v. 291. Nestorianus] “Nestoriani quidam heretici qui beatam mariam non dei, sed hominis dicunt genitricem.” Ortus Vocab. fol. ed. W. de Worde, n. d.: but here Nestorianus seems to be put for Nestorius, the founder of the sect.

v. 300. This] i. e. Thus; as before, see v. 181.

v. 301. Dys church ye thus deprauyd] To deprave generally means—to vilify in words (as in our author’s Colyn Cloute, “The Churche to depraue,” v. 515. vol. i. 330); but (and see the poem Howe the douty Duke of Albany, &c. v. 191. vol. ii. 73) here deprauyd must be equivalent to—defiled.

v. 305. Concha] “Concha recensetur vulgo inter vasa ac ministeria sacra, cujus varii fuere usus.” Du Cange’s Gloss.

v. 306. sonalia] i. e. the bells attached to the hawk’s feet.

Page 166. v. 313.

Et relis et ralis,

Et reliqualis]

Occurs again in our author’s Garlande of Laurell, v. 1216. vol. i. 410.

v. 315. Galis] i. e. Galicia.

v. 320. chalys] i. e. chalice.

v. 324. Masyd] i. e. Bewildered, confounded.

v. 325. styth] i. e. anvil.

v. 327. daw] i. e. simpleton; see note, p. 113. v. 301.

Page 167. Quod] i. e. Quoth.

EPITAPHE, &c.

v. 3. this] i. e. these.

v. 4. queed] i. e. evil. The word is common in our earliest poetry:

“That euer schuld haue don him qued.”

Arthour and Merlin, p. 51. ed. Abbotsf.

A DEUOUTE TRENTALE, &c.

trentale] i. e. properly, a service of thirty masses for the dead, usually celebrated on as many different days.

Page 170. v. 44. I faith, dikkon thou crue] See note, p. 115. v. 360.

v. 46. knauate] i. e. knave.

v. 47. rode] i. e. rood, cross; see note, p. 206. v. 69.

v. 53. fote ball] i. e. foot-ball.

Page 171. v. 61. Wit[h], hey, howe, rumbelowe] See note, p. 110. v. 252.

Page 172. v. 23.

Crudelisque Cacus
barathro, peto, sit tumulatus]

To readers of Skelton’s days Cacus was known not so much from the 8th book of Virgil’s Æneid, as from The Recuyel of the Historyes of Troy, (a translation by Caxton from the French of Raoul le Fevre), where his story is related at considerable length, and with great variation from the classical fable: “In the cyte of Cartagene, a kynge and geant regned. named Cacus whiche was passyng euyll and full of tyrannye, and had slayn by his cursidnes the kynges of Aragon and of Nauerre. their wyues and their children And possessid her seignouryes and also helde in subieccion alle the contrey into ytaly,” &c. Book ii. ed. 1471—about the middle of the volume, which is printed without paging or signatures. His death is afterwards thus described: “But hercules ranne after and retayned hym And enbraced hym in his armes so harde that he myght not meue And brought hym agayn And bare hym vnto a depe pytte that was in the caue where he had caste in all ordures and filthe, hercules cam vnto this fowle pytte that the grekes had founden And planted cacus there Inne. his heed dounward from on hye vnto the ordure benethe, Than the ytaliens cam aboute the pitte and caste so many stones vpon hym that he deyde there myserably. Suche was the ende of the poure kynge Cacus. he deyde in an hooll full of ordure and of styngkynge filthe.”

v. 28. best] i. e. beast.

Page 173. Apud Trumpinton scriptum per Curatum ejusdem, &c.] A passage wrongly understood by Skelton’s biographers: see Account of his Life and Writings.

Page 174.

Diligo rustincum cum portant bis duo quointum,

Et cantant delos est mihi dulce melos]

The Rev. J. Mitford proposes to read—

Diligo rusticulum cum portat Dis duo quintum,

Et cantat Delos, est mihi dulce melos:

understanding duo quintum to mean decimum, a tenth or tithe, and explaining the whole, I like the peasant when he brings his tithe to Dis, and sings “Delos,”—pays it from motives of devotion.

LAMENTATIO URBIS NORVICEN.

In 1507, the city of Norwich was “almost utterly defaced” by two dreadful fires: the first broke out on 25th April, and lasted for four days; the second began 4th June, and continued for two days and a night. See Blomefield’s Hist. of Norfolk, ii. 131. ed. fol.

IN BEDEL, &C.

Page 175.

Mortuus est asinus,

Qui pinxit mulum]

“Mulum de asino pingere, Dici potest, quando exemplar et res efficta non multum inter se distant; vel quando ineptiæ ineptiis repræsentantur, vel mendacia mendaciis astruuntur. Magna similitudo inter asinum et mulum est. Tertullianus. [Adv. Valent. cap. xix.].” Erasmi Adagia, p. 1663. ed. 1606.

EPITAPHIUM IN HENRICUM SEPTIMUM.

Page 178. Henry the Seventh died April 21st, 1509, in the 24th year of his reign (see Sir H. Nicolas’s Chron. of Hist. pp. 333, 350. sec. ed.), and in the 52d (according to some authorities, the 53d) year of his age; and was interred in the splendid chapel which bears his name.

“Here lieth buried in one of the stateliest Monuments of Europe, both for the Chappell, and for the Sepulchre, the body of Henry the seuenth.... This glorious rich Tombe is compassed about with verses, penned by that Poet Laureat (as he stiles himselfe) and Kings Orator, Iohn Skelton: I will take onely the shortest of his Epitaphs or Eulogiums, and most to the purpose.

Septimus hic situs est Henricus, gloria Regum

Cunctorum, ipsius qui tempestate fuerunt,

Ingenio atque opibus gestarum et nomine rerum,

Accessere quibus nature dona benigne:

Frontis honos, facies augusta, heroica forma,

Junctaque ei suauis coniux, perpulchra, pudica,

Et fecunda fuit: felices prole parentes,

Henricum quibus octauum terra Anglia debes.”

Weever’s Anc. Fun. Mon., p. 476. ed. 1631.

But the above lines are not in Marshe’s ed. of Skelton’s Workes; nor are they assigned to him in Reges, Reginæ, Nobiles, et alii in Ecclesia Collegiata B. Petri Westmonasterii sepulti, &c. 1603,—where they occur, sig. D.

—— ad sinceram contemplationem reverendi in Christo patris ac domini, domini Johannis Islippæ abbatis Westmonasteriensis] So Skelton again in his Replycacion, &c. “ad cujus auspicatissimam contemplationem, sub memorabili prelo gloriosæ immortalitatis, præsens pagella felicitatur, &c.” vol. i. 206; and in his Garlande of Laurell,—

“Of my ladys grace at the contemplacyoun,
Owt of Frenshe into Englysshe prose,
Of Mannes Lyfe the Peregrinacioun,
He dyd translate,” &c.

v. 1219. vol. i. 410.

Compare also Hollinshed; “At the contemplation of this cardinall, the king lent to the emperour a great summe of monie.” Chron. (Hen. viii.) vol. iii. 839. ed. 1587. Concerning the Abbot Islip, see Account of Skelton and his Writings.

Page 179. v. 19. sua] Used for ejus.

—— Leo candidior Rubeum necat ense Leonem] Leo candidior, i. e. the Earl of Surrey, whose badge was a White Lion: Rubeum Leonem, i. e. King James the Fourth, slain at Flodden, who bore the royal arms of Scotland, a Red Lion. See note on the poem Against the Scottes, p. 220. v. 135.

TETRASTICHON VERITATIS.

Page 181. v. 1. cuprum] i. e. cupreum. “The Tomb itself [principally of black marble], with the metal statues which lie upon it, and the beautiful casts in alto-relievo [of copper gilt], which ornament the sides, were executed by the celebrated Italian artist Pietro Torrigiano ... for the sum of 1500l. Its surrounding Screen, or ‘Closure’ [of gilt brass and copper], which is altogether in a different style of workmanship, though almost equally curious, was, most probably, both designed and wrought by English artizans.” Neale’s Account of Henry the Seventh’s Chapel, pp. 54, 59.

AGAINST THE SCOTTES.

The battle of Flodden, one of the most disastrous events in Scottish history, has been rendered so familiar to readers of our own day by the poem of Marmion, that a particular account of it here is unnecessary. It took place on September 9th, 1513. The English army was commanded by the Earl of Surrey [created Duke of Norfolk the February following]; the Scottish by their rash and gallant monarch James the Fourth, who perished in the field amid heaps of his slaughtered nobles and gentlemen.

Page 182. v. 2. tratlynge] i. e. prattling, idle talk.

v. 5. Lo, these fonde sottes, &c.]—fonde, i. e. foolish. This passage resembles a rhyme made in reproach of the Scots in the reign of Edward the First:

“These scaterand Scottes

Holde we for sottes,” &c.

Fabyan’s Chron. vol. ii. fol. 140. ed. 1559.

Page 182. v. 11. Branxton more] i. e. Brankston Moor.

v. 12. stowre] Means generally—hardy, stout; here perhaps it is equivalent to—obstinate: but in Palsgrave we find “Stowre of conversation estourdy.” Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xcvi. (Table of Adiect.).

v. 22. closed in led] The body of James, disfigured with wounds, was found the day after the battle; it was carried to Berwick, and ultimately interred in the priory of Shene: see Weaver’s Anc. Fun. Mon., p. 394. ed. 1631. After the dissolution of that house, according to Stow’s account, the body, enclosed in lead, was thrown into one of the lumber-rooms; and the head, which some workmen hewed off “for their foolish pleasure,” was brought to London and buried in St. Michael’s Church, Wood Street: Survey, B. iii. 81. ed. 1720.

Page 183. v. 26. byllys] i. e. bills,—a sort of beaked pikes,—battle-axes.

v. 30. Folys and sottys] i. e. Fools and sots.

v. 32. crake] i. e. vaunt.

v. 33. To face, to brace] So Borde in his Boke of knowlege introduces a Scotchman saying,

“I wyll boost my selfe, I wyll crake and face.”

Sig. G 2. reprint.

Compare our author’s Magnyfycence;

“Cl. Col. By God, I tell you, I wyll not be out facyd.

By the masse, I warant thé, I wyll not be bracyd.”

v. 2247. vol. i. 299.

and his Garlande of Laurell;

“Some facers, some bracers, some make great crackis.”

v. 189. vol. i. 369.

In Hormanni Vulgaria we find, “He faceth the matter, and maketh great crakes. Tragice loquitur, et ampullosa verba proiicit.” Sig. P iiii. ed. 1530. “He is not aferde to face or brace with any man of worshyp. Nullius viri magnitudinem allatrare dubitat.” Sig. O ii. And in Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530, “I face as one dothe that brauleth or falleth out with a nother to make hym a frayde, Ie contrefays des mines ... I dare nat passe by his dore he faceth and braceth me so: ... il contrefait tellement des mines.” fol. ccxxx. (Table of Verbes). “I Brace or face, Ie braggue. He braced and made a bracyng here afore the dore as thoughe he wolde haue kylled.... Il braggoyt,” &c. fol. clxxi. (Table of Verbes).

Page 183. v. 36. ouerthwart] i. e. cross, perverse, wrangling.

v. 41. quayre] i. e. quire,—pamphlet, book.

v. 51. sumner] i. e. summoner (it generally meant what we now call apparitor).

v. 52. greyth] i. e. agreeth, suiteth.

v. 53. Our kynge of Englande for to syght]—syght, i. e. cite. While Henry viii. was encamped before Terouenne, James iv. sent his chief herald to him, with a letter (which may be found in Hall’s Chron. (Hen. viii.), fol. xxix. ed. 1548), reckoning up the various injuries and insults he had received from Henry, and containing what amounted to a declaration of war, unless the English monarch should desist from hostilities against the French king.

Page 184. v. 57. kynge Koppynge] Compare the Coliphizacio, where Cayphas exclaims—

“Therfor I shalle the name that ever shalle rew the,

Kyng Copyn in oure game,” &c.

Towneley Mysteries, p. 194,—

the Glossary informing us that “A coppin is a certain quantity of worsted yarn wound on a spindle, and the spindle then extracted,”—which may be true, though it does not explain the passage. Some game must be alluded to.

v. 59. Hob Lobbyn of Lowdean] So again our author in Speke, Parrot;

“Hop Lobyn of Lowdeon wald haue e byt of bred.”

v. 74. vol. ii. 5.

Perhaps there is an allusion to some song or ballad: Lowdean is, I apprehend, Lothian.

v. 60. what good ye can] See note, p. 190. v. 23.

v. 61. Locrian] i. e. Loch Ryan—a large bay in Wigtonshire, which by approximating to the bay of Luce, forms the peninsula called the Rinns of Galloway. It is mentioned by Barbour;

“And at Lochriane in Galloway

He schippyt, with all his menye.”

The Bruce, B. xi. v. 36. ed. Jam.

In the poem Howe the douty Duke of Albany, &c. Skelton speaks of the Scots

“Of Locryan,
And the ragged ray
Of Galaway.”

v. 21. vol. ii. 68.

and in his verses against Dundas, he calls him

“Dundas of Galaway.”

v. 29. vol. i. 193.

See too v. 109 of the present poem. Our author uses Scottish names at random.

Page 184. v. 62. sence] i. e. cense.

v. 63. Saint Ionis towne] i. e. Perth. Compare Langtoft’s Chronicle, p. 333. ed. Hearne; Minot’s Poems, p. 6. ed. Ritson; and Barbour’s Bruce, B. ii. v. 53. ed. Jam. It is said that the Picts, after their conversion to Christianity, or the Scots, after their king had succeeded to the Pictish throne, consecrated the church and bridge of Perth to St. John the Baptist; and that hence in process of time many persons gave to the town the name of St. Johnston: see Jamieson’s note on the passage last referred to.

v. 72. tragedy] See note, p. 194. v. 155.

v. 79. enbybe] i. e. wet.

v. 83. Irysh keteringes]—Irysh, i. e. Highlanders and Islesmen:

“Than gert he all the Irschery
That war in till his cumpany,
Off Arghile, and the Ilis alsua,” &c.

Barbour’s Bruce, B. xiii. v. 233. ed. Jam.

—keteringes (see Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. in v. Cateranes), i. e. marauders who carried off cattle, corn, &c.

Page 185. v. 86. armony] i. e. harmony.

v. 89. me adres] i. e. apply myself.

v. 90. proces] i. e. story; see notes, p. 143. v. 735. p. 146. v. 969. p. 194. v. 157. p. 211. v. 231.

v. 91. Jocky my jo] Perhaps a fragment of some song or ballad. In Scotch, Jocky is the diminutive of Jock, the abbreviation of John: jo is sweetheart, dear, (joy.)

v. 92. summond] See note on v. 53, preceding page.

v. 97. to] i. e. too.

v. 98. harrold] i. e. herald: see note on v. 53.

v. 100. pye] i. e. magpie.

v. 101. Syr skyrgalyard] So again our author in his Speke, Parrot;

“With, skyregalyard, prowde palyard, vaunteperler, ye prate.”

v. 427. vol. ii. 21.

and in his poem Howe the douty Duke of Albany, &c.;

“Suche a skyrgaliarde.”

v. 168. vol. ii. 73.

“William Johnstone of Wamphray, called the Galliard, was a noted freebooter.... His nom de guerre seems to have been derived from the dance called The Galliard. The word is still used in Scotland to express an active, gay, dissipated character.” Scott’s Minst. of the Scott. Bord. i. 305. ed. 1810. To skir (under which Richardson in his Dict. cites Skelton’s term “a skyrgaliarde”) is to scour, to move rapidly.

Page 185. v. 101. skyt] i. e. hasty, precipitate.

v. 103. layd] “I Laye for me or alledge to make my mater good.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cclxxv. (Table of Verbes).

v. 104. not worth a fly] A common expression in our early poetry;

“The goos saide then al this nys worth a file.”

Chaucer’s Ass. of Foules,—Workes, fol. 235. ed. 1602.

v. 106. brother] James married Margaret sister of Henry the Eighth.

v. 109. Gup] See note, p. 99. v. 17.

—— Syr Scot of Galawey] See note on v. 61. p. 217.

v. 110. fall] i. e. fallen.

v. 111. Male vryd] i. e. ill-fortuned (Fr. malheur).

Page 186. v. 117. Scipione] i. e. Scipio.

v. 119. Thoughe ye vntruly your father haue slayne] James iii. was slain by a ruffian whose name is not certainly known, under circumstances of great atrocity, in 1488, in a miller’s cottage, immediately after his flight from the battle of Sauchie-burn, where his son (then in his 17th year) had appeared in arms against him. The mind of James iv. was haunted by remorse for his father’s death; and he wore in penance an iron girdle, the weight of which he every year increased.

v. 121. Dunde, Dunbar] Scottish names used at random: so again in our author’s verses against Dundas, “Dunde, Dunbar,” v. 60. vol. i. 194; and in his poem Howe the douty Duke of Albany, &c. “Dunbar, Dunde,” v. 24. vol. ii. 68.

v. 122. Pardy] i. e. par dieu, verily.

v. 124. shent] i. e. destroyed, brought to disgrace or punishment.

v. 128. checkmate] See note, p. 96. v. 29.

v. 129. the castell of Norram] In taking the Castle of Norham, James wasted some days, previous to the battle of Flodden, while he ought to have employed his forces in more important enterprises.

v. 130. to sone] i. e. too soon.

v. 132. bylles] See note on v. 26. p. 216.

v. 133. Agaynst you gaue so sharpe a shower] Shower is often applied by our old writers to the storm, assault, encounter of battle:

“The sharpe shoures and the cruel rage

Abyde fully of this mortall werre.”

Lydgate’s Warres of Troy, B. iv. sig. Y iiii. ed. 1555.

“He was slawe yn sharpe showre.”

Kyng Roberd of Cysylle,—MS. Harl. 1701. fol. 94.

and see our author’s poem Howe the douty Duke of Albany, &c. v. 240. vol. ii. 75.

Page 186. v. 135.

The Whyte Lyon, there rampaunt of moode,
He ragyd and rent out your hart bloode;
He the Whyte, and ye the Red]

The White Lion was the badge of the Earl of Surrey, derived from his ancestors the Mowbrays. His arms were Gules, on a bend between six cross croslets, fitchy, argent: after the battle of Flodden, the king granted to him “an honourable augmentation of his arms, to bear on the bend thereof: in an escutcheon Or, a demi Lion rampant, pierced through the mouth with an arrow, within a double tressure flory and counterflory Gules; which tressure is the same as surrounds the royal arms of Scotland.” Collins’s Peerage, i. 77. ed. Brydges.

“If Scotlands Coat no marke of Fame can lend,
That Lyon plac’d in our bright siluer-bend,
Which as a Trophy beautifies our shield,

Since Scottish bloud discoloured Floden-Field;

When the proud Cheuiot our braue Ensigne bare,

As a rich Jewell in a Ladies haire,

And did faire Bramstons neighbouring vallies choke

With clouds of Canons fire-disgorged smoke.”

Epistle from H. Howard Earle of Surrey to Geraldine,—Drayton’s Poems, p. 86 [88], ed. 8vo. n. d.

“George Buchanan reporteth that the Earle of Surrey gaue for his badge a Siluer Lion, which from Antiquitie belonged to that name, tearing in pieces a Lion prostrate Gules; and withall, that this which hee termes insolence, was punished in Him and his Posteritie,” &c. Drayton’s note on the preceding passage.

—— the Red] The royal arms of Scotland.

v. 139. quyt] i. e. requited.

v. 141. swete Sainct George, our ladies knyght] “Our Lady’s knight” is the common designation of St. George: so in a song written about the same time as the present poem, Cott. MS. Domit. A. xviii. fol. 248; in Sir Beues of Hamtoun, p. 102. Maitl. ed. &c. &c.

Page 186. v. 144. His grace beyng out of the way] i. e. Henry the Eighth being in France: see note on v. 53. p. 217.

v. 148. ye lost your sworde] The sword and dagger, worn by James at the battle of Flodden, are preserved in the college of Heralds. An engraving of them is prefixed to Weber’s ed. of the poem, Flodden Field.

Page 187. v. 149. buskyd] i. e. hied.

—— Huntley bankys] So again in our author’s verses against Dundas;

“That prates and prankes

On Huntley bankes.”

v. 57. vol. i. 194.

and in his Why come ye not to Courte;

“They [the Scottes] play their olde pranckes

After Huntley bankes.”

v. 263. vol. ii. 35.

and in his poem Howe the douty Duke of Albany, &c.;

“Of the Scottes ranke

Of Huntley banke.”

v. 18. vol. ii. 68.

Here again Skelton uses a Scottish name at random. The Huntly-bank, where, according to the charming old poem, Thomas the Rhymer met the Queen of Faery, is situated on one of the Eldoun hills.

v. 153.

Of the kyng of Nauerne ye might take heed,
Vngraciously how he doth speed:
In double delynge so he did dreme,
That he is kynge without a reme;
And, for example ye would none take, &c.]

—reme, i. e. realm. In a letter despatched from the camp before Terouenne, in answer to the epistle of the Scottish king (see note on v. 53. p. 217), Henry says; “And yf the example of the kyng of Nauarre beynge excluded from his royalme for assistence gyuen to the Frenche kyng cannot restrayne you from this vnnaturall dealynge, we suppose ye shall haue lyke assistence of the sayde Frenche kynge as the kyng of Nauarre hath nowe: Who is a kynge withoute a realme, &c.” Hall’s Chron. (Henry viii.) fol. xxxi. ed. 1548. James, however, never received this letter: he was slain before the herald who bore it could procure a passage from Flanders.

v. 158. brake] See note, p. 168. v. 324.

v. 161. Your beard so brym as bore at bay]—brym, i. e. fierce,—rugged, bristly. James wore “his Beerde somethynge longe.” Lelandi Collect. iv. 285. ed. 1770.

v. 162. Your Seuen Systers, that gun so gay] Lindsay of Pitscottie informs us that when James was making preparations for his fatal expedition against England “he had sewin great cannones out of the castle of Edinburgh, quhilkis was called the Sewin Sisteris, castin be Robert Borthik; and thrie maister gunneris, furnisched with pouder and leid to thame at thair pleasure.” Cron. of Scotl. i. 266. ed. 1814. These canons were named Sisters because they were all of the same great size and fine fabric. Concerning Borthwick, master of the artillery to James, the following mention is made by Lesley: “Rex amplo stipendio Robertum Borthuik, insignem tormenti fabricandi artificem donauit, vt tormenta bellica maiora in arce Edinburgensi aliquamdiu conflaret: quorum permulta hodie in Scotia reperiuntur, hoc versu incisa:

“Machina sum Scoto Borthuik fabricata Roberto.”

De or. mor. et reb. gest. Scot. p. 353. ed. 1578.

Page 187. v. 169. The Popes curse gaue you that clap]—clap, i. e. stroke. James died under a recent sentence of excommunication for infringing the pacification with England.

v. 170. Of the out yles the roughe foted Scottes] i. e. the rough-footed Scots of the Hebrides: the epithet rough-footed was given to them, because they wore, during the frost, a rude sort of shoe, made of undressed deer-skin, with the hairy side outwards; see MS. quoted in Pinkerton’s Hist. of Scotland, ii. 397.

v. 171. the bottes] i. e. the worms.

v. 172. dronken dranes]—dranes, i. e. drones. The Editor of Skelton’s Workes, 1736, printed “dronken Danes;” and Weber (Flodden Field, p. 276) proposes the same alteration; but though the Danes (as the readers of our early dramatists know) were notorious for deep potations, the text is right. Our author has again, in his poem Howe the douty Duke of Albany, &c.;

“We set nat a prane

By suche a dronken drane.”

v. 163. vol. ii. 72.

“Drane. Fucus.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. And compare Pierce Plowman’s Crede;

“And right as dranes doth nought but drinketh vp the huny.”

Sig. D i. ed. 1561.

v. 175. sumner] See note on v. 51. p. 217.

Page 188. v. 177. to] i. e. too.

Quod] i. e. Quoth.

per desertum Sin] “Profectique sunt de Elim, et venit omnis multitudo filiorum Israel in desertum Sin, quod est inter Elim et Sinai,” &c. Exod. xvi. l. (Vulgate).

VNTO DIUERS PEOPLE THAT REMORD THIS RYMYNGE, &c.

Page 188. remord] See note, p. 193. v. 101.

v. 7. makynge] i. e. composing, composition.

v. 8. Their males therat shakynge]—males, i. e. bags, wallets: compare our author’s Colyn Cloute;

“I purpose to shake oute

All my connyng bagge.”

v. 50. vol. i. 313.

v. 14. brother] See note, p. 219. v. 106.

Page 189. v. 21. pyketh mood] i. e. grows angry, picks a quarrel.

v. 26. recrayed] i. e. recreant, false (the idea of cowardice is certainly not implied here).

v. 30. died excomunycate] See note, p. 222. v. 169.

v. 37. ouerthwartes] i. e. cross, perverse objections, cavils.

CHORUS DE DIS, &c.

Dis] Of which Skelton was rector; see Account of his Life and Writings.

Page 190. vv. 17, 18. Leo Candidus ... Leo tu Rubeus] See note, p. 220. v. 135.

CHORUS DE DIS, &c. SUPER TRIUMPHALI VICTORIA CONTRA GALLOS, &c.

These verses (placed immediately after the poems on the Battle of Flodden, in the eds.) relate to an event which happened about the same period. Henry viii. having in person invaded France, in conjunction with the Emperor Maximilian, they proceeded to the siege of Terouenne. An attempt on the part of Louis to relieve the town occasioned the Battle of the Spurs, August 16, 1513, in which the Duke of Longueville, Clermont, &c. were made prisoners. Terouenne surrendered to Henry on the 22d of that month, and its defences were razed to the ground on the 27th. In these dates I follow Lingard.

Page 191. v. 13. Gloria Cappadocis, divæ milesque Mariæ] i. e. St. George, whom our author has before termed “our Ladies knyght,” see note, p. 220. v. 141. During this war, the Emperor, to flatter Henry’s vanity, wore his badge of the red rose, assumed the cross of St. George, and accepted a hundred crowns daily as the soldier of the English king.

VILITISSIMUS SCOTUS DUNDAS, &c.

“Georgius Dundas, Græce Latineque doctissimus habitus, Equitum Hierosolymitanorum intra Regnum Scotiæ præfectus, sed prius Aberdoniæ Professor. Scripsit diligenter, et laboriose. Historiam Equitum Hierosolymitanorum, lib. ii. Claruit anno MDXX.” Dempsteri Hist. Eccles. Gentis Scotorum, &c. 1627, p. 234. This George Dundas was, I apprehend, the person who excited the wrath of Skelton.

Page 192. v. 1.

Anglicus a tergo
caudam gerit, &c.]

These three hexameters are, it would seem, the composition of Dundas.

“After this saynt austyn entryd in to dorsetshyre, and came in to a towne where as were wycked peple & refused his doctryne and prechyng vtterly & droof hym out of the towne castyng on hym the tayles of thornback or like fisshes, wherfore he besought almyghty god to shewe his jugement on them, and god sente to them a shameful token, for the chyldren that were borne after in that place had tayles as it is sayd, tyl they had repented them. It is sayd comynly that thys fyl at strode in kente, but blessyd be god at this day is no suche deformyte.” The lyf of saynt Austyn,—Golden Legende, fol. clxxiiii. ed. 1483. See too Nova Legenda Anglie (by Capgrave), 1516. fol. xxx.

“Anglos quosdam caudatos esse.

Svspicabar quod de Anglorum caudis traditur, nugatorium esse, nec hoc meminissem loco, nisi ipsi Anglicarum rerum conditores id serio traderent: nasci videlicet homines, instar brutorum animalium caudatos apud Strodum Angliæ vicum, ad ripam fluuii Meduciæ, qui Roffensem, siue Rocestrensem agrum alluit. Narrantque eius vici incolas, iumento quod D. Thomas Canthuariensis episcopus insideret, per ludibrium caudam amputasse, ob idque diuina vltione adnatas incolis eius loci caudas: vt in hos fatidici regis carmen torqueri possit: Percussit eos (inquit) in posteriora eorum, opprobrium sempiternum dedit illis. De huiusmodi caudis quidam in hunc modum lusit:

Fertur equo Thomæ caudam obtruncasse Britannos,

Hinc Anglos caudas constat hubere breueis.”

Anglicæ Descriptionis compendium, Per Gulielmum Paradinum Cuyselliensem, 1545. p. 69.

On the proverbial expression Kentish Long-Tailes, Fuller has the following remarks. “Let me premise, that those are much mistaken who first found this Proverb on a Miracle of Austin the Monk.... I say they are much mistaken, for the Scæne of this Lying Wonder was not laied in any Part of Kent, but pretended many miles off, nigh Cerne in Dorsetshire. To come closer to the sence of this Proverb, I conceive it first of outlandish extraction, and cast by forraigners as a note of disgrace on all the English, though it chanceth to stick only on the Kentish at this Day. For when there happened in Palestine a difference betwixt Robert brother of Saint Lewis King of France and our William Longspee Earle of Salisbury, heare how the French-man insulted over our nation:

Matthew Paris. Anno Dom. 1250. pag. 790.

O timidorum caudatorum formidolositas! quam beatus, quam mundus præsens foret exercitus, si a caudis purgaretur et caudatis.

O the cowardliness of these fearful Long-tails! How happie, how cleane would this our armie be, were it but purged from tails and Long-tailes.

That the English were nicked by this speech appears by the reply of the Earle of Salisbury following still the metaphor; The son of my father shall presse thither to day, whither you shall not dare to approach his horse taile. Some will have the English so called from wearing a pouch or poake, (a bag to carry their baggage in) behind their backs, whilest probably the proud Monsieurs had their Lacquies for that purpose. In proof whereof they produce ancient pictures of the English Drapery and Armory, wherein such conveyances doe appear. If so, it was neither sin nor shame for the common sort of people to carry their own necessaries, and it matters not much whether the pocket be made on either side, or wholly behinde. If any demand how this nick-name (cut off from the rest of England) continues still entaild on Kent? The best conjecture is, because that county lieth nearest to France, and the French are beheld as the first founders of this aspersion. But if any will have the Kentish so called from drawing and dragging boughs of trees behind them, which afterwards they advanced above their heads and so partly cozened partly threatned King William the Conqueror to continue their ancient customes, I say, if any will impute it to this original, I will not oppose.” Worthies (Kent, p. 63), ed. 1662. The preceding passage of Fuller, somewhat abridged, is copied by Ray into his Proverbs, p. 245. ed. 1768. For fanciful stories concerning the origin of Kentish long-tails, see also Cornv-copiæ, Pasquils Night-cap, 1612, (attributed to S. Rowlands), p. 42. sqq.; and the commencement of Robin Good-fellow, His mad Prankes and Merry Jests, 1628, (a tract which originally appeared at an earlier date).

Page 193. v. 1. Gup] See note, p. 99. v. 17.

v. 23. Agayn] i. e. Against.

v. 26. dur] i. e. door.

v. 28. Go shake thy dog, hey] In our author’s Magnyfycence, v. 306. vol. i. 235, is,—

“Go, shake the dogge, hay, syth ye wyll nedys.”

and had the expression occurred only in these two passages of Skelton, I should have felt confident that in the present one “thy” was a misprint for “the,” and that both were to be explained—“Go shake thee, dog,” &c.; but again, in his poem Howe the douty Duke of Albany, &c. v. 159. vol. ii. 72, we find,

“Twyt, Scot, shake thy dogge, hay!”

Page 194. v. 34. hose] i. e. breeches.

v. 37. A spectacle case, &c.] See note, p. 193. v. 133.

v. 40. A tolman to blot] A friend queries “tal man?” but tolman is, I believe, pen-man: compare our author’s third poem Against Garnesche;

“Had ye gonne with me to scole,

And occupyed no better your tole [i. e. pen],” &c.

v. 117. vol. i. 123.

also the commencement of the present piece,—

“Gup, Scot,

Ye blot.”

v. 41. rough foted] See note, p. 222. v. 170.

v. 43. depraue] i. e. vilify, defame.

v. 44. reame] i. e. realm.

v. 56. rankis] i. e., perhaps, wrangles.

v. 58. Huntley bankes] See note, p. 221. v. 149.

v. 60. Dunde, Dunbar] See note, p. 219. v. 121.

v. 63. to far] i. e. too far.

ELEGIA IN COMITISSAM DE DERBY.

This illustrious and excellent lady, born in 1441, was Margaret, the only child of John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset. Her first husband was Edmund, Earl of Richmond, who died in 1456, a little more than a year after their marriage, the sole issue of which was Henry, afterwards King Henry the Seventh. Her second husband was Sir Henry Stafford, second son of Humphrey, the great Duke of Buckingham. Her third husband was Thomas Lord Stanley, afterwards the first Earl of Derby of his name. Having survived him, as also her son King Henry, she died June 29, 1509, in her 69th year, and was buried in the magnificent chapel then lately erected in Westminster Abbey.

Page 195. v. 5. polyandro] Polyandrum or polyandrium, (properly, multorum commune sepulchrum—πολυάνδριον)—“Interdum et sæpius apud ævi inferioris scriptores sumitur pro monumento aut sepulcro unius hominis.” Du Cange’s Gloss.—Here it means, of course, the tomb of Henry vii.—Whiting has anglicised the word in a poem appended to his Albino and Bellama, 1638;

“King Ethelbert’s clos’d in his Poliander.”

Sig. H 7.

v. 7. Titus hanc, &c.] i. e. Livy, who gives an account of Tanaquil, wife of Tarquinius Priscus: see his Hist. i. 34, &c.—“Tanaquilem Sidonius Apollinaris et Ausonius pro egregia uxore.” Cassellii Var. lib. i. c. xiii. p. 210 (Gruteri Lampas, iii.).

v. 19. Abyron] i. e. Abiram: see Numbers, ch. xvi.

Page 196. v. 25. perituræ parcere chartæ] Juvenal, Sat. i. 18.

—— phagolœdoros] i. e. (φαγολοιδόρους) convicia et maledicta devorantes.

WHY WERE YE CALLIOPE, &c.

were, i. e. wear: concerning this dress, worn, it would seem, by Skelton as Laureat, see Account of his Life and Writings.

Page 197. v. 16. somdele sere] i. e. somewhat dry, withered.

v. 17. fayne] i. e. glad, willing.

THE BOKE OF THREE FOOLES.

This piece is a paraphrase of three portions of Brant’s Ship of Fools: see the Latin version by Locher, Stultifera Nauis, ed. 1497,—Vxorem ducere propter opes, fol. lx., De livore et inuidia, fol. lxi., and De voluptate corporali, fol. lviii.: the same sections will be found accompanying Barclay’s Ship of Fooles, ed. 1570,—fol. 95, fol. 97, and fol. 92.

Page 199. v. 3. lygnage femynatyfe] i. e. lineage feminine.

v. 9. sythe] i. e. since.

Page 200. l. 1. boke] i. e. book.

l. 2. iyen] i. e. eyes.

—— loke] i. e. look.

l. 3. folysh] i. e. foolish.

l. 4. Pecunyous] i. e. Money-loving.

—— bee] i. e. by.

l. 5. wyddred] i. e. withered.

l. 6. nobles] i. e. the gold coins so called.

l. 8. habandoneth] i. e. abandoneth.

Page 200. l. 9. for to gather togyther the donge ... grese] In the Latin of Locher;

“Aruinam multi quærunt sub podice asselli:

Et cumulant trullas: stercora vana petunt.”

fol. lx. ed. 1497.

l. 18. thoughte] See note, p. 101. v. 10.

l. 20. debylyte] i. e. debilitated.

l. 21. vnpropyce] i. e. unpropitious.

l. 23. esperaunce] i. e. hope, expectation.

—— lygnage] i. e. lineage.

l. 25. demoraunce] i. e. abiding.

l. 26. leseth] i. e. loseth.

l. 29. hert] i. e. heart.

l. 32. cure] i. e. care.

Page 201. l. 15. conninge] i. e. knowledge, learning, attainments.

l. 20. whereas] i. e. where.

l. 22. pore] i. e. poor.

l. 23. corrompeth] i. e. corrupteth,—destroyeth.

l. 30. defende] i. e. forbid.

Page 202. l. 3. condycions] See note, p. 183. v. 12.

l. 4. dyssypers] i. e., I suppose, disperser.

l. 5. brennest] i. e. inflamest.

l. 6. sleeth] i. e. slayeth, (slayest).

l. 7. traueyleth] i. e. causeth travail (trouble) to.

l. 15. reclaymeth] i. e. proclaimeth.

l. 16. courage] i. e. heart, mind, disposition.

l. 17. adnychell] i. e. annihilate.

l. 22. flambe] i. e. flame.

l. 24. where as] i. e. where.

l. 25. odyfferaunt] i. e. odoriferous.

l. 27. tho] i. e. those.

l. 29. dissolate] i. e. dissolute.

Page 203. l. 6. glauca] Properly, I believe, glaucus.

—— eyen beholdinge a trauers] i. e., I suppose, eyes looking askance.

l. 7. syntillously] i. e. so as to emit sparks.

l. 14. were delybered] i. e. were advised, were minded.

l. 16. domage] i. e. damage, loss.

l. 20. brenneth] i. e. burneth.

l. 21. edefyed] i. e. built.

l. 24. egally] i. e. equally, justly.

l. 28. incontinente] i. e. immediately.

Page 203. l. 29. Cayme] i. e. Cain. So formerly the name was often written:

“He was of Kaymes kunrede.”

Kyng Alisaunder,—Weber’s Met. Rom. i. 84.

l. 32. Thesius] Should of course be Thyestes, as in Locher’s Latin: yet Barclay in his version of the passage has,

“Atreus storye and Theseus cruel.”

The Ship of Fooles, fol. 96 [99], ed. 1570.

Page 204. l. 4. rested] i. e. roasted.

—— theim] i. e., perhaps, (if it be not a misprint for “him”) the guests: but the whole passage is scarcely intelligible.

l. 6. Ethiocles] So written in Locher’s Latin for Eteocles; and so Lydgate,—

“But make youre myrroure of Ethyocles.”

Storye of Thebes, Pars Prima, sig. C v. ed. 4to. n. d.

l. 12. collacion] Equivalent here, I believe, to comparison.

l. 17. cautellous] i. e. crafty, wily.

l. 25. pill] i. e. strip.

l. 26. mondayne] i. e. worldly, gross.

l. 27. cheseth] i. e. chooseth.

Page 205. l. 7. thoughte] See note, p. 101. v. 10.

l. 8. lenger] i. e. longer.

l. 17. sith] i. e. since.

l. 18. asprely] i. e. roughly, severely.

—— enforce] i. e. exert.

A REPLYCACION, &c.

Concerning the “yong scolers” against whom this piece was composed, I can give no information.

Page 206. l. 9. contemplationem] See note, p. 214, title of Epitaph.

Page 207. l. 4. remordyng] See note, p. 193. v. 101.

—— recrayed] See note, p. 223. v. 26.

l. 5. rechelesse] i. e. reckless.

l. 25. enbolned] i. e. swollen, puffed up.

l. 26. pipplyng] i. e. piping: compare our author’s Garlande of Laurell, v. 676. vol. i. 388.

l. 29. lusty] i. e. pleasant, desirable.

Page 208. l. 1. sped] i. e. versed.

l. 2. connyng] i. e. knowledge, learning.

v. 8.

—— in the Uyntre

At the Thre Cranes]

Here the tavern with the sign of the Three Cranes is meant: the three cranes were originally three strong cranes of timber, placed on the Vintry-wharf, for lifting from the ships the vessels of foreign wine which were landed there.

Page 208. v. 16. enflamed] i. e. burned.

last l. Ouer] i. e. Besides.

—— processe] i. e. treatise; see notes, p. 143. v. 735. p. 146. v. 969. p. 195. v. 157; and compare v. 160 of this piece with the heading before v. 343, where “matter” and “processe” are used as synonymous.

Page 209. l. 5. tetrycall] i. e. sour, sullen, gloomy.

l. 6. friscaioly] So in the Interlude of the iiii Elementes, n. d.;

“Synge frysha Joly with hey troly loly.”

Sig. B ii.

l. 7. moche better bayned than brayned] Does bayned here mean—boned? In (at least Scottish) poetry we frequently find the expression “bayne [bone] and brayne:” see, for instance, Henry’s Wallace, B. vii. v. 596. ed. Jam.

l. 9. burblyng] “I Burbyll or spring vp as water dothe out of a spring.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. clxxix. (Table of Verbes).

“And playd with burbels of the water.”

Marie Maudelein, p. 239,—Turnbull’s Legendæ Cathol. (from the Auchinleck MS.)

“The burbly wawes in vp boyling.”

Lydgate’s Chorle and the Bird,—MS. Harl. 116. fol. 147,—

where a word has dropt out of the line. (The ed. reprinted for the Roxburgh Club has—

“The burbill wawes in their vp boyllyng.”)

—— blode] i. e. blood.

l. 11. rechelesse] i. e. reckless.

l. 15. perihermeniall principles] i. e. principles of interpretation. “Periermeniæ, Interpretationes; vox Græcæ originis περὶ ἑρμηνείας.” Du Cange’s Gloss.

l. 17. leudly] i. e. ignorantly—or perhaps, wickedly.

l. 23. surcudant] i. e. presumptuous, arrogant.

l. 24. popholy] Occurs again several times in our author’s writings, and with the more correct spelling,—popeholy. In Pierce Plowman we find,

“And none so singuler by him selfe, nor so pope holy.”

Sig. T ii. ed. 1561.

In Chaucer’s Romaunt of the Rose is the following description;

“Another thing was doen their [there] write,
That seemed like an ipocrite,
And it was cleped pope holy,
That ilke is she that priuily
Ne spared neuer a wicked deed
When men of her taken none heed,
And maketh her outward precious,
With pale visage and piteous,
And seemeth a simple creature,” &c.

Workes, fol. 111. ed. 1602.

The original French of the preceding passage is,—

“Une autre imaige estoit escripte,
Qui sembloit bien estre ypocrite,
Papelardie est appellée,” &c.

Le Rom. de la Rose, vol. i. 15. ed. 1735.

Roquefort (Gloss. de la Langue Romaine) cites these lines under “Papelardie, papelardise: Hypocrisie, tromperie, subtilité, mauvaise foi.” See too Du Cange’s Gloss. in vv. Papelardia, Papelardus. Compare also Lydgate;

“And for popholy and uyce loke wel aboute.”

The prohemy of a mariage, &c.,—MS. Harl. 372. fol. 51.

and Barclay;

“Ouer sad or proude, disceitfull and pope holy.”

The Ship of Fooles, fol. 57. ed. 1570.

and the Interlude of the iiii Elementes, n. d.;

“For rather than I wolde vse suche foly
To pray to study or be pope holy
I had as lyf be ded.”

Sig. B ii.

Page 209. l. 33. orgulyous] i. e. proud, insolent.

Page 210. v. 22. vnbrent] i. e. unburnt.

v. 23. content] As the marginal note has Convenio, is it not a misprint for “convent?”

v. 24. leudly] i. e. badly, wickedly.

v. 26. disable] i. e. disqualify, degrade, disparage: “disablinge hymself in wordes, though his entent was otherwise.” Hall’s Chron. (Hen. viii.) fol. lvii. ed. 1548.

v. 37. ianglyng] i. e. babbling, chattering,—noisy.

v. 38. clawes] i. e. clause.

v. 39. poppyng dawes] Compare our author’s Why come ye nat to Courte;

“Poppynge folysshe dawes.”

v. 261. vol. ii. 35.

and v. 121 of the present piece;

“And porisshly forthe popped

Your sysmaticate sawes.”

“Popping, blabbing, like a popinjay or parrot.” Gloss. to Exmoor Scolding: dawes, i. e. simpletons; see note, p. 113. v. 301.

Page 210. v. 45. recrayed] See note, p. 223. v. 26.

v. 48. baudrie] i. e. foul language: see note, p. 161. v. 90.

v. 50. to] i. e. too.

Page 211. v. 54. confettred] i. e. confederated.

v. 61. attamed] i. e. tamed.

v. 65. sorte] i. e. set, company.

v. 66. fayne] i. e. glad.

v. 75. Te he, &c.] Expressions of laughter;

“Te he, quod she, and clapt the window to.”

Chaucer’s Milleres Tale, v. 3738. ed. Tyr.

v. 76. mo] i. e. more.

Page 212. v. 87. reny] i. e. renounce, abjure.

v. 89. brende] i. e. burnt.

v. 92. discured] i. e. discovered.

v. 95.

Ye are vnhappely vred.

In your dialeticall, &c.]

The old (and unique) copy is without punctuation in this passage; but that the first line closes the sense, and that Skelton did not mean that these heretics were unhappely ured in their dialectical, &c. would appear from a comparison of other passages:

“Agaynst these heretykes,

Nowe of late abiured,

Most vnhappely vred:

For be ye wele assured,” &c.

v. 403 of the present piece.

“But men nowe a dayes so vnhappely be vryd,

That nothynge than welth may worse be enduryd.”

Magnyfycence, v. 6. vol. i. 226.

“O Scottes pariured,
Vnhaply vred,
Ye may be assured,” &c.

Howe the douty Duke of Albany, &c. v. 125. vol. ii. 71.

In our author’s Colyn Cloute we find,

“Wherfore he hath good vre,” &c.

v. 1003. vol. i. 350.

in the note on which line I have cited various examples of vre in the sense of—hap, luck; and in his poem Against the Scottes,

“Male vryd was your fals entent,”

v. 111. vol. i. 185.

which surely means—Ill-fortuned, &c. (Fr. malheur). Is vnhappely vred to be considered as nearly synonymous with male vryd, or is it to be explained,—unhappily (evilly) used, practised, habituated?

Page 212. v. 98.

If ye to remembrance call
Howe syllogisari
Non est ex particulari,
Neque negativis,
Recte concludere si vis]

“Nullus syllogismus categoricus communis, vel ex solis particularibus, vel ex solis negativis constare potest. Hanc [regulam] expresse tradit Aristoteles libro primo Prior. capite 24. numero primo. Hinc metrum hoc natum:

Ex particulari non est syllogizari,

Neque negativis, recte concludere si vis.”

Crakanthorp’s Logicæ Libri Quinque, 1622. p. 279.

v. 107. Your hertes than were hosed] i. e. Your hearts were in your hose (breeches): so again our author in his Why come ye nat to Courte;

“Their hertes be in thyr hose.”

v. 286. vol. ii. 35.

See too Ray’s Proverbs, (Scottish), p. 292. ed. 1768.

v. 113. quosshons] i. e. cushions.

v. 115. Harpocrates] The God of Silence.

Page 213. v. 120. folysshly] i. e. foolishly.

—— fopped] A singular example of the word as a verb.

v. 121. porisshly] In our author’s Garlande of Laurell is “porisshly pynk iyde,” v. 626. vol. i. 386 (and Palsgrave has “Porisshly, as one loketh that can nat se well”); see note on the passage: but I cannot determine the meaning of the word here.

v. 124. dawes] i. e. simpletons; see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 126. elenkes] i. e. elenchs (elenchus—in logic).

v. 132. prouoke and tyse] i. e. incite and entice.

v. 143. exhibycion] i. e. allowance of money.

v. 144. skoles] i. e. schools.

v. 145. foles] i. e. fools.

v. 147. founde] i. e. maintained.

Page 214. v. 156. brute] i. e. saying, proverb.

v. 165. skyes] i. e. clouds.

v. 168. dawns] i. e. dance.

v. 169. ray] See note, p. 194. v. 170.

v. 171. lau] i. e. law.

v. 172. shayle] See note, p. 97. v. 19.

Page 214. v. 175. babyls] i. e. baubles.

Page 215. v. 196. face] i. e. face out.

v. 199. to] i. e. too.

v. 204. lollardy] i. e. heretical; see note, p. 204. v. 145.

v. 206. predycacion] i. e. declaration,—or preaching.

v. 207. knowlege] i. e. acknowledge.

v. 212. muse] Is properly the opening in a fence or thicket, through which a hare or other beast of sport, is accustomed to pass: see Nares’s Gloss. in v. and Moor’s Suff. Words, in v. Mewse.

v. 215.

With blowyng out your hornes,
...
With chatyng and rechatyng]

Whatever Skelton may have meant by “chatyng,”—(perhaps he uses it for chatting,—in the next line we have “pratyng”),—rechatyng is properly a hunting-term, and signifies sounding the rechate or recheat (Fr.), a certain set of notes blown with the horn to recal the dogs.

v. 219. pystels] i. e. epistles.

Page 216. v. 220. bremely] i. e. fiercely, roughly.

v. 234. lydder] i. e. bad.

v. 247. popeholy] See note on prose of this piece, l. 24. p. 230.

Page 217. v. 260. echone] i. e. each one.

v. 264. iangle] i. e. babble, chatter.

v. 267. the people of lay fee] i. e. the laity; as again in our author’s Colyn Cloute;

“The lay fee people rayles.”

v. 403. (where MS. omits “fee”) vol. i. 326:

fee, i. e. possessions; see Tyrwhitt’s Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales, Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang., and Todd’s Johnson’s Dict. in v.

v. 274. snapper] i. e. stumble; but see note, p. 92. v. 4.

—— werkes] i. e. works.

v. 280. mo] i. e. more.

v. 281. latria] “Le culte que nous déférons à Dieu seul, nous l’appellons Latrie [λατρεία].” Perroniana, p. 312. ed. 1740.

v. 285.

But, I trowe, your selfe ye ouerse
What longeth to Christes humanyte.
If ye haue reed de hyperdulia,
Than ye knowe what betokeneth dulia]

—ouerse, i. e. overlook: longeth, i. e. belongeth. “L’adoration de Superdulie est celle qui se défère à la Vierge, et elle est plus eminente pour la grace qu’elle a reçu de Dieu, plus particuliere que les autres Saints, pour avoir porté le Fils de Dieu en ses entrailles.” Perroniana, p. 71. “Aux Saints nous déférons l’honneur qu’on appelle Dulie.” Id. p. 312. ed. 1740. “Dulia [δουλεία] enim adoratio est, quæ etiam creaturæ exhibetur, quæ duas species habet, unam quæ hominibus indifferenter, alteram quæ soli humanitati Christi exhibetur.” Gaufridus Abbas in Epist. ad Albinum Cardinalem,—cited by Du Cange, Gloss. in v.

Page 218. v. 293. mased] i. e. bewildered, confounded.

v. 295. brent] i. e. burnt.

v. 296. bvsynesse] i. e. trouble.

v. 297. vyse] i. e. advise.

v. 298. scoles] i. e. schools.

v. 299. foles] i. e. fools.

Page 219. v. 303. replycable] i. e. such as can be replied to.

Page 220. v. 323. remorded] See note, p. 193. v. 101.

v. 225. his pystell ad Paulinum] i. e. his Epistle ad Paulinum presbyterum de omnibus divinæ historiæ libris, prefixed to the Vulgate: the passage quoted by Skelton is also to be found in Hieronymi Opera, I. 1011. ed. 1609.

—— Serenus] The Scholium on this name in Hieronymi Opera is: “Aulus Serenus lyricus ipse etiam fuit, et, ut Terentianus est auctor, eleganti ac facili ingenio, et ad jocos amoresque describendos accommodato: Martianus Capella ac Nonius sæpius ejus carmina citant.” I. 1017. ed. 1609.—See also an account of Serenus, prefixed to his extant pieces, in Wernsdorf’s Poetæ Latini Minores, tom. ii.

v. 337. armony] i. e. harmony.

Page 221. processe] See note, p. 230, on last line (prose) of p. 208.

v. 359.

For if ye sadly loke,
And wesely rede the Boke
Of Good Aduertysement,
With me ye must consent, &c.]

—sadly loke, i. e. seriously look, consider. In the Garlande of Laurell Skelton mentions, as one of his own compositions,

“Item Good Aduysement, that brainles doth blame.”

v. 1186. vol. i. 409.

Qy. does he allude to it here?

Page 222. v. 395. auaunce] i. e. advance.

Page 223. v. 399. make] i. e. compose.

v. 405. vnhappely vred] See note on v. 95. p. 232.

MAGNYFYCENCE.

“That this piece was composed subsequently to the year 1515, seems evident from the mention made in one place [v. 283] of ‘Kynge Lewes of Fraunce’ as an example of liberality [and as dead, v. 285]; and this could only mean Louis xii., who died in that year, as his immediate predecessor of that name [who died in 1483] was the most niggardly of wretches.” MS. note by Ritson on a transcript of Magnyfycence.

Page 226. v. 4. probate] In our author’s Garlande of Laurell mention is made of

“Macrobius that did trete

Of Scipions dreme what was the treu probate.”

v. 367. vol. i. 376.

where probate is proof, meaning, or, perhaps, interpretation: but in what sense Skelton uses the word here I cannot determine, the greater part of this speech being beyond my comprehension.

v. 5. fole] i. e. fool.

v. 6. vnhappely be vryd] See note, p. 232. v. 95.

v. 9. amense] i. e., perhaps, amends.

v. 10. by] i. e. buy, acquire.

v. 16. sad] i. e. grave, serious, sober.

v. 17. lure] See note, p. 147. v. 1100.

v. 22. wonnys] i. e. dwells.

—— and a man wolde wyt] i. e. if a man would know.

v. 24. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

Page 227. v. 33. Ye, to knackynge ernyst what and it preue]—i. e. Yea, what if it prove mocking earnest: compare the preceding line, and see Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scott. Lang. in v. Knack.

v. 35. in the mew] i. e. in confinement,—properly, the place in which hawks were kept, or in which fowls were fattened: see note on Why come ye nat to Courte, v. 219.

v. 36. a cue] Is explained (see Todd’s Johnson’s Dict. &c.)—a farthing, as being merely the sound of q̄, the abbreviation of quadrans. But Minsheu has; “Cue, halfe a farthing, so called because they set down in the Battling or Butterie Bookes in Oxford and Cambridge the letter q. for halfe a farthing, and in Oxford when they make that Cue or q. a farthing, they say, Cap my q., and make it a farthing thus qͣ. But in Cambridge,” &c. Guide into Tongues, ed. 1617.

v. 37. to] i. e. too.

Page 227. v. 39. condyssende] “I Condescende I agre to a mater.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cxciiii. (Table of Verbes).

v. 44. countenaunce] i. e. continence, restraint.

v. 45. let] i. e. hinder, restrain.

v. 47. corage] i. e. inclination, desires.

v. 56. parcell] i. e. part, portion.

v. 57. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 60.

Somwhat I coulde enferre,

Your consayte to debarre]

i. e. I could bring in somewhat to hinder, contravene, your conception of the subject. So again in our author’s Garlande of Laurell;

“Madame, your apposelle is wele inferrid,
And at your auauntage quikly it is
Towchid, and hard for to be debarrid.”

v. 141. vol. i. 367.

Page 228. v. 65. fet] i. e. fetch.

v. 72. the surpluse of my sawe] i. e. the remainder of my saying.

v. 74. where as] i. e. where.

v. 80. ryn] i. e. run.

v. 86. wonder] I may observe that the Roxburgh reprint, without authority, and against the sense, has “no wonder.”

v. 89. ken] i. e. instruct.

v. 90. wonders] i. e. wondrous.

v. 92. to] i. e. too.

Page 229. v. 94. other] i. e. either.

v. 95.

To you I arecte it, and cast

Therof the reformacyon]

So Skelton again;

“Syth vnto me formest this processe is erectyd.”

v. 2507 of the present drama.

“Arrectinge vnto your wyse examinacion

How all that I do is vnder refformation.”

Garlande of Laurell, v. 410. vol. i. 378.

He has also,

“Arectyng my syght towarde the zodyake.”

Id. v. 1. p. 361.

“My supplycacyon to you I arrect.”

Id. v. 55. p. 363.

Arect in our early writers frequently signifies—impute, a meaning foreign to the present passages: in the two last cited, there can be no doubt that it is used in the sense of—raise: in the others it seems to mean—offer, refer.

Page 229. v. 103. Come of, therfore, let se] Compare Chaucer;

“—— let see, come off, and say.”

Court of Loue,—Workes, fol. 331. ed. 1602.

and Reynard the Fox; “Why tarye ye thus longe, come of.” Sig. b 7. ed. 1481: and Morte d’Arthur; “Come of thenne sayd they alle, and do hit.” Book xx. cap. iiii. vol. ii. 394. ed. Southey.

v. 106. reason and skyll] An expression which Skelton has elsewhere; but the words are nearly synonymous. “Skyll. Racio.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

v. 113. chere] i. e. spirit,—or reception.

v. 114. intere] i. e. entire.

v. 115. Oracius to recorde] i. e. Horace to witness.

v. 117. to] i. e. too.

v. 126. Measure is treasure] Lydgate mentions this as “an olde prouerbe:” see his verses on Moderation, MS. Harl. 2251. fol. 29, and his poem beginning “Men wryte of oold how mesour is tresour.” Id. 2255. fol. 143.

—— this] i. e. thus: see note, p. 86. v. 38.

Page 230. v. 131. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 133. kynde] i. e. nature.

v. 134. renne] i. e. run.

v. 137. a rest] i. e. a wrest—by which the strings of harps and other musical instruments were drawn up.

v. 138. All trebyllys and tenours be rulyd by a meyne] “Intercentus, a meane of a songe.” Ortus Vocab. fol. ed. W. de Worde, n. d. In the notes on Shakespeare, in Todd’s Johnson’s Dict. &c., mean is wrongly explained—tenor: what the mean was, depended entirely on the nature of the composition.

v. 139. beste] i. e. beast.

v. 149. skyll] i. e. reason: see note on v. 106.

v. 150. sad] i. e. grave, serious, sober.

v. 151. It is no maystery] “Maystry done by delyuernesse ung tovr de souplesse, appertise.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xlvi. (Table of Subst.); and see note, p. 113. v. 329.

“So me helpe God! queth Beues tho,
Hit were no meistri me to slo,
For this is the ferthe dai agon
Mete ne drinke ne bot I non.”

Sir Beues of Hamtoun, p. 68. Maitl. ed.

“That is lytel maystry sayd syre launcelot to slee myn hors.” Morte d’Arthur, B. xix. c. iiii. vol. ii. 369. ed. Southey.

Page 230. v. 153. herdely] i. e. firmly.

Page 231. v. 166. hyght] i. e. am called.

v. 175. Conuenyent] i. e. Fit, suitable.

—— ryall] i. e. royal.

v. 178. syttynge] i. e. proper, becoming,—a word very common in our early poetry (altered unnecessarily to “fyttynge” in the Roxburgh reprint of this piece).

v. 182. his large] i. e. his range.

v. 184. hooly] i. e. wholly.

v. 189. sawe] i. e. sow.

v. 190. nother to] i. e. neither too.

—— lawe] i. e. low: so again in v. 2541, “nowe hy, nowe lawe degre.”

v. 193. consayte] i. e. conception.

Page 232. v. 202. losyll so lyther] i. e. scoundrel so wicked.

v. 209. plenarly] i. e. fully, entirely.

v. 213. Had I wyste] See note, p. 86. v. 40.

v. 216. to fer] i. e. too far.

v. 219. defaute] i. e. default, want.

v. 226. mone] i. e. moon.

v. 230. lyghtly] “Lightly or sone [i. e. soon]. Leuiter.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499: or, easily.

Page 233. v. 231. to moche] i. e. too much.

v. 233. scole] i. e. school.

v. 234. a poppynge fole]—fole, i. e. fool. “He is a popte fole or a starke fole for the nones. Homo fatuitate monstrabilis.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. P iii. ed. 1530. And see note, p. 231. v. 39.

v. 239. delyaunce] i. e. dalliance, delay.

v. 249. endure] i. e. remain, dwell.

v. 256. Here is none forsyth whether you flete or synke]—forsyth, i. e. regardeth, careth: flete, i. e. float, swim. So Chaucer;

“Him recketh neuer whether she flete or sinke.”

Annel. and Ar.,—Workes, fol. 244. ed. 1602.

v. 257. lokyd] i. e. looked.

v. 259. hafter] See note, p. 107. v. 138.

Page 234. v. 260. iangelynge Jacke of the vale] i. e. chattering, &c.; see note, p. 104. v. 6.

v. 266. Mary] i. e. by the Virgin Mary.

v. 267. largesse] i. e. bounty, liberality.

v. 269. worshyp] i. e. honour, dignity.

v. 272. hyght] i. e. am called.

v. 274. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 280. hardely] i. e. firmly.

Page 234. v. 280. auaunce] i. e. advance.

v. 283. reporte me] i. e. refer.

—— Kynge Lewes] i. e. King Louis the twelfth: see note on title, p. 236.

v. 285. syth] i. e. since.

v. 290. Jacke shall haue Gyl] So Heywood;

“Come chat at home, all is well, Jack shall haue Gill.”

Dialogue, sig. F 3.—Workes, ed. 1598.

Page 235. v. 295. broder] i. e. brother.

v. 296. I set not by] i. e. I value not.

—— Dauncaster cuttys] i. e. Doncaster horses.—Cut was a term for a common horse, from its having the tail cut short.

v. 297. bolte] i. e. arrow (for a description of it, see Nares’s Gloss. in v.).

—— shote] i. e. shoot.

v. 298. hyght] i. e. be called.

v. 300. this checke if ye voyde canne] “Checke a mery taunt.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., fol. xxiii. (Table of Subst.). “I Voyde a thyng out of the way or out of syght, Ie oste.” Id. fol. ccclxxxxix. (Table of Verbes).

v. 301. to longe to scole] i. e. too long to school.

v. 302. gose] i. e. goose.

v. 303. pole] i. e. pool, water.

v. 304. fole] i. e. fool.

v. 306. Go, shake the dogge, hay] See note, p. 226. v. 28.

v. 310. to play with me checke mate] In allusion to the king being put in check at the game of chess.

v. 311. your noble estate] Equivalent to—your noble lordship.

v. 312. recorde] i. e. testimony.

v. 314. Sad] i. e. Grave, serious, sober.

v. 318. hele] i. e. health.

v. 319. commaunde] i. e. commend.

v. 321. ony] i. e. any.

v. 322. sone] i. e. soon.

v. 323. kepe] i. e. heed, care, attention.

Page 236. v. 325. after none] i. e. afternoon.

v. 327. Whylest] i. e. Until.

v. 333. mynde] i. e. fancy.

v. 336. beholde] i. e. beholden.

v. 341. By lakyn] i. e. by our Lady: lakyn is the contraction of ladykyn, little lady.

v. 346. Pountesse] i. e. Pontoise.

Page 236. v. 347. taken me] i. e. committed, consigned to me.

Page 237. v. 355. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 357. They bare me in hande that I was a spye] i. e. They accused me, laid to my charge, that, &c.

“This false knight, that hath this treson wrought,

Bereth hire in hond that she hath don this thing.”

Chaucer’s Man of Lawes Tale, v. 5039. ed. Tyr.

“I Beare in hande I threp vpon a man that he hath done a dede, or make hym byleue so, Ie fais accroyre” ... “What crime or yuell mayest thou beare me in hande of: Quel crime ou mal me peulx tu mettre sus.” Palgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. clxii. (Table of Verbes). “Many be borne an hande of a faute, and punysshed therfore, that were neuer gylty. Plerique facinoris insimulantur,” &c. Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. m ii. ed. 1530. This expression occurs with a different shade of meaning in our author’s Why come ye nat to Courte,—

“He bereth the kyng on hand,

That he must pyll his lande,” &c.

v. 449. vol. ii. 40.

v. 362.

And wolde haue made me Freer Tucke,

To preche out of the pylery hole]

Friar Tuck was one of Robin Hood’s merry companions. Concerning these lines Ritson remarks that there is “an evident allusion to some game or practice now totally forgotten and inexplicable.” Robin Hood, i. xxvi.

v. 364. antetyme] i. e. text. So in the absurd story of Skelton’s preaching, Merie Tales, (reprinted in Appendix to Account of his Life and Writings), “I say, as I said before in my antethem, vos estis.” Tale vii.

v. 366. moche warke] i. e. much work, trouble.

v. 367. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

v. 369. made largesse as I hyght] i. e. made donation of money according to my name (Fancy’s assumed name being Largesse, see v. 272).

v. 375. grete estates] i. e. persons of great estate or rank.

Page 238. v. 384. ye] i. e. yea.

v. 385. mesure is a mery mene] Heywood in his Epigrammes vpon Prouerbs has ten on “Measure is a mery meane.” Sig. N iiii.,—Workes, ed. 1598.

v. 388. ryall] i. e. royal.

v. 391. oder] i. e. other.

v. 405. blunderyng] i. e. disturbance. “I Blonder, Ie perturbe.”

Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. clxviii. (Table of Verbes).

Page 238. v. 406. betake] i. e. commit, consign.

v. 411. to put the stone] i. e. to throw the stone above hand, from the uplifted hand, for trial of strength.

Page 239. v. 413. gyse] i. e. guise, fashion, manner.

v. 417. I set not by] i. e. I value not.

v. 423. lurdayne] i. e. lumpish, lazy fellow, clown,—worthless person in general.

v. 425. tappyster] i. e. woman presiding over the tap in a public house.

v. 429. can] i. e. know.

—— praty] i. e. pretty.

v. 430. occupy] i. e. use: see note, p. 86. v. 52.

—— kayes] i. e. keys.

v. 433. at all assayes] Occurs again in v. 2303. “At all assayes, En tous poynts, or a tous poynts.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccccxxxviii. (Table of Aduerbes). “He is a frende at all assayes. Omnium horarum amicus est.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. Y iiii. ed. 1530.

v. 435. mekyll] i. e. much.

v. 444. sleyght] i. e. trick, artful contrivance.

Page 240. v. 446. fayty bone geyte] Perhaps corrupted French—fait a bon get or geste.

v. 449. consayte] i. e. conceit, conception.

v. 453. noppe is rughe] i. e. nap is rough.

v. 455. chafer] i. e. merchandise.

v. 458. The courtly gyse of the newe iet] A somewhat pleonastic expression,—the courtly guise of the new fashion. “Gette a custome guise nouuelle.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xxxvi. (Table of Subst.).

“Yit a poynte of the new gett to telle wille I not blyn.”

Juditium,—Towneley Mysteries, p. 312.

v. 460. ferre fet] i. e. far fetched.

v. 461. ymet] i. e. met.

v. 462. Margery Mylke Ducke] See note, p. 172. v. 418.

—— mermoset] A kind of ape or monkey.

v. 465. fresshe] i. e. smart.

v. 469. praty] i. e. pretty.

v. 470. iet] i. e. strut; see note, p. 94. v. 43.

v. 472. pope holy] See note, p. 230. l. 24.

v. 473. sadnesse] i. e. gravity, seriousness, soberness, discreetness.

Page 240. v. 475. not worth a flye] See note, p. 219. v. 104.

v. 477. occupy] i. e. use; see note, p. 86. v. 52.

v. 478. worshyp] i. e. honour, dignity.

Page 241. v. 482. tehe wehe] See note, p. 232. v. 75.

v. 485. knokylbonyarde] Compare Palsgrave’s Acolastus, 1540; “Do I raygne here on this facion, being a swynherde amongest swyne of Boeatia. i. amongest a meyny of iacke holde my staues, or knockyldeboynyardes, beinge but of late a kynge,” &c. Sig. Y iiii.; and Heywood’s Dialogue, &c.,—

“He is a knuckilbonyard very meete

To match a minion neither fayre nor sweete.”

Sig. D 4.,—Workes, ed. 1598.

v. 486. to] i. e. too.

v. 488. warke] i. e. work, business, matter.

v. 489. yarke] i. e. strike, lash.

v. 490. custrell] “Coustrell that wayteth on a speare covsteillier.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xxvii. (Table of Subst.). “Coustillier: An Esquire of the body; an Armour-bearer unto a Knight; the servant of a man at Armes; also, a groom of a stable, a horse-keeper.” Cotgrave’s Dict.

v. 492. this] i. e. thus; see note, p. 86. v. 38 (and so in the next line).

—— freers] i. e. friars.

—— famine] “Famen, sermo, verbum.” Du Cange’s Gloss.

v. 506. By God, I haue bene about a praty pronge]—praty, i. e. pretty: in the present line at least, pronge seems to mean—prank (Dutch pronk), whatever be its signification in the following passage of our author’s Colyn Cloute;

“And howe at a pronge

We tourne ryght into wronge.”

v. 1196. vol. i. 357.

Page 242. v. 510. pagent] i. e. part: see notes, p. 88. v. 85; p. 189. v. 190.

v. 512. by lakyn] See note on v. 341. p. 240.

v. 513. heyre parent] i. e. heir apparent.

v. 514. rome] i. e. room, place.

v. 516. to] i. e. too.

v. 518. Cockys harte] i. e. God’s heart (Cock, a corruption of God).

v. 521. thee] i. e. thrive.

v. 526. hyght] i. e. am called.

v. 529. large] A play on the meanings of the word,—big, and liberal.

Page 242. v. 533. cofer kay] i. e. coffer-key.

v. 535. auowe] i. e. vow: see note, p. 109. v. 199.

Page 243. v. 539. alowde] i. e. approved.

v. 554. in same] i. e. in the same place (a pleonasm,—since “togyder” precedes).

v. 561. Can] i. e. Know.

v. 562. spedde] i. e. versed.

v. 564. iapes] i. e. jests, jokes.

v. 568. ouerwharte] i. e. overthwart—cross, perverse, wrangling.

v. 569. beshrowe] i. e. curse.

v. 571. iangle] i. e. babble, chatter.

Page 244. v. 573. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 575. my botes and my spores] i. e. my boots and my spurs.

v. 578. Cockes woundes] i. e. God’s wounds; see note on v. 518, preceding page.

v. 580. loketh] i. e. looketh.

v. 585. iurde hayte] Words (French perhaps) which I do not understand.

v. 591. quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 592. a leysshe of ratches to renne an hare] i. e. a leash of—three—hounds to run a hare.

v. 597. prece] i. e. press.

Page 245. v. 609. to] i. e. too.

v. 625. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

v. 628. do togyder] i. e. put it together.

v. 629. ony] i. e. any.

v. 633. wonne] i. e. dwell.

v. 635. a captyuyte] Is rather, I suspect, a misprint for, than used in the sense of—in: compare v. 2543.

Page 246. v. 639. the playnesse] i. e. the plain fact.

v. 644. thee] i. e. thrive.

v. 658. a pystell of a postyke]—pystell, i. e. epistle, letter; but I do not understand the expression.

v. 659. fonnysshe] i. e. foolish.

v. 666. freke] i. e. fellow: see notes, p. 109. v. 187; p. 178. v. 15.

v. 667. peke] “I Peke or prie.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cccxvii. [—xv.] (Table of Verbes).

Page 247. v. 672. rome] i. e. room, place.

v. 679. hyght] i. e. be called.

v. 681. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 685. By the armes of Calys] See note, p. 118. v. 398.

v. 687. slyght] i. e. trick, artful contrivance.

v. 688. fonde consayte] i. e. foolish conceit,—fantasies.

Page 247. v. 690. sadnesse] See note on v. 473. p. 242.

v. 692. Cockys body] i. e. God’s body: see note on v. 518. p. 243.

v. 695. whylyst] i. e. until.

v. 698. quyte] i. e. acquit.

—— praty] i. e. pretty.

Page 248. v. 707. haftynge] See note, p. 107. v. 138.

v. 713. geste] i. e. guest.

v. 719. hynder] “Hyndringe or harmynge. Dampnificacio.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. “I Hynder I hurte, Ie porte dommage.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cclxii. (Table of Verbes).

“Lest the reporte in hinderyng of his name,” &c.

Lydgate’s Warres of Troy, B. iii. sig. Q ii. ed. 1555.

v. 720. hode] i. e. hood.

v. 722. fole] i. e. fool.

v. 730. lacke] i. e. blame.

v. 732. sped] i. e. versed.

v. 733. lytherly] i. e. wickedly.

v. 734. Paynte] See note, p. 176. v. 583.

Page 249. v. 737. fauell] See note, p. 107. v. 134.

—— tyned] i. e. pointed, pronged.

v. 745. shrewdenes] i. e. wickedness, evil.

v. 746. grete estates] i. e. persons of great estate, or rank.

v. 748. flery] i. e. fleer.

—— pretence] i. e. intent.

v. 751. bronde] i. e. brand.

v. 752. mase] i. e. bewilder, confound.

—— fonde] i. e. foolish.

v. 754. bale] i. e. sorrow, trouble.

v. 755. Huffa, huffa] See note, p. 181. v. 16.

v. 756. a] i. e. he.

v. 757. Rutty bully] See note, p. 94. v. 29.

—— ioly rutterkyn, heyda] Occurs in a song preserved in the Fairfax MS. which once belonged to Ralph Thoresby, and is now among the Additional MSS. in the British Museum (5465, fol. 114):

“Hoyda joly rutterkyn hoyda

Lyke a rutterkyn hoyda.

Rutterkyn is com vnto oure towne
In a cloke withoute cote or gowne
Save a raggid hode to kouer his crowne
Like a rutter hoyda.

Rutterkyn can speke no englissh
His tonge rennyth all on buttyrd fyssh
Besmerde with grece abowte his disshe
Like a rutter hoyda.

Rutterkyn shall bryng you all good luk
A stoup of bere vp at a pluk
Till his brayne be as wise as a duk
Like a rutter hoyda.

When rutterkyn from borde will ryse

He will piss a galon pott full at twise

And the ouerplus vndir the table of the newe gyse

Like a rutter hoyda.”

Sir John Hawkins printed the above song (with the music) and tells us that it “is supposed to be a satire on those drunken Flemings who came into England with the princess Anne of Cleve, upon her marriage with king Hen. viii.” Hist. of Music, iii. 2. But if it be the very song quoted in our text, it must allude to “rutterkyns” of a considerably earlier period; and, as the Fairfax MS. contains two other pieces which are certainly known to be from Skelton’s pen, there is a probability that this also was composed by him.

Court. Ab. in his next speech but one says, “am not I a ioly rutter?” and (v. 846)

“My robe russheth

So ruttyngly.”

Rutter, which properly means—a rider, a trooper (Germ. reiter, reuter), came to be employed, like its diminutive rutterkin, as a cant term, and with various significations, (see Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. q iii. ed. 1530; Drant’s Horace His Arte of Poetrie, pistles, &c. sig. D ii. ed. 1567). When Court. Ab. asks “am not I a ioly rutter?” he evidently uses the word in the sense of—dashing fellow, gallant, alluding to his dress, on which he afterwards enlarges in a soliloquy. In v. 805 Cr. Con. terms him “this ioly ietter.” Compare the following passage of Medwall’s Interlude of Nature, n. d.;

“And whan he is in suche aray
There goth a rutter men wyll say
a rutter huf a galand.”

Sig. d ii.

Page 249. v. 759. Decke your hofte, &c..]—hofte, i. e. head. If I rightly understand the passage, Court. Ab. desires Cl. Col. to put on his hat, or cap: see note below the text.

v. 760. Say vous, &c.] i. e. Savez vous, &c.: the last three words of the line seem to be the beginning of some French song.

Page 249. v. 761. Wyda] i. e. Oui da!

v. 763. rome] i. e. room, place.

—— stonde vtter] i. e. stand out, back.

v. 765. a betell or a batowe, or a buskyn lacyd] In Ortus Vocab. fol. ed. W. de Worde, n. d., besides “Feritorium. anglice a battynge staffe a batyll dur or a betyll,” we find “Porticulus. anglice a lytell handstaff or a betyll.” For “batowe” I have proposed in a note below the text “batone” (baton), a conjecture which is somewhat supported by the preceding word; but it seems more probable that the right reading is “botowe,” i. e. boot, for the work above cited has “Ocree ... anglice botis or botwes [ed. 1514—botowes],” and Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499 gives “Botewe. Coturnus.”

Page 250. v. 768. Jacke Hare] See note, p. 211. v. 270.

—— loke thou be not rusty] i. e. look that thou be not cankered, uncivil.

v. 769. nother] i. e. neither.

v. 770. lusty] See note, p. 183, heading of poem.

v. 773. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

v. 775. swap] i. e. swop: see Richardson’s Dict. in v. “I Swappe I stryke.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccclxxxi. (Table of Verbes).

—— fotys] i. e. foots, footest.

v. 776. Ye] i. e. Yea.

—— gere] i. e. apparel.

v. 780. mo] i. e. more.

v. 782. a bole of newe ale in cornys] i. e. a bowl, &c.: see note, p. 171. v. 378.

v. 784. auysed] i. e. purposed on consideration.

v. 786. rome] i. e. room, place, office.

Page 251. v. 789. Cockys harte] i. e. God’s heart: see note on v. 518. p. 243.

v. 790. for the armys of the dyce] Some cant exclamation.

v. 793. fayne] i. e. glad.

v. 795. rynne] i. e. run.

v. 796. cayser] i. e. Cæsar, or, as it is generally explained, emperor: in the Coventry Mysteries, however, a distinction is made between these terms;

“Bothe kynge and caysere and grett empere.”

MS. Cott. Vesp. D viii. fol. 113.

v. 798. quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 799. tende] i. e. attend.

v. 805. ietter] i. e. strutter,—gallant: see note, p. 94. v. 43, and note on v. 757. p. 246.

Page 251. v. 806. supplye] i. e. supplicate.

v. 810. I ne tell can] i. e. I cannot tell.

Page 252. v. 818. gyse] i. e. guise, fashion.

v. 819. we wyll be aduysed twyse] i. e. we will consider of it twice.

v. 821. crake] i. e. speak vauntingly.

v. 827. bende] i. e. band.

v. 830. tawle] i. e. brave, bold.

v. 832. defaute] i. e. default, defect.

v. 833. hawte] i. e. haughty.

v. 834. pose] i. e. rheum in the head.

v. 839. loketh] i. e. looketh.

Page 253. v. 843. gere] i. e. apparel.

v. 844. My heyre bussheth]—heyre, i. e. hair. So Barclay, alluding to the “newe fassions and disguised garmentes” of the time;

“To Ship, galants, come nere I say agayne,

With your set bushes curling as men of Inde.”

The Ship of Fooles, fol. 8. ed. 1570.

v. 847. ruttyngly] i. e. dashingly, gallantly: see note on v. 757. p. 246.

v. 850. To daunce delyght] So afterwards, Magnyfycence, exulting in his prosperity, says, “I dawnce all in delyte,” v. 1510.

v. 852. poynte deuyse] i. e. perfectly exact: see Gifford’s note on B. Jonson’s Works, iv. 169.

v. 855. gyse] i. e. guise, fashion.

v. 857. route] i. e. crowd, assembly.

v. 859. My sleue is wyde] So Barclay describes the young gallants of the time with “Their sleues blasing like to a Cranes winges.” The Ship of Fooles, fol. 8. ed. 1570. Wide sleeves are also mentioned in the following curious passage of Medwall’s Interlude of Nature, n. d. (written before the year 1500); the speaker is Pride:

“Behold the bonet vppon my hed
a staryng colour of scarlet red
I promyse you a fyne threde
and a soft wull
It cost me a noble at one pyche
The scald capper sware sythyche
That yt cost hym euen as myche
But there Pryde had a pull.
I loue yt well to haue syde here
Halfe a wote byneth myne ere
For euer more I stande in fere
That myne nek shold take cold
I knyt yt vp all the nyght
and the day tyme kemb yt down ryght
And then yt cryspeth and shyneth as bryght
as any pyrled gold.
My doublet ys on laced byfore
A stomacher of saten and no more
Rayn yt snow yt neuer so sore
Me thynketh I am to hote
Than haue I suche a short gown
Wyth wyde sleues that hang a down
They wold make some lad in thys town
a doublet and a cote.
Som men wold thynk that this were pryde
But yt ys not so, ho ho abyde
I haue a dagger by my syde
yet therof spake not I
I bought thys dagger at the marte
A sharp poynt and a tarte
He that had yt in hys hart
Were as good to dye.
Than haue I a sworde or twayn
To bere theym my selfe yt were a payne
They ar so heuy that I am fayne
to puruey suche a lad
Though I say yt a praty boy
It ys halfe my lyues ioy
He maketh me laugh wyth many a toy
The vrchyn ys so mad.”

Sig. c ii.

Page 253. v. 861. hose] i. e. breeches.

v. 866. hyght] i. e. am called.

v. 871. thee] i. e. thrive.

v. 872. fon] i. e. fool.

Page 254. v. 878. pore] i. e. poor.

v. 881. to to] So in v. 2121;

“To flatterynge, to smatterynge, to to out of harre.”

Compare M. Harry Whobals mon to M. Camel, &c. (folio broadside among the “flytings” of Churchyard and Camell);

“My master Harry Whoball, sur, is to to shamefull wrothe.

...

... for drinke is to to nappye.”

Ray gives “Too too will in two. Chesh.” Proverbs, p. 163. ed. 1768.

v. 884. crake] i. e. vaunt.

Page 254. v. 885. I befoule his pate] i. e. I befool, &c. (not befoul), as it would seem from v. 1057, “I befole thy face;” and v. 1829, “I befole thy brayne pan.”

v. 886. fonne iet] i. e. foolish fashion (see note on v. 458. p. 242).

v. 887. From out of Fraunce] So Barclay;

“Reduce courtiers clerely vnto your remembraunce,

From whence this disguising was brought wherin ye go,

As I remember it was brought out of France.”

The Ship of Fooles, fol. 9. ed. 1570.

Borde, in his Boke of knowledge, introduces a Frenchman saying,

“I am ful of new inuencions
And dayly I do make new toyes and fashions
Al necions of me example do take
Whan any garment they go about to make.”

Sig. T. reprint.

v. 889. purueaunce] i. e. provision.

v. 907. carlys] i. e. churl’s.

v. 909. wonne] i. e. dwell.

Page 255. v. 915. slyue] i. e. sleeve.

v. 918. preue] i. e. prove.

v. 919. A Tyborne checke] i. e. a rope.

—— craynge, Stow, stow]—craynge, i. e. crying. See note, p. 206. v. 73.

v. 921. out of harre] i. e. out of hinge, out of order: see Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. and Suppl. in v. Har. The expression occurs again in v. 2121; and is found in the Towneley Myst. and G. Douglas’s Virgil’s Æn.

v. 923. warre] i. e. worse.

v. 932. farly] i. e. strange.

v. 933. lokys] i. e. looks.

v. 934. an hawke of the towre] So again our author in the Garlande of Laurell;

“Ientill as fawcoun

Or hawke of the towre.”

v. 1006. vol. i. 402.

i. e., says Warton, “in the king’s mews in the Tower,” Hist. of E.P. ii. 355. ed. 4to: and the following lines occur in a poem called Armony of Byrdes, n. d. (attributed without authority to Skelton), reprinted entire in Typograph. Antiq. iv. 380. ed. Dibdin;

“The Haukes dyd syng
Their belles dyd ryng
Thei said they came frō the tower.
We hold with the kyng
And wyll for him syng
To God, day, nyght, and hower.”

p. 383.

But I apprehend that by a hawke of the towre Skelton means—a hawk that towers aloft, takes a station high in the air, and thence swoops upon her prey. Juliana Berners mentions certain hawks which “ben hawkes of the toure.” Book of St. Albans, sig. c. v.: and Turbervile says; “Shee [the hobby] is of the number of those Hawkes that are hie flying and towre Hawks.” Booke of Falconrie, p. 53. ed. 1611.

Page 255. v. 935. the malarde] i. e. the wild-drake.

v. 936. becked] i. e. beaked.

v. 938. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

Page 256. v. 940. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 947. spere] i. e. spire, shoot,—stripling. So in our author’s third poem Against Garnesche, “But a slendyr spere.” v. 41. vol. i. 121.

v. 953. mo] i. e. more.

v. 954. in the dyuyls date] See note, p. 116. v. 375.

v. 956. he playeth the state] i. e. he playeth the person of consequence.

v. 957. pyke out of the gate] “I Pycke me forth out of a place or I pycke me hence, Ie me tyre auant.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cccxvi. (Table of Verbes).

v. 962. out of consayte] i. e. out of good opinion, favour.

v. 964. a praty slyght] i. e. a pretty trick, contrivance.

v. 971. Cockes harte] i. e. God’s heart: see note on v. 518. p. 243.

v. 973. poynted after my consayte] i. e. appointed, equipped according to my fancy.

v. 974. thou iettes it of hyght] i. e. thou struttest it in high style: see note, p. 94. v. 43.

Page 257. v. 975. let vs be wyse] Equivalent to—let us understand.

v. 977. come of, it were done] The expression “come of” has occurred before; see note on v. 103. p. 238. Compare Mary Magdalene;

“Cum of ȝe harlotts that yt wer don.”

An. Mysteries from the Digby MSS. p. 97. ed. Abbotsf.

Magnus Herodes;

“Hens now go youre way that ye were thore.”

Towneley Mysteries, p. 147.

Still’s Gammer Gurtons Nedle;

“Sir knaue make hast diccon were here.”

Sig. E 3. ed. 1575.

See too our author’s Garlande of Laurell, v. 243. vol. i. 371.

Page 257. v. 979. sone] i. e. soon.

v. 980. Stowe] See note, p. 206. v. 73.

v. 982. There is many euyll faueryd, and thou be foule] i. e. There is many a one ill-looking, if thou be ugly: see note, p. 130. v. 442.

v. 985. I wys] i. e. truly, certainly (i-wis, adv.).

v. 987. Jesse] i. e. Jesus.

v. 992. bent] i. e. arched; see note, p. 146. v. 1014.

v. 993. glent] i. e. glancing, bright.

v. 1000. Barbyd lyke a nonne]—nonne, i. e. nun. “The feders vnder the becke [of a hawk] ben callyd the Barbe feders.” Book of Saint Albans, sig. a 5. Barbe is explained by Tyrwhitt to mean a hood or muffler, which covered the lower part of the face and the shoulders; Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales: and he refers to Du Cange in v. Barbuta. According to Strutt, it was a piece of white plaited linen, and belonged properly to mourning: in an edict concerning “The order and manner of apparell for greate estates of weomen in tyme of mourninge,” made by the mother of Henry vii. in the 8th year of his reign, we find “Everye one not beinge vnder the degree of a Baronesse to weare a barbe aboue [Strutt prints by mistake—”about“] the chinne. And all other: as knightes wyfes, to weare yt vnder theire throtes, and other gentleweomen beneath the throte goyll.” MS. Harl. 1354. fol. 12. See Dress and Habits, pp. 323, 325, 326, 368, and plate cxxxv.

v. 1002. donne] i. e. dun.

v. 1003. Well faueryd bonne] So in our author’s Elynour Rummyng, v. 227, “my prety bonny;” see note, p. 166.

v. 1005. rowte] i. e. crowd, assembly.

Page 258. v. 1008. prese] i. e. press, throng.

v. 1009. a hole mese] i. e. a whole mess, set.

v. 1011. I rede, we sease] i. e. I advise that we cease.

v. 1012. farly ... lokys] i. e. strangely ... looks.

v. 1013. becke ... crokys] i. e. beak ... crooks.

v. 1014. tenter hokys] i. e. tenter-hooks.

v. 1015. wokys] i. e. weeks.

v. 1018. The deuyll spede whyt] So again in our author’s Why come ye nat to Courte;

“For as for wytte,

The deuyll spede whitte!”

v. 1013. vol. ii. 58.

Page 258. v. 1020. to] i. e. too (as in the next two lines).

v. 1023. solempne] i. e. solemn.

v. 1027. a pere] i. e. a pear,—used frequently by our early writers for a thing of no value. “Vayne glory of the world, the whiche is not worth a pere.” Morte d’Arthur, B. xv. cap. vi. vol. ii. 254. ed. Southey.

v. 1028. lese] i. e. lose.

v. 1030. And I may tende] i. e. If I may attend.

v. 1032. halfe] i. e. side.

v. 1035. Fansy seruyce] i. e. Fancy-service.

—— hyght] i. e. am called.

v. 1038. theke] i. e. thatch.

v. 1040. Make a wyndmyll of a mat] Compare v. 2 of our author’s third set of verses Against venemous Tongues, vol. i. 132.

v. 1041. and I wyst] i. e. if I knew.

Page 259. v. 1049. blunder] See note on v. 405. p. 241.

—— blother] i. e. gabble; as in our author’s Colyn Cloute, v. 66. vol. i. 313.

v. 1054. this] i. e. thus: see note, p. 86. v. 38.

v. 1055. euerychone] i. e. every one.

v. 1057. fonnysshe] i. e. foolish.

—— I befole thy face] See note on v. 885. p. 250.

v. 1058. a foles case] i. e. a fool’s habit.

v. 1059. glede] i. e. kite. Nares, Gloss. in v., observes that in the common version of the Bible, Deut. xiv. 13, the glede and kite are erroneously mentioned together as two distinct birds.

v. 1061. thy lyppes hange in thyne eye] So in Thenterlude of Youth, n. d.;

“Faine of him I wolde haue a sight

But my lyppes hange in my lyght.”

Sig. A iiii.

See too Heywood’s Dialogue, &c. sig. F 4,—Workes, ed. 1598.

v. 1066. pylde] i. e. bald—mangy: see note, p. 184. v. 68.

v. 1068. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 1069. Mackemurre] A proper name, though not printed as such in the old copy:

“The great Onele, and Makmurre also,

And al the lordes and kynges of Ireland.”

Hardyng’s Chronicle, fol. cxlix. ed. 1543.

v. 1070. budge furre] “Budge or Lambes furre.” Minsheu’s Guide into Tongues. In an order respecting the scholastic habit in the University of Cambridge, dated 1414, (quoted by Todd from Farmer’s papers, in a note on Milton’s Comus, v. 707,) mention is made of “furruris buggeis aut agninis.”

Page 260. v. 1073. thou wylte coughe me a dawe]—dawe, i. e. simpleton; see note, p. 113. v. 301. So in the fourth line after this, “ye shall coughe me a fole:” and in Lilly’s Mother Bombie, 1594; “I know hee will cough for anger that I yeeld not, but he shall cough mee a foole for his labour.” Sig. B 2.

v. 1074. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

v. 1079. can] i. e. know.

v. 1081. broder] i. e. brother.

v. 1082. so hye fro me doth sprynge] i. e. doth (dost) grow so much taller than I.

v. 1088. gere] i. e. apparel.

v. 1089. folysshe] i e. foolish.

v. 1093. flete] i. e. float, flow, abound.

v. 1095. by] i. e. buy.

v. 1096. Cockys harte] i. e. God’s heart: see note on v. 518. p. 243.

v. 1103. syke] i. e. such.

v. 1104. a fole the tone] i. e. a fool the one.

Page 261. v. 1107. warke] i. e. work, business.

v. 1108. donnyshe] i. e. dunnish.

v. 1109. a fonde gest] i. e. a foolish guest.

v. 1111. so folysshe and so fonde] i. e. so foolish and so silly (one of Skelton’s pleonasms).

v. 1118. beshrowe] i. e. curse.

v. 1119. do] i. e. done.

v. 1120. Here is nothynge but the bockyll of a sho] Compare The Bowge of Courte, v. 397. vol. i. 45.

v. 1121. marke] i. e. marks,—the coins so named.

v. 1123. hyght] i. e. is called.

v. 1124. fole] i. e. fool.

v. 1126. a botchment] “Botchement. Additamentum.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

v. 1127. forfende] i. e. prohibit, forbid.

v. 1128. For Goddes cope] So we find as an oath, “By gods blew hood.” Tom Tyler and his Wife, p. 5. ed. 1661.

v. 1131. be tyme] i. e. by time.

v. 1134. praty] i. e. pretty.

v. 1136. Aungey] Does it mean Angers, or Anjou?

Page 262. v. 1142. gate] i. e. got.

v. 1143. puddynges] See note, p. 173. v. 443.

—— wortes] Is here, I suppose, equivalent to—cabbages.

v. 1147. marmosete] A kind of ape, or monkey.

v. 1148. iapes] i. e. jests, jokes.

Page 262. v. 1150. pultre] i. e. poultry, fowl.

—— catell] i. e. beast.

v. 1154. rode] i. e. rood, cross: see note, p. 206. v. 69.

v. 1157. nyfyls] A word sufficiently explained by the context, and of frequent occurrence. So in A Mery Play between Johan the Husbande, Tyb his Wyfe, and Syr Jhan the Preest, 1533, attributed to Heywood;

“By God, I wolde ye had harde the tryfyls,

The toys, the mokkes, the fables, and the nyfyls,

That I made thy husbande to beleve and thynke.”

p. 21. reprint.

v. 1158. canest] i. e. knowest.

v. 1159. mased] i. e. bewildered, confounded.

v. 1165. It forseth not] i. e. It matters not.

v. 1168. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

—— sone] i. e. soon.

Page 263. v. 1172. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 1175. a farle freke] i. e. a strange fellow: see notes, p. 109. v. 187; p. 178. v. 15.

v. 1176. play well at the hoddypeke]—hoddypeke is a common term of contempt or reproach (as in our author’s Why come ye nat to Courte, v. 326. vol. ii. 37), and is generally equivalent to—fool. The original meaning of the word is altogether uncertain. Steevens (note on Gammer Gurtons Nedle) explains it—hodmandod (shell-snail); and Nares (Gloss. in v.) is inclined to agree with him. In a passage of Dunbar’s Dance of the Sevin Deidly Synnis (Poems, i. 51. ed. Laing), “hud-pykis” has been explained (on account of the context)—misers. In Cotgrave’s Dict. is “Noddy peke.”

v. 1182. ne reckys] i. e. recks not.

v. 1185. mo folys] i. e. more fools.

v. 1189. kesteryll] A sort of base-bred hawk.

v. 1190. I wys] i. e. truly, certainly (i-wis, adv.).

—— doteryll] See note, p. 129. v. 409.

v. 1191. In a cote thou can play well the dyser] “Dysoure. Bomolochus. Nugaculus.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. “Dissar a scoffar saigefol.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xxix. (Table of Subst.). “He can play the desarde with a contrefet face properly. Morionem scite representat.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. bb iiii. ed. 1530. “One that were skylled in the crafte of dysours or skoffyng fellowes.” Palsgrave’s Acolastus, 1540. sig. H ii.

v. 1195. gatte] i. e. got.

v. 1200. fon] i. e. fool.

Page 264. v. 1205. do mastryes] See note on v. 151. p. 238.

v. 1206. cocke wat] See note, p. 108. v. 173.

v. 1211. rode] i. e. rood, cross: see note, p. 206. v. 69.

—— semblaunt] i. e. semblance.

v. 1215. lyste] i. e. liest.

v. 1216. moght ... lyste] i. e. moth ... list.

v. 1220. Johnn a Bonam] One of the persons who figure in the old metrical tale, The Hunttyng of the Hare, is called “Jac of Bonam:” see Weber’s Met. Rom. iii. 279.

v. 1223. Shyt] i. e. Shut.

—— dawe] i. e. simpleton; see note, p. 113. v. 301.

Page 265. v. 1230. cayser] See note on v. 796. p. 247.

v. 1232. scoles] i. e. schools,—teaching.

v. 1234. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 1241. renneth] i. e. runneth.

v. 1242. thefte and bryboury]—bryboury, i. e. pilfering. “Brybery or bribe. Manticulum.”—“Briboure. Manticulus.”—“Bryben. Latricino. Manticulo.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. “I Bribe I pull I pyll, Ie bribe. Romant, ie derobbe, ... and ie emble ... He bribeth and he polleth and he gothe to worke: Il bribe,” &c. Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. clxxiiii. (Table of Verbes). “Bribors, Cometh of the French Bribeur, i. e. Mendicus: It seemeth in a legal Signification one that pilfereth other Mens Goods, as Cloaths out of a Window, or the like. Anno 28 Ed. 2. Stat. 1. cap. unico.” Cowel’s Law Dictionary, or The Interpreter, &c. augmented and improved, &c. ed. 1727. So again our author;

“Thefte also and pety brybery.”

v. 1370 of the present drama.

“Some haue a name for thefte and brybery.”

Garlande of Laurell, v. 183. vol. i. 369.

So too in The Hye Way to the Spyttell Hous, by Copland, n. d.;

“Brybe, and conuey, fro mayster and maystres.”

Utterson’s Early Pop. Poet. ii. 37.

and in Gentylnes and Nobylyte, n. d. (attributed without reason to Heywood);

“For brybe and stele euery thyng they wyll

If they may secretly come theruntyll.”

Sig. B iii.

Other passages might be cited from various poets. And see Tyrwhitt’s Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales, and Richardson’s Dict.

v. 1244. a nysot] In Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499 is “Anysot or a folt. Stolidus. Baburrus. Insons.” But in the present passage nysot seems, from the context, to be equivalent to—lazy jade: and in the work just cited we find “Nyce. Iners.”—“Nycehede or nycete. Inercia.”

Page 265. v. 1246. warke] i. e. work.

v. 1247. lyther] i. e. wicked, evil.

v. 1249. Bytwene the tappet and the wall]—tappet, i. e. tapestry. This line has occurred before, in our author’s fourth poem Against Garnesche, v. 75. vol. i. 128.

v. 1252. ony] i. e. any.

v. 1254. sorte] i. e. set, company,—people.

v. 1257. ferre] i. e. far.

Page 266. v. 1258. dawys] i. e. simpletons: see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 1261.

He frownyth fyersly, brymly browde,

The knaue wolde make it koy, and he cowde]

—fyersly and brymly are nearly synonymous: make it koy means here—affect (not merely reserve, but) haughtiness;—and so in our author’s Bowge of Courte,—

“He bote the lyppe, he loked passynge coye.”

v. 288. vol. i. 41.

v. 1265. besy] i. e. busy.

v. 1270. quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 1275. lese moche] i. e. lose much.

v. 1278. mo] i. e. more.

v. 1280. scolys] i. e. schools.

v. 1281. folys] i. e. fools.

v. 1282. lyther] i. e. wicked,—rascals (as in the next line but one—“these lythers”).

v. 1283. Symkyn Tytyuell] See note on Colyn Cloute, v. 418.

v. 1284. lere] i. e. learn.

v. 1289. mykyll] i. e. much.

Page 267. v. 1291. dell] i. e. part.

v. 1293. shroudly] i. e. shrewdly.

v. 1297. fonde] i. e. foolish.

v. 1299. auowe] i. e. vow: see note, p. 109. v. 199.

v. 1301. kynde] i. e. nature.

v. 1303. rutters] See note on v. 757. p. 245.

v. 1308. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

—— boke] i. e. book.

v. 1309. Ye] i. e. Yea.

—— loke] i. e. look.

v. 1312. howe] i. e. ho! stop!

“Ye shall haue ay quhill you cry ho.”

Philotvs, sig. B. ed. 1612.

“Greit God defend I suld be one of tho

Quhilk of thair feid and malice neuer ho.”

G. Douglas’s Palice of Honour, p. 30. Bann. ed.

Page 267. v. 1314. scrat] i. e. scratch.

v. 1315. So how] i. e. So ho.

v. 1317. gadde] Does it mean—gadding?

v. 1318. brayne seke] i. e. brain-sick.

v. 1319. to shyre shakynge nought] i. e. to sheer nothing. So in our author’s Elynour Rummyng, (v. 466. vol. i. 110), that lady pronounces a couple of stunted goslings to be “shyre shakyng nought,” i. e. sheer worthless.

v. 1323. perde] i. e. par dieu, verily.

—— ryde or go] See note, p. 125. v. 186.

Page 268. v. 1324. slyght] i. e. contrivance.

v. 1325. hyght] i. e. be called.

v. 1327. wonne] i. e. dwell.

v. 1334. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 1338. Cockes armes] i. e. God’s arms: see note on v. 518. p. 243.

v. 1339. whylest] i. e. till.

v. 1341. slee] i. e. slay.

v. 1342. away the mare] See note, p. 162. v. 110.

v. 1345. a rome ... in euery route] i. e. a place in every crowd, assembly.

v. 1347. face and brace] See note, p. 216. v. 33.

v. 1348. fotyth] i. e. footeth.

Page 269. v. 1353. poyntmentys] i. e. appointments.

v. 1356. mykyll praty] i. e. much pretty.

v. 1358. an hoby can make larkys to dare]—to dare, i. e. to be terrified, to tremble,—(it also means—to lurk, lie hid; see note on the poem Howe the douty Duke of Albany, &c. v. 271). To dare larks was an expression applied to the catching of larks by terrifying them; and there were several modes of daring them. When the hobby (a small hawk, see note, p. 135. v. 567) was employed for that purpose, the larks lay still in terror till a net was thrown over them.

v. 1360. almesse] i. e. alms.

v. 1363. howe] i. e. ho.

v. 1365. loke] i. e. look.

v. 1368. hardely] i. e. assuredly.

v. 1370. pety brybery] See note on v. 1242. p. 256.

v. 1373. be] i. e. by.

Page 269. v. 1376. trew] i. e. honest.

v. 1378. checke] i. e. taunt: see note on v. 300. p. 240.

v. 1379. weltyth] To welt means—to border: but qy. is weltyth here used for weldyth, i. e. wieldeth, directeth?

v. 1382. sadnesse] i. e. gravity, seriousness, soberness, discreetness.

Page 270. v. 1389. sorte] i. e. set, company.

v. 1390. hokes vnhappy]—hokes, i. e. hooks, a word frequently applied to persons as a term of reproach. “Vnhappy of maners maluays.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xcviii. (Table of Adiect.). So in Jacke Jugelar, n. d.;

“Loo yender cumithe that vnhappye hooke.”

p. 26. Roxb. ed.

and in Heywood’s Dialogue, &c.;

“Since thou art crosse sailde, auale vnhappie hooke.”

Sig. E,—Workes, ed. 1598.

v. 1395. dawe] i. e. simpleton; see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 1396. occupyed] i. e. used, employed; see note, p. 86. v. 52.

v. 1397. reason and skyll] See note on v. 106. p. 238.

v. 1401. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

v. 1405. largesse] i. e. liberality.

v. 1411. Had I wyst] See note, p. 86. v. 40.

Page 271. v. 1416. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 1421. Ye haue eten sauce] Compare our author’s Bowge of Courte, v. 72. vol. i. 33.

v. 1422. to] i. e. too.

v. 1425. worshyp] i. e. honour, dignity.

v. 1436. repryuable] i. e. reprovable.

Page 272. v. 1441. menys of to moche] i. e. means of too much.

v. 1442. What, can ye agree thus and appose?]—and appose, i. e. and yet keep questioning, disputing: see note on Colyn Cloute, v. 267.

v. 1443. faute] i. e. fault.

v. 1444. Ye] i. e. Yea.

—— Jacke a thrommys bybyll] See note, p. 189. v. 204.

—— glose] i. e. gloss.

v. 1446. loke you vnder kay] i. e. lock you under key.

v. 1456. Take it in worthe] See note, p. 95. v. 68.

v. 1458. largesse] i. e. liberality.

—— kynde] i. e. nature.

v. 1467. stonde] i. e. stand.

Page 273. v. 1473. fonde] i. e. foolish.

Page 273. v. 1474. loke that ye occupye] i. e. look that ye use; see note, p. 86. v. 52.

v. 1475. For nowe, syrs, I am lyke as a prynce sholde be, &c.] This speech of Magnyfycence is very much in the style of Herod in the old miracle-plays: see, for instance, the Coventry Mysteries, MS. Cott. Vesp. D. viii. fol. 92. sqq.

v. 1477. abandune] i. e. subject.

“For abandonit will he noght be to berne that is borne.”

Golagros and Gawane, p. 142,—Syr Gawayne, &c.

“Till all to yow abandownyt be.”

Barbour’s Bruce, B. iii. v. 883. ed. Jam.

v. 1481. mene] See note on v. 138. p. 238.

v. 1491. syar] i. e. sire, lord.

v. 1493. ryall trone] i. e. royal throne.

v. 1496. spyll] i. e. destroy.

Page 274. v. 1502. loke] i. e. look.

v. 1504. dynt] i. e. blow.

v. 1505. the cane] Does it mean—the khan?

v. 1507. I set not by] i. e. I value not, regard not.

—— prane] i. e. prawn.

v. 1508. Ne] i. e. Nor.

—— rehersse] i. e. mention.

v. 1513. cache] i. e. couch.

v. 1515. mell] i. e. meddle.

v. 1518. to lowte man be sene] i. e. (if the text be right; see foot-note ad l.) must be seen to bow, pay obeisance.

v. 1520. brymme] i. e. fierce, rugged, bristly.

v. 1521. Basyan the bolde, for all his brybaunce] Basyan is, I suppose, Antoninus Bassianus Caracalla (he is called “Basian” in Robert of Gloucester’s Chron. p. 76. sqq.): brybaunce would seem to mean—plundering (properly, pilfering); see note on v. 1242. p. 256.

v. 1522. Alerycus] i. e. Alaric.

—— the Gothyaunce] i. e. the Goths.

—— swerd] i. e. sword.

v. 1524. maysyd] i. e. bewildered, confounded—stupid.

v. 1525. fole] i. e. fool.

v. 1526. Galba, whom his galantys garde for agaspe] i. e. (I suppose) Galba, whom his gallants (soldiers) made to gasp:—they assassinated him:—see gar in v. 1532.

v. 1527. nother set by] i. e. neither valued, regarded.

v. 1528. Vaspasyan, that bare in his nose a waspe] This passage is explained by the following lines of a poem never printed, entitled The Sege of Jerusalem:

“His fader Vaspasiane ferly bytydde
A byke of waspes bredde in his nose
Hyved vp in his hedde he hadde hem of thoght

And Vaspasiane is called by cause of his waspes.”

MS. Cott. Calig. A. ii. fol. 109.

Page 274. v. 1529. agayne] i. e. against.

Page 275. v. 1531. crake] i. e. vaunt, talk bigly.

v. 1532. I shall frounce them on the foretop] To frounce is—to wrinkle, ruffle up, &c. In our author’s Phyllyp Sparowe, v. 1340. vol. i. 92, Charon is described as having a “frownsid fore top;” and in his Colyn Cloute, v. 533. vol. i. 331, “foretop” means simply—head, pate.

—— gar] i. e. make, cause.

v. 1538. auaunce] i. e. advance.

v. 1539. take it in degre] Seems equivalent here to—“take it in gre” (which occurs in v. 2005), i. e. take it kindly: see note, p. 95. v. 68.

v. 1544. ferre] i. e. far.

v. 1547. supprysed] i. e. overpowered, smitten.

v. 1549. Pullyshyd] i. e. Polished.

—— ornacy] i. e. ornate diction.

v. 1551. electe vtteraunce] i. e. choice expression.

v. 1554. feffyd and seasyd] i. e. enfeoffed and seised,—law-terms.

v. 1556. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

v. 1557. comon] i. e. communing, discourse.

v. 1558. Poynt deuyse] See note on v. 852. p. 248.

Page 276. v. 1561. pore] i. e. poor.

v. 1564. semynge] i. e. beseeming, fitting.

v. 1568. maystresse] i. e. mistress.

v. 1569. That quyckly is enuyued with rudyes of the rose] i. e. That is lively envived with hues, or complexion, of the rose. This somewhat pleonastic expression is found again in our author’s Garlande of Laurell;

“Enuyuid picturis well touchid and quikly.”

v. 1161. vol. i. 408.

v. 1570. Inpurtured] i. e. Portrayed, pictured,—adorned.

v. 1571. The streynes of her vaynes] i. e. The strains, runnings of her veins.

“Rills rising out of euery banck,

In wilde meanders strayne.”

Drayton’s Muses Elizium, p. 2. ed. 1630.

Page 276. v. 1571. as asure inde blewe] See note, p. 101. v. 17.

v. 1573. loke] i. e. look.

—— leyre] i. e. complexion, skin.

v. 1576. lusty] i. e. pleasant, desirable.

v. 1578. to brace and to basse] i. e. to embrace and to kiss.

v. 1579. by hym that hell dyd harowe] i. e. by our Saviour: see note, p. 150. v. 1291.

v. 1580. a Phylyp sparowe] See note, p. 121. v. 7.

v. 1581. whylest my hede dyd warke] i. e. until my head did work, ache. “Hedwerke sekenesse. Cephalia.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. “Wark, to ache.” Hunter’s Hallam. Gloss. “But I may not stonde, myn hede werches soo.” Morte d’Arthur, B. xxi. c. v. vol. ii. 440. ed. Southey.

v. 1582. hobby for suche a lusty larke] See note on v. 1358. p. 258. The same metaphorical use of this expression occurs in our author’s Colyn Cloute, v. 194. vol. i. 318.

v. 1584. my flesshe wolde be wroken]—wroken, i. e. wreaked, satiated.

“Whyles thou art yonge ...

Wreke the with wiueryng, if thou wilt be excused.”

Pierce Plowman, sig. M iii. ed. 1561.

v. 1585. consayte] i. e. conceit, fancy.

v. 1586. weryed I wolde be on] i. e. I would worry, eagerly devour: compare our author’s Phyllyp Sparowe, v. 29. vol. i. 52.

v. 1587. Cockes armes] i. e. God’s arms: see note on v. 518. p. 243.

v. 1588. ony] i. e. any.

v. 1589. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 1590. to be sped] i. e. to be made successful.

Page 277. v. 1592. make suche one to the call] A metaphor from falconry.

v. 1600. a sawte] i. e. an assault.

v. 1601. prece] i. e. press.

v. 1603. sone] i. e. soon.

v. 1604. intreted] i. e. prevailed on by solicitation.

v. 1606. broken] Seems to mean here—tame, assuage.

v. 1610. consayte] i. e. conceit, conception.

v. 1615. it shall not gretely skyll] i. e. it shall not make much difference, it shall not much signify.

Page 278. v. 1620. face it] See note, p. 216. v. 33.

v. 1621. Frete] i. e. Gnaw, fret.

v. 1626. lust and lykynge] See note, p. 98, v. 23.

Page 278. v. 1633. your gorge] i. e. what you have swallowed, the contents of your stomach: see note, p. 207. v. 87.

v. 1636. wambleth] “I Wamble as ones stomake dothe Ie allecte.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cccc. (Table of Verbes). “Nauseo ... to wamble.” Ortus Vocab. fol. ed. W. de Worde, n. d.

v. 1638. wonder] i. e. wondrous.

v. 1640. harte seke] i. e. heart-sick.

—— me lyst] i. e. it pleases me.

v. 1641. coryed] i. e. curried, drubbed.

—— blyst] i. e. wounded,—thumped.

“Your lasy bones I pretende so to blisse,

That you shall haue small luste to prate any more.”

The Triall of Treasure, 1567. sig. A iiii.

v. 1642. loute] i. e. bow, pay obeisance.

Page 279. v. 1652. at the contemplacyon] See note, p. 214, heading of Epitaph.

v. 1653. pore] i. e. poor.

v. 1657. sone] i. e. soon.

v. 1664. rowne] i. e. whisper: see note, p. 120. v. 513.

v. 1671. dyssayued] i. e. deceived.

v. 1673. wete] i. e. know.

v. 1677. I wyll haue hym rehayted and dyspysed] Our early poets frequently use rehete in the sense of—revive, cheer; a meaning foreign to the present passage. In the Towneley Mysteries, we find “rehett” and “rehete,” pp. 143, 198, which the Gloss. explains “to threaten;” qy. if rightly? In some copies of Chaucer’s Troilus and Creseide, B. iii. 350, is “reheting;” of which, says Tyrwhitt (Gloss. to Cant. Tales), “I can make no sense.” In G. Douglas’s Virgil’s Æneidos, B. xiii. p. 467. l. 53. ed. Rudd., and in the Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy, Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 74, 80. ed. Laing, is “rehatoure,” which has been referred to the French rehair: and perhaps rehayted in our text is—re-hated (Skelton afterwards in this piece, v. 2458, has the uncommon word inhateth).

v. 1679. rest] i. e. remain.

Page 280. v. 1682. supplyed] i. e. supplicated.

v. 1687. But for all that he is lyke to haue a glent] Glent is frequently found in the sense of—glance; but its meaning here, as would seem from the context, is—slip, fall: and in our author’s Garlande of Laurell we find,

“Go softly, she sayd, the stones be full glint [i. e. slippery].”

v. 572. vol. i. 384.

Page 280. v. 1688. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 1692. What force ye] i. e. What care ye.

v. 1695. loke] i. e. look.

v. 1698. haftynge] See note, p. 107. v. 138.

v. 1702. woke] i. e. week.

v. 1703. sone] i. e. soon.

v. 1706. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

v. 1709. comonynge] i. e. communing, conversing.

v. 1711. sad] i. e. grave, serious, sober, discreet.

Page 281. v. 1713. doute] i. e. fear.

v. 1715. ony] i. e. any.

v. 1718. be lykelyhod] i. e. by likelihood,—as it appeared.

v. 1719. to fode] i. e. to feed with words,—deceive. So in our author’s Bowge of Courte;

“Than Fauell gan wyth fayre speche me to fede.”

v. 147. vol. i. 36.

v. 1723. reserued] i. e. retained.

v. 1725. set a gnat By] i. e. value at a gnat, care a gnat for.

v. 1738. suche maystryes gan make]—suche maystryes, i. e. such disturbances from the consequence which you assumed: and see note on v. 151. p. 238.

Page 282. v. 1745. lurden] See note on v. 423. p. 242.

v. 1748. haynyarde] A term of reproach which I do not understand: but in our author’s Bowge of Courte, v. 327. vol. i. 42, hayne seems to mean—hind, slave, peasant.

v. 1749. cast] i. e. throw up.

v. 1751. bolle] i. e. bowl.

—— Goddes brede] i. e. God’s bread.

v. 1754. praty] i. e. pretty.

v. 1758. Cockes armes] i. e. God’s arms: see note on v. 518. p. 243.

v. 1759. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 1766. ony] i. e. any.

Page 283. v. 1772. Where as] i. e. Where.

v. 1775. No force] i. e. No matter.

v. 1776. pollynge] i. e. plundering.

v. 1778. parde] i. e. par dieu, verily.

—— largesse] i. e. liberality.

v. 1779. vergesse] i. e. verjuice.

v. 1782. gyse] i. e. guise, fashion.

v. 1786. taken] i. e. committed, consigned.

v. 1802. lowte] i. e. bow, pay obeisance.

Page 284. v. 1813. syth] i. e. since.

v. 1817. acquyte] i. e. requite.

v. 1820. solace] i. e. pleasure.

v. 1821. dyntes] i. e. blows.

v. 1822. Well were] i. e. In good condition were.

v. 1824. halse] }

v. 1825. clepe] }

Both words signify—embrace; with this distinction, that the former means properly—to throw the arms round the neck.

v. 1829. I befole thy brayne pan] i. e. I befool thy skull, head: see note, p. 100. v. 31.

Page 285. v. 1830. By our lakyn] See note on v. 341. p. 240.

v. 1831. My hawke is rammysshe] “Ramage is when a Hawk is wilde, coy, or disdainfull to the man, and contrary to be reclamed.” Latham’s Faulconry (Explan. of Words of Art), 1658.

v. 1833. warne] i. e. prevent.

v. 1835. ronner] i. e. runner.

—— fole] i. e. fool.

v. 1836. iarfawcon] See note, p. 134. v. 557.

v. 1838. ydder] i. e. udder.

v. 1840. slydder] i. e. slippery.

v. 1841. for God auowe] So presently, v. 1851, “I make God auowe:” see note, p. 109. v. 199.

—— chiydder] i. e. shiver.

v. 1842. Thy wordes hange togyder as fethers in the wynde] An expression which occurs again in our author’s Speke, Parrot, v. 295. vol. ii. 14. So too in a comedy (before quoted), The longer thou liuest, the more foole thou art, &c. Newly compiled by W. Wager, n. d.;

“A song much like thauthour of the same,

It hangeth together like fethers in the winde.”

Sig. D ii.

v. 1844. carle] i. e. churl.

v. 1848. a losell lede a lurden] i. e. one good-for-nothing fellow lead another: see note, p. 209. v. 138, and note on v. 423 of the present poem, p. 242.

v. 1849. sowter] i. e. shoemaker, cobbler.

v. 1850. Cockes harte] i. e. God’s heart: see note on v. 518. p. 243.

v. 1853. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

v. 1854. I shall gyue you a gaude of a goslynge that I gaue] Gaud is found in the sense of—jest, trick, toy, &c.: but the line (perhaps corrupted) is beyond my comprehension.

v. 1856. reue] i. e. steward, bailiff.

v. 1858. syke] i. e. such.

Page 285. v. 1859. Sadylgose] i. e. Saddle-goose.

—— Dawcocke] See note, p. 113. v. 301.

Page 286. v. 1860. garre] i. e. make, cause.

v. 1862. bytter] i. e. bittern.

v. 1864. to grame] i. e. to be angry,—or perhaps to grieve; the word being found in both senses.

v. 1865. snyte] i. e. snipe.

v. 1868. loke] i. e. look.

v. 1871. Ye] i. e. Yea.

—— iapes] i. e. jests, jokes.

v. 1876. sone] i. e. soon.

v. 1882. mo] i. e. more.

v. 1886. payntyd] See note, p. 176. v. 583.

v. 1887. demenour] i. e. director: see note, p. 134. v. 553.

Page 287. v. 1891. largesse] i. e. liberality.

v. 1892. fondnesse] i. e. folly.

v. 1896. rode] i. e. rood, cross: see note, p. 206. v. 69.

v. 1898. broder] i. e. brother.

v. 1899. lokys] i. e. looks.

v. 1900. clokys] i. e. claws—clutches; see Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. in v. Cleuck.

v. 1903. quyte] i. e. requite.

v. 1904. velyarde] i. e. old man, dotard.

—— dynt] i. e. blow.

v. 1906. losell] See note, p. 209. v. 138.

v. 1908. hyght] i. e. am called.

v. 1910. rughly] i. e. roughly.

v. 1912. lust] i. e. pleasure, liking.

v. 1913. lurden] See note on v. 423. p. 242.

v. 1915. set by hym a flye] i. e. value him at a fly, care a fly for him.

v. 1916. brace] See note, p. 216. v. 33.

v. 1917. loke] i. e. look.

v. 1918. to] i. e. too.

Page 288. v. 1928. carbuckyls] i. e. carbuncles.

v. 1930. lyppers] i. e. lepers.

v. 1932. Some with the marmoll to halte I them make]—marmoll, i. e. old sore, ulcer, gangrene. “Marmoll a sore lovp.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xlvii. (Table of Subst.). Skelton recollected Chaucer;

“But gret harm was it, as it thoughte me,

That on his shinne a mormal hadde he.”

Prol. to Cant. Tales, v. 387.

on which passage see Tyrwhitt’s note.

Page 288. v. 1934. brennynge] i. e. burning.

v. 1936. walter] i. e. tumble, roll. “I Walter I tumble, Ie me voystre.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cccc. (Table of Verbes).

v. 1939. sle] i. e. slay.

v. 1945. Lydderyns] i. e. Lydder, wicked, persons: so in our author’s Garlande of Laurell, “Some lidderons, some losels,” &c. v. 188. vol. i., 369.

—— set by] i. e. value, regard.

Page 289. v. 1958. franesy] i. e. frensy.

v. 1960. worshyp] i. e. honour, dignity.

v. 1961. fole] i. e. fool.

v. 1962. loke] i. e. look.

v. 1966. sadly] i. e. gravely, seriously, soberly, discreetly.

v. 1967. preposytour] i. e. a scholar appointed by the master to overlook the rest. “I am preposyter of my boke. Duco classem.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. R viii. ed. 1530.

v. 1968. theyr wanton vagys]—vagys, i. e. vagaries, strayings. Richardson in his Dict. gives an example of this substantive (vagues) from Holinshed.

v. 1977. mo] i. e. more.

v. 1979. Howe] i. e. Ho.

v. 1980. lore] i. e. teaching.

v. 1984. vnlykynge] i. e. in poor condition of body. “The strength and lustinesse, or well lykyng of my body.” Palsgrave’s Acolastus, 1540. sig. U iiii. “I am withered,” says Falstaff, “like an old apple-John. Well, I’ll repent, and that suddenly, while I am in some liking.” Shakespeare’s Henry IV. Part i. act iii. sc. 3.

Page 290. v. 1989. enuy] i. e. ill-will, grudge.

v. 1993. golde and fe] See note, p. 234. v. 267.

v. 1995. thought] See note, p. 101. v. 10.

v. 2004. syth] i. e. since.

—— no nother] A not unfrequent form in our early writers,—i. e. none other.

v. 2005. take it in gre] i. e. take it kindly: see note, p. 95, v. 68.

v. 2006. a noble estate] i. e. a person of noble estate or rank.

v. 2014. Ye] i. e. Yea.

Page 291. v. 2026. loke] i. e. look.

v. 2034. cawdels] According to the custom of great persons. So in the ballad of Glasgerion;

“He harped in the kinges chambere,

Where cuppe and caudle stoode.”

Percy’s Rel. of A. E. P., iii. 43. ed. 1794.

Page 291. v. 2035. mamockes] “Mammocks, leavings, wasted fragments.” Forby’s Vocab. of East Anglia.

v. 2037. fayne] i. e. glad.

v. 2038. pomped] In our text at least is equivalent to—pampered.

“The pomped clerkes with foles [fodes] delicous

Erth often fedeth,” &c.

Hawes’s Pastime of Pleasure, sig. B b iiii. ed. 1555.

v. 2040. to be drawe] i. e. to be drawn over, covered.

v. 2042. shertes of Raynes] i. e. shirts made of the delicate species of linen manufactured at Rennes in Brittany.

v. 2044. happed] i. e. covered.

Page 292. v. 2054. sykernesse] i. e. security, sureness.

v. 2061. plete] i. e. plead.

v. 2064. lyther] i. e. bad,—inactive.

v. 2066. leuer] i. e. more willingly.

v. 2070. they rynne to in manus tuas queche]—rynne, i. e. run,—they quickly come to be hanged, when they say In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum.

v. 2072. mary] i. e. by the Virgin Mary.

—— mote] i. e. may.

v. 2073. too] i. e. toe.

v. 2077. rydlesse] In v. 2445 is “redlesse,” which properly means—devoid of counsel: but Skelton seems to use both forms in the sense of—unavailing.

v. 2080. bloo] i. e. livid: see note, p. 103. v. 3.

Page 293. v. 2093. I garde her gaspe, I garde her gle]—garde, i. e. made, caused: gle, i. e., perhaps, squint; see Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. in v. Gley.

v. 2094. daunce on the le] A fragment, it would seem, of some song: le, i. e. lea.

v. 2095. bassed] i. e. kissed.

v. 2096. the bote of all my bale] i. e. the remedy or help of all my evil or sorrow.

“God send every good man bote of his bale.”

Chaucer’s Chanones Yemannes Tale, v. 16949. ed. Tyr.

v. 2097. farre fet] i. e. far-fetched.

v. 2098. louesome] i. e. lovely one.

Page 293. v. 2098. let] i. e. leave, desist.

v. 2100. patlet]—or partlet,—i. e. a sort of ruff, or rather neck-kerchief: see Strutt’s Dress and Habits, &c. ii. 368.

v. 2104. lust and lykynge] See note, p. 98. v. 23.

v. 2106. me lyst] i. e. pleases me.

Page 294. v. 2113. hardely] i. e. assuredly.

v. 2114. to moche] i. e. too much.

v. 2115. not worth an hawe] A common expression in our early poetry;

“Your wo appease which is not worth an haw.”

Lydgate’s Warres of Troy, B. ii. sig. I iiii. ed. 1555.

v. 2116. to free of the dawe] Equivalent, I suppose, to—too much fooling: see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 2117. sad] See note on v. 1966. p. 267.

v. 2121. to to out of harre] See notes on v. 881. p. 249, and v. 921. p. 250.

v. 2123. iettynge] i. e. strutting: see note, p. 94. v. 43.

—— iapes] i. e. jests, jokes.

v. 2124. mowynge] i. e. making mouths, grimacing.

—— iackenapes] i. e. monkey.

v. 2132. brothell] Was formerly applied as a term of reproach to the worthless of either sex:

“Of this daye gladde was many a brothell

That myght haue an ore with Cocke Lorell.”

Cocke Lorelles bote, n. d. sig. C ii.

v. 2135. Cockes armes] i. e. God’s arms: see note on v. 518, p. 243.

v. 2138. lurden] See note on v. 423. p. 242.

v. 2141. largesse] i. e. liberality.

v. 2143. conuenyent] i. e. fit, suitable.

Page 295. v. 2148. poddynge prycke] i. e. skewer that fastens the pudding-bag.

v. 2150. pot sharde] i. e. potsherd.

v. 2151. the spence of a noble] i. e. the expense or spending of a noble,—the gold coin so called.

v. 2152. c. s. i. e. a hundred shillings.

v. 2155. occupyed] Though our author, according to his occasionally pleonastic style, has in the next line but one, “occupyed and vsyd,” the words are synonymous: see note, p. 86. v. 52.

v. 2156. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 2159. retchlesse] i. e. reckless.

Page 285. v. 2162. rynne] i. e. run.

v. 2164. it shall not gretly skyll] See note on v. 1615. p. 262.

v. 2165. spyll] i. e. destroy.

v. 2166. some fall prechynge at the Toure Hyll] So in Thenterlude of Youth, n. d.;

“By our Lady he dyd promote the

To make the preche at the galowe tre.”

Sig. B i.

v. 2168. nother they set by] i. e. neither they value, regard.

v. 2171. lusty to loke on] i. e. pleasant to look on.

v. 2172. nonnes] i. e. nuns.

—— ryn] i. e. run.

v. 2173. Freers] i. e. Friars.

—— fayne] i. e. glad, joyful.

v. 2177. rechate] See note, p. 234. v. 215.

Page 296. v. 2186. brast] i. e. burst.

v. 2187. spewe and cast] One of Skelton’s pleonasms.

v. 2188. gotted ... to thy share]—gotted, i. e. gotten.

v. 2193. ye] i. e. yea.

v. 2194. to wed] i. e. for a pawn, pledge.

v. 2195. a daggeswane] i. e. a rough sort of coverlet. “Dagswayne. Lodex.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. “My bedde is couered with a daggeswayne and a quylte ... gausape ...”—“Some daggeswaynes haue longe thrummes & iagges on bothe sydes: some but on one.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. g iii. ed. 1530.

—— ony] i. e. any.

v. 2196. metely well] “Metely: Moyennement. Assez,” &c. Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccccxliii. (Table of Aduerbes). “He is metely lerned. Mediocriter doctus est.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. R viii. ed. 1530.

v. 2197. dele] i. e. part, bit.

v. 2198. in the deuyls date] See note, p. 116. v. 375.

v. 2201. the messe] i. e. the Mass.

Page 297. v. 2204. hose] i. e. breeches.

v. 2207. skelpe] i. e. slap, strike: see Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang.

v. 2208. loke] i. e. look.

v. 2209. Cockes bones] i. e. God’s bones: see note on v. 518. p. 243.

—— blysse] See note on v. 1641. p. 263.

v. 2210. dynge the deuyll]—dynge, i. e. strike, knock. So again in our author’s poem Howe the douty Duke of Albany, &c.;

“And the deuill downe dynge.”

v. 210. vol. ii. 74.

Compare The Droichis Part of the Play, attributed to Dunbar;

“That dang the devill, and gart him yowle.”

Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 38. ed. Laing.

Page 297. v. 2210. holde] i. e. holden, held.

v. 2211. rede] i. e. advice.

v. 2214. wrynge thy be in a brake] Some cant expression: brake, see note, p. 168. v. 324, and note on Why come ye nat to Courte, v. 980.

v. 2215. dawe] i. e. simpleton: see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 2216. fawchyn] i. e. cut.

v. 2217. cauell] “Kevil, Kephyl, A horse, contemptuously applied to a person, ‘thou girt kevil.’” The Dialect of Craven, &c. Compare Lydgate’s verses, entitled in the Catalogue, Advices for people to keep a guard over their tongues;

“I saugh a kevell corpulent of stature,

Lyk a materas redlyd was his coote,” &c.

MS. Harl. 2255. fol. 132.

v. 2218. iauell] “Iauell. Ioppus.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. Of this common term of contempt (which Skelton uses in other passages) the meaning and etymology are uncertain. Todd (Johnson’s Dict. in v.) explains it “A wandering or dirty fellow;” shews that it is sometimes written jabel; and would derive it from the verb, javel, jable, or jarble, to bemire, to bedew. Nares (Gloss. in v.) refers it to the French javelle, which sometimes means “a faggot of brush-wood or other worthless materials.” The compiler of the Gloss. to The Towneley Mysteries (under Hawvelle) considers it equivalent to—jabberer.

Page 298. v. 2223. iche] i. e. I.

v. 2224. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

v. 2229. all one] i. e. all agreed.

v. 2233. rode] i. e. road, cross: see note, p. 206. v. 69.

v. 2234. blode] i. e. blood.

v. 2235. By our lakyn] See note on v. 341. p. 240.

v. 2242. acomberyd] i. e. encumbered, troubled.

v. 2243. Goddys fote] i. e. God’s foot.

v. 2244. facyd] See note, p. 216. v. 33.

v. 2246. condycyons] See note, p. 183. v. 12.

Page 299. v. 2248. bracyd] See note, p. 216. v. 33.

v. 2249. defaute] i. e. default, defect.

v. 2250. to haute] i. e. too haughty.

v. 2252. pratyer] i. e. prettier.

v. 2258. gardeuyaunce] In a note on Dunbar’s Freir of Tungland, Lord Hailes observes that gardyvians is “literally garde de viande, or cupboard; but there it implies his cabinet;” and Mr. D. Laing adds, “rather, a portable cabinet.” Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 243. Skelton appears to use the word in the sense of—trunk: and Palsgrave has “Gardeuyans bahus.” Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xxxv. (Table of Subst.)

Page 299. v. 2259. bowget] i. e. budget.

v. 2260. male] i. e. bag, wallet.

v. 2262. Your trymynge and tramynge by me must be tangyd] The reader will hardly expect that I should attempt any precise explanation of this line.

v. 2264. When we with Magnyfycence goodys made cheuysaunce]—cheuysaunce, i. e. booty: see note, p. 107. v. 100. Compare Gower;

“Right as a thefe maketh his cheuesance,

And robbeth mens gooddes aboute,” &c.

Conf. Am. B. v. fol. cxvi. ed. 1554.

v. 2265. wengaunce] i. e. vengeance.

v. 2266. banne and wary] “I warrye, I banne or curse, Ie mauldis.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cccci. (Table of Verbes). Barclay is even more pleonastic than Skelton;

“And your vnkindnes weray, ban and curse.”

The Ship of Fooles, fol. 22. ed. 1570.

v. 2268. Cockys bonys] i. e. God’s bones; see note on v. 518. p. 243.

v. 2270. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 2275. gaure] i. e. stare: see Tyrwhitt’s Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales. Yet Palsgrave has “I Gaure I krye, Ie hue. Howe he gaureth after his hauke: Cōment il heue apres son oyseau.” Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccxliiii. (Table of Verbes).

Page 300. v. 2276. yll hayle] See note, p. 176. v. 617.

v. 2283. the gowte and the gyn] If gyn means (as the context seems to prove) some bodily ailment, I know not what it is.

v. 2287. murre] i. e. severe cold with hoarseness.

—— pose] i. e. rheum in the head.

v. 2288. requiem æternam groweth forth of his nose] Heywood has a similar expression;

“Hunger droppeth euen out of both their noses.”

Dialogue, &c. sig. D 4.—Workes, ed. 1598.

And Cotgrave; “Chishe-face ... one out of whose nose hunger drops.” Dict.

v. 2291. the halfe strete] On the Bank-side, Southwark,—where the stews were: it is mentioned in the following curious passage of Cocke Lorelles bote, n. d. (where the “wynde fro wynchester” alludes to the temporary suppression of the Southwark stews at the intercession of the Bishop of Winchester);

“Syr this pardon is newe founde
By syde London brydge in a holy grounde
Late called the stewes banke
Ye knowe well all that there was
Some relygyous women in that place
To whome men offred many a franke
And bycause they were so kynde and lyberall
A merueylous auenture there is be fall
Yf ye lyst to here how
There came suche a wynde fro wynchester
That blewe these women ouer the ryuer
In wherye as I wyll you tell
Some at saynt Kateryns stroke a grounde
And many in holborne were founde
Some at saynt Gyles I trowe
Also in aue maria aly and at westmenster
And some in shordyche drewe theder
With grete lamentacyon
And by cause they haue lost that fayre place
They wyll bylde at colman hedge in space
Another noble mansyon
Fayrer and euer the halfe strete was
For euery house newe paued is with gras
Shall be full of fayre floures
The walles shall be of hauthorne I wote well
And hanged wᵗ whyte motly yᵗ swete doth smell
Grene shall be the coloures
And as for this olde place these wenches holy

They wyll not haue it called the stewys for foly

But maketh it strabery banke.”

Sig. B iv.

Page 300. v. 2293. motton] Long after Skelton’s time, as the readers of our early dramatists will recollect, mutton was a favourite cant term for a prostitute.

v. 2294. Ye ... to] i. e. Yea ... too.

v. 2295. queysy mete] “Quaisy as meate or drike is, dangereux.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xciii. (Table of Adiect.). Compare Jyl of Braintfords Testament, n. d.;

“I pray you fil you not to much of the mutton

I promise you that it is very queisy.”

Sig. A.

Page 300. v. 2297. In fay] i. e. In faith.

—— froty] Is frequently, as here, used by our early writers for—forty.

v. 2303. at all assayes] See note on v. 433. p. 242.

Page 301. v. 2311. sleeth] i. e. slayeth.

v. 2315. bronde] i. e. brand.

v. 2316. stonde] i. e. stand.

v. 2319. lewdly] i. e. vilely, basely (but here it seems to be used as an adjective).

v. 2320. to] i. e. too.

v. 2322. fer] i. e. far.

v. 2324. loke] i. e. look.

v. 2330. agayne] i. e. against.

Page 302. v. 2332. wyte] i. e. blame.

v. 2333. rede] i. e. counsel.

v. 2335. Ye] i. e. Yea.

—— ryd thy selfe] i. e. set free thyself,—despatch thyself.

v. 2336. to] i. e. too.

v. 2340. honge] i. e. hang.

v. 2342. tonge] i. e. thong.

v. 2343. throte bole] i. e. throat-bowl,—protuberance of the throat. “Throte gole or throte bole, neu de la gorge, gosier.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxx. (Table of Subst.). In Ortus Vocab. fol. ed. W. de Worde, n. d. is “Epiglotum, a throte bolle.”—“It is not impossible,” says Warton, alluding to this passage, “that Despare [Myschefe] offering the knife and the halter, might give a distant hint to Spenser.” Hist. of E. P. (Em. and Ad. to p. 363 of vol. ii.) ed. 4to. See The Faerie Queene, i. ix. 50.

—— slee] i. e. slay.

v. 2351. to] i. e. too.

v. 2352. Out, harowe]—harowe (variously spelt) is common in our early poetry as an exclamation of alarm or sudden distress, or an outcry for help. “Interiectyons of outkrye: Haro. as Haro alarme trahy trahy.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530, last folio. On the origin of the word see Du Cange’s Gloss. in vv. Haro, Haroep; Tyrwhitt’s note on v. 3286 of Chaucer’s Cant. Tales; Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. in v. Harro; and Roquefort’s Gloss. to La Lang. Rom. in v. Harau.

—— hyll] i. e. hell.

v. 2353. combred] i. e. encumbered, troubled.

v. 2354. sloo] i. e. slay.

—— nature and kynde] A pleonastic expression.

Page 303. v. 2357. sautes] i. e. assaults.

v. 2361. soner] i. e. sooner.

v. 2362. luge] i. e. (I suppose) lodge, abode.

v. 2365. wanhope] i. e. want of hope,—despair. “Desperatio. wanhope.” Ortus Vocab. fol. ed. W. de Worde, n. d. “Wanhope desespoir.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxxiii. (Table of Subst.). In some of our early writers, however, we find a distinction made between wanhope and despair.

v. 2370. dysease] i. e. uneasiness, pain.

v. 2373. ony] i. e. any.

v. 2375. ne] i. e. nor.

v. 2383. lectuary] i. e. electuary.

v. 2387. gommes goostly] i. e. gums ghostly, spiritual.

—— herte] i. e. heart.

v. 2388. To thanke God of his sonde]—his sonde, i. e. his sending,—his providential dispensation.

Page 304. v. 2392. fote] i. e. foot.

v. 2394. mode] i. e. mood.

v. 2398. dyscryue] Signifies—describe; but in the present passage it would seem to mean—discover, search, try.

v. 2406. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 2411. sone] i. e. soon.

Page 305. v. 2430. apayed] i. e. satisfied, pleased.

v. 2433. abylyment] i. e. habiliment.

v. 2434. aduysement] i. e. consideration, heed.

v. 2435. confyrmable] i. e. conformable.

v. 2444. to] i. e. too.

v. 2445. redlesse] See note on v. 2077. p. 268.

v. 2449. to accompte you the contynewe of my consayte] i. e. to tell you the continuation, the rest, of my conceit, conception.

Page 306. v. 2455. sad] See note on v. 1711. p. 264.

v. 2457. that is no nay] i. e. that is not to be denied.

v. 2458. inhateth] Skelton’s fondness for compound words has been already noticed (see note, p. 105. v. 31); and here most probably inhateth was not intended to convey a stronger meaning than—hateth.

—— rennynge] i. e. running.

v. 2460. ne can] i. e. can not.

v. 2465. largesse] i. e. liberality.

v. 2467. thorowly ingrosed] i. e. (as the context would seem to shew) fully written out.

v. 2468. Pountes] i. e. Pontoise.

Page 306. v. 2469. hyght] i. e. is called.

v. 2474. to] i. e. too.

Page 307. v. 2479. ouerthrow] i. e. overthrown.

v. 2481. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 2485. hafters] See note, p. 107. v. 138.

—— forfende] i. e. forbid, prohibit.

v. 2493. sentence] i. e. meaning.

v. 2494. corage] i. e. heart, affection.

—— flyt] i. e. remove.

v. 2499. worshyp] i. e. honour, dignity.

v. 2500. sadnesse] See note on v. 1382. p. 259.

Page 308. v. 2503. I wyll refrayne you ferther, or we flyt] i. e. I will question you farther before we remove (refrayne being here, it would seem, according to Skelton’s use of such compounds, equivalent to the simple, and not uncommon word,—frayne).

v. 2506. processe] i. e. relation, discourse: see notes, p. 143. v. 735. p. 146. v. 969. p. 194. v. 157, &c.

v. 2507. Syth] i. e. Since.

—— erectyd] See note on v. 95. p. 237.

v. 2508. aforse me] i. e. exert myself, do my endeavour.

v. 2510. warkys] i. e. works.

v. 2513. largesse] i. e. liberality.

—— to] i. e. too.

v. 2517. the nygarde nor the chyncherde] Synonymous terms. “Chynche or chynchare. Preparcus.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

v. 2518. negarship] i. e. niggardship.

v. 2522. fumously adresse you with magnanymyte] i. e. hotly, vigorously provide, furnish yourself with, &c.

v. 2525. affyaunce] i. e. trust.

v. 2534. this processe] i. e. this drama of Magnyfycence: (so presently, “this interlude” v. 2548, “this treatyse” v. 2562, “this mater” v. 2576:) see note on v. 2506, above.

Page 309. v. 2539. seke[r]nesse] i. e. security, sureness.

v. 2541. lawe] i. e. low; as in v. 190.

v. 2544. leue] i. e. willing.

v. 2550. auaunsyd] i. e. advanced.

v. 2557. lacke] i. e. fault, blame.

v. 2563. comberyd] i. e. encumbered, troubled.

Page 310. v. 2573. maysterfest] i. e. master-fast.

v. 2577. Precely purposyd vnder pretence of play]—Precely, i. e. Pressly, seems to mean here—seriously (rather than—expressly).

Page 310. v. 2583. the terestre rechery] If “rechery” be the right reading, I know not what it means. Qy. “trechery?” as before, v. 2046,

“Fye on this worlde, full of trechery.”

—— flode] i. e. flood.

v. 2585. Ensordyd] Could only, I presume, mean—defiled: but qy., as the context seems to require, “Ensorbyd,” i. e. sucked in, swallowed?

—— wawys] i. e. waves.

—— wode] i. e. mad, raging.

v. 2586. brast] i. e. burst,—break.

v. 2588. hym] Must be an error of the press for “hymselfe;” compare v. 2581.

v. 2590. syttynge] i. e. proper, becoming.

v. 2591. ryalte] i. e. royalty.

v. 2593. indeuer] i. e. endure, continue, dwell.

COLYN CLOUTE.

This powerful and original poem must have been circulated in MS., probably for a considerable time, before it was given to the press; for from a passage towards the conclusion, v. 1239, we learn that those against whom its satire was directed would not “suffer it to be printed.” In Colyn Cloute Skelton appears to have commenced his attacks on Wolsey.

“I could never conceive, Mr. Warton, to what Drayton alludes, in the preface to his Eclogues, where he says, that ‘the Colin Clout of Scogan, under Henry the seventh, is pretty.’ He is speaking of pastoral poetry; and adds, that ‘Barklays ship of fools hath twenty wiser in it.’ You somewhere say [Hist. of E. P. iii. 76, note, ed. 4to], ‘he must mean Skelton;’ but what PASTORAL did HE write?” Ritson’s Obs. on Warton’s Hist. of E. P., p. 20 (note); see too his Bibl. Poet., p. 99. I believe that Drayton did mean Skelton. Colyn Cloute is surely as much a pastoral as Barclay’s Ship of Fooles,—as much perhaps as even Barclay’s Egloges.

—— Quis consurget mecum, &c.] Vulg. Psal. xciii. 16, where “Quis consurget mihi,” &c.

—— Nemo, Domine] Id. Joan. viii. 11.

Page 311. v. 1.

What can it auayle

To dryue forth a snayle]

So in Gentylnes and Nobylyte, n. d. (attributed without grounds to Heywood);

“In effect it shall no more auayle

Than with a whyp to dryfe a snayle.”

Sig. C ii.

Page 311. v. 9. bokes] i. e. books.

Page 312. v. 20. He pryeth and he peketh] See note, p. 244. v. 667. So Gascoigne;

“That other pries and peekes in euerie place.”

The Steele Glasse, fol. 301,—Workes, ed. 1587.

v. 28. fole] i. e. fool.

v. 29. scole] i. e. school.

v. 30. a thre foted stole] i. e. a three-footed stool.

v. 36. The deuyll, they say, is dede] Heywood has six Epigrams on this proverbial expression,—Workes, sig. N 2. ed. 1598. Ray gives, “Heigh ho, the Devil is dead.” Proverbs, p. 55. ed. 1768.

Page 313, v. 51. connyng bagge] i. e. bag, store, of knowledge or learning.

v. 52. hagge] See note, p. 99. v. 19.

v. 53. though my ryme be ragged] So Sir D. Lyndsay; “my rural raggit vers.” Prol. to Monarchie,—Works, ii. 330. ed. Chalmers; and Spenser, “My ragged rimes.” F. Queene, i. xii. 23.

v. 54. iagged] See note, p. 163. v. 124.

v. 56. moughte eaten] i. e. moth-eaten.

v. 66. blother] i. e. gabble.

v. 67. The tone agayng] i. e. The one against.

v. 68. shoder] i. e. shudder.

v. 69. hoder moder] i. e. hugger-mugger.

Page 314. v. 70. faute] i. e. fault.

v. 71. ben so haut] i. e. be so haughty.

v. 72. loke] i. e. look.

v. 77. sely] i. e. silly, simple, harmless.

v. 79. wull] i. e. wool.

v. 80. Vnethes] i. e. Scarcely.

v. 82. connynge] i. e. knowledge, learning.

v. 83, A glommynge] i. e. A glumming, a looking gloomy, sour.

—— a mummynge] Compare our author elsewhere;

“Men of suche maters make but a mummynge.”

Garlande of Laurell, v. 200. vol. i. 370.

“Thhere was amonge them no worde then but mum.”

Id. v. 1118. p. 406.

“But play scylens and glum,

Can say nothynge but mum.”

v. 906 of the present poem.

v. 84. iape] i. e. jest, joke.

v. 87. hole] i. e. whole.

Page 314. v. 89. the forked cap] i. e. the mitre.

“No wise man is desirous to obtayne

The forked cappe without he worthy be.”

Barclay’s Ship of Fooles, fol. 236. ed. 1570.

v. 90. to lewd] i. e. too wicked, vile.

v. 91. all beshrewd] i. e. altogether cursed.

v. 99. For other mennes skyll]—skyll, i. e. reason: the line seems to mean—Notwithstanding other men’s reasons.

Page 315. v. 107. solfa so alamyre]—alamire is the lowest note but one in Guido Aretine’s scale of music: Gayton, in his Notes upon Don Quixote, 1654, says (metaphorically) that Maritornes “plaid her part so wel, that she run through all the keyes from A-la-mi-re to double Gammut,” &c. p. 83.

v. 108. premenyre] i. e. præmunire.

v. 115. heedes] i. e. heads.

v. 119. warke] i. e. work.

Page 316. v. 137.

A great parte is for slouth,
But the greattest parte
Is for they haue but small arte
And ryght sklender connyng
Within theyr heedes wonnyng]

—— sklender connyng, i. e. slender knowledge, learning: wonnyng, i. e. dwelling. The meaning of the passage is—a great part of this is owing to their laziness, but it is chiefly to be attributed to their ignorance, &c.

Page 317. v. 151. werkes] i. e. works.

v. 152. Ure] i. e. Urias.

v. 154. werryn] i. e. hinder, ward off.

v. 159. heery] i. e. hairy.

v. 160. Set nought by] i. e. Value not.

—— ne] i. e. nor.

v. 162. mell] i. e. meddle.

v. 163.

loth to hang the bell

Aboute the cattes necke]

So Heywood;

“And I will hang the bell about the cats necke:

For I will first breake and ieoperd the first checke.”

Dialogue, &c. sig. D 3,—Workes, ed. 1598.

See Pierce Plowman, where one of the rats proposes that a bell should be hung about the cat’s neck. Sig. A iii. ed. 1561; and Ray’s Proverbs, p. 85. ed. 1768.

Page 317. v. 166. to play deuz decke] An allusion, I suppose, to some game.

v. 167. for the becke] i. e. to obey the nod of command.

v. 169. Moche herted] i. e. Much hearted.

v. 178. combred] i. e. encumbered.

Page 318. v. 181. Sho the mockysshe mare] So in our author’s Why come ye nat to Courte;

“And Mocke hath lost her shoo.”

v. 83. vol. ii. 29.

v. 182. wynche and keke] i. e. wince and kick.

v. 183. not worth a leke] An expression not uncommon in our early poetry:

“No fallow wourth ane leik.”

G. Douglas’s King Hart,—Pinkerton’s An. Scot. Poems from Maitl. MSS. i. 42.

“Such loue I preise not at a leke.”

Chaucer’s Rom. of the Rose, fol. 130,—Workes, ed. 1602.

v. 190.

Amende whan ye may,
For, usque ad montem Sare,
Men say ye can not appare]

—appare, i. e. impair. The meaning of this passage,—in which (as I have already noted ad loc.) it seems probable from a comparison of the MS. and the printed copies, that Skelton used the forms “Seire” and “appeire,”—is—Amend when ye may, for it is said by every body, even as far as Mount Seir, that ye cannot be worse than ye are. The Latin words are a quotation from the Vulgate: “Et circuit de Baala contra occidentem, usque ad montem Seir.” Josue, xv. 10.

v. 194. hauke on hobby larkes] See notes, p. 258. v. 1358. p. 262. v. 1582.

v. 195. warkes] i. e. works.

v. 198. The gray gose for to sho] Hoccleve uses this proverbial expression;

“Ye medle of al thyng, ye moot shoo the goos.”

Poems, p. 13. ed. 1796.

and Heywood has the following Epigram;

“Of common medlers.

”He that medleth with all thing, may shoe the gosling.

If all such medlers were set to goose shoing,

No goose need go barefoote betweene this and Greece,

For so we should haue as many goose shoers as geese.”

Sig. P 2,—Workes, ed. 1598.

See also Davies’s Scourge of Follie (Prouerbs), n. d. p. 175.

Page 319. v. 209. pranes] i. e. prawns.

v. 211. werynge] i. e. wearing.

v. 213. ne peason] i. e. nor peas.

v. 214. loke to be let lose] i. e. look to be let loose.

v. 215. gose] i. e. goose.

v. 216.

Your gorge not endewed

Without a capon, &c.]

Equivalent to—You not digesting any thing except, &c.: see notes, p. 207. v. 78. and v. 87.

v. 218. a stewed cocke] Compare the following passage in the Interlude of the iiii Elementes, n. d.;

“Tauerner. Though all capons be gone what than
yet I can get you a stewed hen

That is redy dyght.

Humanyte. yf she be fat yt wyll do well.

Tauerner. Fat or lene I cannot tell
But as for this I wot well
She lay at the stewes all nyght.”

Sig. B. vi.

v. 219.

To knowe whate ys a clocke

Vnder her surfled [MS. surfuld] smocke]

Compare Heywood’s Dialogue, &c.;

“Howbeit suddenly she minded on a day,

To pick the chest locke, wherein this bagge lay:

...

But streight as she had forthwith opened the locke,

And look’t in the bagge, what it was a clocke,” &c.

Sig. K 3,—Workes, ed. 1598.

In our author’s Garlande of Laurell we find,

“With burris rowth and bottons surffillyng [MS. surfullinge].”

v. 803. vol. i. 394.

which is cited (Dict. in v. Surfel) by Richardson, who, after quoting from Gifford that “To surphule or surfel the cheeks, is to wash them with mercurial or sulphur water,” &c., adds that Gifford’s “explanation does not extend to the passage from Skelton.” The fact seems to be that Skelton uses surfle for purfle, i. e. border, embroider: and I may notice that Brathwait, on the other hand, seems to employ purfle for surfle;

“With painting, purfling, and a face of Art.”

A Strappado for the Diuell, 1615. p. 150.

Page 319. v. 222.

And howe whan ye gyue orders
In your prouinciall borders,
As at Sitientes, &c.]

Sitientes is the first word of the Introit of the Mass for Passion Sunday (“Sitientes, venite ad aquas, dicit Dominus,” &c., Isaiah lv. 1). For this note I am indebted to W. Dyce, Esq., who further observes that Sitientes Saturday was of old, and is now abroad, the Saturday before Passion Sunday.

Page 320. v. 233. renne they in euery stede] i. e. run they in every place.

v. 234. nolles] i. e. heads.

v. 239. Pystle] i. e. Epistle.

v. 243. prymes and houres] i. e. the devotions so named.

v. 248. vagabundus] i. e. vagabonds.

v. 251. ale stake] i. e. stake set up before an ale-house by way of sign.

v. 252. welcome hake and make] An expression which I have not elsewhere met with. Ray gives among North Country words, “To hake, To sneak, or loiter:” in Hunter’s Hallam. Gloss. is “A haking fellow, an idle loiterer;” and in a song cited by Mr. J. P. Collier (Hist. of Engl. Dram. Poet., ii. 472) from a MS. drama called Misogonus by T. Richards, we find,—

“With Bes and Nell we love to dwell

In kissinge and in hakinge.”

—make is common in the sense of—mate, companion.

Page 321. v. 262. stylla] i. e. still.

v. 263. wylla] i. e. will.

v. 264. pekes] See note, p. 129. v. 409.

v. 266. faute] i. e. fault.

v. 267. apposed] i. e. questioned, examined. “He was apposed, or examyned of his byleue. De religione appellatus est.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. D ii. ed. 1530.

v. 269. connyng] i. e. knowledge, learning.

Page 322. v. 284. Tom a thrum] See note, p. 189. v. 204.

v. 293.

There shall no clergy appose
A myter nor a crose,
But a full purse]—clergy, i. e. erudition.

“Androgeus by kyng Mynos was sent,
For he should profite in cleargy,
To Athens.”

Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, B. I. leaf xii. ed. Wayland.

—appose seems to be used in a different sense from that in which we have just had it (v. 267), and to be equivalent to—procure: crose, i. e. crosier.

Page 322. v. 299. a hermoniake] A term I am unable to explain.

v. 303. Ouer] i. e. Besides.

—— the foresayd laye] i. e. the above-mentioned laity.

v. 305. anker] i. e. anchorite.

v. 310.

To ryde vpon a mule

With golde all betrapped]

Perhaps, as Warton thinks (note on Hist. of E. P., ii. 347. ed. 4to), an allusion to Wolsey: afterwards in this poem, the Cardinal appears to be pointed at more plainly.

Page 323. v. 312. purple and paule] An expression which frequently occurs, more particularly in ballad-poetry (considered by Percy and others as equivalent to—purple robe): paule, i. e. pall, rich or fine cloth.

v. 316. Raynes] See note, p. 268. v. 2042.

v. 317. morowes mylke] i. e. morning’s milk.

v. 318. tabertes] Tabards,—jackets or coats, without sleeves, close before and behind, and open at the sides, are still worn by heralds: but those mentioned in the text were longer,—a sort of riding-cloaks. “Tabard a garmêt mâteau.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxviii. (Table of Subst.). And see Du Cange’s Gloss. in v. Tabartum; Roquefort’s Gloss. in v. Tabar; and Strutt’s Dress and Habits, &c. ii. 301.

v. 319. Theyr styrops of myxt gold begared]—begared, or begarded, means—faced, bordered,—adorned. The line, I suspect, (see various readings ad l.) ought to stand,—

“Theyr styrops with gold begared.”

v. 321. moyles] i. e. mules.

v. 323.

What care they though Gil sweate,

Or Jacke of the Noke]

So afterwards, v. 857, the same terms are used to signify the labouring poor of both sexes. Jacke of the Noke, i. e. (I suppose) Jack of the Nook: see “Nocata terræ” in Cowel’s Law Dictionary, &c. ed. 1727.

v. 325. pore] i. e. poor.

v. 331. farly] i. e. strange.

v. 332. iangle] i. e. babble, chatter.

v. 335. all to-mangle] See note, p. 100. v. 32.

Page 324. v. 337. ascrye] i. e. call out against: see notes, p. 145. v. 903. p. 152. v. 1358.

v. 341. Ware] i. e. Were. (MS. “Was:” see note ad loc.)

v. 342. Poules] i. e. Paul’s.

Page 324. v. 346. trones] i. e. thrones.

v. 347. Lyke prynces aquilonis] i. e. Like so many Lucifers.

v. 352. For prestes and for lones]—prestes, i. e. sums in advance. “Prest and loan,” Sir H. Nicolas observes to me, “seem to have been used in nearly, if not precisely, the same sense in the 16th century. Perhaps, strictly, prest meant a compulsory advance. In fiscal records it has much the meaning of charge or imprest.”

v. 356. tonge tayde] i. e. tongue-tied.

v. 360. shrewd] i. e. evil.

v. 362. poollynge] i. e. polling, plundering.

Page 325. v. 365. Ye make monkes to haue the culerage, &c.] A passage which I do not understand: but culerage perhaps has here the meaning which it conveys as the name of an herb, “Arse-smart. Cul-rage.” Cotgrave’s Dict.

v. 373. ouerthwarted] Has been explained before (p. 211. v. 230)—cavilled, wrangled: but here it seems to mean—crossly, perversely opposed or controlled.

v. 376. fayne] i. e. glad.

v. 379. corum] i. e. quorum.

v. 388. apostataas] See note, p. 212. v. 290.

Page 326. v. 391. sely nonnes] i. e. silly, simple, harmless nuns.

v. 392. ronnes] i. e. runs.

v. 396. quere] i. e. quire.

v. 397. heuy chere] “Heavy chear, Tristitia, Mœstitia.” Cole’s Dict.

v. 399. fucke sayles] So in a copy of verses attributed to Dunbar;

“The dust upskaillis, mony fillok wiih fuk saillis.”

Poems, ii. 27. ed. Laing.

and in another by Sir R. Maitland;

“Of fynest camroche thair fuk saillis.”

Anc. Scot. Poems from Maitland MSS., ii. 326. ed. Pink.

Focke, a foresail, German. In the Expenses of Sir John Howard, first Duke of Norfolk, we find, “Item, the same day my mastyr paid to the said Clayson, for a fuk maste for the said kervelle, iijs. iiijd.” Manners and Household Expenses of England, &c., p. 206. ed. Roxb.

v. 401. shales] See note, p. 97. v. 19.

v. 403. The lay fee people] i. e. the laity: see note, p. 234. v. 267.

v. 404. fawte] i. e. fault.

v. 409. Boke and chalys] i. e. Book and chalice.

Page 327. v. 417. melles] i. e. meddles.

v. 418. tytyuelles] This word occurs not unfrequently, and with some variety of spelling, in our early writers. So Lydgate;

“Tytyuylles tyrauntes with tormentoures.”

Le Assemble de dyeus, sig. c i. n. d. 4to.

and Heywood;

“There is no moe such titifyls in Englandes ground,

To hold with the hare, and run with the hound.”

Dialogue, &c. sig. C,—Workes, ed. 1598.

Some have considered the word as derived from the Latin, titivilitium, a thing of no worth. Jamieson “suspects that it is a personal designation,” Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. in v. Tutivillaris. In Juditium, Towneley Mysteries, p. 310, Tutivillus is a fiend; and in the Moral Play of Mankind he represents the sin of the flesh, Hist. of Engl. Dram. Poet., ii. 297, by Mr. J.P. Collier, who says (ii. 223) that “the name afterwards came to mean any person with evil propensities,” and refers to the comedy of Rauf Royster Doyster, Skelton’s Works, and the Enterlude of Thersytes: when he objected to the derivation of the word from titivilitium and proposed “the more simple etymology, totus and vilis,” he was probably not aware that some writers (wrongly) “totivillitium volunt, quasi totum vile:” see Gronovius’s note on the Casina of Plautus, ii. 5, 39. ed. Var.

Page 327. v. 421. Of an abbay ye make a graunge] A proverbial expression.

“Our changes are soch that an abbeye turneth to a graunge.”

Bale’s Kynge Iohan, p. 23. Camd. ed.

“To bring an Abbey to a Grange.” Ray’s Proverbs, p. 174. ed. 1768.

v. 424. beade rolles] i. e. prayers,—properly, lists of those to be prayed for.

v. 429.

But where theyr soules dwell,

Therwith I wyll not mell]

—mell, i. e. meddle. So Dunbar;

“Now with thair sawle we will nocht mell.”

Poems, ii. 52. ed. Laing.

v. 434. reporte me] i. e. refer.

v. 440. the lay fee] i. e. the laity: see note, p. 234. v. 267.

Page 328. v. 447.

splendore

Fulgurantis hastæ]

From the Vulgate. “Ibunt in splendore fulgurantis hastæ tuæ.” Habac. iii. 11. “Et micantis gladii, et fulgurantis hastæ.” Nahum, iii. 3.

v. 456. eysell] i. e. vinegar.

v. 458. ypocras] Was a favourite medicated drink, composed of wine (usually red), with spices and sugar. It is generally supposed to have been so named from Hippocrates (often contracted, as in our author’s Garlande of Laurell, v. 1426. vol. i. 417, to “Ipocras”); perhaps because it was strained,—the woollen bag used by apothecaries to strain syrups and decoctions for clarification being termed Hippocrates’s sleeve.

Page 328. v. 459. Let the cat wynke] See note, p. 168. v. 305.

v. 460. Iche wot] Seems to mean here—Each knows (not, I know); and therefore in the remainder of the line the reading of Kele’s ed., “yche,” ought not to have been rejected.

v. 467. theologys] i. e. theologians.

v. 468. astrologys] i. e. astrologers.

Page 329. v. 469. Ptholome] See note, p. 133. v. 503.

v. 474. pretendynge] Equivalent to—portending.

“What misfortune, aduersitie, or blame,

Can all the planets to man or childe pretende,

If God most glorious by his might vs defende?”

Barclay’s Ship of Fooles, fol. 129. ed. 1570.

Here Skelton seems to allude to Wolsey; and from these lines (called in the Lansdown MS., see note ad loc., “The profecy of Skelton”) perhaps originated the story of our poet having prophesied the downfal of the Cardinal.

v. 476. trone] i. e. throne.

v. 479. euerychone] i. e. every one.

Page 330. v. 489. bruted] i. e. reported, talked of.

v. 492. wrest vp] i. e. screw up: see note, p. 238. v. 137.

v. 493. twynkyng] i. e. tinking, tinkling.

v. 498. the lay fee] i. e. the laity: see note, p. 234. v. 267.

v. 504. to] i. e. too.

v. 515. depraue] i. e. vilify, defame.

Page 331. v. 523. resydeuacyon] i. e. recidivation, backsliding.

v. 528. ipostacis] i. e. hypostasis.

v. 533. fore top] i. e. (as the context shews) simply,—head, pate.

v. 535. knowe and ken] A pleonasm,—unless ken be explained—see.

v. 542.

And some haue a smacke

Of Luthers sacke]

Concerning the wine called sack (about which so much has been written) see Henderson’s Hist. of Anc. and Mod. Wines, p. 298.

v. 544. brennyng] i. e. burning.

v. 545. warke] i. e. work.

Page 332. v. 549. carpe] i. e. talk, prate.

v. 551. Called Wicleuista] From Wicliffe.

v. 553. Hussyans] i. e. followers of Huss.

v. 554. Arryans] i. e. followers of Arius.

v. 555. Pollegians] i. e. Pelagians,—followers of Pelagius.

v. 559. to mykel] i. e. too much.

Page 332. v. 564. tryalytes] i. e. three benefices united.

v. 565. tot quottes] So Barclay;

“Then yf this lorde haue in him fauour, he hath hope

To haue another benefyce of greater dignitie,
And so maketh a false suggestion to the pope
For a tot quot, or els a pluralitie.”

Ship of Fooles, fol. 60. ed. 1570.

Page 333. v. 572. persons and vycaryes] i. e. parsons and vicars.

v. 576. loselles] See note, p. 209. v. 138.

v. 577. lewdely] i. e. wickedly, vilely.

v. 578. sely] i. e. silly, simple, harmless.

v. 581. mought] i. e. might.

v. 582. so dysgysed] See note, p. 205. v. 22.

Page 334. v. 597. lokes] i. e. looks.

v. 598. bokes] i. e. books.

v. 600. wroken] i. e. wreaked.

v. 602. iauell] See note, p. 271. v. 2218.

v. 604. face] See note, p. 216. v. 33.

—— crake] i. e. vaunt, talk bigly.

v. 606. kayser] See note, p. 247. v. 796.

v. 607. layser] i. e. leisure.

v. 619. connyng] i. e. knowledge, learning.

—— auaunce] i. e. advance.

Page 335. v. 624. dykes] i. e. ditches.

“Where the blinde leadeth the blinde, both fall in the dyke.”

Heywood’s Dialogue, &c.—Workes, ed. 1598, sig. G 2.

v. 625. Set nothyng by] i. e. Value not, regard not.

v. 637. ye, shall] i. e. yea, I shall.

v. 648. shule] i. e. shovel.

Page 336. v. 654. mamockes] See note, p. 268. v. 2035.

v. 663. kynde] i. e. nature.

v. 664. Many one ye haue vntwynde] The reading of the MS., which at least gives a sense to the line: vntwynde, i. e. destroyed; see note, p. 127. v. 284.

v. 668. fote] i. e. foot.

v. 672. in the deuyll way] A common expression in our early writers.

“Our Hoste answerd: Tell on a devil way.”

Chaucer’s Milleres Prol., v. 3136. ed. Tyr.

“In the twenty deuyll way, Au nom du grant diable.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccccxlii. (Table of Aduerbes). “What reason is that, in the twenty deuell waye, that he shulde bere suche a rule? Quænam (malum) ratio est,” &c. Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. dd iii. ed. 1530.

Page 337. v. 673. ouer] i. e. besides.

v. 675. hear] i. e. hair.

v. 679. tonsors] i. e. tonsures.

v. 688. the male dothe wrye] See note, p. 142. v. 700.

Page 338. v. 692. Ye bysshops of estates]—of estates, i. e. of great estate, rank, dignity.

v. 698. awtentyke] i. e. authentic.

v. 704. intoxicate] i. e. poison (Lat. intoxico).

v. 705. conquinate] i. e. coinquinate,—pollute, defile, defame.

v. 710. The Churchis hygh estates] i. e. the dignitaries of the Church.

Page 339. v. 728. marke] i. e. marks,—the coins so called.

v. 730. werke] i. e. work.

v. 734. sawe] i. e. saying,—branch of learning.

v. 737. pore] i. e. poor.

v. 739. frere] i. e. friar.

Page 340. v. 747.

of the order
Vpon Grenewyche border,
Called Obseruaunce]

The statement that Edward the Third founded a religious house at Greenwich in 1376 appears to rest on no authority. A grant of Edward the Fourth to certain Minorites or Observant Friars of the order of St. Francis of a piece of ground which adjoined the palace at Greenwich, and on which they had begun to build several small mansions, was confirmed in 1486 by a charter of Henry the Seventh, who founded there a convent of friars of that order, to consist of a warden and twelve brethren at the least; and who is said to have afterwards rebuilt their convent from the foundation. The friars of Greenwich were much favoured by Katherine, queen of Henry the Eighth; and when, during the question of her divorce, they had openly espoused her cause, the king was so greatly enraged that he suppressed the whole order throughout England. The convent at Greenwich was dissolved in 1534. Queen Mary reinstated them in their possessions, and new-founded and repaired their monastery. Queen Elizabeth suppressed them, &c. See Lysons’s Environs of London, iv. 464. ed. 1796.

v. 754. Babuell besyde Bery] When by an order of Pope Urban the Fourth, the Grey Friars were removed out of the town and jurisdiction of Bury St. Edmund, in 1263, “they retired to a place just without the bounds, beyond the north gate, called Babwell, now the Toll-gate, which the abbat and convent generously gave them to build on; and here they continued till the dissolution.” Tanner’s Not. Mon. p. 527. ed. 1744.

Page 340. v. 755. To postell vpon a kyry] i. e. to comment upon a Kyrie eleison: (a postil is a short gloss, or note).

v. 757. coted] i. e. quoted.

Page 341. v. 779. blother] i. e. gabble.

v. 780.

make a Walshmans hose

Of the texte and of the glose]

So again our author in his Garlande of Laurell;

“And after conueyauns as the world goos,

It is no foly to vse the Walshemannys hose.”

v. 1238. vol. i. 411.

Compare The Legend of the Bischop of St Androis;

“Of omnigatherene now his glose,

He maid it lyk a Wealchman hose.”

Scot. Poems of the Sixteenth Century, (by Dalyell), p. 332.

“Welchman’s hose. Equivalent, I imagine, to the breeches of a Highlander, or the dress of a naked Pict; upon the presumption that Welchmen had no hose.” Nares’s Gloss. in v. Unfortunately, however, for this ingenious conjecture, the expression is found varied to “shipman’s hose,”—which certainly cannot be considered as a non-entity. “Hereunto they adde also a Similitude not very agreeable, how the Scriptures be like to a Nose of Waxe, or a Shipmans Hose: how thei may be fashioned, and plied al manner of waies, and serue al mennes turnes.” Jewel’s Defence of the Apologie, &c. p. 465. ed. 1567. “And not made as a shippe mans hose to serue for euery legge.” Wilson’s Arte of Rhetorike, p. 102. ed. 1580. Surely Welshman’s hose (as well as shipman’s) became proverbial from their pliability, power of being stretched, &c.

v. 784. broke] i. e. brook.

v. 785. loke] i. e. look.

v. 786. boke] i. e. book.

Page 342. v. 800. the brode gatus] Means perhaps, Broadgates Hall, Oxford, on the site of which Pembroke College was erected.

v. 801. Daupatus] i. e. Simple-pate: see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 803. Dronhen as a mouse] So Chaucer;

“We faren as he that dronke is as a mous.”

The Knightes Tale, v. 1263. ed. Tyr.

v. 805. his pyllyon and his cap]—pyllyon, from Lat. pileus. Compare Barclay;

“Mercury shall geue thee giftes manyfolde,

His pillion, scepter, his winges, and his harpe.”

Fourth Egloge, sig. C iiii. ed. 1570.

and Cavendish’s Life of Wolsey; “and upon his head a round pillion, with a noble of black velvet set to the same in the inner side” [where surely we ought to read, “and upon his head a round pillion of black velvet, with a noble set to the same in the inner side”]. p. 105. ed. 1827.

Page 342. v. 811. As wyse as Waltoms calfe] So Heywood;

“And thinke me as wise as Waltams calfe, to talke,” &c.

Dialogue, &c. sig. F 3,—Workes, ed. 1598.

Ray gives, “As wise as Waltham’s calf, that ran nine miles to suck a bull.” Proverbs, p. 220. ed. 1768.

v. 812. a Goddes halfe] See note, p. 174. v. 501.

v. 817. scole matter] i. e. school-matter.

Page 343. v. 820. elenkes] i. e. elenchs (elenchus—in logic).

v. 822. mell] i. e. meddle.

v. 826. neuen] i. e. name.

v. 831. mo] i. e. more.

v. 836. Lymyters] i. e. Friars licensed to beg within certain districts.

v. 840. Flatterynge, &c.] Compare Barclay;

“We geue wooll and cheese, our wiues coyne and egges,

When freers flatter and prayse their proper legges.”

Fifth Egloge, sig. D v. ed. 1570.

v. 843. lese] i. e. lose.

Page 344. v. 846. bacon flycke] i. e. flitch of bacon.

v. 849. couent] i. e. convent.

v. 852. theyr tonges fyle]—fyle, i. e. smooth, polish: the expression occurs in earlier and in much later writers.

v. 854.

To Margery and to Maude,

Howe they haue no fraude]

As we find the name “Mawte” in our author’s Elynour Rummyng, v. 159. vol. i. 100, and as in the second of these lines the MS. (see note ad l.) has “fawte” (i. e. fault), the right reading is probably,

“To Margery and to Mawte,

Howe they haue no fawte.”

v. 856. prouoke] i. e. incite.

v. 857. Gyll and Jacke at Noke] See note on v. 323. p. 283.

v. 861. In open tyme] i. e. In the time when no fasts are imposed.

v. 864. an olde sayd sawe] “Oulde sayd sawe prouerbe.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. li. (Table of Subst.).

Page 344. v. 866. Some walke aboute in melottes] “Circuierunt in melotis.” Vulgate,—Heb. xi. 37. “Melotes,” as Mr. Albert Way observes to me, “is explained in the Catholicon to be a garment used by the monks during laborious occupation, made of the skin of the badger, and reaching from the neck to the loins,” and according to other early dictionaries, it was made of the hair or skin of other animals. So the original Greek word, μηλωτή, which properly means pellis ovina, signifies also pellis quævis.

v. 867. heery] i. e. hairy.

v. 868. ne] i. e. nor.

v. 869. in remotes] i. e. in retired places.

Page 345. v. 874.

And by Dudum, theyr Clementine,
Agaynst curates they repyne;
And say propreli they ar sacerdotes,
To shryue, assoyle, and reles
Dame Margeries soule out of hell]

—shryue, assoyle, i. e. confess, absolve.—“On a de Clément V une compilation nouvelle, tant des décrets du concile général de Vienne, que de ses épîtres ou constitutions. C’est ce qu’on appelle les Clémentines.” L’Art de vérifier les Dates, &c. (depuis la naissance de Notre-seigneur), iii. 382. ed. 1818. Skelton alludes here to Clement. lib. iii. tit. vii. cap. ii. which begins, “Dvdum à Bonifacio Papa octauo prædecessore nostro,” &c., and contains the following passages. “Ab olim siquidem inter Prælatos & Rectores, seu Sacerdotes ac Clericos parochialium Ecclesiarum per diuersas Mundi prouincias constitutos ex vna parte, & Prædicatorum & Minorum ordinum fratres ex altera (pacis æmulo, satore zizaniæ procurante), grauis & periculosa discordia extitit, suscitata super prædicationib. fidelium populis faciendis, eorum confessionibus audiendis, pœnitentiis iniungendis eisdem, & tumulandis defunctorum corporibus, qui apud fratrum ipsorum Ecclesias siue loca noscuntur eligere sepulturam.... Statuimus etiam & ordinamus auctoritate prædicta, vt in singulis ciuitatibus & diœcesibus, in quibus loca fratrum ipsorum consistere dignoscuntur, vel in ciuitatibus & diœcesibus locis ipsis vicinis, in quibus loca huiusmodi non habentur, Magistri, Priores prouinciales Prædicatorum, aut eorum Vicarij & Generales, et Prouinciales Ministri & custodes Minorum & ordinum prædictorum ad præsentiam Prælatorum eorundem locorum se conferant per se, vel per fratres, quos ad hoc idoneos fore putauerint, humiliter petituri, vt fratres, qui ad hoc electi fuerint, in eorum ciuitatibus & diœcesibus confessiones subditorum suorum confiteri sibi volentium audire liberè valeant, & huiusmodi confitentibus (prout secundùm Deum expedire cognouerint) pœnitentias imponere salutares, atque eisdem absolutionis beneficium impendere de licentia, gratia, & beneplacito eorundem: Ac deinde præfati Magistri, Priores, Prouinciales, & Ministri ordinum prædictorum eligere studeant personas sufficientes, idoneas, vita probatas, discretas, modestas, atque peritas, ad tam salubre ministerium et officium exequendum: quas sic ab ipsis electas repræsentent, vel faciant præsentari Prælatis, vt de eorum licentia, gratia, & beneplacito in ciuitatib. & dioecesibus eorundem huiusmodi personæ sic electæ confessiones confiteri sibi volentium audiant, imponant pœnitentias salutares, & beneficium absolutionis (in posterum) impendant, prout superiùs est expressum: extra ciuitates & diœceses, in quibus fuerint deputatæ, per quas eas volumus & non per prouincias deputari, confessiones nullatenus audituræ. Numerus autem personarum assumendarum ad huiusmodi officium exercendum esse debet, prout vniuersitas cleri & populi, ac multitudo vel paucitas exigit eorundem. Et si iidem Prælati petitam licentiam confessionum huiusmodi audiendarum concesserint: illam præfati Magistri, Ministri, & alij cum gratiarum recipiant actione, dictæque personæ sic electæ commissum sibi officium exequantur. Quòd si fortè iam dicti Prælati quenquam ex dictis fratribus præsentatis eisdem ad huiusmodi officium nollent habere, vel non ducerent admittendum: eo amoto, vel subtracto loco ipsius similiter eisdem præsentandus Prælatis possit, & debeat alius surrogari. Si verò iidem Prælati præfatis fratribus ad confessiones (vt præmittitur) audiendas electis, huiusmodi exhibere licentiam recusârint, nos ex nunc ipsis, vt confessiones sibi confiteri volentium liberè licitèque audire valeant, & eisdem pœnitentias imponere salutares, atque eisdem beneficium absolutionis impertiri, gratiosè concedimus de plenitudine Apostolicæ potestatis. Per huiusmodi autem concessionem nequaquam intendimus personis, seu fratribus ipsis ad id taliter deputatis, potestatem in hoc impendere ampliorem quàm in eo curatis vel parochialibus Sacerdotib. est à iure concessa: nisi forsan eis Ecclesiarum Prælati vberiorem in hac parte gratiam specialiter ducerent faciendam.” Pp. 184-190. (Decret. tom. iii. ed. 1600.)

Page 345. v. 879.

But when the freare fell in the well,
He coud not syng himselfe therout
But by the helpe of Christyan Clout]

The name “Cristian Clowte” has occurred before in our author’s Manerly Margery Mylk and Ale, vol. i. 28. The story alluded to in this passage appears to be nearly the same as that which is related in a comparatively modern ballad, entitled,

“The Fryer Well-fitted:
or,
A Pretty Jest that once befel,
How a Maid put a Fryer to cool in the Well.
To a merry new Tune. Licens’d and Enter’d according to Order.”

The Friar wishes to seduce the Maid;

“But she denyed his Desire,
And told him, that she feared Hell-fire;
fa, la, &c.

Tush, (quoth the Fryer) thou needst not doubt,
fa, la, &c.

If thou wert in Hell, I could sing thee out;
fa, la, &c.”

The Maid then tells him that he “shall have his request,” but only on condition that he brings her “an angel of money.” While he is absent, “She hung a Cloth before the Well;” and, when he has returned, and given her the angel,—

“Oh stay, (quoth she) some Respite make,
My Father comes, he will me take;
fa, la, &c.
Alas, (quoth the Fryer) where shall I run,
fa, la, &c.
To hide me till that he be gone?
fa, la, &c.
Behind the Cloth run thou (quoth she),
And there my Father cannot thee see;
fa, la, &c.
Behind the Cloth the Fryer crept,
fa, la, &c.
And into the Well on sudden he leapt,
fa, la, &c.
Alas, (quoth he) I am in the Well;
No matter, (quoth she) if thou wert in Hell;
fa, la, &c.

Thou say’st thou could’st sing me out of Hell,
fa, la, &c.

Now prithee sing thyself out of the Well,
fa, la, &c.”

The Maid at last helps him out, and bids him be gone; but when he asks her to give him back the angel,—

“Good Sir, (said she) there’s no such matter,
I’ll make you pay for fouling my Water;
fa, la, &c.
The Fryer went along the Street,
fa, la, &c.
Drapping wet, like a new-wash’d Sheep,
fa, la, &c.
Both Old and Young commended the Maid,
That such a witty Prank had plaid;
fa, la, la, la, la,
fa, la, la, lang-tree down-dily.”

Ballads, Brit. Mus. 643. m.

Page 345. v. 882.

Another Clementyne also,
How frere Fabian, with other mo,
Exivit de Paradiso]

—mo, i. e. more. Some corruption, if not considerable mutilation of the text, may be suspected here. There seems to be an allusion to Clement, lib. v. tit. xi. cap. i., which begins, “Exiui de paradiso, dixi, rigabo hortum plantationum, ait ille cœlestis agricola,” &c. P. 313. (Decret. tom. iii. ed. 1600).

v. 892. abiections] i. e. objections.

Page 346. v. 901. hertes] i. e. hearts.

v. 903. coueytous] i. e. covetise, covetousness.

v. 906. play scylens and glum, &c.] See note on v. 83. p. 278.

v. 911. leuer] i. e. more willingly, rather.

v. 914. Worsshepfully] i. e. According to their honour, or dignity.

Page 347. v. 922. payntes] See note, p. 176. v. 583.

v. 924. them lyke] i. e. please them.

v. 931. crosse] See note, p. 116. v. 363.

v. 932. predyall landes] i. e. farm-lands.

v. 943. palles] See note on v. 312. p. 283.

v. 944. Arras] i. e. tapestry: see note, p. 192. v. 78.

v. 947. lusty] i. e. pleasant, desirable,—beautiful.

Page 348. v. 950. shote] i. e. shoot.

v. 951. tyrly tyrlowe] This passage was strangely misunderstood by the late Mr. Douce, who thought that “tyrly tyrlowe” alluded to the note of the crow, that bird being mentioned in the preceding line! Illust. of Shakespeare, i. 353. The expression has occurred before, in our author’s Elynour Rummyng, v. 292. vol. i. 104: here it is equivalent to the modern fa, la, la, which is often used with a sly or wanton allusion,—as, for instance, at the end of each stanza of Pope’s court-ballad, The Challenge.

Page 348. v. 953. a lege de moy] See note, p. 176. v. 587.

v. 956. With suche storyes bydene]—bydene, that is “by the dozen,” says Warton, erroneously, quoting this passage, Hist. of E. P., ii. 343. ed. 4to (note). The word occurs frequently in our early poetry, with different significations: here it may be explained—together—(with a collection of such stories); so in The Worlde and the Chylde, 1522;

“Now cryst ...

...

Saue all this company that is gathered here bydene.”

Sig. C iiii.

v. 957. Their chambres well besene]—well besene, i. e. of a good appearance,—well-furnished, or adorned: see note, p. 112. v. 283.

v. 962. Nowe all the worlde stares, &c.] “This is still,” as Warton observes (Hist. of E. P., ii. 343. ed. 4to, note), “a description of tapestry.”

v. 963. chares] i. e. chariots.

v. 964. olyphantes] i. e. elephants.

v. 965, garlantes] i. e. garlands.

v. 974. estate] i. e. high rank, dignity.

v. 975. courage] i. e. heart, affections.

v. 977.

Theyr chambres thus to dresse

With suche parfetnesse]

—parfetnesse, i. e. perfectness. “We should observe,” says Warton, after citing the passage, “that the satire is here pointed at the subject of these tapestries. The graver ecclesiastics, who did not follow the levities of the world, were contented with religious subjects, or such as were merely historical.” Hist. of E. P., ii. 344. ed. 4to.

Page 349. v. 983. remorde] See note, p. 193. v. 101.

v. 987. mellyng] i. e. meddling.

v. 990. besy] i. e. busy.

v. 991. For one man to rule a kyng] An allusion, I apprehend, to Wolsey’s influence over Henry the Eighth: so again our author speaking of Wolsey, in the Latin lines at the end of Why Come ye nat to Courte, “Qui regnum regemque regit.” Vol. ii. 67. I may observe too in further confirmation of the reading “kyng” instead of “gyng” (see note ad loc.), that we have had in an earlier passage of the present poem,

“To rule bothe kyng and kayser.”

v. 606.

v. 996. flyt] i. e. remove.

v. 998. quysshon] i. e. cushion.

v. 1000. Cum regibus amicare] “Amico, to be frend.” Medulla Gramatice, MS. (now in the possession of Mr. Rodd).

Page 349. v. 1002. pravare] In Ortus Vocab. fol. ed. W. de. Worde, n. d., is “Prauo ... prauum facere. or to shrewe,” and “Tirannus. shrewe or tyrande.” The meaning therefore of pravare in our text may be—to play the tyrant.

Page 350. v. 1003. vre] “Evr happe or lucke with his compoundes bonevr and malevr,” &c. Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. vi. (Thirde Boke).

“My goddesse bright, my fortune, and my vre.”

Chaucer’s Court of Loue, fol. 330,—Workes, ed. 1602.

“The grace and ewer and hap of olde fortune.”

Lydgate’s Warres of Troy, B. iv. sig. Z v. cd. 1555.

“But wayte his death & his fatall eure.”

Id. sig. A a i.

“And fortune which hath the such vre y sent.”

Poems by C. Duke of Orleans,—MS. Harl. 682, fol. 24.

v. 1014. played so checkemate] In allusion to the king’s being put in check at the game of chess.

v. 1017. mell] i. e. meddle.

v. 1019. kayser] See note, p. 247. v. 796.

v. 1020. at the playsure of one, &c.] Meaning, surely, Wolsey.

v. 1025. not so hardy on his hede] An elliptical expression; compare v. 1154. In the Morte d’Arthur when Bors is on the point of slaying King Arthur, “Not soo hardy sayd syr launcelot vpon payn of thy hede, &c.” B. xx. c. xiii. vol. ii. 411. ed. Southey.

v. 1026. To loke on God in forme of brede]—loke, i. e. look: brede, i. e. bread. A not unfrequent expression in our early writers.

“Whan I sacred our lordes body

Chryste Jesu in fourme of brede.”

The Lyfe of saint Gregoryes mother, n. d. sig. A v.

See too Ritson’s An. Pop. Poetry, p. 84; and Hartshorne’s An. Met. Tales, p. 134.

Page 351. v. 1030. sacryng] “Sacryng of the masse sacrement.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lx. (Table of Subst.). And see Todd’s Johnson’s Dict. in v.

v. 1041. preas] i. e. press.

v. 1047. ne] i. e. nor.

v. 1050. warke] i. e. work, business.

Page 352. v. 1051. this] Perhaps for—thus; see note, p. 86. v. 38.

v. 1054. vncouthes] i. e. strange matters.

v. 1055. ken] i. e. know.

v. 1070. premenire] i. e. præmunire.

v. 1074. fotyng] i. e. footing.

Page 352. v. 1075. motyng] i. e. mooting. “Certamen ... anglice flytynge chydynge or motynge.” Ortus Vocab. fol. ed. W. de Worde, n. d.

v. 1076. totyng] i. e. prying, peeping.

Page 353. v. 1084. hole route] i. e. whole crowd, set.

v. 1098. escrye] i. e. call out against: see notes, p. 145. v. 903. p. 152. v. 1358. p. 283. v. 337.

v. 1102. werke] i. e. work.

Page 354. v. 1106. hynderyng] See note, p. 245. v. 719.

—— dysauaylyng] “I Disauayle one, I hynder his auauntage, Ie luy porte dom̄aige.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccxii. (Table of Verbes).

v. 1116. to be gramed] i. e. to be angered: gramed is doubtless the right reading here, though the eds. have “greued” and the MS. “grevyd”—(grame has already occurred in Magnyfycence, v. 1864).

Page 355. v. 1134. depraue] i. e. vilify, defame.

v. 1154. Not so hardy on theyr pates] See note on v. 1025, preceding page.

v. 1155. losell] See note, p. 209. v. 138.

v. 1156. wesaunt] i. e. weasand.

v. 1157. syr Guy of Gaunt] See note, p. 184. v. 70.

v. 1158. lewde] i. e. wicked, vile.

Page 356. v. 1159. doctour Deuyas] See note, p. 95. v. 55.

v. 1162. dawcocke] i. e. simpleton: see note, p. 113. v. 301.

—— mell] i. e. meddle.

v. 1164. Allygate] i. e. Allege.

v. 1170. lurdeyne] See note, p. 242. v. 423.

v. 1171. Lytell Ease] “Little Ease (prison), mala mansio, arcæ robustæ.” Coles’s Dict.—“Little-Ease. A familiar term for a pillory, or stocks; or an engine uniting both purposes, the bilboes.” Nares’s Gloss.

v. 1178. rechelesse] i. e. reckless.

Page 357. v. 1184. Poules Crosse] i. e. Paul’s Cross.

v. 1186. Saynt Mary Spyttell] In Bishopsgate Ward: see Stow’s Survey, B. ii. 97. ed. 1720.

v. 1187. set not by vs a whystell] i. e. value us not at a whistle, care not a whistle for us. Compare Lydgate;

“For he set not by his wrethe a whistel.”

The prohemy of a mariage, &c.,—MS. Harl. 372. fol. 45.

v. 1188. the Austen fryers] In Broad-street Ward: see Stow’s Survey, B. ii. 114, ed. 1720.

Page 357. v. 1190. Saynt Thomas of Akers] Concerning the “Hospital intituled of S. Thomas of Acon or Acars [Acre in the Holy Land], near to the great Conduit in Cheape,” see Stow’s Survey, B. iii. 37. ed. 1720, and Maitland’s Hist. of London, ii. 886. ed. 1756.

v. 1191. carpe vs] Is explained by the various reading of the MS.,—“clacke of us.”

—— crakers] i. e., as the context shews, (not—vaunters, but) noisy talkers.

v. 1193. reason or skyll] See note, p. 238. v. 106.

v. 1196. at a pronge] See note, p. 243. v. 506.

v. 1199. fonge] i. e. take, get.

v. 1201. the ryght of a rambes horne] An expression which our author has again in Speke, Parrot, v. 498. vol. ii. 24. So in a metrical fragment, temp. Edward ii.;

“As ryt as ramis orn.”

Reliquiæ Antiquæ (by Wright and Halliwell), ii. 19.

And Lydgate has a copy of verses, the burden of which is,—

“Conveyede by lyne ryght as a rammes horne.”

MS. Harl. 172. fol. 71.

See too Ray’s Proverbs, p. 225. ed. 1768.

v. 1206. yawde] i. e. hewed, cut down. “To Yaw, to hew.” Gloss. appended to A Dialogue in the Devonshire Dialect, 1837.

Page 358. v. 1208. Ezechyas] Ought to be “Isaias;” for, according to a Jewish tradition, Isaiah was cut in two with a wooden saw by order of King Manasseh.

v. 1216. agayne] i. e. against.

v. 1223. cough, rough, or sneuyll]—rough, i. e., perhaps, rout, snore, snort. I may just observe that Palsgrave not only gives “rowte” in that sense, but also “I Rowte I belche as one dothe that voydeth wynde out of his stomacke, Ie roucte.” Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cccxliiii. (Table of Verbes); and that Coles has “To rout, Crepo, pedo.” Dict.

v. 1224. Renne] i. e. Run.

v. 1227. set not a nut shell] i. e. value not at a nut-shell, care not a nut-shell for.

v. 1229. gyse] i. e. guise, fashion.

Page 359. v. 1232. sayd sayne] A sort of pleonastic expression,—equivalent to—called commonly or proverbially: see note on v. 864. p. 290.

v. 1235. domis day] i. e. doomsday.

Page 359. v. 1239. boke] i. e. book.

v. 1240. By hoke ne by croke] i. e. By hook nor by crook.

v. 1244. nolles] i. e. heads.

v. 1245. noddy polles] i. e. silly heads.

v. 1246. sely] i. e. silly.

v. 1248. great estates] i. e. persons of great estate, or rank.

v. 1255. wawes wod] i. e. waves mad, raging.

v. 1257. Shote] i. e. Shoot, cast.

v. 1258. farre] i. e. farther:

“I wyl no farr mell.”

Gentylnes and Nobylyte, n. d. (attributed without grounds to Heywood), sig. C ii.

Page 360. v. 1262. the porte salu] i. e. the safe port. Skelton has the term again in his Garlande of Laurell, v. 541. vol. i. 383. Compare Hoccleve;

“whether our taill
Shall soone make us with our shippes saill
To port salu.”

Poems, p. 61. ed. 1796,—

where the editor observes, “Port salut was a kind of proverbial expression, and so used in the translation of Cicero de senectute printed by Caxton.”

A RYGHT DELECTABLE TRATYSE VPON A GOODLY GARLANDE OR CHAPELET OF LAURELL ... STUDYOUSLY DYUYSED AT SHERYFHOTTON CASTELL, IN THE FORESTE OF GALTRES, &c.

Sheriff-Hutton Castle “is situated in the Wapentake of Bulmer, and is distant ten miles north-east from York ... The slender accounts of it that have reached our times, ascribe its origin to Bertram de Bulmer, an English Baron, who is recorded by Camden to have built it in the reign of King Stephen, A.D. 1140 ... From the Bulmers it descended by marriage to the noble family of the Nevilles, and continued in their possession upwards of 300 years, through a regular series of reigns, until seized by Edward iv. in 1471, who soon after gave the Castle and Manor to his brother the Duke of Gloucester, afterwards Richard iii. In 1485, in consequence of the death of Richard at the Battle of Bosworth Field, it became the property of King Henry vii., and continued in the hands of the Crown, until James the First granted it to his son, Prince Charles, about 1616. The Castle and Manor were subsequently granted (also by King James, according to Camden, and the original grant confirmed by Prince Charles after he ascended the throne) to the family of the Ingrams, about 1624-5, and are now in possession of their lineal descendant, the present Marchioness of Hertford.” Some Account of Sheriff-Hutton Castle, &c. pp. 3-5, York, 1824.

Leland (who says, erroneously it would seem, that Sheriff-Hutton Castle “was buildid by Rafe Nevill of Raby the fyrst Erl of Westmerland of the Nevilles,”) gives the following description of it. “There is a Base Court with Houses of Office afore the Entering of the Castelle. The Castelle self in the Front is not dichid, but it stondith in loco utcunque edito. I markid yn the fore Front of the first Area of the Castelle self 3. great and high Toures, of the which the Gate House was the Midle. In the secunde Area ther be a 5. or 6. Toures, and the stately Staire up to the Haul is very Magnificent, and so is the Haul it self, and al the residew of the House: in so much that I saw no House in the North so like a Princely Logginges. I lernid ther that the Stone that the Castel was buildid with was fetchid from a Quarre at Terington a 2. Miles of. There is a Park by the Castel. This Castel was wel maintainid, by reason that the late Duke of Northfolk lay ther x. Yers, and sins the Duk of Richemond. From Shirhuten to York vij. Miles, and in the Forest of Galtres, wherof 4. Miles or more was low Medowes and Morisch Ground ful of Carres, the Residew by better Ground but not very high.” Itin. i. 67. ed. 1770.

“Report asserts, that during the civil wars in the time of Charles the First, it [the Castle] was dismantled, and the greater part of its walls taken down, by order of the Parliament. But this is certainly not the fact, as will be seen by reference to the ‘Royal Survey’ made in 1624 ... From this Survey it will appear evident, that the Castle was dismantled and almost in total ruin in the time of James I.,—how long it had been so, previous to the Survey alluded to, is now difficult to say. From the present appearance of the ruins, it is plain that the Castle was purposely demolished and taken down by workmen, (probably under an order from the Crown, in whatever reign it might happen,) and not destroyed by violence of war. However, since this devastation by human hands, the yet more powerful and corroding hand of Time has still further contributed to its destruction.... The Castle stands upon a rising bank or eminence in front of the village, and its ruins may be seen on every side at a great distance.” Some Account, &c. (already cited), pp. 5, 6. The vast forest of Galtres formerly extended nearly all round Sheriff-Hutton.

When Skelton wrote the present poem, Sheriff-Hutton Castle was in possession of the Duke of Norfolk, to whom it had been granted by the crown for life: see note on v. 769.

Page 361. v. 1. Arectyng] i. e. Raising.

Page 361. v. 6. plenarly] i. e. fully—at full.

v. 9. somer flower] i. e. summer-flower.

v. 10. halfe] i. e. side, part.

Page 362. v. 15. dumpe] “I Dumpe I fall in a dumpe or musyng vpon thynges.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccxxii. (Table of Verbes).

v. 16. Encraumpysshed] i. e. encramped. Skelton’s fondness for compounds of this kind has been already noticed. The simple word occurs in other writers:

“Crampisheth her limmes crokedly.”

Chaucer’s Annel. and Ar.,—Workes, fol. 244. ed. 1602.

“As marbyll colde her lymmes craumpishing.”

Lydgate’s Warres of Troy, B. iv. sig. X v. ed. 1555.

—— conceyte] i. e. conceit, conception.

v. 20. boystors] i. e. boisterous.

v. 22.

Thus stode I in the frytthy forest of Galtres,

Ensowkid with sylt of the myry mose]

—stode, i. e. stood: frytthy, i. e. woody: ensowkid, i. e. ensoaked: sylt, i. e. mud: mose, i. e. moss. The forest of Galtres (which, as already noticed, extended nearly all round Sheriff-Hutton) was, when Camden wrote, “in some places shaded with trees, in others swampy.” Britannia (by Gough), iii. 20.

v. 24. hartis belluyng] In the Book of Saint Albans, Juliana Berners, treating “Of the cryenge of thyse bestys,” says,

“An harte belowyth and a bucke groynyth I fynde.”

Sig. d ii.

—— embosyd] “When he [the hart] is foamy at the mouth, we say that he is embost.” Turbervile’s Noble Art of Venerie, p. 244. ed. 1611.

v. 26. the hynde calfe] “Ceruula. a hynde calfe.” Ortus Vocab. fol. ed. W. de Worde, n. d. In the Book of Saint Albans we are told;

“And for to speke of the harte yf ye woll it lere:

Ye shall hym a Calfe call at the fyrste yere.”

Sig. C vi.

v. 27. forster] i. e. forester.

—— bate] Does it mean—set on, or train?

v. 28. torne] i. e. turn.

v. 32. superflue] i. e. superfluous.

“Ye blabbering fooles superflue of language.”

Barclay’s Ship of Fooles, fol. 38. ed. 1570.

v. 35. wele] i. e. well.

Page 363. v. 38. disgysede] i. e. decked out in an unusual manner.

“Of his straunge aray merueyled I sore

...

Me thought he was gayly dysgysed at that fest.”

Lydgate’s Assemble de dyeus, sig. b ii. n. d. 4to.

Page 363. v. 39. fresshe] “Fresshe, gorgyouse, gay.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxxxviii. (Table of Adiect.),—which I ought to have cited earlier for the meaning of this word.

v. 40. Enhachyde with perle, &c.] i. e. Inlaid, adorned with pearl, &c. Our author in his Phyllyp Sparowe tells us that a lady had a wart (or as he also calls it, a scar) “enhached on her fayre skyn,” v. 1078. vol. i. 84. Gifford observes that “literally, to hatch is to inlay [originally, I believe, to cut, engrave, mark with lines]; metaphorically, it is to adorn, to beautify, with silver, gold, &c.” Note on Shirley’s Works, ii. 301. “The ladies apparell was after the fashion of Inde, with kerchifes of pleasance, hatched with fine gold.” Holinshed’s Chron. (Hen. viii.) vol. iii. 849. ed. 1587. “Hatching, is to Silver or gild the Hilt and Pomell of a Sword or Hanger.” R. Holme’s Ac. of Armory, 1688. B. iii. p. 91.

v. 41. The grounde engrosyd and bet with bourne golde]—grounde, i. e. (not floor, but) ground-work; as in Lydgate’s verses entitled For the better abyde;

“I see a rybaun ryche and newe

...

The grownde was alle of brent golde bryght.”

MS. Cott. Calig. A ii. fol. 65.

engrosyd, i. e. thickened, enriched: bet has here the same meaning as in Le Bone Florence of Rome;

“Hur clothys wyth bestes and byrdes wer bete.”

Met. Rom. iii. 9. ed. Ritson,

who somewhat copiously explains it “beaten, plaited, inlay’d, embroider’d:” bourne, i. e. burnished.

v. 44. abylyment] i. e. habiliment.

v. 45. estates] i. e. persons of estate or rank.

v. 49. supplyed] i. e. supplicated.

v. 50. pusant] i. e. puissant, powerful, mighty.

v. 52. of very congruence] i. e. of very fitness.

“Such ought of duetie and very congruence,” &c.

Barclay’s Ship of Fooles, fol. 188. ed. 1570.

v. 54. astate] i. e. estate, rank, dignity.

—— most lenen] i. e. must lean, bend, bow.

v. 55. arrect] i. e. raise.

v. 58. ryall] i. e. royal.

Page 364. v. 65. wele] i. e. well.

v. 66. embesy] i. e. embusy.

—— holl corage] i. e. whole heart.

v. 68. were] i. e. wear.

v. 69. wonder slake] i. e. wonderfully slack.

v. 70. lake] i. e. lack, fault.

v. 71. ne were] i. e. were it not.

v. 72. bokis ... sone ... rase] i. e. books ... soon ... erase.

v. 73. sith] i. e. since.

v. 74. Elyconis] i. e. Helicon’s.

v. 75. endeuour hymselfe] i. e. exert himself (compare v. 936).

v. 77. sittynge] i. e. proper, becoming.

v. 79. to] i. e. too.

v. 80. comprised] Compare our author in Lenuoy to Wolsey;

“And hym moost lowly pray,
In his mynde to comprise
Those wordes,” &c.

vol. ii. 84.

v. 81. rin] i. e. run.

Page 365. v. 83. pullishe] i. e. polish.

v. 86. remorde] See note, p. 193. v. 101.

v. 94. mo ... enduce] i. e. more ... bring in, adduce.

v. 95. parde for to kyll] i. e. par dieu, verily, for to be killed.

v. 96. enuectyfys] i. e. invectives.

v. 101. the grey] i. e. the badger. Juliana Berners says;

“That beest a bausyn hyght: a brok or a graye:

Thyse thre names he hath the soth for to saye.”

The Book of St. Albans, sig. D vi.

v. 102. gose ... oliphaunt] i. e. goose ... elephant.

v. 103. ageyne] i. e. against.

Page 366. v. 110. confecture] i. e. composition.

v. 111. diffuse is to expounde] i. e. is difficult to expound: see note, p. 144. v. 768.

v. 112. make ... fawt] i. e. compose ... fault.

v. 114. motyue] i. e. motion. So in the next line but one is “promotyue,” i. e. promotion: and so Lydgate has “ymaginatyfe” for—imagination. Fall of Prynces, B. v. leaf cxvii. ed. Wayland.

v. 115. auaunce] i. e. advance.

v. 116. rowme] i. e. room, place.

v. 121. gyse] i. e. guise, fashion.

v. 122. iche man doth hym dres] i. e. each man doth address, apply, himself.

v. 124. bokis] i. e. books.

Page 366. v. 127. loke] i. e. look.

v. 129. mo] i. e. more.

Page 367. v. 133. Ageyne] i. e. Against.

v. 136. wele] i. e. well.

v. 137. rasid] i. e. erased.

v. 140. Sith] i. e. Since.

—— defaut] i. e. default, want.

—— konnyng] i. e. (not so much—knowledge, learning, as) skill, ability.

v. 141. apposelle] i. e. question.

“And to pouert she put this opposayle.”

Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, B. iii. leaf lxvi. ed. Wayland.

“Made vnto her this vncouth apposayle:

Why wepe ye so,” &c.

Id. B. v. leaf cxxviii.

—— wele inferrid] i. e. well brought in.

v. 142.

quikly it is

Towchid]

i. e. it is lively, subtly expressed: compare v. 592 and v. 1161, where the words are applied to visible objects.

—— debarrid] See note, p. 237. v. 60; and compare Gentylnes and Nobylyte (attributed without grounds to Heywood) n. d.;

“That reason is so grete no man can debarr.”

Sig. C iii.

Page 368. v. 149. sittyng] i. e. proper, becoming.

v. 152. corage] i. e. encourage.

v. 153. fresshely] i. e. elegantly: see note on v. 39. p. 302.

v. 155. bruitid] i. e. reported, spoken of.

v. 156. outray] See note, p. 123. v. 87, where this passage is examined.

v. 162. Ierome, in his preamble Frater Ambrosius, &c.] The Epistle of Jerome to Paulinus, prefixed to the Vulgate, begins, “Frater Ambrosius tua mihi munuscula perferens,” &c., and contains this passage: “Unde et Æschines, cum Rhodi exularet, et legeretur illa Demosthenis oratio, quam adversus eum habuerat, mirantibus cunctis atque laudantibus, suspirans ait, Quid, si ipsam audissetis bestiam sua verba resonantem?” It may be found also in Hieronymi Opp. I. 1005. ed. 1609.

Page 369. v. 172. most] i. e. must.

v. 180. wele ... avaunce] i. e. well ... advance.

v. 183. thefte and brybery] See note, p. 256. v. 1242.

v. 184. pyke] i. e. pick.

Page 369. v. 186. cokwoldes] i. e. cuckolds.

v. 187. wetewoldis] i. e. wittols, tame cuckolds.

“Wetewoldis that suffre synne in her syghtes.”

Lydgate’s Assemble de dyeus, sig. c i. n. d. 4to.

v. 188. lidderons] So before, lydderyns; see note, p. 267. v. 1945: but here, it would seem, the word is used in the more confined sense of—sluggish, slothful, idle fellows.

—— losels] See note, p. 209. v. 138.

—— noughty packis] See note, p. 203. v. 58.—If Skelton had been required to distinguish exactly between the meanings of these terms of reproach, he would perhaps have been nearly as much at a loss as his editor.

v. 189. Some facers, some bracers, some make great crackis] See note, p. 216. v. 33.

v. 192. courte rowlis] i. e. court-rolls.—Warton cites this and the next two verses as “nervous and manly lines.” Hist. of E. P. ii. 354. ed. 4to.

v. 196. rinne] i. e. run.

Page 370. v. 198. cunnyng] i. e. knowledge, learning.

v. 200. a mummynge] See note, p. 278. v. 83.

v. 201. sadnesse] See note, p. 259. v. 1382.

v. 203. faute] i. e. fault.

v. 204. to] i. e. too.

v. 205. can ... scole] i. e. knows ... school.

v. 207. fole] i. e. fool.

v. 208. stole] i. e. stool.

v. 209. Iacke a thrummis bybille] See note, p. 189. v. 204.

v. 211. agayne] i. e. against.

v. 212. dwte] i. e. duty.

v. 218. to] i. e. too.

Page 371. v. 223. lay] See note, p. 219. v. 103.

—— werkis] i. e. works.

v. 227. most] i. e. must.

v. 232. condiscendid] See note, p. 237. v. 39.

v. 233. clarionar] Is used here for—trumpeter: but the words properly are not synonymous;

“Of trumpeters and eke of clarioneres.”

Lydgate’s Warres of Troy, B. i. sig. C v. ed. 1555.

and Skelton himself has afterwards in the present poem, “trumpettis and clariouns.” v. 1507.

v. 235. Eolus, your trumpet] i. e. Æeolus, your trumpeter.

“A trumpet stode and proudly gan to blowe,

Which slayne was and fro the tre doun throw.”

Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, B. v. leaf cxxx. ed. Wayland.

So Chaucer makes Æolus trumpeter to Fame: see House of Fame, B. iii.

Page 371. v. 236. mercyall] i. e. martial.

v. 239. prease] i. e. press, throng.

v. 240. hole rowte] i. e. whole crowd, assembly.

v. 243. this trumpet were founde out] See note, p. 251. v. 977.

v. 244. hardely] i. e. assuredly.

v. 245. eyne] i. e. eyes.

Page 372. v. 248. presid ... to] i. e. pressed ... too.

v. 250. Some whispred, some rownyd] See note, p. 120. v. 513.

v. 255. quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 258. plumpe] i. e. cluster, mass. “Stode stille as hit had ben a plompe of wood.” Morte d’Arthur, B. i. cap. xvi. vol. i. 27. ed. Southey. Dryden has the word; and the first writer perhaps after his time who used it was Sir W. Scott.

v. 260. timorous] i. e. terrible.

v. 264. rowte] i. e. crowd, assembly.

v. 265. girnid] i. e. grinned.

v. 266. peuysshe] i. e. silly, foolish.

—— masyd] i. e. bewildered, confounded.

v. 267. whyste] i. e. still.

—— the nonys] i. e. the occasion.

v. 268. iche ... stode] i. e. each ... stood.

v. 269. wonderly] i. e. wonderfully.

v. 270. A murmur of mynstrels] So in many of our early English dramas “a noise of musicians” is used for a company or band of musicians.

v. 272. Traciane] i. e. Thracian.

—— herped meledyously] i. e. harped melodiously.

Page 373. v. 274. armony] i. e. harmony.

v. 275. gree] i. e. agree.

v. 278. gle] i. e. music.

v. 279. auaunce] i. e. advance.

v. 282. Sterte ... fote] i. e. Started ... foot.

v. 285.

———— lake

Of]

i. e. lack of,—less than.

v. 288. cronell] i. e. coronal, garland.

Page 373. v. 289. heris encrisped] i. e. hairs formed into curls, curling.

v. 290. Daphnes] i. e. Daphne. So our early poets wrote the name;

“A maiden whilom there was one

Which Daphnes hight.”

Gower’s Conf. Am. B. iii. fol. lvi. ed. 1554.

“Her name was Daphnys which was deuoyed of loue.”

The Castell of pleasure, (by Nevil, son of Lord Latimer), sig. A iii. 1518.

So afterwards in the present poem we find Cidippes for Cydippe, v. 885; and see note, p. 123. v. 70.

—— the darte of lede] From Ovid, Met. i. 471.

v. 291. ne wolde] i. e. would not.

v. 292. herte] i. e. heart.

v. 295. Meddelyd with murnynge] i. e. Mingled with mourning.

v. 296. O thoughtfull herte] See note, p. 101. v. 10.

v. 298. loke] i. e. look.

v. 300.

the tre as he did take

Betwene his armes, he felt her body quake]

From Ovid, Met. i. 553.

Page 374. v. 302. he assurded into this exclamacyon]—assurded, i. e. broke forth—a word which I have not elsewhere met with, but evidently formed from the not uncommon verb sourd, to rise. “Ther withinne sourdeth and spryngeth a fontayne or welle.” Caxton’s Mirrour of the world, 1480. sig. e v.: in that work, a few lines after, occurs “resourdeth.”

v. 306. adyment] i. e. adamant.

v. 307. ouerthwhart] i. e. cross, perverse, adverse.

v. 310. Sith] i. e. Since.

v. 314. gresse] i. e. grass. This stanza is also imitated from Ovid, Met. i. 521.

v. 315. axes] See note, p. 100. v. 9.

v. 317. raist] i. e. arrayest: see note on title of poem, p. 197.

v. 318. But sith I haue lost, &c.] Again from Ovid, Met. i. 557.

v. 324. poetis laureat, &c.] It must be remembered that formerly a poet laureat meant a person who had taken a degree in grammar, including rhetoric and versification: and that the word poet was applied to a writer of prose as well as of verse; “Poet a connyng man.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lv. (Table of Subst.).

“And poetes to preoven hit. Porfirie and Plato

Aristotle, Ovidius,” &c.

Peirs Plouhman, p. 210. ed. Whit.

“Nor sugred deties [ditties] of Tullius Cicero.”

Lydgate’s Lyfe and passion of seint Albon, sig. B ii. ed. 1534.

Page 374. v. 328. Esiodus, the iconomicar] i. e. Hesiod, the writer on husbandry (the eds. by a misprint have “icononucar,”—which Warton says he “cannot decypher.” Hist. of E. P., ii. 352 (note), ed. 4to.) Among MSS. Dig. Bod. 147. is “Carmen Domini Walteri de Henleye quod vocatur Yconomia sive Housbundria:” compare Cicero; “quam copiose ab eo [Xenophonte] agricultura laudatur in eo libro, qui est de tuenda re familiari, qui Œconomicus inscribitur.” Cato Major, c. 17.

v. 329. fresshe] i. e. elegant: see note, p. 302. v. 39.

Page 375. v. 335. engrosyd] i. e. plumped up, swollen.

—— flotis] i. e. flowings,—drops: various reading, “droppes;” see note ad l. (“Flotyce. Spuma.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499, is a distinct word.)

v. 338. Percius presed forth with problemes diffuse]—presed, i. e. pressed: diffuse, i. e. difficult to be understood; see note, p. 144. v. 768. “Skelton, undoubtedly a man of learning, calls Persius (not unhappily for his mode of thinking) a writer of problems diffuse.” Gifford’s Introd. to Persius, p. xxxi. ed. 1817.

v. 340. satirray] Is this word to be explained—satirist, or satirical?

v. 344. auaunce] i. e. advance.

v. 345. mengith] i. e. mingleth.

v. 347. wrate ... mercyall] i. e. wrote ... martial.

v. 352. Orace also with his new poetry] “That is, Horace’s Art of Poetry. Vinesauf wrote De Nova Poetria. Horace’s Art is frequently mentioned under this title.” Warton’s Hist. of E. P., ii. 353 (note), ed. 4to.

Page 376. v. 359. Boyce] i. e. Boethius.

—— recounfortyd] i. e. recomforted,—comforted.

v. 360.

Maxymyane, with his madde ditiis,

How dotynge age wolde iape with yonge foly]

—iape, i. e. jest, joke. The Elegiarum Liber of Maximianus, which has been often printed as the production of Cornelius Gallus, may be found, with all that can be told concerning its author, in Wernsdorf’s Poetæ Latini Minores, tomi sexti pars prior. In these six elegies Maximianus deplores the evils of old age, relates the pursuits and loves of his youth, &c. &c. Perhaps the line “How dotynge age wolde iape with yonge foly” (in which case iape would have the same meaning here as in our author’s Manerly Margery Mylk and Ale, v. 20. vol. i. 28) is a particular allusion to Elegy v., where Maximianus informs us, that, having been sent on an embassy, at an advanced period of life, he became enamoured of a “Graia puella,” &c., the adventure being described in the grossest terms.

Page 376. v. 365. Johnn Bochas with his volumys grete] In Skelton’s time, the De Genealogia Deorum, the De Casibus Virorum et Fœminarum Illustrium, and other now-forgotten works of Boccaccio, were highly esteemed,—more, perhaps, than the Decamerone.

v. 366. full craftely that wrate] i. e. that wrote full skilfully.

v. 368. probate] See note, p. 236. v. 4.

v. 372. Poggeus ... with many a mad tale] When this poem was written, the Facetiæ of Poggio enjoyed the highest popularity. In The Palice of Honour, Gawen Douglas, enumerating the illustrious writers at the Court of the Muses, says,

“Thair was Plautus, Poggius, and Persius.”

p. 27. ed. Ban. 1827.

v. 374. a frere of Fraunce men call sir Gagwyne, &c.]—frere, i. e. friar: concerning Gaguin, see Account of Skelton and his Writings.

v. 376. bote is of all bale] See note, p. 268. v. 2096.

Page 377. v. 380. Valerius Maximus by name] i. e. Valerius who has the name Maximus (to distinguish him from Valerius Flaccus).

v. 381. Vincencius in Speculo, that wrote noble warkis]—warkis, i. e. works. The Speculum Majus of Vincentius Bellovacensis (naturale, morale, doctrinale, et historiale), a vast treatise in ten volumes folio, usually bound in four, was first printed in 1473. See the Biog. Univ., and Hallam’s Introd. to the Lit. of Europe, i. 160.

v. 382. Pisandros] “Our author,” says Warton, “got the name of Pisander, a Greek poet, from Macrobius, who cites a few of his verses.” Hist. of E. P., ii. 353 (note), ed. 4to. A mistake: Macrobius (Sat. v. 2.) mentions, but does not cite, Pisander.

v. 383. blissed Bachus, that mastris oft doth frame]—mastris, i. e. disturbances, strifes: see note, p. 264. v. 1738.

v. 386. sadly ... auysid] i. e. seriously, earnestly ... considered, observed.

v. 389. fresshely be ennewed] See notes, p. 144. v. 775. p. 302. v. 39.

v. 390.

The monke of Bury ...

Dane Johnn Lydgate]

—Dane, equivalent to Dominus. So at the commencement of his Lyfe of our Lady, printed by Caxton, folio, n. d.; “This book was compyled by dan John lydgate monke of Burye,” &c. He belonged to the Benedictine abbey of Bury in Suffolk.

Page 377. v. 391. theis Englysshe poetis thre] “That only these three English poets [Gower, Chaucer, Lydgate] are here mentioned, may be considered as a proof that only these three were yet thought to deserve the name.” Warton’s Hist. of E. P., ii. 354. ed. 4to. So the Scottish poets of Skelton’s time invariably selected these three as most worthy of praise: see Laing’s note on Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 355.

v. 393. Togeder in armes, as brethern, enbrasid] So Lydgate;

“Embraced in armes as they had be knet

Togyder with a gyrdell.”

Le Assemble de dyeus, sig. d iii. n. d.

v. 395. tabers] i. e. tabards: see the earlier portion of note, p. 283. v. 318.

v. 397. Thei wantid nothynge but the laurell] Meaning,—that they were not poets laureate: see note on v. 324. p. 307.

v. 398. godely] i. e. goodly.

v. 402. enplement] i. e. employment, place.

Page 378. v. 405. The brutid Britons of Brutus Albion]—brutid, i. e. famed. So Lydgate;

“Reioyse ye folkes that borne be in Bretayne,

Called otherwise Brutus Albion.”

Fall of Prynces, B. viii. fol. viii. ed. Wayland.

v. 410. Arrectinge vnto your wyse examinacion] See note, p. 237. v. 95.

v. 414. besy] i. e. busy.

v. 417. hooll] i. e. whole.

v. 420. poynted] i. e. appointed.

v. 421. pullisshyd] i. e. polished.

v. 425. mowte] i. e. might.

Page 379. v. 428. preuentid] i. e. anticipated.

v. 429. meritory] i. e. deserved, due.

v. 431. regraciatory] i. e. return of thanks.

v. 432. poynt you to be prothonatory] i. e. appoint you to be prothonotary.

v. 433. holl] i. e. whole.

v. 434. Auaunced] i. e. Advanced.

v. 439. warkes] i. e. works.

v. 444. I made it straunge] i. e. I made it a matter of nicety, scruple.

v. 445. presed] i. e. pressed.

Page 380. v. 455. prese] i. e. press, throng.

v. 460. Engolerid] i. e. Engalleried.

v. 466. turkis and grossolitis] i. e. turquoises and chrysolites.

Page 380. v. 467. birrall enbosid] i. e. beryl embossed.

v. 469.

Enlosenged with many goodly platis

Of golde]

i. e. Having many goodly plates of gold shaped like lozenges (quadrilateral figures of equal sides, but unequal angles).

—— entachid with many a precyous stone]—entachid may be used in the sense of—tacked on; but qy. is the right reading “enhachid?” as in v. 40 of the present poem, “Enhachyde with perle,” &c., (and v. 1078 of Phyllyp Sparowe,) see note, p. 302.

v. 472. whalis bone] In our early poetry “white as whales bone” is a common simile; and there is reason to believe that some of our ancient writers supposed the ivory then in use (which was made from the teeth of the horse-whale, morse, or walrus) to be part of the bones of a whale. Skelton, however, makes a distinction between “whalis bone” and the real ivory (see v. 468). The latter was still scarce in the reign of Henry the Eighth; but, before that period, Caxton had told his readers that “the tooth of an olyfaunt is yuorye.” Mirrour of the world, 1480. sig. f i.

v. 474. The carpettis within and tappettis of pall]—tappettis of pall, i. e. coverings of rich or fine stuff (perhaps table-covers): that tappettis does not here mean tapestry, is proved by the next line; and compare v. 787,

“With that the tappettis and carpettis were layd,

Whereon theis ladys softly myght rest,

The saumpler to sow on,” &c.

Page 381. v. 475. clothes of arace] See note, p. 192. v. 78.

v. 476. Enuawtyd ... vawte] i. e. Envaulted ... vault.

v. 477. pretory] Lat. prætorium.

v. 478. enbulyoned] i. e. studded; see note on v. 1165.

—— indy blew] See note, p. 101. v. 17.

v. 480. Iacinctis and smaragdis out of the florthe they grew]—Iacinctis, i. e. Jacinths: smaragdis, i. e. emeralds (but see note, p. 102. v. 20): “Vng planché, a plancher or a florthe that is boorded.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. iii. (Thirde Boke). “Florthe of a house astre.”—“Gyst that gothe ouer the florthe soliue, giste.” Id. fols. xxxiiii. xxxvi. (Table of Subst.). “I Plaster a wall or florthe with plaster ... I wyl plaster the florthe of my chambre to make a gernyer there, Ie plastreray latre de ma chābre pour en faire vng grenier.” Id. fol. cccxviii. (Table of Verbes).

v. 483. most rychely besene] i. e. of a most rich appearance,—most richly arrayed: see notes, p. 112. v. 283, p. 295. v. 957.

v. 484. cloth of astate] i. e. cloth of estate,—canopy.

v. 487. ryally] i. e. royally.

Page 381. v. 489. enuyrowne] i. e. in compass, about.

v. 490. stode] i. e. stood.

v. 492. presid] i. e. pressed.

v. 493. Poyle ... Trace] i. e. Apulia ... Thrace.

v. 499. metely wele] See note, p. 270. v. 2196.

Page 382. v. 502. a kyby hele] See note, p. 174. v. 493.

v. 503. salfecundight] i. e. safe-conduct.

v. 504. lokyd ... a fals quarter]—lokyd, i. e. looked: “The false quarters is a soreness on the inside of the hoofs, which are commonly called quarters, which is as much as to say, crased unsound quarters, which comes from evil Shooing and paring the Hoof.” R. Holme’s Ac. of Armory, 1688. B. ii. p. 152.

v. 505. I pray you, a lytyll tyne stande back] So Heywood;

“For when prouender prickt them a little tine,” &c.

Dialogue, &c. sig. D,—Workes, ed. 1598.

v. 514. the ballyuis of the v portis] i. e. the bailiffs of the Cinque Ports.

v. 519. besines] i. e. business.

v. 520. most] i. e. must.

v. 521. maystres] i. e. mistress.

v. 523. sufferayne] i. e. sovereign.

v. 525. And we shall se you ageyne or it be pryme] I have my doubts about what hour is here meant by pryme. Concerning that word see Du Cange’s Gloss. in Prima and Horæ Canonicæ, Tyrwhitt’s Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales, Sibbald’s Gloss. to Chron. of Scot. Poetry, and Sir F. Madden’s Gloss. to Syr Gawayne, &c.

Page 383. v. 531. kest ... loke] i. e. cast ... look.

v. 532. boke] i. e. book.

v. 537. supprysed] i. e. overpowered, smitten.

v. 541. the port salu] See note, p. 299. v. 1262.

v. 547. hertely as herte] i. e. heartily as heart.

v. 548. hole] i. e. whole.

v. 550. aquyte] i. e. discharge, pay.

Page 384. v. 554. moche] i. e. much.

v. 555. Affyaunsynge her myne hole assuraunce] i. e. Pledging her my whole, &c.

v. 559. stonde] i. e. stand.

v. 560. toke ... honde] i. e. took ... hand.

v. 566. iangelers] i. e. babblers, chatterers.

v. 570. moche costious] i. e. much costly.

v. 572. the stones be full glint]—glint must mean here—slippery: see note, p. 263. v. 1687.

v. 574. yatis] i. e. gates.

Page 385. v. 585. carectis] i. e. characters.

v. 586. where as I stode] i. e. where I stood.

v. 590. a lybbard] i. e. a leopard.—“There is,” says Warton, who quotes the stanza, “some boldness and animation in the figure and attitude of this ferocious animal.” Hist. of E. P., ii. 352. ed. 4to.

v. 592. As quikly towchyd] i. e. touched, executed, as much to the life.

v. 595. forme foote] i. e. fore-foot.

—— shoke] i. e. shook.

v. 597.

Unguibus ire parat loca singula livida curvis

Quam modo per Phœbes nummos raptura Celæno]

The whole of this “Cacosyntheton ex industria” is beyond my comprehension. Here Skelton has an eye to Juvenal;

“Nec per conventus nec cuncta per oppida curvis

Unguibus ire parat nummos raptura Celæno.”

Sat. viii. 129.

v. 601. Spreto spineto cedat saliunca roseto] Here he was thinking of Virgil;

“Lenta salix quantum pallenti cedit olivæ,

Puniceis humilis quantum saliunca rosetis.”

Ecl. v. 16.

v. 602. loked] i. e. looked.

v. 603. presed] i. e. pressed, thronged.

v. 604. Shet] i. e. Shut.

v. 605. to] i. e. too.

v. 606. astate] i. e. estate, condition.

v. 607. quod] i. e. quoth.

—— haskardis] “Haskerdes went in the queste: not honeste men. Proletarii & capite censi: non classici rem trāsegerunt.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. n iiii. ed. 1530.

“Wyne was not made for euery haskerde.”

Copland’s Hye Way to the Spyttell Hous, Early Pop. Poetry, ii. 33. ed. Utterson,

who in the Gloss. queries if haskerde mean “dirty fellow? from the Scotch hasky.” The latter word is explained by Jamieson “dirty, slovenly.” Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang.

—— rebawdis] i. e. ribalds.

v. 608. Dysers, carders] Dicers, card-players.

—— gambawdis] i. e. gambols.

Page 386. v. 609. Furdrers of loue] i. e. Furtherers of love—pimps, pandars.

v. 610. blow at the cole] A friend suggests that there is an allusion here to alchemists; but I believe he is mistaken. It is a proverbial expression. So our author again;

“We may blowe at the cole.”

Why come ye nat to Courte, v. 81. vol. ii. 29.

The proverb given by Davies of Hereford;

“Let them that bee colde, blow at the cole.

So may a man do, and yet play the foole.”

Scourge of Folly,—Prouerbes, p. 171.

and by Ray, Proverbs, p. 90. ed. 1768, seems to have a quite different meaning.

Page 386. v. 611. kownnage] i. e. coinage,—coining.

v. 612. Pope holy ypocrytis] i. e. Pope-holy hypocrites: see note, p. 230. l. 24 (prose).

—— as they were golde and hole]—hole, i. e. whole. Heywood also has this expression;

“In words gold and hole, as men by wit could wish,

She will [lie] as fast as a dog will lick a dish.”

Dialogue, &c.—Workes, sig. H 2, ed. 1598.

v. 613. Powle hatchettis] See note, p. 98. v. 28.

—— ale pole] i. e. pole, or stake, set up before an ale-house by way of sign.

v. 614. brybery, theft] See note, p. 256. v. 1242.

v. 615. condycyons] See note, p. 183. v. 12.

v. 616. folys] i. e. fools.

v. 618. dysdanous dawcokkis] i. e. disdainful simpletons, empty fellows: see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 619. fawne thé] i. e. fawn on thee.

—— kurris of kynde] i. e. curs by nature.

v. 620. shrewdly] i. e. evilly.

v. 625. broisid] i. e. bruised, broke.

v. 626. peuysshe] i. e. foolish, silly.

—— porisshly pynk iyde] “Porisshly, as one loketh yᵗ can nat se well, Louchement.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccccxliiii. (Table of Aduerbes): pynk iyde, i. e. pink-eyed; “Some haue myghty eyes, and some be pynkeyed ... peti.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. G vi. ed. 1530; and see Nares’s Gloss. in v.

v. 627. aspyid] i. e. espied, marked.

v. 629. a gun stone] After the introduction of iron shot (instead of balls of stone) for heavy artillery, the term gunstone was retained in the sense of—bullet: “Gonne stone, plombee, boulet, bovle de fonte.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xxxvii. (Table of Subst.).

—— all to-iaggid] See notes, p. 100. v. 32. p. 163. v. 124.

v. 630. daggid] See note, p. 163. v. 123.

v. 631. byrnston] i. e. brimstone.

Page 386. v. 632. Masid] i. e. Bewildered, confounded.

—— a scut] “Scut or hare. Lepus.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

v. 635. dysour] See note, p. 255. v. 1191.

—— a deuyl way] See note, p. 287. v. 672.

Page 387. v. 637. peuisshenes] i. e. foolishness, silliness: compare v. 626.

v. 639. foisty bawdias] See note, p. 192. v. 76.

v. 641. Dasyng after dotrellis, lyke drunkardis that dribbis]—Dasying i. e. gazing with a stupified look: dotrellis; see note, p. 129. v. 409: dribbis, i. e. drip, drivel, slaver.

v. 642. titiuyllis] See note, p. 284. v. 418.

—— taumpinnis] i. e. tampions,—wooden stoppers, put into the mouths of cannon to keep out rain or sea-water. In The foure P. P. by Heywood, the Poticary tells a facetious story about “a thampyon.” Sig. D i. ed. n. d. (Fr. tampon).

v. 643. I hyght you] i. e. I assure you.

v. 644. mone light] i. e. moonlight.

v. 648. wele] i. e. well.

v. 649. auenturis] i. e. adventure.

v. 652. herber] See note, p. 101. v. 13.

v. 653. brere] i. e. briar.

v. 654. With alys ensandid about in compas] “i. e. it was surrounded with sand-walks.” Warton’s Hist. of E. P., ii. 350 (note), ed. 4to. So the garden, in which Chaucer describes Cressid walking, was “sonded all the waies.” Troilus and Creseide, B. ii. fol. 152, —Workes, ed. 1602: and compare Lydgate;

“Alle the aleis were made playne with sond.”

The Chorle and the Bird,—MS. Harl. 116. fol. 147.

v. 655. with singular solas] i. e. in a particularly pleasant manner.

v. 656. rosers] i. e. rose-bushes.

v. 658. coundight] i. e. conduit.

—— coryously] i. e. curiously. So Lydgate;

“Coriously and craftly to endyte.”

The prohemy of a mariage, &c.—MS. Harl. 372. fol. 47.

v. 662. ensilured again the son beames] i. e. ensilvered against the sunbeams.

Page 388. v. 664. reuolde] i. e. revolved, turned.

v. 669. bet vp a fyre] See note, p. 146. v. 930.

v. 671. flagraunt flower]—flagraunt, i. e. fragrant. Compare v. 978. So Hawes;

“Strowed with floures flagraunte of ayre.”

The Pastime of pleasure, sig. A a iiii. ed. 1555.

Page 388. v. 673. baratows broisiours] i. e. contentious bruisers,—unless (as the context seems rather to shew) broisiours means—bruisures, bruises.

v. 674. passid all bawmys] i. e. surpassed all balms.

v. 676. gardynge] i. e. garden.

—— piplyng] i. e. piping; as in our author’s Replycacion, &c. vol. i. 207. l. 26 (prose).

v. 680. the nyne Muses, Pierides by name] So Chaucer;

“Muses, that men clepe Pierides.”

The Man of Lawes Prol. v. 4512 (but see Tyrwhitt’s note).

v. 681. Testalis] i. e. Thestylis. So Barclay;

“Neera, Malkin, or lustie Testalis.”

Second Egloge, sig. B ii. ed. 1570.

v. 682. enbybid] i. e. made wet, soaked.

v. 683. moche solacyous] i. e. much pleasant, mirthful.

v. 686. somer] i. e. summer.

—— fotid] i. e. footed.

v. 687. twynklyng upon his harpe stringis]—twynklyng, i. e. tinkling. So, at a much later period, Dekker; “Thou (most cleare throated singing man,) with thy Harpe, (to the twinckling of which inferior Spirits skipt like Goates ouer the Welsh mountaines),” &c. A Knights Coniuring, 1607. sig. D 2.

Page 389. v. 688. And Iopas, &c.] Here, and in the next two stanzas, Skelton has an eye to Virgil;

“Cithara crinitus Iopas
Personat aurata, docuit quæ maxumus Atlas.
Hic canit errantem lunam, solisque labores;

Unde hominum genus, et pecudes; unde imber, et ignes;

Arcturum, pluviasque Hyadas, geminosque Triones;

Quid tantum Oceano properent se tinguere soles

Hiberni, vel quæ tardis mora noctibus obstet.”

Æn. i. 740.

—— auaunce] i. e. advance.

v. 691. mone] i. e. moon.

v. 694. spere] i. e. sphere.

v. 697. prechid] i. e. discoursed, told.

—— chere] i. e. countenance, look.

v. 699. aspy] i. e. espy.

v. 705. counteryng] See note, p. 92.

Page 389. v. 709. pleasure, with lust and delyte] One of our author’s pleonastic expressions.

v. 712. conuenable] i. e. fitting.

Page 390. v. 718. wele were hym] i. e. he were in good condition.

v. 720. maystres] i. e. mistress.

v. 725. losyd ful sone] i. e. loosed full soon.

v. 731. That I ne force what though it be discurid] i. e. That I do not care although it be discovered, shewn.

v. 733. ladyn of liddyrnes with lumpis]—liddyrnes, i. e. sluggishness, slothfulness (the construction is—ladyn with lumpis of liddyrness).

v. 734. dasid] i. e. stupified.

—— dumpis] See note on v. 15. p. 301: but here the word implies greater dulness of mind.

v. 735. coniect] i. e. conjecture.

v. 736. Gog] A corruption of the sacred name.

Page 391. v. 737. be] i. e. by.

v. 741. fonde] i. e. foolish.

v. 742. Tressis agasonis species prior, altera Davi] “Hic Dama est non tressis agaso.” Persius, Sat. v. 76. Davus is a slave’s name in Plautus, Terence, &c.

v. 748. tacita sudant præcordia culpa] From Juvenal, Sat. i. 167.

v. 751. Labra movens tacitus] “Labra moves tacitus.” Persius, Sat. v. 184.

—— rumpantur ut ilia Codro] From Virgil, Ecl. vii. 26.

v. 753. hight] i. e. is called.

v. 754. and ye wist] i. e. if ye knew.

Page 392. v. 758. hole reame] i. e. whole realm.

v. 762. smerke] i. e. smirk.

v. 763. leue warke whylis it is wele] i. e. leave work while it is well.

v. 764. towchis] i. e. touches, qualities.

—— to] i. e. too.

v. 768. astate] i. e. estate, state.

v. 769. Cowntes of Surrey] Was Elizabeth Stafford, eldest daughter of Edward Duke of Buckingham, and second wife of Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, who afterwards (on the death of his father in 1524) became the third Duke of Norfolk. She had previously been attached and engaged to the Earl of Westmoreland with the consent of both families; but her father, having broken off the intended match, compelled her to accept the hand of lord Thomas Howard in 1513. She was twenty years younger than her husband. After many domestic quarrels, they separated about 1533. Of their five children, one was Henry Howard, the illustrious poet. She died in 1558. See Memorials of the Howard Family, &c. by H. Howard, 1834, folio.

The Countess of Surrey appears to have been fond of literature; and, as she calls Skelton her “clerk,” we may suppose that she particularly patronised him. The probability is, that the present poem was really composed at Sheriff-Hutton Castle, which (as already noticed, p. 300) had been granted by the king to the Duke of Norfolk for life, and that the Countess was residing there on a visit to her father-in-law.

The Garlande of Laurell was written, I apprehend, about 1520, or perhaps a little later: in v. 1192 Skelton mentions his Magnyfycence, which was certainly produced after 1515,—see note on title of that piece, p. 236.

Page 392. v. 771. beue] i. e. bevy.

v. 774. warhe] i. e. work.

v. 775. asayde] i. e. tried, proved.

Page 393. v. 776. cronell] i. e. coronal, garland.

v. 786. of there lewdnesse] May mean (as Nott explains it, Surrey’s Works, i.—Append. p. ix.)—of their ignorance, ignorantly; but I rather think the expression is here equivalent to,—evilly, impudently.

v. 787. tappettis and carpettis] See note on v. 474. p. 311.

v. 790. To weue in the stoule] So Chaucer;

“And weauen in stole the radevore.”

Leg. of Philomene, fol. 195.—Workes, ed. 1602.

and Hall; “On their heades bonets of Damaske syluer flatte wouen in the stole, and therupon wrought with gold,” &c. Chron. (Hen. viii.) fol. vii. ed. 1548.—Mr. Albert Way observes to me that in Prompt. Parv. MS. Harl. 221, is “Lyncent werkynge instrument for sylke women. Liniarium,” while the ed. of 1499 has “Lyncet workinge stole;” and he supposes the stole (i. e. stool) to have been a kind of frame, much like what is still used for worsted work, but, instead of being arranged like a cheval glass, that it was made like a stool,—the top being merely a frame or stretcher for the work.

—— preste] i. e. ready.

v. 791. With slaiis, with tauellis, with hedellis well drest]—slaiis, i. e. sleys, weavers’ reeds: tauellis, see note, p. 94. v. 34: “Heddles, Hedeles, Hiddles. The small cords through which the warp is passed in a loom, after going through the reed.” Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. by Jamieson, who cites from G. Douglas’s Æneid;

“With subtell slayis, and hir hedeles slee,

Riche lenze wobbis naitly weiffit sche.”

B. vii. p. 204. 45. ed. Rudd.

Page 393. v. 793. warke] i. e. work.

v. 794. to enbrowder put them in prese] i. e. put themselves in press (applied themselves earnestly) to embroider.

v. 795. glowtonn] Does it mean—ball, clue? or, as Mr. Albert Way suggests,—a sort of needle, a stiletto as it is now called,—something by which the silk was to be inwrought?

v. 796. pirlyng] “I Pyrle wyer of golde or syluer I wynde it vpon a whele as sylke women do.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cccxvii. (Table of Verbes).

v. 798. tewly sylk] Richardson in his Dict. under the verb Tew places tewly, as derived from it, and cites the present passage. But tewly seems to have nothing to do with that verb. “Tuly colowre. Puniceus vel punicus.” Prompt. Parv. MS. Harl. 221. In MS. Sloane, 73. fol. 214, are directions “for to make bokerham tuly or tuly thred,” where it appears that this colour was “a manere of reed colour as it were of croppe mader,” that is, probably, of the tops or sprouts of the madder, which would give a red less intense or full: the dye was “safflour” (saffron?) and “asches of wyn [whin] ballis ybrent;” and a little red vinegar was to be used to bring the colour up to a fuller red.—For this information I am indebted to Mr. Albert Way.

v. 799. botowme] “I can make no bottoms of this threde ... glomera.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. t i. ed 1530.

v. 801. warkis] i. e. works.

Page 394. v. 803. With burris rowth and bottons surffillyng]—burris rowth, i. e. burrs rough: bottons, i. e. buds: surffillyng, see note, p. 281. v. 219.

v. 804. nedill wark] i. e. needle-work.

v. 805. enbesid] i. e. embusied.

v. 814. conseyt] i. e. conceit.

v. 815. captacyons of beneuolence] Todd gives “Captation (old Fr. captation, ruse, artifice). The practice of catching favour or applause; courtship; flattery.” Johnson’s Dict. Richardson, after noticing the use of the verb captive “with a subaudition of gentle, attractive, persuasive means or qualities,” adds that in the present passage of Skelton captation is used with that subaudition. Dict. in v.

v. 816. pullysshid] i. e. polished.

v. 817.

Sith ye must nedis afforce it by pretence

Of your professyoun vnto vmanyte]

i. e. Since you must needs attempt, undertake, it by your claim to the profession of humanity,—humaniores literæ, polite literature.

Page 394. v. 819. proces] i. e. discourse; see notes, p. 143. v. 735. p. 230 (first note on prose), p. 276. v. 2506, &c.

v. 820. iche] i. e. each.

v. 821. sentence ... couenable] i. e. meaning ... fitting.

v. 822. Auaunsynge] i. e. Advancing.

v. 824. arrectyng] i. e. raising.

Page 395. v. 825. ken] i. e. instruct (pleonastically coupled with “informe,” as in v. 1428).

v. 828. dredfull] i. e. full of dread, timorous.

v. 830. bestad] i. e. bested, circumstanced.

v. 833. gabyll rope] i. e. cable-rope. “A Gable, Rudens.” Coles’s Dict.

v. 835. beseke] i. e. beseech.

—— Countes of Surrey] See note on v. 769. p. 317.

v. 838. reconusaunce] i. e. acknowledgment.

v. 841. astate] i. e. estate, state.

v. 842. honour and worshyp] Terms nearly synonymous: worshyp, i. e. dignity.

—— formar] i. e. first, highest: see Todd’s Johnson’s Dict. in v. Former.

v. 843. Argyua] i. e. Argia.

v. 844. Polimites] i. e. Polynices;

“his fellaw dan Polimites,

Of which the brother dan Ethiocles,” &c.

Chaucer’s Troilus and Creseide, B. v. fol. 180,—Workes, ed. 1602.

“Lete Polymyte reioyse his herytage.”

Lydgate’s Storye of Thebes, Pars tert. sig. i v. ed. 4to. n. d.

v. 847. counterwayng] i. e. counter-weighing.

Page 396. v. 850. Pamphila] “Telas araneorum modo texunt ad vestem luxumque fœminarum, quæ bombycina appellatur. Prima eas redordiri, rursusque texere invenit in Ceo mulier Pamphila, Latoi filia, non fraudanda gloria excogitatæ rationis ut denudet fœminas vestis.” Plinii Nat. Hist. lib. xi. 26.

—— quene of the Grekis londe]—londe, i. e. land: qy. does any writer except Skelton call her a queen?

v. 852.

Thamer also wrought with her goodly honde

Many diuisis passynge curyously]

It is plain that Skelton, while writing these complimentary stanzas, consulted Boccaccio De Claris Mulieribus: there this lady is called Thamyris (see, in that work, “De Thamyri Pictrice,” cap. liiii. ed. 1539). Her name is properly Timarete; she was daughter to Mycon the painter; vide Plinii Nat. Hist.: honde, i. e. hand: diuisis, i. e. devices.

Page 396. v. 857. toke] i. e. took.

v. 860. corage ... perfight] i. e. heart, affection ... perfect.

—— lady Elisabeth Howarde] Was the third daughter of the second Duke of Norfolk by his second wife, Agnes Tylney, daughter of Sir Hugh Tylney, and sister and heir to Sir Philip Tylney of Boston, Lincolnshire, knight (I follow Howard’s Memorials of the Howard Family, &c.; Collins says “daughter of Hugh Tilney”). Lady Elizabeth married Henry Ratcliff, Earl of Sussex.

v. 865. Aryna] i. e. perhaps—Irene. In the work of Boccaccio just referred to is a portion “De Hyrene C[r]atini filia,” cap. lvii.; and Pliny notices her together with the above-mentioned Timarete.

v. 866. konnyng] i. e. knowledge.

v. 867. wele] i. e. well.

v. 868. enbewtid] i. e. beautified.

v. 870. lusty ... loke] i. e. pleasant ... look.

v. 871. Creisseid] See Chaucer’s Troilus and Creseide.

—— Polexene] i. e. Polyxena, the daughter of Priam.

v. 872. enuyue] i. e. envive, enliven, excite.

Page 397. v. 874. hole] i. e. whole.

—— lady Mirriell Howarde] Could not have been Muriel, daughter of the second Duke of Norfolk; for she, after having been twice married, died in 1512, anterior to the composition of the present poem. Qy. was the Muriel here celebrated the Duke’s grandchild,—one of those children of the Earl and Countess of Surrey, whose names, as they died early, have not been recorded? Though Skelton compares her to Cidippe, and terms her “madame,” he begins by calling her “mi litell lady.”

v. 880. curteyse] i. e. courteous.

v. 881. Whome fortune and fate playnly haue discust]—discust, i. e. determined. So again our author in Why come ye nat to Courte;

“Allmyghty God, I trust,

Hath for him dyscust,” &c.

v. 747. vol. ii. 50.

and Barclay;

“But if thou iudge amisse, then shall Eacus

(As Poetes saith) hell thy iust rewarde discusse.”

The Ship of Fooles, fol. 4. ed. 1570.

v. 882. plesure, delyght, and lust] One of Skelton’s pleonastic expressions.

Page 397. v. 885.

Cidippes, the mayd,

That of Aconcyus whan she founde the byll, &c.]

—Cidippes, i. e. Cydippe; see note on v. 290. p. 307: the byll; i. e. the writing,—the verses which Acontius had written on the apple.

v. 888. fyll] i. e. fell.

—— lady Anne Dakers of the Sowth] The wife of Thomas Lord Dacre, was daughter of Sir Humphrey Bourchier, son of John Lord Berners and of Elizabeth Tylney, who (see note on v. 399) afterwards became the first wife of the second Duke of Norfolk.

v. 893. his crafte were to seke] i. e. his skill were at a loss.

Page 398. v. 897. Princes] i. e. Princess.

v. 898. conyng] i. e. knowledge.

v. 899. Paregall] i. e. Equal (thoroughly equal).

v. 901. surmountynge] i. e. surpassing.

v. 902. sad] See note, p. 264. v. 1711.

v. 903. lusty lokis] i. e. pleasant looks.

—— mastres Margery Wentworthe] Perhaps the second daughter of Sir Richard Wentworth, afterwards married to Christopher Glemham of Glemham in Suffolk.

v. 906. margerain ientyll] “Marierome is called ... in English, Sweet Marierome, Fine Marierome, and Marierome gentle; of the best sort Marjerane.” Gerard’s Herball, p. 664. ed. 1633.

v. 907. goodlyhede] i. e. goodness.

v. 908. Enbrowdred] i. e. Embroidered.

v. 912. praty] i. e. pretty.

v. 918. corteise] i. e. courteous.

Page 399.—— mastres Margaret Tylney] A sister-in-law, most probably, of the second Duke of Norfolk. His first wife was Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Sir Frederick Tylney of Ashwell-Thorpe, Norfolk, knight, and widow of Sir Humphrey Bourchier, son of John Lord Berners: his second wife was Agnes, daughter of Sir Hugh Tylney, and sister and heir to Sir Philip Tylney of Boston, Lincolnshire, knight; see third note, preceding page.

v. 928. besy cure] i. e. busy care.

v. 933.

As Machareus

Fayre Canace]

Their tale is told in the Conf. Am. by Gower; he expresses no horror at their incestuous passion, but remarks on the cruelty of their father, who

“for he was to loue strange,
He wolde not his herte change
To be benigne and fauourable
To loue, but vnmerciable!”

B. iii. fol. xlviii. ed. 1554.

(and see the lines cited in note on v. 1048. p. 324). Lydgate (Fall of Prynces, B. i. leaf xxxv. ed. Wayland) relates the story with a somewhat better moral feeling.

Page 399. v. 935. iwus] Or i-wis (adv.),—i. e. truly, certainly.

v. 936. Endeuoure me] i. e. Exert myself.

v. 941. Wele] i. e. Well.

v. 942. Intentyfe] “Intentyfe hedefull.”—“Ententyfe, busy to do a thynge or to take hede to a thyng.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fols. lxxxx. lxxxvii. (where both are rendered by the Fr. ententif).

v. 948. Perle orient] In allusion to her Christian name just mentioned, “Margarite.”

v. 949. Lede sterre] i. e. Load-star.

v. 950. Moche] i. e. Much.

Page 400.—— maystres Iane Blenner-Haiset] Perhaps a daughter of Sir Thomas Blennerhasset, who was executor (in conjunction with the Duchess) to the second Duke of Norfolk: see Sir H. Nicolas’s Test. Vet. ii. 604.

v. 955. smale lust] i. e. small liking.

v. 958. prese] i. e. press, band.

v. 962. ententifly] See above, note on v. 942.

v. 963. stellyfye] “I Stellifye I sette vp amongest the starres.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccclxxiii. (Table of Verbes).

v. 965. ne swarue] i. e. swerve not.

v. 968. Sith] i. e. Since.

v. 972, Laodomi] i. e. Laodamia.

v. 975. godely] i. e. goodly.

Page 401. v. 977. Reflaring rosabell] i. e. odorous fair-rose: see note, p. 134. v. 524.

v. 978. flagrant] See note on v. 671. p. 315.

v. 979. The ruddy rosary]—rosary must mean here—rose-bush, not rose-bed.

v. 981. praty] i. e. pretty.

v. 982. nepte] “Cats mint or nept is a kind of calamint,” &c. The Countrie Farme, p. 320. ed. 1600.

v. 983. ieloffer] See note, p. 147. v. 1052.

v. 984. propre] i. e. pretty.

v. 985, Enuwyd] See note, p. 144. v. 775.

Page 402. v. 1006. Ientill as fawcoun] The Falcon gentle, says Turbervile, is so called “for her gentle and courteous condition and fashions.” The Booke of Falconrie, &c. p. 26. ed. 1611.

v. 1007. hawke of the towre] See note, p. 250. v. 934.

v. 1025. fayre Isaphill] The Hypsipyle of the ancients.

“Isiphile

...

She that dyd in fayrnesse so excell.”

Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, B. i. leaf xviii. ed. Wayland.

She figures in the Storye of Thebes by the same indefatigable versifier, who there says,

“But to knowe. the auentures all

Of this lady. Isyphyle the fayre,”

(Pars tert. sig. h iiii. n. d. 4to.)

we must have recourse to Boccaccio De Claris Mulieribus (see that work, cap. xv. ed. 1539).

v. 1027. pomaunder] Was a composition of perfumes, wrought into the shape of a ball, or other form, and worn in the pocket, or about the neck (Fr. pomme d’ambre). In the following entry from an unpublished Boke of Kyngs Paymentis from i to ix of Henry viii, preserved in the Chapter-House, Westminster, pomaunder means a case for holding the composition;

“Item to the frenche quenes seruaunt, that brought a pomaunder of gold to the princes, in Re[ward | xx. s.” | (9th year of reign).

v. 1030. Wele] i. e. Well.

v. 1033. corteise] i. e. courteous.

Page 403. v. 1048. Pasiphe] Lest the reader should be surprised at finding Skelton compare Mistress Statham to Pasiphae, I cite the following lines from Feylde’s Contrauersye bytwene a Louer and a Iaye (printed by W. de Worde), n. d., in which she and Taurus are mentioned as examples of true love;

“Phedra and Theseus
Progne and Thereus
Pasyphe and Taurus
Who lyketh to proue
Canace and Machareus
Galathea and Pamphylus
Was neuer more dolorous
And all for true loue.”

Sig. B iiii.

I may add too a passage from Caxton’s Boke of Eneydos, &c. (translated from the French), 1490; “The wyffe of kynge Mynos of Crete was named Pasyfa that was a grete lady and a fayr aboue alle other ladyes of the royame.... The quene Pasyfa was wyth chylde by kynge Mynos, and whan her tyme was comen she was delyuered of a creature that was halfe a man and halfe a bulle.” Sig. h 6.

Page 403. v. 1062. aquyte] i. e. requite.

Page 404. v. 1068. gyse] i. e. guise, fashion.

v. 1074. warke] i. e. work.

v. 1076.

Galathea, the made well besene, &c.

...

By Maro]

—the made well besene, i. e. the maid of good appearance, fair to see: the expression applied, as here, to personal appearance, independent of dress, is, I apprehend, very unusual; see notes, p. 112. v. 283. p. 295. v. 957. p. 311. v. 483: By Maro; vide Ecl. i. and iii.

v. 1082. leyser] i. e. leisure.

Page 405. v. 1094. ich] i. e. each.

v. 1102. curteisly] i. e. courteously.

v. 1103. where as] i. e. where.

v. 1109. Wele was hym] i. e. He was in good condition.

v. 1114. astate] i. e. estate,—meaning here—state, raised chair or throne with a canopy: compare v. 484.

Page 406. v. 1117. loked ... a glum] i. e. looked ... a gloomy, sour look.

v. 1118. There was amonge them no worde then but mum] See note, p. 278. v. 83.

v. 1121. sith] i. e. since.

v. 1124. pretence] i. e. pretension, claim.

v. 1128. princes of astate] i. e. princess of estate, rank, dignity.

v. 1132. condiscendyng] See note, p. 237. v. 39.

Page 407. v. 1135. enduce] i. e. bring in, adduce.

v. 1136. lay] See note, p. 219. v. 103.

v. 1139. bokis] i. e. books.

v. 1143. poynted] i. e. appointed.

v. 1144. presid] i. e. pressed.

v. 1150. ony] i. e. any.

v. 1154. wote wele] i. e. know well.

v. 1156. losende] i. e. loosened, loosed.

v. 1158. byse] Hearne in his Gloss. to Langtoft’s Chron. has “bis, grey, black,” with an eye, no doubt, to the line at p. 230,

“In a marble bis of him is mad story.”

and Sir F. Madden explains the word “white or grey” in his Gloss. to Syr Gawayne, &c., referring to the line “Of golde, azure, and byse” in Syre Gawene and The Carle of Carelyle, p. 204. But we also find “Byce a colour azur.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xx. (Table of Subst.). “Scryueners wryte with blacke, red, purple, grene, blewe or byce, and suche other.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. Q i. ed. 1530. “Bize Blew Byze, a delicate Blew.” Holme’s Acad. of Arm., 1688. B. iii. p. 145.

Page 407. v. 1158. gressoppes] i. e. grasshoppers: see note, p. 125. v. 137.

Page 408. v. 1159. fresshe] i. e. gay, gorgeous: see note on v. 39. p. 302.

v. 1160. Enflorid] i. e. Enflowered (embellished, for it applies partly to the “snaylis”).

v. 1161. Enuyuid picturis well towchid and quikly]—Enuyuid, i. e. envived: quikly, livelily, to the life; a somewhat pleonastic line, as before, see note, p. 261. v. 1569.

v. 1162. hole ... be ... sekely] i. e. whole ... been ... sickly.

v. 1163. garnysshyd] }

...

v. 1165. bullyons] }

“I hadde leuer haue my boke sowed in a forel [in cuculli involucro] than bounde in bourdes, and couered and clasped, and garnyshed with bolyons [vmbilicis].” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. Q iiii. ed. 1530: bullyons, i. e. bosses, studs.

—— worth a thousande pounde] An expression found in other early poets;

“And euery bosse of bridle and paitrell
That they had, was worth, as I would wene,
A thousand pound.”

Chaucer’s Floure and Leafe,—Workes, fol. 345. ed. 1602.

v. 1166. balassis] Tyrwhitt (Gloss, to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales) explains Bales to be “a sort of bastard Ruby.” Du Cange (Gloss.) has “Balascus, Carbunculus, cujus rubor et fulgor dilutiores sunt ... a Balascia Indiæ regione ... dicti ejusmodi lapides pretiosi.” Marco Polo tells us, “In this country [Balashan or Badakhshan] are found the precious stones called balass rubies, of fine quality and great value.” Travels, p. 129, translated by Marsden, who in his learned note on the passage (p. 132) observes that in the Latin version it is said expressly that these stones have their name from the country. See too Sir F. Madden’s note on Privy Purse Expenses of the Princess Mary, p. 209.

v. 1167. aurum musicum] i. e. aurum musaicum or musivum,—mosaic gold.

v. 1172. Boke of Honorous Astate] i. e. Book of Honourable Estate. Like many other of the pieces which Skelton proceeds to enumerate, it is not known to exist. When any of his still extant writings are mentioned in this catalogue, I shall refer to the places where they may be found in the present volumes.

Page 408. v. 1176. to lerne you to dye when ye wyll] A version probably of the same piece which was translated and published by Caxton under the title of A lityll treatise shorte and abredged spekynge of the arte and crafte to knowe well to dye, 1490, folio. Caxton translated it from the French: the original Latin was a work of great celebrity.

v. 1178. Rosiar] i. e. Rose-bush.

—— Prince Arturis Creacyoun] Arthur, the eldest son of King Henry the Seventh, was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, 1st Oct. 1489: see Sandford’s Geneal. Hist. p. 475. ed. 1707.

Page 409. v. 1183. Bowche of Courte] In vol. i. 30.

v. 1185. Of Tullis Familiars the translacyoun] Is noticed with praise in Caxton’s Preface to The Boke of Eneydos, &c. 1490: see the passage cited in Account of Skelton and his Writings.

v. 1187. The Recule ageinst Gaguyne of the Frenshe nacyoun]—Recule, Fr. recueil, is properly—a collection of several writings: it occurs again in v. 1390; and in Speke, Parrot, v. 232. vol. ii. 11. Concerning Gaguin, see Account of Shelton and his Writings.

v. 1188.

the Popingay, that hath in commendacyoun

Ladyes and gentylwomen suche as deseruyd,

And suche as be counterfettis they be reseruyd]

—Popingay, i. e. Parrot: “Reserved excepte sauf.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xciiii. (Table of Adiect.).—No part of Speke, Parrot (in vol. ii. 1), answers to this description: but “the Popingay” is certainly only another name for Speke, Parrot (see v. 280. vol. ii. 14); and Skelton must allude here to some portion, now lost, of that composition.

v. 1192. Magnyfycence] In vol. i. 225.

v. 1193. new get] See note, p. 242. v. 458.

v. 1196. wele] i. e. well.

v. 1198. Of manerly maistres Margery Mylke and Ale, &c.] In vol. i. 28. is one of the “many maters of myrthe” which Skelton here says that he “wrote to her.”

v. 1202. Lor] A corruption of Lord.

v. 1203. Gingirly, go gingerly] “Gyngerly: A pas menus, as Allez a pas menu ma fille.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccccxli. (Table of Aduerb.).

Page 410. v. 1206. This fustiane maistres and this giggisse gase] maistres, i. e. mistress: giggisse, i. e. giggish,—which Forby gives, with the sense of—trifling, silly, flighty (Vocab. of East Anglia); but here perhaps the word implies something of wantonness: gase, i. e. goose.

Page 410. v. 1207. wrenchis] See note, p. 100. v. 25.

v. 1209. shuld not crase] i. e. that it should not break.

v. 1210. It may wele ryme, but shroudly it doth accorde]—wele, i. e. well: shroudly, i. e. shrewdly, badly. A copy of verses on Inconsistency by Lydgate has for its burden,

“It may wele ryme, but it accordith nought.”

MS. Harl. 2251. fol. 26.

v. 1211. pyke ... potshorde] i. e. pick ... potsherd.

v. 1218. mo] i. e. more.

v. 1219.

Of my ladys grace at the contemplacyoun,
Owt of Frenshe into Englysshe prose,
Of Mannes Lyfe the Peregrynacioun,
He did translate, enterprete, and disclose]

—at the contemplacyoun; see note on heading of Epitaph, p. 214: my ladys grace means perhaps the mother of Henry the Seventh, the Countess of Derby; see note on title of Elegy, p. 226. Warton says that this piece was “from the French, perhaps, of Guillaume [de Guilleville] prior of Chalis. But it should be observed that Pynson printed Peregrinatio humani generis, 1508. 4to.” Hist, of E. P., ii. 337 (note), ed. 4to. The Pylgremage of the Soule translatid oute of Frensshe in to Englysshe with somwhat of additions, the yere of our lord M.CCCC & thyrten, and endeth in the Vigyle of seynt Bartholomew Emprynted at Westmestre by William Caxton, And fynysshed the sixth day of Juyn, the yere of our lord, M.CCCC.LXXXIII And the first yere of the regne of kynge Edward the fyfthe. fol., was taken from the French of Guillaume de Guilleville (see Biog. Univ. xix. 169); but, though Skelton was in all probability an author as early as 1583, there is no reason for supposing that the volume just described had received any revision from him. Peregrinatio Humani Generis, printed by Pynson in 4to., 1508, is, according to Herbert (Typ. Ant. ii. 430. ed. Dibdin), “in ballad verse, or stanzas of seven lines:” it cannot therefore be the piece mentioned here by Skelton, which he expressly tells us was in “prose.”

v. 1226. creauncer] See note, p. 193. v. 102.

Page 411. v. 1229. Speculum Principis] A piece by Skelton entitled Methodos Skeltonidis Laureati, sc. Præcepta quædam moralia Henrico principi, postea Hen. viii. missa. Dat. apud Eltham. A.D. MDI. was once among the MSS. in the Library of Lincoln Cathedral, but is now marked as missing in the Catalogue of that collection, and has been sought for in vain. Whether it was the same work as that mentioned in the present passage, I am unable to determine.

Page 411. v. 1229. honde] i. e. hand.

v. 1231. astate] i. e. estate, state.

v. 1233. the Tunnynge of Elinour Rummyng] In vol. i. 95.

v. 1234. Colyn Clowt] In vol. i. 311.

—— Iohnn Iue, with Ioforth Iack] In 1511, a woman being indicted for heresy, “her husband deposed, that in the end of the reign of King Edward the Fourth, one John Ive had persuaded her into these opinions, in which she had persisted ever since.” Burnet’s Hist. of the Reform. i. 51. ed. 1816. The words “with Ioforth, Iack,” were perhaps a portion of Skelton’s poem concerning this John Ive: ioforth is an exclamation used in driving horses;

“Harrer, Morelle, iofurthe, hyte.”

Mactacio Abel,—Towneley Mysteries, p. 9.

v. 1235. make ... konnyng] i. e. compose ... knowledge, skill, ability.

v. 1236. parde] i. e. par dieu, verily.

v. 1238. conueyauns] See the long speech of Crafty Conueyaunce in our author’s Magnyfycence, v. 1343 sqq. vol. i, 268.

v. 1239. the Walshemannys hoos] See note, p. 289. v. 780.

v. 1240. vmblis] i. e. parts of the inwards of a deer. “Noumbles of a dere or beest entrailles.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. 1. (Table of Subst.). And see Sir F. Madden’s note, Syr Gawayne, &c. p. 322.

———— the botell of wyne,

To fayre maistres Anne that shuld haue be sent]

Such a present seems to have been not uncommon;

“Beddes, brochys, and botelles of wyen he to the lady sent.”

Lydgate’s Ballad of A Prioress and her three Wooers,—MS. Harl. 78. fol. 74.

The “maistres Anne” here mentioned is doubtless the lady to whom the lines in vol. i. 20 are addressed.

v. 1242. wrate ... praty] i. e. wrote ... pretty.

v. 1246. longyth] i. e. belongeth.

v. 1247.

Of one Adame all a knaue

...

He wrate an Epitaph, &c.]

In vol. i. 171.

v. 1250. agerdows] i. e. eager, keen, severe.

v. 1254. Phillip Sparow] In vol. i, 51.

Page 412. v. 1257. Yet sum there be therewith that take greuaunce] See notes, p. 149 sqq., where will be found illustrations of the portion of Phyllyp Sparowe which is inserted in the present poem.

Page 415. v. 1376. The Gruntyng and the groynninge of the gronnyng swyne] See note, p. 180. v. 2.

v. 1377. the Murnyng of the mapely rote]—mapely rote, i. e. maple-root.—In Ravenscroft’s Pammelia, 1609, part of a nonsensical song (No. 31) is as follows;

“My Ladies gone to Canterbury,

S. Thomas be her boote.

Shee met with Kate of Malmsbury,

Why weepst thou maple roote?”

a recollection perhaps of Skelton’s lost ballad.

Page 416. v. 1378. pine] i. e. pain, grief.

v. 1379. a cote] i. e. a coot (water-fowl).

v. 1380. birdbolt] i. e. a blunt arrow used to kill birds; see Nares’s Gloss. in v. and in v. Bolt.

—— hart rote] i. e. heart-root.

v. 1381. Moyses hornis] So Lydgate;

“Moyses

With golden hornes liche phebus beames bright.”

Process. of Corpus Christi,—MS. Harl. 2251. fol. 251.

“Cumque descenderet Moyses de monte Sinai ... ignorabat quod cornuta esset facies sua ex consortio sermonis Domini.” Vulgate,—Exod. xxxiv. 29.

v. 1382. merely, medelyd] i. e. merrily, mingled.

v. 1383. Of paiauntis that were played in Ioyows Garde] Bale, in his enumeration of Skelton’s writings, alluding to this line (as is evident from his arrangement of the pieces), gives “Theatrales ludos.” Script. Illust. Bryt. p. 652. ed. 1557: and Mr. J. P. Collier states that “one of Skelton’s earlier works had been a series of pageants, ‘played in Joyous Garde,’ or Arthur’s Castle.” Hist. of Engl. Dram. Poet. ii. 142. But, assuredly, in the present line, paiauntis, i. e. pageants, means nothing of a dramatic nature. The expression to “play a pageant” has occurred several times already in our author’s poems; “I haue played my pageyond” (my part on the stage of life), see note, p. 88. v. 85; “Suche pollyng paiaunttis ye pley” (such thievish pranks), see note, p. 189. v. 190: and though it may be doubted whether the paiauntis that were played in Ioyows Garde,—i. e. in the Castle of Sir Launcelot, according to the romances,—are to be understood as connected with feats of arms, I cite the following passage in further illustration of the expression; “The fyrste that was redy to Juste was sir Palomydes and sir Kaynus le straunge a knyghte of the table round. And soo they two encountred to gyders, but sire Palomydes smote sir Kaynus soo hard that he smote hym quyte ouer his hors croupe, and forth with alle sir Palomydes smote doune another knyght and brake thenne his spere & pulled oute his swerd and did wonderly wel. And thenne the noyse beganne gretely vpon sir palomydes. Ioo said Kynge Arthur yonder palomydes begynneth to play his pagent. So god me help said Arthur he is a passynge good knyght. And ryght as they stood talkyng thus, in came sir Tristram as thonder, and he encountred with syre Kay the Seneschall, and there he smote hym doune quyte from his hors, and with that same spere sir Tristram smote doune thre knyghtes moo, and thenne he pulled oute his swerd and dyd merueyllously. Thenne the noyse and crye chaunged from syr Palomydes and torned to sir Tristram and alle the peple cryed O Tristram, O Tristram. And thenne was sir Palomydes clene forgeten. How now said Launcelot vnto Arthur, yonder rydeth a knyght that playeth his pagents.” Morte d’Arthur, B. x. cap. lxxix. vol. ii. 140. ed. Southey.

Page 416. v. 1384. wrate] i. e. wrote.

—— muse] See note, p. 234. v. 212.

v. 1385. do] i. e. doe.

v. 1386. parker ... with all] i. e. park-keeper ... withal.

v. 1387. Castell Aungell] “And the pope fled unto Castle Angell.” Cavendish’s Life of Wolsey, p. 143. ed. 1827.

—— fenestrall] In Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530, we find “Fenestrall chassis de toille ou de paupier.” fol. xxxiii. (Table of Subst.); and in Hormanni Vulgaria, “Paper, or lyn clothe, straked a crosse, with losynges: make fenestrals in stede of glasen wyndowes.” Sig. v ii: but see the next lines of our text.

v. 1389. eyn dasild and dasid]—eyn, i. e. eyes: dasid, i. e. dulled.

v. 1390. The Repete of the recule of Rosamundis bowre]—Repete, i. e. Repetition, Recital: recule; see note on v. 1187. p. 327.

v. 1392. propre] i. e. pretty.

—— ieloffer flowre] See note, p. 147. v. 1052.

v. 1393. to reckeles] i. e. too reckless.

v. 1396. Mok there loste her sho] A proverbial expression, which occurs again in our author’s Why come ye nat to Courte, v. 83. vol. ii. 29: in his Colyn Cloute we find

“Sho the mockysshe mare.”

v. 181. vol. i. 318.

v. 1397. barbican] “A Barbican, antemurale, promurale, tormentorum bellicorum sedes, locus.” Coles’s Dict. “It was generally,” says Nares (referring to King on Anc. Castles, Archael.), “a small round tower, for the station of an advanced guard, placed just before the outward gate of the castle yard, or ballium.” Gloss. in v. And see Richardson’s Dict. in v.

Page 416. v. 1398. sawte] i. e. assault.

v. 1399. blo] i. e. livid: see note, p. 103. v. 3.

v. 1400. Of Exione, her lambis, &c.] See note ad loc. If the reader understands the line, it is more than I do.

Page 417. v. 1407. forster] i. e. forester.

v. 1409. to yerne and to quest] Coles renders both these hunting-terms by the same word, “nicto” (i. e. open, give tongue). Dict. Turbervile, enumerating “the sundry noyses of houndes,” tells us that “when they are earnest eyther in the chace or in the earth, we say They yearne.” Noble Art of Venerie, &c. p. 242. ed. 1611. “Quest, united cry of the hounds.” Sir F. Madden’s Gloss. to Syr Gawayne, &c.

v. 1410. With litell besynes standith moche rest]

“Great rest standeth in little businesse.”

Good Counsaile,—Chaucer’s Workes, fol. 319. ed. 1602.

v. 1411. make] i. e. mate, wife.

v. 1412. ble] i. e. colour, complexion.

v. 1413. wele] i. e. well.

v. 1416. Some] i. e. Soham.

v. 1418. Wofully arayd] In vol. i. 141.

v. 1419. making] i. e. composing.

v. 1420. Vexilla regis] In vol. i. 144.

v. 1421. Sacris solemniis] As the still-extant piece mentioned in the preceding line, and headed Vexilla regis, &c., is not a translation of that hymn, so we may with probability conclude that this was not a version of the hymn beginning “Sacris solemniis juncta sint gaudia,” which may be found in Hymni Ecclesiæ e Breviario Parisiensi, 1838. p. 94.

v. 1424. sadnes] i. e. seriousness.

v. 1425. Galiene }

v. 1426. Ipocras }

i. e. Galen, Hippocrates.

“Old Hippocras, Hali, and Gallien.”

Chaucer’s Prol. to Cant. Tales, v. 433. ed. Tyr.

“For Ipocras nor yet Galien.”

Poems by C. Duke of Orleans,—MS. Harl. 682. fol. 103.

—— Auycen] An Arabian physician of the tenth century.

Page 418. v. 1428. Albumasar] See note, p. 133. v. 501.

—— ken] i. e. instruct (pleonastically coupled with “enforme,” as in v. 825).

v. 1430. gose] i. e. goose.

v. 1432. ageyne] i. e. against.

v. 1433. Dun is in the myre] A proverbial expression, which occurs in Chaucer’s Manciples Prol. v. 16954. ed. Tyrwhitt (who conjectured that Dun was a nickname given to the ass from his colour), and is common in writers long after the time of Skelton. Gifford was the first to shew that the allusion is to a Christmas gambol, in which Dun (the cart-horse) is supposed to be stuck in the mire; see his note on Jonson’s Works, vii. 283.

v. 1434. rin] i. e. run.

v. 1435. spar the stable dur] i. e. fasten, shut the stable-door; see note, p. 207. v. 91.

v. 1437. sone aspyed] i. e. soon espied.

v. 1438. wele wotith] i. e. well knoweth.

v. 1439. lucerne] i. e. lamp. So in the Lenvoye to Chaucer’s Cuckow and Nightingale;

“Aurore of gladnesse, and day of lustinesse,
Lucerne a night with heauenly influence
Illumined.”

Workes, fol. 318. ed. 1002.

v. 1442. wedder] i. e. weather.

v. 1443. cokwolde] i. e. cuckold.

v. 1445. vntwynde] See note, p. 127. v. 284.

v. 1446. ieloffer] See note, p. 147. v. 1052.

v. 1447. propre] i. e. pretty.

v. 1450. all to-fret] i. e. altogether eaten up, consumed: see note, p. 100. v. 32.

Page 419. v. 1451.

But who may haue a more vngracyous lyfe

Than a chyldis birds and a knauis wyfe]

This proverbial expression occurs in Lydgate;

“Vnto purpos this prouerd is full ryfe
Rade and reported by olde remembraunce
A childes birdde and a knavis wyfe
Haue often sieth gret sorowe and myschaunce.”

The Chorle and the Bird,—MS. Harl. 116. fol. 151.

v. 1454. byll] i. e. writing.

v. 1455. By Mary Gipcy] In much later writers we find, as an interjection, marry gep, marry gip, marry guep, marry gup. v. 1456. Quod scripsi, scripsi] From the Vulgate, Joan. xix. 22.

Page 419. v. 1460. Secundum Lucam, &c.] Skelton seems to allude to the Vulgate, Luc. i. 13, “Et uxor tua Elizabeth,” &c.

v. 1461.

the Bonehoms of Ashrige besyde Barkamstede,

...

Where the sank royall is, Crystes blode so rede]

The college of the Bonhommes, completed in 1285, was founded by Edmund, Earl of Cornwall, son and heir of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, who was King of the Romans and brother of Henry the Third, for a rector and twenty brethern or canons, of whom thirteen were to be priests. It was founded expressly in honour of the blood of Jesus, (“the sank royall”), which had once formed part of the precious reliques belonging to the German emperors, and which Edmund had brought over from Germany to England. See Todd’s History of the College of Bonhommes at Ashridge, 1823. p. 1-3.

The pretended blood of Christ drew to Ashridge many persons of all ranks, greatly to the enrichment of the society. “But,” Speed tells us, “when the sunne-shine of the Gospell had pierced thorow such cloudes of darkenesse, it was perceiued apparantly to be onely hony clarified and coloured with Saffron, as was openly shewed at Paules Crosse by the Bishop of Rochester, the twentie foure of Februarie, and yeare of Christ 1538.” A Prospect of The Most Famous Parts of the World, 1631, (in Buck. p. 43).

v. 1466. Fraxinus in clivo, &c.] “As to the name Ashridge” says Kennett, “it is no doubt from a hill set with Ashes; the old word was Aescrugge, Rugge, as after Ridge, signifying a hill or steep place, and the Ashen-tree being first Aesc, as after Ashche, &c.” Parochial Antiquities, p. 302. ed. 1695.

v. 1470. The Nacyoun of Folys] Most probably The Boke of Three Fooles, in vol. i. 199.

v. 1471. Apollo that whirllid vp his chare] Concerning the piece, of which these were the initial words, a particular notice will be found in The Account of Skelton and his Writings: chare, i. e. chariot; compare the first of the two lines, which in the old eds. and some MSS. of Chaucer stand as the commencement of a third part of The Squieres Tale;

“Apollo whirleth vp his chare so hie.”

Workes, fol. 25. ed. 1602.

and the opening of The Floure and the Leafe;

“When that Phebus his chaire of gold so hie

Had whirled vp the sterye sky aloft.”

Id. fol. 344.

See also Poems by C. Duke of Orleans, MS. Harl. 682. fol. 47.

v. 1472. snurre] i. e. snort.

Page 420. v. 1475. mell] i. e. meddle.

v. 1477. stode] i. e. stood.

v. 1478. Suppleyng] i. e. Supplicating.

v. 1480. bokis ... rase] i. e. books ... erase.

v. 1483. rin] i. e. run.

v. 1487. take it in gre] i. e. take it kindly: see note, p. 95. v. 68.

v. 1490. ragman rollis] The collection of deeds in which the Scottish nobility and gentry were compelled to subscribe allegiance to Edward I. of England in 1296, and which were more particularly recorded in four large rolls of parchment, &c., was known by the name of Ragman’s Roll: but what has been written on the origin of this expression appears to be so unsatisfactory that I shall merely refer the reader to Cowel’s Law Dictionary, &c., ed. 1727, in v., Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. in v., Nares’s Gloss. in v., Gloss. to The Towneley Myst. in v., and Todd’s Johnson’s Dict. in v. Rigmarole.

v. 1491. lenger] i. e. longer.

v. 1495. Counforte] i. e. Comfort.

v. 1498.

Diodorus Siculus of my translacyon

Out of fresshe Latine, &c.]

—fresshe, i. e. elegant: see note, p. 302. v. 39. This translation from the Latin of Poggio is mentioned with praise in Caxton’s Preface to The Boke of Eneydos, &c. 1490, and is still preserved in MS. among Parker’s Collection, in Corpus Ch. College, Cambridge: see Account of Skelton and his Writings, and Appendix ii.

Page 421. v. 1505. dome] i. e. judgment, thinking.

v. 1507. the noyse went to Rome] So Chaucer;

“And there came out so great a noyse,
That had it stonde vpon Oyse,
Men might haue heard it easely
To Rome, I trowe sikerly.”

House of Fame, B. iii.—Workes, fol. 270. ed. 1602.

v. 1508. shoke] i. e. shook.

v. 1510. shett ... boke] i. e. shut ... book.

v. 1512. somdele] i. e. somewhat.

v. 1514. sperycall] i. e. spherical.

v. 1515. Ianus, with his double chere]—chere, i. e. visage, countenance.

v. 1517. He turnyd his tirikkis, his voluell ran fast] What is meant by tirikkis, I know not: it occurs again in our author’s Speke, Parrot;

“Some trete of theyr tirykis, som of astrology.”

v. 139. vol. ii. 7.

For the following note I am indebted to W. H. Black, Esq. “The volvell is an instrument, called volvella or volvellum, in the Latin of the middle age, consisting of graduated and figured circles drawn on the leaf of a book, to the centre of which is attached one moveable circle or more, in the form of what is called a geographical clock. There is a very fine one, of the fourteenth century, in the Ashmolean MS. 789. f. 363, and others exist in that collection, which affords likewise, in an Introduction to the Knowledge of the Calendar, (in the MS. 191. iv. art. 2. f. 199,) written in old English of the fifteenth century, a curious description of the volvell, with directions for its use. The passage is entitled ‘The Rewle of the Volvelle.’—‘Now folowith here the volvelle, that sum men clepen a lunarie; and thus most ghe governe ghou ther ynne. First take the grettist cercle that is maad in the leef, for that schewith the 24 houris of the day naturel, that is of the nyght and day, of the whiche the firste houre is at noon bitwene 12 and oon. Thanne above him is another cercle, that hathe write in hem the 12 monthis withe here dayes, and 12 signes with here degrees; and with ynne that, ther is writen a rewle to knowe whanne the sunne ariseth and the mone bothe; if ghe biholde weel these noumbris writen in reed, 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. ✠. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.’ The rule proceeds to shew that there is another row of the same figures in black, and that the red cross stands in the place of Cancer, the black at Capricorn: the red figures were used to shew the rising of the sun and moon, the black for their setting. Over this is ‘another cercle that hath a tunge,’ (tongue, or projecting angle to point with,) the figure of the sun on it, and 29½ days figured, for the age of the moon. Upon this is the least circle, ‘which hath a tunge with the figure of the moon on it, and with ynne it is an hole, the whiche schewith bi symylitude howe the moone wexith and wansith.’ It was used by setting ‘the tunge of the moone’ to the moon’s age, and ‘the tunge of the sunne’ to the day of the month, then moving the circle of months and signs to bring the hour of the day to the last named ‘tunge,’ whereby might be found ‘in what signe he’ (the moon, masculine in Anglo-Saxon) ‘sittith and the sunne also, and in what tyme of the day thei arisen, eny of hem, either goone downe, and what it is of the watir, whether it be flood or eb.’ The rule concludes by observing that the wind sometimes alters the time of the tide ‘at Londone brigge.’”

Page 422. v. 1533. quaire] i. e. quire,—pamphlet, book.

v. 1536. wrate] i. e. wrote.

Page 422. v. 1542. warkis] i. e. works.

v. 1546. loke] i. e. look.

v. 1547. boke] i. e. book.

v. 1552. brede] i. e. breadth.

Page 423. v. 1556. harnnes] i. e. armour.

v. 1558. ageyne] i. e. against.

v. 1563. derayne] i. e. contest.

v. 1569. curteisly] i. e. courteously.

v. 1575. sad] See note, p. 264. v. 1711.

v. 1581. Any worde defacid] i. e. Any disfigured, deformed, unseemly word.

v. 1582. rasid] i. e. erased.

Page 424.—— Lautre Enuoy, &c.] Concerning this curious Envoy, see Account of Skelton and his Writings.

v. 1597. sekernes] i. e. security, sureness.

v. 1598. rede] i. e. conceive, consider.

OWT OF LATYNE INTO ENGLYSSHE.

Page 426. v. 5. kepe] i. e. heed, regard, care.

v. 7. Gone to seke hallows]—hallows, i. e. saints.

“On pilgremage then must they go,

To Wilsdon, Barking, or to some hallowes.”

The Schole House of Women, 1572,—Utterson’s Early Pop. Poetry, ii. 66.

But “to seek hallows” seems to have been a proverbial expression;

“O many woman hath caught be in a trayne,

By goyng out such halowes for to seke.”

Lydgate’s Warres of Troy, B. ii. sig. I ii. ed. 1555.

Page 427. v. 13. withholde] i. e. withheld.

v. 14. sayne] i. e. say.

NOTES TO VOLUME II.

SPEKE, PARROT.

That the extant portions of this very obscure production were written at intervals, is not to be doubted; and that we do not possess all that Skelton composed under the title of Speke, Parrot is proved by the following passage of the Garlande of Laurell, where, enumerating his various works, he mentions

“the Popingay, that hath in commendacyoun

Ladyes and gentylwomen suche as deseruyd,

And suche as be counterfettis they be reseruyd.”

v. 1188. vol. i. 409.

a description which, as it answers to no part of the existing poem (or poems), must apply to some portion which has perished, and which, I apprehend, was of an earlier date. “The Popingay” is assuredly only another name for Speke, Parrot;

“Go, litell quayre, namyd the Popagay.”

Speke, Parrot, v. 280.

Page 1. v. 3. Parrot, a byrd of paradyse] So Lydgate (in a poem, entitled in the Catalogue, Advices for people to keep a guard over their tongues);

“Popyngayes froo paradys comyn al grene.”

MS. Harl. 2255. fol. 133.

“Than spake the popynge Jay of paradyse.”

Parlyament of Byrdes, sig. A ii. n. d.

v. 5. Dyentely] i. e. Daintily.

v. 6. flode] i. e. flood.

Page 2. v. 8. estate] i. e. state, rank.

v. 9. Then Parot must haue an almon] In Jonson’s Magnetic Lady, act v. sc. 5, we find,—

“Pol is a fine bird! O fine lady Pol!

Almond for Parrot, Parrot’s a brave bird;”—

and Gifford, citing the present line (he ought rather to have cited v. 50), observes that Jonson was indebted to Skelton for “most of this jargon.” Works, vi. 109.

v. 11. couertowre] i. e. shelter.

Page 2. v. 12. toote] i. e. peep.

v. 16. popagey] i. e. parrot.

v. 17. becke] i. e. beak.

v. 18. My fedders freshe as is the emrawde grene]—emrawde, i. e. emerald. So Ovid in his charming verses on Corinna’s parrot;

“Tu poteras virides pennis hebetare smaragdos.”

Am. lib. ii. vi. 21.

v. 20. fete] i. e. well made, neat.

v. 22. My proper Parrot, my lytyll prety foole]—proper, i. e. pretty, handsome (elsewhere Skelton uses “proper” and “prety” as synonymes: see note, p. 125. v. 127).

“I pray thee what hath ere the Parret got,

And yet they say he talkes in great mens bowers?

...

A good foole call’d with paine perhaps may be.”

Sidney’s Arcadia, lib. ii. p. 229. ed. 1613.

v. 23. scole] i. e. school.

v. 26. mute] i. e. mew: see note ad l.

v. 30. Quis expedivit psittaco suum chaire]—chaire—ΧΑΙΡΕ. From Persius, Prol. 8.

Page 3. v. 31. Dowse French of Parryse] Dowse, i. e. sweet, soft. Chaucer’s Prioress spoke French

“After the scole of Stratford atte bowe,

For Frenche of Paris was to hire unknowe.”

Prol. to Cant. Tales, v. 125. ed. Tyr.

v. 35. supple] i. e. supplicate, pray.

v. 38. ryall] i. e. royal. In the marginal note on this line, “Katerina universalis vitii ruina, Græcum est” is an allusion to the Greek καθαρίζω or καθαρός.

v. 39. pomegarnet] i. e. pomegranate.

v. 40. Parrot, saves habler Castiliano] See note ad l. “Parrot, can you speak Castilian?” is a question which Spanish boys at the present day frequently address to that bird.

v. 41. With fidasso de cosso in Turkey and in Trace]—fidasso de cosso is perhaps lingua franca,—some corruption (see marginal note on the line) of the Italian fidarsi di se stesso: Trace, i. e. Thrace.

v. 42. Vis consilii expers ...] }

v. 43. Mole ruit sua] }

From Horace, Carm. iii. iv. 65 (where “consilî”).

—— dictes] i. e. sayings.

v. 45. maystres] i. e. mistress.

Page 4. v. 50. An almon now for Parrot] I know not if these words occur in any writer anterior to the time of Skelton; but they afterwards became a sort of proverbial expression.

Page 4. v. 51. In Salve festa dies, toto theyr doth best]—theyr, i. e. there. Skelton has two copies of verses, which begin “Salve, festa dies, toto,” &c.: see vol. i. pp. 190, 191.

v. 54. Myden agan] i. e. Μηδὲν ἄγαν.

v. 59. Besy] i. e. Busy.

v. 63. To] i. e. Too.

v. 67. Iobab was brought vp in the lande of Hus] “Verisimile est Jobum eumdem esse cum Jobabo, qui quartus est ab Esaü ... Duces in ista opinione sequimur omnes fere antiquos Patres quos persuasit, ut ita sentirent, additamentum in exemplaribus Græcis, Arabicis et in antiqua Vulgata Latina appositum: ‘Job vero habitabat in terra Hus, inter terminos Edom et Arabiæ, et antea vocabatur Jobab,’” &c. Concordantiæ Bibl. Sacr. Vulg. Ed. by Dutripon, in v. Job. ii.

Page 5. v. 71. Howst thé, lyuer god van hemrik, ic seg]—Howst thé is (I suppose) Hist thee: what follows is German,—lieber Got von Himmelsreich, ich sage—Dear God of heaven’s kingdom, I say,—spoken by way of oath.

v. 72. In Popering grew peres] From Popering, a parish in the Marches of Calais (see Tyrwhitt’s note on Chaucer’s Cant. Tales, v. 13650), the poprin, poperin, or popperin pear, frequently mentioned in our early dramas, was introduced into this country.

v. 73. Ouer in a whynny meg] The initial words of a ballad or song. Laneham (or Langham) in his strange Letter concerning the entertainment to Queen Elizabeth at Kenilworth Castle in 1575, mentions it as extant in the collection of Captain Cox, who figured in the shows on that occasion: “What shoold I rehearz heer what a bunch of Ballets and songs all auncient: Az Broom broom on hill, So wo iz me begon, troly lo, Over a whinny Meg,” &c. See Collier’s Bridgewater-House Catalogue, p. 164.

v. 74. Hop Lobyn of Lowdeon] See note, p. 217. v. 59.

v. 75. The iebet of Baldock] Is mentioned again in our author’s Why come ye nat to Courte, v. 953. vol. ii. 56. “And in Caldee the chief Cytee is Baldak.” Voiage and Travaile of Sir J. Maundevile, p. 51. ed. 1725.

v. 78. to] i. e. too.

v. 80. erstrych fether] i. e. ostrich-feather.

v. 81. Beme] i. e. Bohemia.

v. 82. byrsa] An allusion to Virgil;

“Mercatique solum, facti de nomine Byrsam,

Taurino quantum possent circumdare tergo.”

Æn. i. 367.

Perhaps too Skelton recollected a passage in Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, B. ii. leaf xlviii. ed. Wayland.

Page 5. v. 84. Colostrum] i. e. the biesting,—the first milk after the birth given by a cow (or other milch animal). This form of the word occurs in the title of an epigram by Martial, lib. xiii. 38, and in Servius’s commentary on Virgil, Ecl. ii. 22.

v. 85. shayle] See note, p, 97. v. 19.

v. 87. Moryshe myne owne shelfe, the costermonger sayth] From the next line it would seem that “Moryshe” is meant for the Irish corruption of some English word; but of what word I know not.

v. 88. Fate, fate, fate, ye Irysh waterlag] Mr. Crofton Croker obligingly observes to me that he has no doubt of “fate” being intended for the Irish pronunciation of the word water.—“There is rysen a fray amonge the water laggers. Coorta est rixa inter amphorarios.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. q vi. ed. 1530.

Page 6. v. 91. Let syr Wrigwrag wrastell with syr Delarag] See note, p. 189. v. 186. p. 194. v. 149.

v. 93. Pawbe une aruer] Either Paub un arver, Every one his manner, or Paub yn ei arver, Every one in his manner.

v. 95. mo] i. e. more.

v. 97. conseyt] i. e. conceit.

v. 104. how] i. e. ho!

v. 106. Bas] i. e. Kiss.

v. 108. praty popigay] i. e. pretty parrot.

v. 109. pyke ... too] i. e. pick ... toe.

v. 110. solas, pleasure, dysporte, and pley] One of Skelton’s pleonasms.

v. 112. Parot can say, Cæsar, ave, also] “Ut plurimum docebantur hæ aves salutationis verba ... interdum etiam plurium vocum versus aut sententias docebantur: ut illi corvi, qui admirationi fuerunt Augusto ex Actiaca victoria revertenti, quorum alter institutus fuerat dicere, Ave, Cæsar,” &c. Casaubonus ad Persii Prol. v. 8.

v. 116. ruly doth loke] i. e. ruefully doth look.

Page 7. v. 118. vndertoke] i. e. undertook.

v. 119. of Judicum rede the boke] i. e. read the Book of Judges.

“In Iudicum the storye ye may rede.”

Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, B. i. leaf xiv. ed. Wayland.

v. 122.

O Esebon, Esebon! to thé is cum agayne
Seon, the regent Amorræorum,
And Og, that fat hog of Basan, doth retayne,
The crafty coistronus Cananæorum]

—coistronus is a Latinised form of coistroun, see note on title of poem, p. 92. Though in an earlier part of Speke, Parrot we find “Cryst saue Kyng Henry the viii, our royall kyng,” &c. v. 36, yet it would almost seem that he is alluded to here under the name of Seon. Og must mean Wolsey. This portion of the poem is not found in MS. Harl. (see note on v. 59 ad l.); and there can be no doubt that Speke, Parrot is made up of pieces composed at various times. After Skelton’s anger had been kindled against Wolsey, perhaps the monarch came in for a share of his indignation.

Page 7. v. 126. asylum, whilom refugium miserorum, &c.]—whilom, i. e. once, formerly. So afterwards in this piece, v. 496, among the evils which Skelton attributes to Wolsey, mention is made of “myche sayntuary brekyng,” i. e. much sanctuary-breaking; and in Why come ye nat to Courte he says of the Cardinal that

“all priuileged places

He brekes and defaces,” &c.

v. 1086. vol. ii. 60.

v. 130. trym tram] See note, p. 161. v. 76.

v. 131. chaffer far fet] i. e. merchandise far fetched.

v. 133. Scarpary] In Tuscany. So afterwards, “Over Scarpary,” v. 408; and in The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy, “Mont Scarpry.” Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 82. ed. Laing.

v. 134. ich wot] i. e. I know.

v. 136. Tholomye and Haly] See notes, p. 133. vv. 503, 505.

v. 137. volvell] }

v. 139. tirykis] }

See note, p. 335, v. 1517.

v. 142. ren] i. e. run.

Page 8. v. 143. Monon calon agaton] i. e. Μόνον καλὸν ἀγαθόν.

v. 144. Quod Parato] i. e. Quoth Parrot.

v. 149. in scole matter occupyed] i. e. used in school-matter: see note, p. 86. v. 52.

v. 152. How] i. e. Ho!

v. 153. a silogisme in phrisesomorum] “Sic [indirecte] in prima figura concludunt quinque illi modi, qui ab interpretibus fere omnibus (excepto Zabarella) pro legitimis agnoscuntur, quique hoc versu comprehendi solent, Celantes, Baralip, Dabilis, Fapesmo, Frisesom.” Crakanthorp’s Logicæ Libri Quinque, 1622. p. 275. Aldrich gives “Bramantip, Camenes, Dimaris, Fesapo, Fresison.” Artis Logicæ Compend., 1691. p. 19.

v. 165. Jack Raker] See note, p. 186. v. 108.

v. 106. maker] i. e. composer.

Page 9. v. 170. Sturbrydge fayre] The fair kept annually in the neighbourhood of Cambridge, and so named from the rivulet Stour and bridge.

Page 9. v. 171. Tryuyals and quatryuyals] The trivials were the first three sciences taught in the schools, viz. Grammar, Rhetoric, and Logic; the quatrivials were the higher set, viz. Astrology (or Astronomy), Geometry, Arithmetic, and Music. See Du Cange’s Gloss. in vv. Trivium, Quadrivium; and Hallam’s Introd. to the Lit. of Europe, i. 4.

—— appayre] i. e. impair, are impaired, come to decay.

v. 174. Albertus de modo significandi] “Albertus,” says Warton, after citing this stanza, “is the author of the Margarita Poetica, a collection of Flores from the classics and other writers, printed at Nurenberg, 1472, fol.” Hist. of E. P., ii. 347 (note), ed. 4to. The work mentioned here by Skelton is stated to have been first printed in 1480. The title of an edition by Wynkyn de Worde, dated 1515, is as follows; Modi significādi Alberti sine quibus grammaticæ notitia haberi nullo pacto potest: there is said to be another edition n. d. by the same printer: see Typ. Ant., ii. 208. ed. Dibdin.

v. 175. Donatus] i. e. the work attributed to Ælius Donatus, the Roman grammarian: see the Bibliog. Dictionary of Dr. Clarke (iii. 144), who observes; “It has been printed with several titles, such as Donatus; Donatus Minor; Donatus pro puerulis, Donati Ars, &c., but the work is the same, viz. Elements of the Latin Language for the Use of Children.” See too Warton’s Hist. of E. P., i. 281 (note), ed. 4to.

—— scole] i. e. school.

v. 177. Inter didascolos] “Interdidascolos is the name of an old grammar.” Warton’s Hist. of E. P., ii. 347 (note), ed. 4to. Warton may be right: but I have never met with any grammar that bears such a title.

—— fole] i. e. fool.

v. 178. Alexander] i. e. Alexander de Villa Dei, “author of the Doctrinale Puerorum, which for some centuries continued to be the most favourite manual of grammar used in schools, and was first printed at Venice in the year 1473 [at Treviso, in 1472: see Typ. Ant., ii. 116. ed. Dibdin]. It is compiled from Priscian, and in Leonine verse. See Henr. Gandav. Scriptor. Eccles. cap. lix. This admired system has been loaded with glosses and lucubrations; but, on the authority of an ecclesiastical synod, it was superseded by the Commentarii Grammatici of Despauterius, in 1512. It was printed in England as early as the year 1503 by W. de Worde. [The existence of this ed. has been questioned. The work was printed by Pynson in 1505, 1513, 1516: see Typ. Ant., ii. 116, 426, 427, ed. Dibdin, and Lowndes’s Bibliog. Man., i. 27]. Barklay, in the Ship of Fooles, mentions Alexander’s book, which he calls ‘The olde Doctrinall with his diffuse and vnperfite breuitie.’ fol. 53. b [ed. 1570].” Warton’s Hist. of E. P., ii. 347 (note), ed. 4to.

Page 9. v. 178. Menanders pole] See note, p. 130. v. 434: pole, i. e. pool.

v. 179. Da Cansales] “He perhaps means Concilia, or the canon law.” Warton’s Hist. of E. P., ii. 347 (note), ed. 4to.

v. 180. Da Rationales] “He seems to intend Logic.” Id. ibid.

v. 183. Pety Caton] Cato Parvus (a sort of supplement to Cato Magnus, i. e. Dionysii Catonis Disticha de Moribus) was written by Daniel Churche, or Ecclesiensis, a domestic in the court of Henry the Second: see Warton’s Hist. of E. P., ii. 170, and Dibdin’s ed. of Typ. Ant., i. 120.

v. 187. scole maters] i. e. school-matters.

—— hole sentens] i. e. whole meaning.

v. 188. gariopholo] So, I believe, Skelton wrote, though the classical form of the word is garyophyllo.

v. 189. pyke] i. e. pick.

v. 190. synamum styckis] i. e. cinnamon-sticks.

v. 191. perdurable] i. e. everlasting.

v. 192. fauorable] i. e. well-favoured, beautiful.

Page 10. v. 195. tote] i. e. peep.

v. 198. loke] i. e. look.

v. 199. freshe humanyte] i. e. elegant literature: see notes, p. 302. v. 39. p. 319. v. 817.

v. 201. chekmate] In allusion to the king’s being put in check at the game of chess.

v. 205. processe] i. e. discourse; see notes, p. 143. v. 735. p. 230 (first note on prose), p. 276. v. 2506, &c.

v. 207. with all] i. e. withal.

v. 208. pauys] See note, p. 90. v. 48.

v. 209. flekyd pye] i. e. spotted, variegated magpie.

v. 210. pendugum, that men call a carlyng]—“pendugum,” says the Rev. J. Mitford, “is penguin;” and he supposes that carlyng has some connexion with the term gair-fowl, which is another name for the penguin.

Page 11. v. 219. Ye ... torne] i. e. Yea ... turn.

v. 222. moche ... popegay ryall] i. e. much ... parrot royal.

v. 226. amonge] i. e. together, at the same time.

v. 228. worldly lust] i. e. worldly pleasure.

v. 232. recule] See note, p. 327. v. 1187.

—— Itaque consolamini invicem in verbis istis] From the Vulgate, 1 Thess. iv. 17.

Page 12. v. 239. when Pamphylus loste hys make]—make, i. e. mate. As the heading “Galathea” precedes this couplet, there is an allusion to a once popular poem concerning the loves of Pamphilus and Galathea,—Pamphili Mauriliani Pamphilus, sive De Arte Amandi Elegiæ. It is of considerable length, and though written in barbarous Latin, was by some attributed to Ovid. It may be found in a little volume edited by Goldastus, Ovidii Nasonis Pelignensis Erotica et Amatoria Opuscula, &c. 1610. See too the lines cited in note, p. 324. v. 1048.

Page 12. v. 240. propire] i. e. handsome, pretty.

v. 241. praty] i. e. pretty.

v. 245. herte hyt ys] i. e. heart it is.

Page 13. v. 262. Be] i. e. By.

v. 265. reclaymed] See note, p. 148. v. 1125.

v. 269. kus] i. e. kiss: see note, p. 128. v. 361.

v. 270. mus] i. e. muzzle, mouth.

—— Zoe kai psyche] i. e. Ζωή καὶ ψυχή.

Page 14. v. 274. spuria vitulamina] From the Vulgate, “Spuria vitulamina non dabunt radices altas.” Sap. iv. 3.

v. 280. quayre] i. e. quire,—pamphlet, book.—From this Lenuoy primere inclusive to the end of Speke, Parrot, with the exception of a few stanzas, the satire is directed wholly against Wolsey. The very obscure allusions to the Cardinal’s being employed in some negotiation abroad are to be referred probably to his mission in 1521. That Speke, Parrot consists of pieces written at various periods has been already noticed: and “Pope Julius,” v. 425, means, I apprehend, (not Julius ii., for he died in 1513, but) Clement vii., Julius de Medici, who was elected Pope in 1523. With respect to the dates which occur after the present Lenuoy,—“Penultimo die Octobris, 33ᵒ,” “In diebus Novembris, 34,” &c., if “33ᵒ” and “34” stand for 1533 and 1534 (when both Skelton and the Cardinal were dead), they must have been added by the transcriber; and yet in the volume from which these portions of Speke, Parrot are now printed (MS. Harl. 2252) we find, only a few pages before, the name “John Colyn mercer of London,” with the date “1517.”

v. 285. lyclyhode] i. e. likelihood.

v. 288. agayne] i. e. against.

v. 289. tonsan] i. e. toison.

v. 291. Lyacon] Occurs again in v. 393: is it—Lycaon?

v. 294. folys] i. e. fools.

—— knakkes] “Knacke or toye friuolle.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xliii. (Table of Subst.).

v. 295. hang togedyr as fethyrs in the wynde] See note, p. 265. v. 1842.

Page 15. v. 296. lewdlye ar they lettyrd that your lernyng lackys] i. e. badly, meanly, are they lettered that find fault with your learning.

v. 297. currys of kynde] i. e. curs by nature.

v. 298. lohythe ... warkys] i. e. looketh ... works.

v. 300. Agayne all remordes] i. e. Against all blamings, censures, carpings: see note, p. 193. v. 101: but as in v. 368, where MS. has “remordes,” the sense absolutely requires “remorders,” there is perhaps the same error here.

—— Morda puros mal desires] This strange gibberish (which occurs twice afterwards) seems to mean,—To bite the pure, is an evil desire.

v. 304. sadde] See note, p. 264. v. 1711.

v. 305. ower soleyne seigneour Sadoke]—soleyne, i. e. sullen: in applying the name Sadoke to Wolsey, Skelton alludes to the high-priest of Scripture, not to the knight of the Round Table.

v. 306. nostre dame de Crome] So in A Mery Play between Johan the Husbande, Tyb his Wyfe, and Syr Jhan the Preest, 1533, attributed to Heywood;

“But, by goggis blod, were she come home
Unto this my house, by our lady of Crome,
I wolde bete her or that I drynke.”

p. 1. reprint.

v. 307. assone] i. e. as soon.

v. 308. to exployte the man owte of the mone] i. e. to achieve the feat of driving the man out of the moon.

v. 309.

With porpose and graundepose he may fede hym fatte,

Thowghe he pampyr not hys paunche with the grete seall]

—porpose and graundepose, i. e. porpoise and grampus. The pun in the second line is sufficiently plain.

v. 311. lokyd] i. e. looked.

v. 313. every deall] i. e. every part.

Page 16. v. 319. nodypollys] i. e. silly-heads.

—— gramatolys] i. e. smatterers.

v. 320. To ... sentence] i. e. Too ... meaning.

v. 326. sadlye] See note, p. 267. v. 1966.

—— Sydrake] So Wolsey is termed here in allusion to a romance (characterised by Warton as “rather a romance of Arabian philosophy than of chivalry,” Hist. of E. P., i. 143. ed. 4to), which was translated from the French by Hugh of Caumpeden, and printed in 1510, under the title of The Historie of King Boccus and Sydracke, &c.

v. 327. coniecte] i. e. conjecture.

v. 328. mellis] i. e. meddles.

Page 16. v. 330. Hyt] i. e. It.

v. 331. a cheryston pytte] An allusion to a game played with cherry-stones;

“I can playe at the chery pytte
And I can wystell you a fytte
Syres in a whylowe ryne.”

The Worlde and the Chylde, 1522. sig. A iii.

v. 332. sterrys] i. e. stars.

v. 337. syn] i. e. since.

v. 339. Non sine postica sanna] “—— posticæ occurrite sannæ.” Persius, Sat. i. 65.

Page 17. v. 354. quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 355. popagay] i. e. parrot.

Page 18. v. 356. propyr] i. e. pretty, handsome.

v. 358. supply] i. e. supplicate.

v. 360. agayne] i. e. against.

v. 362. slaundrys obliqui] i. e. slanderous obloquy.

v. 365. jacounce] i. e. jacinth.

v. 366. balas] See note, p. 326. v. 1166.

v. 367. eyndye sapher] See note, p. 101. v. 17.

v. 368. remorde[r]s] i. e. blamers, censurers: see note, p. 193. v. 101.

Page 19.—— votorum meorum omnis lapis, lapis pretiosus operimentum tuum] From the Vulgate, “Omnis lapis pretiosus operimentum tuum.” Ezech. xxviii. 13.

v. 374. myche] i. e. much.

v. 378. on and hothyr] i. e. one and other.

v. 380. recheles] i. e. reckless.

v. 382. prosses] Equivalent here to—matter: see p. 230 (first note on prose).

v. 383. cowardes] i. e. cowardice.

v. 385. connyng] i. e. knowing, learned.

v. 386. postyll] See note, p. 289. v. 755.

Page 20. v. 393. Lyacon] See note on v. 291. p. 345.

v. 394. Racell, rulye] i. e. Rachel, ruefully; compare v. 116.

v. 395. mawmett] See note, p. 188. v. 170.

—— quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 407. For passe a pase apase ys gon to cache a molle] Qy. is there an allusion here to Secretary Pace?

v. 408. Scarpary] See note on v. 133. p. 342.

—— sliddyr] i. e. slippery.

v. 409. pendugims] See note on v. 210. p. 344.

Page 21. v. 412. Difficille hit ys] i. e. Difficult it is.

v. 415. raye] i. e. array.

v. 416. Agayne] i. e. Against.

v. 417. ensembyll] i. e. together. (Fr.)

v. 418. The nebbis of a lyon they make to trete and trembyll]—nebbis, i. e. neb, nib, nose: to trete, i. e. (I suppose) to become tractable.

v. 419. folys] i. e. fools.

v. 420. to play cowche quale] So in Thersytes, n. d.;

“Howe I haue made the knaues for to play cowch quaile.”

p. 42. Roxb. ed.

“And thou shalt make him couche as doth a quaille.”

The Clerkes Tale, v. 9082. ed. Tyr.

v. 421. polys] i. e. pools.

v. 422. babylles] i. e. (fools’) bawbles.

v. 424. He facithe owte at a fflusshe] Compare The Bowge of Courte, v. 315.

“And soo outface hym with a carde of ten.”

v. 315. vol. i. 42.

fflusshe, i. e. a hand of cards all of a sort.

v. 425. cardys] i. e. cards.

v. 427. skyregalyard] See note, p. 218. v. 101.

—— prowde palyard] So, afterwards, the Duke of Albany is termed by Skelton in his tirade against that nobleman, v. 170. vol. ii. 73. “Paillard. A lecher, wencher, whoremunger, whorehunter; also, a knave, rascall, varlet, scoundrell, filthy fellow.” Cotgrave’s Dict.

—— vaunteperler] “Avant-parleur. A forespeaker; or one that is too forward to speak.” Cotgrave’s Dict. “Whiche bee the vauntperlers and heddes of thair faction.” Letter of Bedyll to Crumwell,—State Papers (1830), i. 424.

v. 428. woluys hede] i. e. wolf’s head.

—— bloo] i. e. livid: see note, p. 103. v. 3.

v. 429. Hyt ys to fere] i. e. It is to fear,—be feared.

v. 430. Peregall] i. e. Equal (thoroughly equal).

v. 431. regiment] i. e. rule.

v. 432. quod ex vi bolte harvi]—quod, i. e. quoth: of the rest, the reader may make what he can.

v. 435. groynyd at] i. e. grumbled at.

Page 22. v. 436.

Grete reysons with resons be now reprobitante,

For reysons ar no resons, but resons currant]

Perhaps this is the earliest instance of a quibble between raisins and reasons. The same pun is used by Shakespeare in Much ado about Nothing, act v. sc. 1, and (though Steevens thinks not) in Troilus and Cressida, act ii. sc. 2: compare also Dekker; “Raisons will be much askt for, especially in an action of iniury.” The Owles Almanache 1618. p. 36.

Page 22. v. 438. Ryn] i. e. Run.

v. 439. the date of the Devyll] See note, p. 116. v. 375.

—— shrewlye] i. e. shrewdly, badly.

—— quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 442. So many morall maters, &c.] There is a considerable resemblance between this concluding portion of Speke, Parrot, and a piece attributed to Dunbar, entitled A General Satyre; see his Poems, ii, 24. ed. Laing.

v. 443. So myche newe makyng] i. e. So much new composing.

v. 457. stondythe] i. e. standeth.

Page 23. v. 460. on dawys hedd] i. e. one daw’s head: see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 467. dowȝtfull daunger] i. e. doubtful danger,—danger that ought to cause dread.

v. 471. not worthe an hawe] See note, p. 269. v. 2115.

v. 472. So myche papers weryng for ryghte a smalle exesse]—exesse, i. e. excess, offence. “And for a truthe he [the Cardinal] so punyshed periurye with open punyshment & open papers werynge, that in his tyme it was lesse vsed.” Hall’s Chron. (Hen. viii.), fol. lix. ed. 1548.

v. 473. pelory pajauntes] i. e. pillory-pageants.

v. 474. the cooke stole] See note, p. 183. v. 38.

—— guy gaw] i. e. gewgaw, trifle.

v. 478.

So bolde a braggyng bocher....

...

So mangye a mastyfe curre, the grete grey houndes pere]

Again, in his Why come ye nat to Courte, Skelton alludes to the report that Wolsey was the son of a butcher, vv. 295. 491. vol. ii. 36. 42. Compare too Roy’s satire against Wolsey, Rede me, and be nott wrothe, &c.;

“The mastif curre, bred in Ypswitch towne.

...

Wat. He commeth then of some noble stocke?

Jeff. His father coulde snatche a bullock,

A butcher by his occupacion.”

Harl. Miscell. ix. 3. 31. ed. Park.

and a poem Of the Cardnalle Wolse;

“To se a churle a Bochers curre

To rayne & rule in soche honour,” &c.

MS. Harl. 2252. fol. 156.

Cavendish says that Wolsey “was an honest poor man’s son;” and the will of his father (printed by Fiddes) shews that he possessed some property; but, as Mr. Sharon Turner observes, that Wolsey was the son of a butcher “was reported and believed while he lived.” Hist, of Reign of Hen. the Eighth, i. 167. ed. 8vo.

With the second line of the present passage compare our author’s Why come ye nat to Courte, where he wishes that “that mastyfe” Wolsey, may

... “neuer confounde

The gentyll greyhownde.”

v. 775. vol. ii. 50.

By the greyhound seems to be meant Henry viii., in allusion to the royal arms.

Page 23. v. 481. So bygge a bulke of brow auntlers cabagyd that yere] “Cabusser. To cabbidge; to grow to a head,” &c.—“The Cabbage of the Deeres head. Meule de cerf.” Cotgrave’s Dict. “I Kabage a deere, Ie cabaiche ... I wyll kabage my dere and go with you: Ie cabacheray,” &c. Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cclxx. (Table of Verbes).

v. 485. banketyng] i. e. banqueting.

Page 24. v. 487. howgye] i. e. hugy, huge.

v. 488. apon] i. e. upon.

—— suche pyllyng and pollyng] i. e. such stripping and plundering (exactions of various kinds).

v. 489. reson and skylle] See note, p. 238, v. 106.

v. 496. So myche sayntuary brekyng] See note on v. 126. p. 342.

v. 497. lyerd] i. e. learned.

v. 498. ryghte of a rammes horne] See note, p. 298. v. 1201.

v. 501. lokes ... dysdayneslye] i. e. looks ... disdainfully.

v. 503. ffylty gorgon] i. e. filthy Gorgon. See note ad loc.

v. 506. loselles ... lewde] i. e. worthless fellows, scoundrels ... bad, evil, (or perhaps, lascivious).

v. 507. myday sprettes] i. e. mid-day sprites.

Page 25. v. 508. puplysshyd] i. e. published.

v. 509. all beshrewde] i. e. altogether cursed.

v. 510. Suche pollaxis and pyllers, suche mvlys trapte with gold]—mvlys, i. e. mules. So Roy in his satire against Wolsey, Rede me, and be nott wrothe, &c.;

“Wat. Doth he use then on mules to ryde?

Jeff. Ye; and that with so shamfull pryde
That to tell it is not possible:
More lyke a god celestiall
Then eny creature mortall,
With worldly pompe incredible.
Before him rydeth two prestes stronge,
And they beare two crosses ryght longe,
Gapynge in every mans face:
After theym folowe two laye-men secular,
And eache of theym holdynge a pillar
In their hondes, steade of a mace.
Then foloweth my lorde on his mule,
Trapped with golde under her cule,
In every poynt most curiously;
On each syde a pollaxe is borne,
Which in none wother use are worne,
Pretendynge some hid mistery.
Then hath he servauntes fyve or six score,
Some behynde and some before,
A marvelous great company:
Of which are lordes and gentlemen,
With many gromes and yemen,
And also knaves amonge.
Thus dayly he procedeth forthe,” &c.

Harl. Miscell., ix. 29. ed. Park.

“Then,” says Cavendish, “had he two great crosses of silver, whereof one of them was for his Archbishoprick, and the other for his Legacy, borne always before him whither soever he went or rode, by two of the most tallest and comeliest priests that he could get within all this realm.” Life of Wolsey, 94. ed. 1827. “And as soon as he was entered into his chamber of presence, where there was attending his coming to await upon him to Westminster Hall, as well noblemen and other worthy gentlemen, as noblemen and gentlemen of his own family; thus passing forth with two great crosses of silver borne before him; with also two great pillars of silver, and his pursuivant at arms with a great mace of silver gilt: Then his gentlemen ushers cried, and said, ‘On, my lords and masters, on before; make way for my Lord’s Grace!’ Thus passed he down from his chamber through the hall; and when he came to the hall door, there was attendant for him his mule, trapped all together [altogether] in crimson velvet, and gilt stirrups. When he was mounted, with his cross bearers, and pillar bearers, also upon great horses trapped with [fine] scarlet: Then marched he forward, with his train and furniture in manner as I have declared, having about him four footmen, with gilt pollaxes in their hands; and thus he went until he came to Westminster Hall door.” Id. 106. See also Cavendish’s Metrical Legend of Wolsey, p. 533. ibid. The pillars implied that the person before whom they were carried was a pillar of the church. That the Cardinal had a right to the “ensigns and ornaments” which he used, is shewn by Anstis in a letter to Fiddes,—Appendix to Fiddes’s Life of Wolsey.

Page 25.—quod] i. e. quoth.

WHY COME YE NAT TO COURTE?

This poem appears to have been produced (at intervals perhaps) during 1522 and part of the following year.

—— sadly] See note, p. 267. v. 1966: loke, i. e. look.

Page 26. v. 3. To] i. e. Too (as in the next seven lines).

v. 5. scarce] i. e. sparing.

v. 6. large] i. e. liberal.

v. 8. haute] i. e. haughty.

Page 27. v. 23. appall] i. e. make pale, make to decay.

v. 33. rage] i. e. toy wantonly (see Tyrwhitt’s Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales).

v. 34. basse] i. e. kiss.

v. 37. corage] i. e. desire, inclination.

Page 28. v. 39. ouerage] Seems here to be—over-age (excessive age); while, again, in our author’s poem Howe the douty duke of Albany, &c., it appears to be—over-rage (excessive rage);

“It is a rechelesse rage,

And a lunatyke oueraye.”

v. 417. vol. ii. 80.

v. 43. a graunt domage] Meant for French perhaps.

v. 44. set by] i. e. valued, regarded.

v. 46. rynne] i. e. run.

v. 50. boskage] i. e. thicket, wood.

v. 56. defaute] i. e. default, want.

v. 58. theyr hedes mew] i. e. hide their heads; see note on v. 219.

v. 62. to] i. e. too.

v. 63. In faythe, dycken, thou krew] See note, p. 115. v. 360.

Page 29. v. 68. banketynge] i. e. banqueting.

v. 69. rechelesse] i. e. reckless.

v. 70. gambaudynge] i. e. gambolling.

v. 74. The countrynge at Cales]—countrynge does not, I apprehend, mean—encountering, but is a musical term (see note on heading of poem, p. 92) used here metaphorically, as in other parts of Skelton’s works. The allusion seems to be to the meeting between Henry the Eighth and Francis in 1520, when (as perhaps few readers need be informed) Henry went over to Calais, proceeded thence to Guisnes, and met Francis in the fields between the latter town and Ardres. If “Cales” is to be understood as—Cadiz (see note, p. 195. last v.) I know not any occurrence there of sufficient consequence to suit the present passage.

Page 29. v. 75. Wrang vs on the males] See note, p. 142. v. 700.

v. 77. grouchyng] i. e. grudging.

v. 79. talwod] “Tallwodde pacte wodde to make byllettes of taillee.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxix. (Table of Subst.). “Talshide or Talwood (Taliatura) is Fire-wood, cleft and cut into Billets of a certain Length.... This was anciently written Talghwode.” Cowel’s Law Dictionary, &c. ed. 1727.

—— brent] i. e. burned.

v. 81. We may blowe at the cole] See note, p. 313. v. 610.

v. 83. Mocke hath lost her sho] See note, p. 331. v. 1396.

v. 87. As ryght as a rammes horne] See note, p. 298. v. 1201.

v. 90. all to-torne] See note, p. 100. v. 32.

v. 92. Fauell] See note, p. 107. v. 134.

v. 93, Iauell] See note, p. 271. v. 2218.

v. 94. Hauell] Which occurs again in v. 604, is a term of reproach found less frequently than javel in our early writers: whether it be connected with haveril,—one who havers (see the Gloss. to The Towneley Myst. in v. Hawvelle) I cannot pretend to determine.

—— Haruy Hafter] See note, p. 107. v. 138.

v. 97. pollynge and shauynge]—pollynge, i. e. shearing, clipping,—plundering.

v. 99. reuynge] i. e. reaving.

Page 30. v. 101. vayleth] i. e. availeth.

v. 105. reason and ... skyll] See note, p. 238. v. 106.

v. 106. garlycke pyll] i. e. peel garlic.

v. 108. shyll] i. e. shell.

v. 109. rost a stone] So Heywood;

“I doe but roste a stone

In warming her.”

Dialogue, &c. sig. F 2,—Workes, ed. 1598.

v. 110. no man but one] i. e. Wolsey.

v. 114. cammocke] See note, p. 179. v. 30.

v. 115. This byll well ouer loked] i. e. This writing being well overlooked, examined.

v. 117. There went the hare away] A proverbial expression:

“Man. By my fayth a lytell season

I folowed the counsell and dyet of reason.

Gloto. There went the hare away

Hys dyet quod a,” &c.

Medwall’s Interlude of Nature, n. d., sig. g ii.

“heere’s the King, nay stay:

And heere, I heare [ay, here]: there goes the Hare away.”

The Spanish Tragedie (by Kyd), sig. G 3. ed. 1618.

Page 30. v. 118. the gray] i. e. the badger: see note, p. 303. v. 101.

v. 119. the buck] Qy. does Skelton, under these names of animals, allude to certain persons? If he does, “the buck” must mean Edward Duke of Buckingham, who, according to the popular belief, was impeached and brought to the block by Wolsey’s means in 1521: so in an unprinted poem against the Cardinal;

“Wherfor nevyr looke ther mowthes to be stoppyd

Tyll ther money be restoryd thow sum hedes be of choppyd

As thowe dyd serue the Buckke
For as men sey by the that was done
That sens had this lande no good lucke.”

MS. Harl. 2252. fol. 158.

v. 123. Ge hame] Scottice for—Go home.

v. 125. tot quot] See note, p. 287. v. 565.

v. 127. lome] i. e. loom.

v. 128. lylse wulse] i. e. linsey-woolsey,—an evident play on the Cardinal’s name.

v. 130. cule] i. e. fundament.

v. 132. warse] i. e. worse.

Page 31. v. 136. Bothombar] I know not what place is meant here.

v. 139. gup, leuell suse]—gup has occurred frequently before: see note, p. 99. v. 17; the rest of this slang I do not comprehend.

v. 145. nat worth a flye] See note, p. 219. v. 104.

v. 150.

Yet the good Erle of Surray,

The Frenche men he doth fray, &c.]

This nobleman (before mentioned, see note, p. 317. v. 769), Thomas Howard (afterwards third Duke of Norfolk), commanded, in 1522, the English force which was sent against France, when Henry the Eighth and the Emperor Charles had united in an attack on that kingdom. In Stow’s Annales, p. 517. ed. 1615, the marginal note “Earle of Surrey brent Morles in Brytaine. I. Skelton,” evidently alludes to the present passage of our poem. Both Turner and Lingard in their Histories of Engl. mistake this nobleman for his father.

Page 31. v. 158. mated] i. e. confounded (I may just observe that Palsgrave, besides “I Mate at the chesses, Ie matte,” gives “I Mate or ouercome, Ie amatte.”) Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccxcix. (Table of Verbes).

v. 163. vrcheons] i. e. hedge-hogs.

Page 32. v. 166. ouer shote] i. e. over-shoot.

v. 167. scutus] “Scutum, Moneta Regum Francorum, ita appellata quod in ea descripta essent Franciæ insignia in scuto.” Du Cange’s Gloss. (Ital. scudo, Fr. écu).

v. 170. wonders warke] i. e. work of wonder.

v. 175. They shote at him with crownes, &c.] On the immense gifts and annuities which Wolsey received from foreign powers, see Turner’s Hist. of Reign of Hen. the Eighth, i. 236. ed. 8vo.

v. 178. his eyen so dased]—dased, i. e. dazzled, or, according to Skelton’s distinction—dulled; for in his Garlande of Laurell we find “eyn dasild and dasid.” v. 1389. vol. i. 416.

v. 179. ne se can] i. e. can not see.

v. 185. the Chambre of Starres] i. e. the Star-Chamber.

v. 190. renayenge] i. e. contradicting.

v. 194. Good euyn, good Robyn Hood] “Good even, good Robin Hood,” was, as Ritson observes, a proverbial expression; “the allusion is to civility extorted by fear.” Robin Hood, i. lxxxvii. Warton mistook the meaning of this line, as is proved by his mode of pointing it: see Hist. of E. P., ii. 346. ed. 4to.

Page 33. v. 197. thwartyng ouer thom] i. e. overthwarting them, perversely controlling them.

v. 202. With, trompe vp, alleluya] i. e., says Warton, “the pomp in which he celebrates divine service.” Hist. of E. P., ii. 346 (note), ed. 4to. Compare Wager’s Mary Magdalene, 1567;

“Ite Missa est, with pipe vp Alleluya.”

Sig. A iii.

v. 203. Philargerya] i. e. Φιλαργυρία, argenti amor, pecuniæ cupiditas. She was one of the characters in Skelton’s lost drama, The Nigramansir.

v. 204. herte] i. e. heart.

v. 206. Asmodeus] The name of the evil spirit in the Book of Tobit.

v. 208. Dalyda] i. e. Dalilah.

“Unto his lemman Dalida he told,

That in his heres all his strengthe lay.”

Chaucer’s Monkes Tale, v. 14069. ed. Tyr.

See too Gower’s Conf. Am., Lib. viii. fol. clxxxix. ed. 1554, and Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, B. i. leaf xxxiii. ed. Wayland.

Page 33. v. 208. mell] i. e. meddle (in sensu obsc.).

v. 212. Simonia] i. e. Simony.

v. 213. Castrimergia] “The true reading is Castrimargia, or Gulæ concupiscentia, Gluttony. From the Greek, Γαστριμαργία, ingluvies, helluatio. Not an uncommon word in the monkish latinity. Du Cange cites an old Litany of the tenth century, ‘A spiritu Castrimargiæ Libera nos, domine!’ Lat. Gloss. i. p. 398. Carpentier adds, among other examples, from the statutes of the Cistercian order, 1375 [1357], ‘Item, cum propter detestabile Castrimargiæ vitium in labyrinthum vitiorum descendutur, &c.’ Suppl. tom. i. p. 862.’” Warton’s Hist. of E. P., ii. 346 (note), ed. 4to.

v. 215. ypocras] See note, p. 285. v. 458.

v. 217. In Lent for a repast, &c.] So Roy in his satire against Wolsey, Rede me, and be nott wrothe, &c.;

“Wat. Whatt abstinence useth he to take?

Jeff. In Lent all fysshe he doth forsake,

Fedde with partriges and plovers.

Wat. He leadeth then a Lutheran’s lyfe?

Jeff. O naye, for he hath no wyfe,

But whoares that be his lovers.”

Harl. Miscel. ix. 32. ed. Park.

v. 219. partriche mewed]—mewed, i. e. cooped up. “I kepe partryches in a mewe agaynst your comyng.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. e ii. ed. 1530.

v. 222. ne] i. e. nor.

v. 223. a postels lyfe] i. e. an apostle’s life.

v. 224. herte] i. e. heart.

Page 34. v. 232. kues] See note, p. 236. v. 36.

v. 235. The sygne of the Cardynall Hat] “These allowed Stew-houses [in Southwark] had Signs on their Fronts, towards the Thames, not hanged out, but painted on the Walls, as a Boar’s-Head, the Cross Keys, the Gun, the Castle, the Crane, the Cardinal’s Hat,” &c. Stow’s Survey, B. iv. 7. ed. 1720.

v. 236. shyt] i. e. shut.

v. 237. gup] }

...

v. 239. iast] }

See note, p. 99. v. 17.

v. 240. Wyll ye bere no coles] Steevens, in his note on the opening of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, cites the present line among the examples which he gives of the expression to bear or carry coals, i. e. to bear insults, to submit to degradation. In the royal residences and great houses the lowest drudges appear to have been selected to carry coals to the kitchens, halls, &c.; see note on Jonson’s Works, ii. 169, by Gifford, who afterwards (p. 179) observes, “From the mean nature of this occupation it seems to have been somewhat hastily concluded, that a man who would carry coals would submit to any indignity.”

Page 34. v. 241. A mayny of marefoles] i. e. (as appears from the expressions applied to horses four lines above) a set of mare-foals, fillies.

Page 35. v. 257. next] i. e. nearest.

v. 261. Poppynge folysshe dawes] See note, p. 231. v. 39.

v. 262. pyll strawes]—pyll, i. e. peel.

v. 264. Huntley bankes] See note, p. 221. v. 149.

v. 269. Lorde Dakers] Thomas Lord Dacre (of Gillesland, or of the North) was warden of the West Marches. The accusation here thrown out against him (because, perhaps, he was on the best terms with Wolsey) of “agreeing too well with the Scots” is altogether unfounded. He was for many years the able and active agent of Henry in corrupting by gold and intrigues the nobles of Scotland, and in exciting ceaseless commotions in that kingdom, to the destruction of its tranquillity and good government. He died in 1525. And see notes on vv. 283, 353.

v. 270. Jacke Rakers] See note, p. 186. v. 108.

v. 271. crakers] i. e. vaunters, big-talkers.

v. 273. Stronge herted] i. e. Strong-hearted.

v. 275. To] i. e. Too.

v. 278. the red hat] i. e. Wolsey.

v. 280. lure] See note, p. 147. v. 1100.

v. 281. cure] i. e. care.

v. 283. Lorde Rose] i. e. Thomas Manners, Lord Roos. In 14 Henry viii. he was constituted warden of the East Marches towards Scotland; and by letters patent in 17 Henry viii. he was created Earl of Rutland. He died in 1543. See Collins’s Peerage, i. 465. sqq. ed. Brydges. Hall makes the following mention of him: “In this sommer [xiiii yere of Henry the VIII] the lorde Rosse and the lorde Dacres of the North whiche were appointed to kepe the borders against Scotland did so valiantly that they burned the good toune of Kelsy and lxxx. villages and ouerthrew xviii. towers of stone with all their Barnkyns or Bulwerkes.” Chron. fol. ci. ed. 1548.

v. 285. a cockly fose] A term which I do not understand.

Page 35. v. 286. Their hertes be in thyr hose] See note, p. 233. v. 107,—where, however, I neglected to observe that we find in Prima Pastorum,

“A, thy hert is in thy hose.”

Towneley Myst., p. 95.

Page 36. v. 287. The Erle of Northumberlande, &c.] i. e. Henry Algernon Percy, fifth Earl of Northumberland. In 14 Henry viii. he was made warden of the whole Marches, a charge which for some reason or other he soon after resigned: vide Collins’s Peerage, ii. 305. ed. Brydges. That he found himself obliged to pay great deference to the Cardinal, is evident from Cavendish’s Life of Wolsey, where (pp. 120-128. ed. 1827) see the account of his being summoned from the north, &c. when his son Lord Percy, (who was then, according to the custom of the age, a “servitor” in Wolsey’s house) had become enamoured of Anne Boleyn. This nobleman, who encouraged literature, and appears to have patronised our poet (see Account of Skelton, &c.), died in 1527.

v. 291. Rynne] i. e. Run.

v. 292. mayny of shepe] i. e. flock of sheep.

v. 293. loke ... dur] i. e. look ... door.

v. 294. mastyue cur] }

v. 295. bochers dogge] }

i. e. Wolsey: see note, p. 349. v. 478.

v. 296. wyrry] i. e. worry.

v. 297. gnar] i. e. snarl, growl.

v. 300. blode] i. e. blood.

v. 301. hode] i. e. hood.

v. 308. astate] i. e. estate, state, rank, dignity.

v. 312. foles and dawes] i. e. fools and simpletons; see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 313. eke] i. e. also.

v. 315. pletynge] i. e. pleading.

v. 316. Commune Place] i. e. Common Pleas.

Page 37. v. 326. huddypeke] See note, p. 255. v. 1176.

v. 327. Thy lernynge is to lewde]—to lewde, i. e. too bad, too mean. So in our author’s Speke, Parrot we find “lewdlye ar they lettyrd.” v. 296. vol. ii. 15.

v. 328. well thewde] i. e. well mannered.

v. 338. rowte] See note, p. 298. v. 1223.

v. 343. the Scottysh kynge] i. e. James the Fifth.

v. 346. stalworthy] i. e. strong, stout.

v. 347. whipling] Perhaps the same as—pipling: see note on l. 26 (prose), p. 229.

Page 38. v. 352. calstocke] “Calstoke. Maguderis.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. “Calstocke pie de chov.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xxii. (Table of Subst.).

v. 353.

There goth many a lye

Of the Duke of Albany, &c.]

This passage relates to the various rumours which were afloat concerning the Scottish affairs in 1522, during the regency of John Duke of Albany. (The last and disastrous expedition of Albany against England in 1523 had not yet taken place: its failure called forth from Skelton a long and furious invective against the Duke; see vol. ii. 68.) In 1522, when Albany with an army eighty thousand strong had advanced to Carlisle, Lord Dacre by a course of able negotiations prevailed on him to agree to a truce for a month and to disband his forces: see Hist. of Scot., v. 156 sqq. by Tytler,—who defends the conduct of Albany on this occasion from the charge of cowardice and weakness.

v. 356. quycke] i. e. alive.

v. 358. The mountenaunce of two houres] “Mowntenaunce. Quantitas. Estimata mensura.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

“And largely the mountenaunce of an houre

They gonne on it to reden and to poure.”

Chaucer’s Troil. and Cres., B. ii. fol. 157. Workes, ed. 1602.

“Racynge and foynynge to the mountenaunce of an houre.” Morte d’Arthur, B. vii. cap. iiii. vol. i. 191. ed. Southey.

v. 359. sayne] i. e. say.

v. 367. Burgonyons] i. e. Burgundians.

v. 373.

God saue my lorde admyrell!

What here ye of Mutrell?]

—Mutrell is Montreuil; and the allusion must be to some attack intended or actual on that town, of which I can find no account agreeing with the date of the present poem. To suppose that the reference is to the siege of Montreuil in 1544, would be equivalent to pronouncing that the passage is an interpolation by some writer posterior to the time of Skelton.

v. 375. mell] i. e. meddle.

v. 380.

For drede of the red hat

Take peper in the nose]

i. e. For dread that the Cardinal, Wolsey, take offence.

“Hee taketh pepper in the nose, that I complayne

Vpon his faultes.”

Heywood’s Dialogue, &c. sig. G.,—Workes, ed. 1598.

Page 38. v. 383. Of by the harde arse] Compare the Interlude of the iiii Elementes, n. d.;

“Ye but yet I seruyd another wors
I smot of his legge by the hard ars
As sone as I met hym there.”

Sig. E i.

v. 384. trauarse] i. e. thwarting contrivance.

Page 39. v. 386. makys our syre to glum] i. e. makes our lord (Wolsey) have a gloomy or sour look.

v. 391. go or ryde] See note, p. 125. v. 186.

v. 397. frayne] i. e. ask, inquire.

v. 401. Hampton Court] The palace of Wolsey; which he afterwards, with all its magnificent furniture, presented to the King.

v. 407. Yorkes Place] The palace of Wolsey, as Archbishop of York, which he had furnished in the most sumptuous manner: after his disgrace, it became a royal residence under the name of Whitehall.

v. 409.

To whose magnifycence, &c.

...

Embassades of all nacyons]

—Embassades, i. e. Embassies. “All ambassadors of foreign potentates were always dispatched by his discretion, to whom they had always access for their dispatch. His house was also always resorted and furnished with noblemen, gentlemen, and other persons, with going and coming in and out, feasting and banqueting all ambassadors diverse times, and other strangers right nobly.” Cavendish’s Life of Wolsey, p. 112. ed. 1827.

Page 40. v. 417. tancrete] “Tancrit: Transcrit, copié.” Roquefort’s Gloss. de la Lang. Rom.

v. 418. obstract] i. e. abstract.

v. 425. Whan him lyst] i. e. When it pleases him.

v. 434. vndermynde] i. e. undermine.

v. 435. sleyghtes] i. e. artful contrivances.

v. 438. coarted] i. e. coarcted, confined.

v. 440. nutshales] i. e. nutshells.

v. 444. taken in gre] i. e. taken kindly, in good part: see note, p. 95. v. 68.

v. 449.

He bereth the kyng on hand,

That he must pyll his lande]

—bereth on hand, i. e. leads on to a belief, persuades.

“Lordings, right thus, as ye han understond,
Bare I stifly min old husbondes on hond,
That thus they saiden in hir dronkennesse.”

Chaucer’s Wif of Bathes Prol., 5961. ed. Tyr.

“He is my countre man: as he bereth me an hande,—vti mihi vult persuasum.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. X viii. ed. 1530. The expression occurs in a somewhat different sense in our author’s Magnyfycence, see note, p. 241. v. 357: pyll, i. e. strip, spoil.

Page 41. v. 463. a cæciam] “Cæcia, σκοτοδινία [a vertigo with loss of sight].” Du Cange’s Gloss. See note ad loc. Qy. is “accidiam” the right reading (“Acedia, Accidia ... tædium ... tristitia, molestia, anxietas,” &c. (Gr. ἀκηδία): see Du Cange)?

v. 476. a Mamelek] i. e. a Mameluke. Compare The Image of Ipocrisy, (a poem in imitation of Skelton, which is appended to the present edition);

“And crafty inquisitors,

Worse then Mamalokes.”

Part Four.

v. 478. potshordes] i. e. potsherds.

Page 42. v. 483. God to recorde] i. e. God to witness.

v. 485. reason or skyll] See note, p. 238. v. 106.

v. 486.

the primordyall

Of his wretched originall]

—primordyall, i. e. first beginning.

v. 490. sank] i. e. blood.

v. 491. bochers] i. e. butcher’s: see note, p. 349. v. 478.

v. 495. rowme] i. e. room, place, office.

v. 505. parde] i. e. par dieu, verily.

v. 508. saw] i. e. saying,—branch of learning. So in our author’s Colyn Cloute;

“Some lernde in other sawe.”

v. 734. vol. i. 339.

v. 511. quatriuials] }

v. 512. triuials] }

See note, p. 343. v. 171. This depreciation of Wolsey’s acquirements is very unjust: his learning, there is reason to believe, was far from contemptible.

Page 43. v. 517. worth a fly] See note, p. 219. v. 104.

v. 518. Haly] }

v. 519. Ptholomy] }

v. 520. Albumasar] }

See notes, p. 133. vv. 501. 503. 505.

v. 522. mobyll] i. e. moveable.

v. 526. humanyte] i. e. humaniores literæ, polite literature.

v. 533. our processe for to stable]—processe, i. e. story, account; see notes, p. 143. v. 735. p. 146. v. 969, &c. and compare our author’s Fourth Poem Against Garnesche, “But now my proces for to saue,” v. 157. vol. i. 131.

v. 538. conceyght] i. e. conceit,—good opinion, favour.

v. 540. exemplyfyenge] i. e. following the example of.

Page 44. v. 550. A wretched poore man, &c.] i. e. Abdalonimus (or Abdolonimus) whom Alexander made king of Sidon: see Justin, xi. 10. Cowley touches on the story at the commencement of Plant. Lib. iv.; and in his English version of that commencement, under the title of The Country Life, he has greatly improved the passage.

v. 557. occupyed a showell] i. e. used a shovel: see note, p. 86. v. 52.

v. 566. renowme] i. e. renown.

v. 569. with lewde condicyons cotyd] i. e. quoted, noted, marked, with evil qualities: see note, p. 183. v. 12.

v. 570. ben] i. e. be.

v. 573. Couetys] i. e. Covetise, covetousness.

v. 575. wode] i. e. mad.

v. 576. mode] i. e. mood, passion.

v. 577. swerde] i. e. sword.

v. 579. sone] i. e. soon.

Page 45. v. 583. trone] i. e. throne.

v. 584. a great astate] i. e. a person of great estate, or rank.

v. 585. play checke mate] In allusion to the king’s being put in check at the game of chess.

v. 586. ryall] i. e. royal.

v. 591. fynd] i. e. fiend.

v. 594. Lyke Mahounde in a play] In none of the early miracle-plays which have come down to us is Mahound (Mahomet) a character, though he is mentioned and sworn by.

v. 601. rebads] i. e. ribalds.

v. 602. beggers reiagged] i. e. beggars all-tattered.

v. 603. recrayed] i. e. recreant.

v. 604. hauell] See note on v. 94. p. 353.

v. 605. Rynne] i. e. Run.

—— iauell] See note, p. 271. v. 2218.

v. 606. peuysshe pye] i. e. silly magpie.

v. 607. losell] i. e. good-for-nothing fellow, scoundrel.

v. 613. Iacke breche] i. e. Jack-ass (-arse).

Page 46. v. 618. shrewdly] i. e. badly.

v. 621. kayser] See note, p. 247. v. 796.

v. 622.

My lorde is nat at layser;

Syr, ye must tary a stounde, &c.]

—layser, i. e. leisure: a stounde, i. e. a time, a while. Compare A Character of the insolent behaviour of Cardinal Wolsey as given by Thomas Allen Priest and Chaplain to the Earl of Shrewsbury in a Letter to his Lordshyp about Apr. 1517, among Kennett’s Collections,—MS. Lansd. 978. fol. 213. “Pleseth your Lordshyp to understande upon Monday was sennight last past I delivered your Letter with the examinacyon to my Lord Cardynall at Guilford, whence he commanded me to wait on him to the Court. I followed him and there gave attendance and could have no Answer. Upon ffriday last he came from thence to Hampton Court, where he lyeth. The morrow after I besought his Grace I might know his plesure; I could have no Answer. Upon Mondaye last as he walked in the parke at Hampton Court, I besought his Grace I might knowe if he wolde command me anye servyce. He was not content with me that I spoke to hym. So that who shall be a Suitour to him may have no other busynesse but give attendance upon his plesure. He that shall so doe, it is needfull shuld be a wyser man then I am. I sawe no remedy, but came without Answere, except I wolde have done as my Lord Dacre’s Servaunt doth, who came with Letters for the Kynges servyce five moneths since and yet hath no Answere. And another Servaunt of the Deputy of Calais likewyse who came before the other to Walsyngham, I heard, when he aunswered them, ‘If ye be not contente to tary my leysure, departe when ye wille.’ This is truthe, I had rather your Lordshyp commaunded me to Rome then deliver him Letters, and bring Aunswers to the same. When he walketh in the Parke he will suffer no Servaunt to come nyghe him, but commands them awaye as farre as one might shoote an arrowe.”

Page 46. v. 631. flyt] i. e. remove.

v. 635. neuer the nere]—nere, i. e. nearer.

“That they were early vp, and neuer the neere.”

Heywood’s Dialogue, &c. sig. A 3,—Workes, ed. 1598.

v. 636. daungerous dowsypere] “He hath a daungerous loke. Atollit supercilium, adducit, contrahit supercilia.”—“I can not away with suche daungorous felowes. Ferre non possum horum supercilium, vel superciliosos, arrogantes, fastuosos, vel arrogantiam, aut fastum talium.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sigs. L i, P iiii. ed. 1530:—dowsypere, i. e. lord, noble (properly, one of the Douze-Pairs of France);

“Erll, duke, and douch-spere.”

Golagros and Gawane, p. 182,—Syr Gawayne, &c. ed. Madden.

See too Spenser’s F. Queene, iii. x. 31.

v. 642. With a poore knyght] “He [Wolsey] fell in acquaintance with one Sir John Nanphant, a very grave and ancient knight, who had a great room in Calais under King Henry the Seventh. This knight he served, and behaved him so discreetly and justly, that he obtained the especial favour of his said master; insomuch that for his wit, gravity, and just behaviour, he committed all the charge of his office unto his chaplain. And, as I understand, the office was the treasurership of Calais, who was, in consideration of his great age, discharged of his chargeable room, and returned again into England, intending to live more at quiet. And through his instant labour and especial favour his chaplain was promoted to the king’s service, and made his chaplain.” Cavendish’s Life of Wolsey, p. 70. ed. 1827. According to Nash, it was Sir Richard Nanfan (father of Sir John) who was “captain of Calais, made a knight, and esquire of the body to Henry vii.” Hist. of Worcestershire, i. 85.

Page 46. v. 643. hyght] i. e. be called.

v. 646. mell] i. e. meddle.

v. 649. doddypatis] i. e. thick-heads.

Page 47. v. 651. iack napis] i. e. jackanapes, ape, monkey.

v. 652. bedleme] i. e. bedlamite.

v. 653. reame] i. e. realm.

v. 661. loselry] i. e. wickedness, evil practice.

v. 664. hart rote] i. e. heart-root.

v. 665. kote] i. e. coot (water-fowl).

v. 668. he wyll tere it asonder] So Roy, in his satire against Wolsey, Rede me, and be nott wrothe, &c.;

“His power he doth so extende,
That the Kyngis letters to rende
He will not forbeare in his rage.”

Harl. Miscell., ix. 69. ed. Park.

v. 670. hoddypoule] i. e. dunder-head.

v. 674. settys nat by it a myte] i. e. values it not at a mite, cares not a mite for it.

v. 679. demensy] i. e. madness.

Page 48. v. 682. mell] i. e. meddle.

v. 683. wele] i. e. well.

v. 684. How Frauncis Petrarke, &c.] “Vidi Aquensem Caroli sedem, & in templo marmoreo verendum barbaris gentibus illius principis sepulchrum, vbi fabellam audiui, non inamœnam cognitu, a quibusdam templi sacerdotibus, quam scriptam mihi ostenderunt, & postea apud modernos scriptores accuratius etiam tractatam legi, quam tibi quoque ut referam incidit animus: ita tamen, ut rei fides non apud me quæratur, sed (vt aiunt) penes auctores maneat. Carolum Regem quem Magni nomine [ed. Bas. cognomine] æquare Pompeio & Alexandro audent, mulierculam quandam perdite & efflictim amasse memorant, eius blanditiis eneruatum, neglecta fama (cui plurimum inseruire consueuerat) & posthabitis regni curis, aliarum rerum omnium & postremo suiipsius oblitum, diu nulla prorsus in re nisi illius amplexibus acquieuisse, summa cum indignatione suorum ac dolore. Tandem cum iam spei nihil superesset (quoniam aures regias salutaribus consiliis insanus amor obstruxerat), fœminam ipsam malorum causam insperata mors abstulit, cuius rei ingens primum in regia sed latens gaudium fuit: deinde dolore tantum priore grauiore, quantum fœdiori morbo correptum regis animum videbant, cuius nec morte lenitus furor, sed in ipsum obscœnum cadauer & exangue translatus est, quod balsamo & aromatibus conditum, onustum gemmis, & velatum purpura, diebus ac noctibus tam miserabili quam cupido fouebat amplexu. Dici nequit quam discors & quam male se compassura conditio est amantis ac regis: nunquam profecto contraria sine lite iunguntur. Quid est autem regnum, nisi iusta & gloriosa dominatio? Contra quid est amor, nisi fœda seruitus & iniusta? Itaque cum certatim ad amantem (seu rectius ad amentem) Regem, pro summis regni negotiis legationes gentium, præfectique & prouinciarum præsides conuenirent, is in lectulo suo miser, omnibus exclusis & obseratis foribus, amato corpusculo cohærebat, amicam suam crebro, velut spirantem responsuramque compellans, illi curas laboresque suos narrabat, illi blandum murmur & nocturna suspiria, illi semper amoris comites lachrymas instillabat, horrendum miseriæ solamen, sed quod vnum ex omnibus Rex alioquin (vt aiunt) sapientissimus elegisset. Addunt fabulæ quod ego nec fieri potuisse nec narrari debere arbitror. Erat ea tempestate in aula Coloniensis Antistes, vir, vt memorant, sanctitate & sapientia clarus, necnon comis, et consilii Regii prima vox, qui domini sui statum miseratus, vbi animaduertit humanis remediis nihil agi, ad Deum versus, ilium assidue precari, in illo spem reponere, ab eo finem mali poscere multo cum gemitu: quod cum diu fecisset, nec desiturus videretur, die quodam illustri miraculo recreatus est: siquidem ex more sacrificanti, & post deuotissimas preces pectus & aram lachrymis implenti, de cœlo vox insonuit, Sub extinctæ mulieris lingua furoris Regii causam latere. Quo lætior, mox peracto sacrificio, ad locum vbi corpus erat se proripuit, & iure notissimæ familiaritatis regiæ introgressus, os digito clam scrutatus, gemmam perexiguo annulo inclusam sub gelida rigentique lingua repertam festinabundus auexit. Nec multo post rediens Carolus, & ex consuetudine ad optatum mortuæ congressum properans, repente aridi cadaueris spectaculo concussus, obriguit, exhorruitque contactum, auferri eam quantocius ac sepeliri iubens. Inde totus in Antistitem conuersus, illum amare, illum colere, illum indies arctius amplecti. Denique nihil nisi ex sententia illius agere, ab illo nec diebus nec noctibus auelli. Quod vbi sensit vir iustus ac prudens, optabilem forte multis sed onerosam sibi sarcinam abiicere statuit, veritusque ne si vel ad manus alterius perueniret, vel flammis consumeretur, domino suo aliquid periculi afferret, annulum in vicinæ paludis præaltam voraginem demersit. Aquis forte tum rex cum proceribus suis habitabat, ex eoque tempore cunctis ciuitatibus sedes illa prælata est, in ea nil sibi palude gratius, ibi assidere & illis aquis mira cum voluptate, illius odore velut suauissimo delectari. Postremo illuc regiam suam transtulit, & in medio palustris limi, immenso sumptu, iactis molibus, palatium templumque construxit, vt nihil diuinæ vel humanæ rei eum inde abstraheret. Postremo ibi vitæ suæ reliquum egit, ibique sepultus est: cauto prius vt successores sui primam inde coronam & prima imperii auspicia capescerent, quod hodie quoque seruatur, seruabiturque quam din Romani frena imperii Theutonica manus aget.” Petrarchæ Fam. Epist., lib. i. Ep. iii. p. 10, et seq., ed. 1601.—On this story, which he found in a French author, Mr. Southey has composed a ballad: see his Minor Poems.

Page 48. v. 694. carectes] i. e. characters, magical inscriptions.

v. 703. Acon] i. e. Aix la Chapelle: “Acon in Almayne whyche is a moche fayr cytee, where as kyng charles had made his paleys moche fayr & ryche and a ryght deuoute chapel in thonour of our lady, wherin hymself is buryed.” Caxton’s History and Lyf of Charles the Grete, &c. 1485. sig. b 7.

v. 709. obsolute] i. e. absolute, absolved.

v. 710. practyue] i. e. practise.

—— abolete] i. e. antiquated, abolished.

Page 49. v. 713.

But I wyll make further relacion

Of this isagogicall colation]

—isagogicall colation seems to be equivalent here to—comparison introduced, or discourse introduced for the sake of comparison.

v. 715. How maister Gaguine, &c.] Concerning Gaguin see the Account of Skelton’s Life, &c. The passage here alluded to, will be found in Roberti Gaguini ordinis sanctæ trinitatis ministri generalis de origine et gestis francorum perquamutile compendium, lib. x. fol. cxiiii. (where the marginal note is “Balluæ cardinalis iniquitas”), ed. 1497. Cardinal Balue (whom the reader will probably recollect as a character in Sir W. Scott’s Quentin Durward) was confined by order of Louis xi. in an iron cage at the Castle of Loches, in which durance he remained for eleven years. But there is no truth in Skelton’s assertion that he “was hedyd, drawen, and quarterd,” v. 737; for though he appears to have deserved that punishment, he terminated his days prosperously in Italy.

Page 49. v. 720. a great astate] i. e. a person of great estate, or rank.

v. 728. so wele apayd] i. e. so well satisfied, pleased.

v. 731. him lyst] i. e. pleased him.

v. 732. cheked at the fyst] Seems to be equivalent here to—attacked, turned against the hand which fed him. “Check is when Crowes, Rooks, Pyes, or other birds comming in the view of the Hawk, she forsaketh her naturall flight to fly at them.” Latham’s Faulconry (Explan. of Words of Art), 1658.

v. 733. agayne] i. e. against.

Page 50. v. 748. dyscust] See note, p. 321. v. 881.

v. 752. rote] i. e. root.

v. 753.

Yet it is a wyly mouse
That can bylde his dwellinge house
Within the cattes eare]

This proverbial saying occurs in a poem attributed to Lydgate;

“An hardy mowse that is bold to breede

In cattis eeris.”

The Order of Foles,—MS. Harl. 2251. fol. 304.

And so Heywood;

“I haue heard tell, it had need to bee

A wylie mouse that should breed in the cats eare.”

Dialogue, &c. sig. G 4,—Workes, ed. 1598.

v. 766. sad] See note, p. 264. v. 1711.

v. 768. heale] i. e. health.

v. 774.

that mastyfe ...
Let him neuer confounde
The gentyll greyhownde]

See note, p. 349. v. 478.

Page 51. v. 782. borde] i. e. jest.

v. 783. stede] i. e. place.

v. 784. maister Mewtas] John Meautis was secretary for the French language to Henry the Seventh and Henry the Eighth. It appears from Rymer’s Fœdera that he was allowed, in consideration of his services, to import Gascon wine and to dispose of it to the best advantage, T. v. P. iv. p. 78 (anno 1494), T. vi. P. i. p. 146 (anno 1518), ed. Hagæ; and that he was occasionally employed on business with foreign powers, T. v. P. iv. pp. 110, 113 (anno 1497). Among some, says Ashmole, who became Poor Knights of Windsor “probably out of devotion, rather than cause of poverty,” was “John Mewtes Secretary of the French Tongue (Pat. 18. H. 7. p. 1).” Order of the Garter, p. 161. Several unimportant entries concerning this person occur in the unpublished Books of Payments preserved in the Chapter House, Westminster.

Page 51. v. 795. a bull vnder lead]—lead, i. e. a leaden seal.

v. 798. Dymingis Dale] So in Thersytes, n. d.;

“Mother bryce of oxforde and greate Gyb of hynxey

Also mawde of thrutton and mable of chartesey

And all other wytches that walke in dymminges dale

Clytteringe and clatteringe there youre pottes with ale.”

p. 68. Roxb. ed.

v. 799. Portyngale] i. e. Portugal.

v. 806. calodemonyall] i. e. consisting of good angels.

v. 807. cacodemonyall] i. e. consisting of evil angels.

v. 808. puruey] i. e. provide.

Page 52. v. 831. euerychone] i. e. every one.

v. 838. rewth] i. e. pity.

v. 845. recorde] i. e. witness, evidence.

Page 53. v. 856. set by] i. e. valued, regarded.

v. 867. askrye] i. e. a shout. The verb has occurred several times before: see notes, p. 145. v. 903. p. 152. v. 1358. p. 191. v. 66.

v. 877. haute ... base] i. e. high ... low.

v. 880.

Marke me that chase

In the tennys play]

See the latter part of note, p. 205. v. 62. “Marquez bien cette chasse. Heed well that passage, marke well the point, whereof I have informed you.” Cotgrave’s Dict. in v. Chasse.

Page 54. v. 883. a tall man] “Tall or semely.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

v. 885. Hay, the gye and the gan] In one of his copies of verses Against Venemous Tongues, Skelton has,

“Nothing to write, but hay the gy of thre.”

v. 13. vol. i. 134,

where there seems to be some allusion to the dance called heydeguies. In the present passage probably there is a play on words: gye may mean—goose; and gan gander.

v. 886. gose] i. e. goose.

v. 887. The waters wax wan] Horne Tooke in his Div. of Purley, Part ii. p. 179. ed. 1805, citing this line from the ed. of Skelton’s Works, 1736, thus,

“The waters were wan,”

considers “wan” as the past participle of the verb “wane,”—wand, decreased; and he is followed by Richardson, Dict. in v. Wan. But “were” is merely a misprint of ed. 1736; and that “wan” is here an adjective expressing the colour of the water, is not to be doubted. So Skelton elsewhere;

“For worldly shame I wax bothe wanne and bloo.”

Magnyfycence, v. 2080. vol. i. 292.

“The ryuers rowth, the waters wan.”

Balett, v. 15. vol. i. 22.

So too in Henry’s Wallace;

“Bot rochis heich, and wattir depe and wan.”

B. vii. 814. ed. Jam.

Page 54. v. 888. ban] i. e. curse.

v. 891. warke] i. e. work.

v. 896. Sem ... Cam] i. e. Shem ... Ham.

v. 898. cupbord] “Cupborde of plate or to sette plate vpon buffet.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xxviii. (Table of Subst.). It had a succession of “desks” or stages, on which the plate was displayed: see the description of a magnificent entertainment in Cavendish’s Life of Wolsey, p. 195. ed. 1827, and the editor’s note.

v. 904. alcumyn] i. e. a sort of mixed metal.

v. 905. A goldsmyth your mayre] “A.D. 1522 ... Maior, Sir John Mundy, Goldsmith, Son to William Mundy of Wycombe in Buckinghamshire.” Stow’s Survey, B. v. 129. ed. 1720.

v. 908. trotters] “Trotters shepes fete.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxxi. (Table of Subst.).

v. 909. potshordis] i. e. potsherds.

v. 910. shrewdly] i. e. badly.

Page 55. v. 914. syr Trestram] See note, p. 137. v. 634. The name is, of course, used here for a person of rank generally.

v. 916. Cane] i. e. Caen, in Normandy.

v. 917. wane] i. e. decreased.

v. 918. royals] }

v. 919. nobles] }

The coins so called.

v. 920. Burgonyons] i. e. Burgundians.

v. 928. With, laughe and lay downe] A punning allusion to the game at cards so called.

v. 930. Sprynge of Lanam]—Lanam, i. e. Langham in Essex. In the Expenses of Sir John Howard, first Duke of Norfolk, we find, under the year 1463, “Item, Apylton and Sprynge off Lanam owyth my mastyr, as James Hoberd and yonge Apylton knowyth wele [a blank left for the sum].” Manners and Household Expenses of England, &c. p. 180. ed. Roxb. It seems probable, however, from the early date, that the person mentioned in the entry just cited was the father (or some near relative) of the Spring noticed by Skelton. But Stow certainly alludes to the clothier of our text, where he records that, during the disturbances which followed the attempt to levy money for the king’s use in 1525, when the Duke of Norfolk inquired of the rebellious party in Suffolk “what was the cause of their disquiet, and who was their captaine?... one Iohn Greene a man of fiftie yeeres olde answered, that pouertie was both cause and captaine. For the rich clothiers Spring of Lanam and other had giuen ouer occupying, whereby they were put from their ordinarie worke and liuing.” Annales, p. 525. ed. 1615. Neither Hall nor Holinshed, when relating the same circumstance, make any mention of Spring.

Page 55. v. 935. He must tax for his wull] i. e. He must pay tax for his wool.

Page 56. v. 952. the streytes of Marock] i. e. the straits of Morocco.

“Thurghout the see of Grece, unto the straite

Of Maroc.”

Chaucer’s Man of Lawes Tale, v. 4884. ed. Tyr.

v. 953. the gybbet of Baldock] See note, p. 340. v. 75.

v. 958. mellys] i. e. meddles.

v. 972. fendys blake] i. e. fiends black.

v. 974. crake] i. e. vaunt, talk bigly.

v. 975.

he wolde than make

The deuyls to quake]

So Roy in his satire against Wolsey, Rede me, and be nott wrothe, &c.;

“Yf he be as thou hast here sayde,
I wene the devils will be afrayde
To have hym as a companion;
For what with his execracions,
And with his terrible fulminacions,
He wolde handle theym so,
That for very drede and feare,
All the devils that be theare
Wilbe glad to let hym go.”

Harl. Miscell. ix. 29. ed. Park.

v. 978. fyer drake] i. e. fiery dragon.

v. 979. a cole rake] “Colerake ratissover.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xxv. (Table of Subst.).

Page 57. v. 980. Brose them on a brake]—Brose, i. e. bruise, break: brake (which has occurred before in a different sense, see note, p. 168. v. 324) means here an engine of torture: “I Brake on a brake or payne bauke as men do mysdoers to confesse the trouthe.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. clxxi. (Table of Verbes). In the Tower was a celebrated brake known by the nick-name of the Duke of Exeter’s Daughter: see the woodcut in Steevens’s note on Measure for Measure,—Shakespeare (by Malone and Boswell), ix. 44.

Page 57. v. 984. a grym syer]—syer, i. e. sire, lord.

“Ryght a grym syre at domys day xal he be.”

Coventry Mysteries,—MS. Cott. Vesp. D viii. fol. 37.

v. 985. potestolate] Equivalent, I suppose, to—legate.

v. 986. potestate] “Potestat. A Potestat, principall Officer, chiefe Magistrate.” Cotgrave’s Dict.

v. 989. echone] i. e. each one.

v. 990. trone] i. e. throne.

v. 996. Folam peason] i. e. Fulham pease.

v. 997. geson] i. e. scarce, rare.

v. 1000. herbers] See note, p. 101. v. 13.

v. 1001. bryght and shene] Are synonymous: yet Spenser also has;

“Her garment was so bright and wondrous sheene,” &c.

The Faerie Queene,—Mutabilitie, vii. 7.

Page 58. v. 1014. The deuyll spede whitte] See note, p. 252. v. 1018.

v. 1016. rechelesse] i. e. reckless.

v. 1019. bended] i. e. banded. “A knotte or a bende of felowes.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. Z viii. ed. 1530.

v. 1020. condyscended] See note, p. 237. v. 39.

Page 59. v. 1055. Remordynge] See note, p. 193. v. 101.

v. 1056. flytynge] i. e. scolding, rating.

v. 1058. dawis] i. e. simpletons: see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 1059. sawis] i. e. sayings, texts.

v. 1060. gygawis] i. e. gewgaws, trifles.

v. 1066. let] i. e. hinder, obstruct.

v. 1067. maumet] See note, p. 188. v. 170.

v. 1070. crakynge] i. e. vaunting, talking bigly.

Page 60. v. 1077. him lykys] i. e. pleases him.

v. 1086. For all priuileged places, &c..] See note, p. 342. v. 126.

v. 1094. Saint Albons to recorde, &c..] Wolsey, at that time Archbishop of York and Cardinal, was appointed to hold the abbacy of St. Alban’s in commendam; and is supposed to have applied its revenues to the expensive public works in which he was then engaged, the building of his colleges at Oxford and Ipswich, &c.,—a great infraction, as it was considered, of the canon law.

Page 60. v. 1100. legacy] i. e. legatine power.

v. 1104. ben] i. e. be.

v. 1105. take] i. e. took.

Page 61. v. 1113. He is periured himselfe, &c.] “And York [Wolsey] perceiving the obedience that Canterbury [Warham] claimed to have of York, intended to provide some such means that he would rather be superior in dignity to Canterbury than to be either obedient or equal to him. Wherefore he obtained first to be made Priest Cardinal, and Legatus de Latere; unto whom the Pope sent a Cardinal’s hat, with certain bulls for his authority in that behalf.” ... “Obtaining this dignity, [he] thought himself meet to encounter with Canterbury in his high jurisdiction before expressed; and that also he was as meet to bear authority among the temporal powers, as among the spiritual jurisdictions. Wherefore remembering as well the taunts and checks before sustained of Canterbury, which he intended to redress, having a respect to the advancement of worldly honour, promotion, and great benefits, [he] found the means with the king, that he was made Chancellor of England; and Canterbury thereof dismissed, who had continued in that honourable room and office, since long before the death of King Henry the Seventh.” Cavendish’s Life of Wolsey, pp. 90, 92. ed. 1827. It appears, however, from the contemporary testimonies of Sir Thomas More and Ammonius, that this statement was founded on false information, and that Wolsey did not employ any unfair means to supersede Warham. The latter had often requested permission to give up the chancellorship before the king would receive his resignation. When the seals were tendered to the Cardinal, either from affected modesty, or because he thought the office incompatible with his other duties, he declined the offer, and only accepted it after the king’s repeated solicitations. See Singer’s note on Cavendish, ubi supra, and Lingard’s Hist. of Engl. vi. 57. ed. 8vo.

v. 1127.

he setteth neuer a deale

By his former othe]

i. e. he values not a bit, regards not a bit, his former oath.

v. 1130. pretens] i. e. pretension, claim.

v. 1131. equipolens] i. e. equality of power.

v. 1137. pore] i. e. poor.

Page 62. v. 1151.

That wyll hed vs and hange vs,
...
And he may fange vs]

—fange, i. e. catch, lay hold of. Compare Sir D. Lyndsay’s Satyre of the Three Estaitis, Part ii.;

“Sum sayis ane king is cum amang us,

That purposis to hede and hang us:

Thare is na grace, gif he may fang us,

But on an pin.”

Works, ii. 81. ed. Chalmers.

Page 62. v. 1163. Naman Sirus] i. e. Naaman the Syrian.

“And Naaman Syrus thu pourgedest of a leprye.”

Bale’s Promyses of God, &c. 1538. sig. E i.

v. 1167. pocky] So Roy in his satire against Wolsey, Rede me, and be nott wrothe, &c.;

“He had the pockes, without fayle,
Wherfore people on hym did rayle
With many obprobrious mockes.”

Harl. Miscell. ix. 32. ed. Park.

This was one of the charges afterwards brought against Wolsey in parliament.

Page 63. v. 1178. ouerthwart] i. e. cross, perverse.

v. 1181. Balthasor] “Balthasar de Guercis was Chirurgeon to Queen Catharine of Arragon, and received letters of naturalization, dated 16 March, 13 Hen. 8. [1521-2]. See Rymer’s Collect. ined. MS. Add. Brit. Mus. 4621. 10.” Sir F. Madden’s additional note on Privy Purse Expenses of the Princess Mary, p. 281. He is mentioned in the following letter (now for the first time printed) from Wolsey’s physician, Dr. Augustine (Augustinus de Augustinis, a Venetian), to Cromwell, requiring medical assistance for the Cardinal: “Honᵈᵒ Mr Crumweƚƚ, dopo le debite raccomadatione, ui mādo el prȩsente messo a posta, qual è un mio seruitore, per pregarui si da ꝑte de Monsʳ Rᵐᵒ si da parte mia instantemēte cħ ad ogni modo uogliati operar cħ mᵒ buths [Dr. Butts] & mᵒ Walter [Cromer] siano qui auāti nocte, se nō ambidoi almeno uno de loro, & l’altro potra uenir dimane, ꝑcħ res multū urget; prudēti & amico pauca. Item uorria uolontieri parlasti a mᵒ Balthasar, cħ trouasse o facesse trouare (se ꝑho in Londra nō ce ne fusse) di bona sorte di sanguisuge seu hyrudine, accio bisognādo per Monsʳ Rᵐᵒ antedetto fusseno preste & preparate, i. famelice etc & se ꝑ caso mᵒ Balthasar nō potesse o nō uolesse trouare ditte sanguisuge, & qui uenir ad administrarle (se bisognera) ui piaccia parlar a mᵒ Nicolas genero de mᵒ Marcellus, alquale ho fatto ne li tempi passati administrarle, si cħ cū l’uno o l’altro fati le cose siano in ordine, accio poi nō si perda tempo: q̃a periculū est in mora. Aspetto ur̃a risposta per el pñte almeno in inglese ma uoi medemo dimane Monsʳ Rᵐᵒ ad ogni modo ui aspetta. ditte prȩterea a li prȩfati doctori cħ portino seco qualche electó uomitiuo de piu sorte cioe debile, mediocre, & forte, accio, bisognādo, se ueggia el meglio, et nō si p̃di tempo in mādar a Londra. per el mio seruitore etiā o uero p̃ un de prȩfati doctori mādati la manna da bonuisi o da qualcħ un’ altro doue meglio se atrovera. Xp̃o da mal ui guardi. in Asher. 1529. ad. 19. gennaio. mādati etiā qualche granati & arācij
a ūri cōmādi Aug.ᵒ augⁱ.”

MS. Cott. Tit. B i. fol. 365.

Page 63. v. 1182. wheled] i. e. whealed, wealed, or waled.

v. 1185. It was nat heled alderbest]—alderbest, i. e. best of all,—thoroughly.

v. 1187. Domyngo Lomelyn, &c.] In The Privy Purse Expenses of King Henry the Eighth are several entries, relating to payments of money won by this Lombard from the King at cards and dice, amounting, in less than three years, to above 620 l.: see pp. 17, 32, 33, 37, 190, 204, 205, 267, 270 of that work, edited by Sir H. Nicolas, who observes (p. 316) that Domingo “was, like Palmer and others, one of Henry’s ‘diverting vagabonds,’ and seems to have accompanied His Majesty wherever he went, for we find that he was with him at Calais in October, 1532.”

v. 1192. puskylde pocky pose]—puskylde, i. e. pustuled: pose, i. e. defluxion.

v. 1197. neder] i. e. nether, lower.

v. 1201. toke ... warke] i. e. took ... work.

Page 64. v. 1209. To wryght of this glorious gest, &c.] If the text be right, gest must mean—guest: so in Magnyfycence; “thou art a fonde gest.” v. 1109. vol. i. 261. But perhaps the true reading of the passage is,

“To wryght this glorious gest

Of this vayne gloryous best,”

in which case, gest would signify—story: see note, p. 177. v. 622.

v. 1210. best] i. e. beast.

v. 1213. Quia difficile est, &c.] From Juvenal, Sat. i. 30.

v. 1221. ouerse] i. e. overlook.

v. 1224. Omne animi vitium, &c.] From Juvenal, Sat. viii. 140.

v. 1226. defaute] i. e. default, defect.

v. 1227. a great astate] i. e. a person of great estate, or rank.

v. 1233. fonde] i. e. foolish.

v. 1234. can] i. e. know.

v. 1235. conuenyent] i. e. fitting.

Page 64. v. 1238. sadnesse] See note, p. 259. v. 1382.

Page 65. v. 1239. lack] i. e. fault, blame.

v. 1246. it shall nat skyl] See note, p. 262. v. 1615.

v. 1247. byl] i. e. writing.

v. 1248. daucock] See note, p. 113. v. 301.

EPITOMA, &c.

—— Polyphemo] In allusion to what Skelton has before said,—that the cardinal had the use of only one eye.

v. 2. Pandulphum] So he terms Wolsey, because Pandulph was legate from the Pope in the time of King John.

Page 66. v. 27. Mauri] i. e. Terentianus Maurus.

DECASTICHON, &c.

v. 1. maris lupus] A wretched play on words,—sea-wolf—wolf-sea—Wolsey.

v. 8. mulus] See note, p. 350. v. 510.

HOWE THE DOUTY DUKE OF ALBANY, LYKE A COWARDE KNYGHT, RAN AWAYE SHAMFULLY, &c.

Page 68.—— tratlande] i. e. prattling, idle-talking.

John duke of Albany (son of Alexander duke of Albany, the brother of James the Third) was regent of Scotland during the minority of James the Fifth; and this poem relates to his invasion of the borders in 1523; an expedition, which, according to Pinkerton, “in its commencement only displays the regent’s imprudence, and in its termination his total deficiency in military talents, and even in common valour.” Hist. of Scot., ii. 230. Mr. Tytler, however, views the character and conduct of Albany in a very different light; and his account of the expedition (Hist. of Scot., v. 166 sqq.) may be thus abridged. Albany’s army amounted in effective numbers to about forty thousand men, not including a large body of camp-followers. With this force,—his march impeded by heavy roads, the nobles corrupted by the gold and intrigues of England, they and their soldiers jealous of the foreign auxiliaries, and symptoms of disorganisation early appearing,—the regent advanced as far as Melrose. Having vainly endeavoured to persuade his discontented army to cross the Tweed, he encamped on its left bank, and laid siege to Wark Castle with his foreign troops and artillery. There the Frenchmen manifested their wonted courage; but the assaulting party, receiving no assistance from the Scots, and fearing that the river flooded by rain and snow would cut off their retreat, were obliged to raise the siege, and join the main body. The Earl of Surrey (see notes, p. 317. v. 769. p. 354. v. 150), who had in the mean while concentrated his troops, hearing of the attack on Wark Castle, now advanced against the enemy. At the news of his approach, the Scottish nobles being fixed in their resolution not to risk a battle, Albany retreated to Eccles, (a monastery six miles distant from Wark,) with his foreign auxiliaries and artillery; and the rest of his forces dispersed, rather with flight than retreat, amidst a tempest of snow. From Eccles Albany retired to Edinburgh, and, soon after, finally withdrew to France. His army had been assembled on the Burrow-Muir near Edinburgh towards the end of October; and its dispersion took place at the commencement of the following month.

Page 68. v. 19. Huntley banke] See note, p. 221. v. 149.

v. 20. Lowdyan] See note, p. 217. v. 59.

v. 21. Locryan] See note, p. 217. v. 61.

v. 22. the ragged ray]—ray seems here to be merely—array; but Skelton in his Replycacion, &c., has,

“ye dawns all in a sute

The heritykes ragged ray.”

v. 168. vol. i. 214:

and see note, p. 194. v. 170.

v. 24. Dunbar, Dunde] See note, p. 219. v. 121.

Page 69. v. 37. With, hey, dogge, hay] This line has occurred before, in Elynour Rummyng, v. 168. vol. i. 100.

v. 38. For Sir William Lyle, &c.] “And the seid mondaye at iij a clok at aftir none, the water of Twede being soo high that it could not be riden, the Duke sente ouer ij mˡ Frenchemen in bootis [boats] to gif assaulte to the place, who with force entred the bas courte, and by Sir William Lizle captain of the castell with c with hym were right manfully defended by the space of one houre and an half withoute suffring theym tentre the inner warde; but fynally the seid Frenchemen entred the inner warde, whiche perceiued by the seid Sir William and his company frely set vpon theym, and not onely drove theym oute of the inner warde, but alsoo oute of the vttir warde, and slewe of the seid Frenchemen x personys. And so the seid Frenchemen wente ouer the water,” &c. Letter from Surrey to Henry the Eighth,—MS. Cott. Calig. B. vi. fol. 304. Mr. Tytler says that the assaulting party left “three hundred slain, of which the greater number were Frenchmen.” Hist. of Scot., v. 169.

v. 45. lacke] i. e. blame, reproach.

Page 69. v. 52. reculed] i. e. recoiled, retreated.

v. 55. That my lorde amrell, &c.]—amrell, i. e. admiral,—Surrey.

Page 70. v. 63. With sainct Cutberdes banner] An earlier passage of the letter just cited is as follows. “At whiche tyme I being at Holy Island, vij myles from Berwike, was aduertised of the same [Albany’s attack on Wark Castle] at v a clok at night the seid sondaye; and incontynente sente lettres to my lord cardynallis company, my lord of Northumbreland, my lord of Westmereland at Sainte Cutbertes baner lying at Anwike and thereaboutes, and in likewise to my lord Dacre and other lordes and gentilmen lying abrode in the contre too mete me at Barmer woode v myles from Werk on mondaye, whoo soo dede.”

v. 68. crake] i. e. vaunt.

v. 73. ascry] i. e. call out against, raise a shout against—assail; see notes, p. 145. v. 903. p. 152. v. 1358, &c.

v. 78. stoutty] i. e. stout.

v. 91. But ye meane a thyng, &c.] That Albany aimed at the destruction of James v. was a popular rumour, but, according to Mr. Tytler, entirely without foundation.

Page 71. v. 101. cast] i. e. contrivance, stratagem.

v. 110. beyght] i. e., perhaps, (not bait, but) noose. Beight, bight, or bought, is any thing bent, folded: in Markham’s Masterpiece (as Stevenson observes, Additions to Boucher’s Gloss. in v.) it is used both to express a noose formed of a rope, and the bent or arched part of a horse’s neck. In Hormanni Vulgaria we find “Boughtes.... Chartæ complicatæ.” Sig. Q iii. ed. 1530.

v. 115. recrayd] i. e. recreant.

v. 120. puaunt] i. e. stinking.

v. 126. Vnhaply vred] See note, p. 232. v. 95.

v. 128. discured] i. e. discovered.

Page 72. v. 132. echone] i. e. each one.

v. 135. flery] i. e. fleer.

v. 146. Mell nat] i. e. Meddle not.

v. 152. byrne] i. e. burn.

v. 155. at ylke mannes hecke] i. e. at each man’s hatch, door.

v. 156. fynde] i. e. fiend.

v. 159. shake thy dogge, hay] See note, p. 226. v. 28.

v. 161.

We set nat a flye

By, &c.]

i. e. We value not at a fly, care not a fly for.

v. 163. prane] i. e. prawn.

Page 72. v. 164. dronken drane] See note, p. 222. v. 172.

Page 73. v. 165. We set nat a myght] So Chaucer;

“I nolde setten at his sorow a mite.”

Troilus and Creseide, B iii.—Workes, fol. 161. ed. 1602.

v. 167. proude palyarde] See note, p. 348. v. 427.

v. 168. skyrgaliarde] See note, p. 218. v. 101.

v. 171. coystrowne] See note on title of poem, p. 92.

v. 172. dagswayne] See note, p. 270. v. 2195. I know not if the word was ever used as a term of reproach by any writer except Skelton.

v. 182. mell] i. e. meddle.

v. 189.

Right inconuenyently
Ye rage and ye raue,
And your worshyp depraue]

—inconuenyently, i. e. unsuitably, unbecomingly: your worshyp depraue, i. e. debase, degrade, lower your dignity. “I am also aduertised that he [Albany] is so passionate that and he bee aparte amongis his familiers and doth here any thing contrarius to his myende and pleasure, his accustumed maner is too take his bonet sodenly of his hed and to throwe it in the fire, and no man dare take it oute but let it to bee brent. My lord Dacre doth affirme that at his last being in Scotland he ded borne aboue a dosyn bonettes aftir that maner.” Letter from Lord Surrey to Wolsey,—MS. Cott., Calig. B vi. fol. 316.

v. 192. Duke Hamylcar] }

v. 195. Duke Hasdruball] }

—Duke, i. e. leader, lord. So Lydgate;

“Duke whylom of Cartage

Called Amylchar.”

Fall of Prynces, B. v. leaf cxxvi. ed. Wayland.

“Duke Hasdrubal, whome bokes magnify.”

Ibid. B. ii. leaf xlv.

v. 198. condicions] See note, p. 183. v. 12.

Page 74. v. 209. Howe ye wyll beres bynde]—beres, i. e. bears. Compare;

“With mede men may bynde berys.”

Coventry Mysteries,—MS. Cott. Vesp. D viii. fol. 195.

“Som man is strong berys for to bynde.”

Lydgate’s verses Against Self-love, &c.—MS. Harl. 2255. fol. 10.

“That with the strenth of my hand

Beres may bynd.”

The Droichis Part of the Play, attributed to Dunbar,—Poems, ii. 37. ed. Laing.

“Makynge the people to beleve he coulde bynde bears.”

Bale’s Kynge Johan, p. 72. ed. Camd.

Page 74. v. 210. the deuill downe dynge] See note, p. 270. v. 2210.

v. 227. entrusar] i. e. intruder.

“But an intrusour, one called Julyan.”

Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, B. viii. leaf ii. ed. Wayland.

v. 230. to] i. e. too.

Page 75. v. 237. lorde amrell] i. e. lord admiral (Surrey).

v. 240. marciall shoure] See note, p. 219. v. 133.

v. 243. derayne] i. e. contest.

v. 248. keteryng] See note, p. 218. v. 83.

v. 250. hert] i. e. heart.

v. 251. The fynde of hell mot sterue the] i. e. May the fiend of hell cause thee to die, destroy thee. (To sterue in our old writers is common in the sense of—die, perish.)

v. 255. Caried in a cage, &c.] In no historian can I find any allusion to the strange vehicle here mentioned.

v. 257. mawment] See note, p. 188. v. 170.

Page 76. v. 268. warke] i. e. work.

v. 270.

Therin, lyke a royle,

Sir Dunkan, ye dared]

Compare;

“By your reuellous riding on euery royle,

Welny euery day a new mare or a moyle.”

Heywood’s Dialogue, &c. sig. H 4,—Workes, ed. 1598.

“Nulla in tam, magno est corpore mica salis, There is not one crum or droppe of good fashion in al that great royls bodye. For Catullus ther speaketh of a certaine mayden that was called Quintia,” &c. Udall’s Flowers, or Eloquent Phrases of the Latine speach, &c. sig. G 5. ed. 1581. Grose gives “Roil or royle, a big ungainly slamakin, a great awkward blowze or hoyden.” Prov. Gloss.:—Sir Dunkan is a Scottish name used here at random by Skelton, as he elsewhere uses other Scottish names, see note, p. 219. v. 121: dared, see note, p. 258. v. 1358; and compare; “Daren or preuyly ben hyd. Latito.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

“Vnder freshe floures sote and fayre to se,

The serpent dareth with his couert poyson.”

Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, B. iv. leaf cvii. ed. Wayland.

“the snayl goth lowe doun,

Daryth in his shelle.”

Poem by Lydgate (entitled in the Catalogue, Advices for people to keep a guard over their tongues),—MS. Harl. 2255. fol. 133.

Page 76. v. 274. sely] i. e. silly, simple, harmless.

v. 282. It made no great fors] i. e. It was no great matter, it mattered not greatly.

v. 285. a gon stone] See note, p. 314. v. 629.

v. 287. sir Topias] See note, p. 180. v. 40.

v. 288. Bas] The Bass is an island, or rather rock, of immense height in the Firth of Forth, about a mile distant from the south shore.

v. 290. [l]as] I may just notice, in support of this reading, that “a lusty lasse” occurs in our author’s Magnyfycence, v. 1577. vol. i. 276.

v. 292. I shrewe] i. e. I beshrew, curse.

—— lugges] i. e. ears.

v. 293. munpynnys] Compare;

“Syrs, let us cryb furst for oone thyng or oder,

That thise wordes be purst, and let us go foder

Our mompyns.”

Prima Pastorum,—Towneley Mysteries, p. 89

(a passage which the writer of the Gloss. altogether misunderstands), and;

“Thy mone pynnes bene lyche olde yuory,

Here are stumpes feble and her are none,” &c.

Lydgate, The prohemy of a mariage, &c.—MS. Harl. 372. fol. 45.

Munpynnys is, I apprehend, mouth-pins, teeth. Ray gives “The Munne, the Mouth.” Coll. of Engl. Words, &c.—Preface, p. x. ed. 1768: and Jamieson has “Munds. The mouth.”—“Muns. The hollow behind the jaw-bone.” Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. and Suppl.

—— crag] i. e. neck, throat.

v. 295. hag] See note, p. 99. v. 19.

v. 296. sir Wrig wrag] }

v. 297. sir Dalyrag] }

See note, p. 189. v. 186.

Page 77. v. 298. mellyng] i. e. meddling.

v. 301. huddypeke] See note, p. 255. v. 1176.

v. 303. a farly freke] i. e. a strange fellow: see notes, p. 109. v. 187; p. 178. v. 15.

v. 304. an horne keke] A term which I am unable to explain.

v. 308. swerde] i. e. sword.

v. 309. the Lyon White] See note, p. 220. v. 135.

v. 316. render the] i. e. consign thee.

v. 317. the flingande fende] i. e. the flinging fiend. So in Ingelend’s Disobedient Child, n. d.;

“The flyings and [sic] fiende go with my wyfe.”

Sig. F ii.

Northern readers at least need not be informed that to fling means—to throw out the legs;

“Sumtyme, in dansing, feirelie I flang.”

Sir D. Lyndsay’s Epistill before his Dreme,—Workes, i. 187. ed. Chalmers.

v. 319. borde] i. e. jest.

v. 322. parbrake] i. e. vomit.

v. 323. auauns] i. e. vaunts. “The braging avaunts of the Spaniards be so accalmed,” &c. Letter of Wolsey,—Burnet’s Hist. of the Reform., iii. P. ii. 9. ed. 1816.

v. 324. wordes enbosed] i. e. swollen, big words.

v. 329. lewde] i. e. evil, vile.

v. 330. Sir Dunkan] See note on v. 270. p. 379.

—— in the deuill waye] See note, p. 287. v. 672.

Page 78. v. 336. lurdayne] See note, p. 242. v. 423.

v. 341. varry] i. e. fall at variance, contend.

v. 344. stownde] i. e. moment.

v. 348. ryn] i. e. run.

v. 352. loke] i. e. look.

v. 353. defoyle] i. e. defile.

v. 360. wele] i. e. well.

v. 366. bace] i. e. low.

Page 79. v. 375. cordylar] i. e. cordelier,—a Franciscan friar, whose cincture is a cord.

v. 377. to] i. e. too.

v. 380. daucockes] i. e. simpletons: see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 381. reme] i. e. realm.

v. 382. Ge heme] Scottice for—Go home (as before in Why come ye nat to Courte, v. 123. vol. ii. 30).

v. 383. fonde] i. e. foolish.

Page 79. v. 386. mate you with chekmate] In allusion to the king’s being put in check at the game of chess. And see note, p. 355. v. 158.

v. 389. pype in a quibyble] The word quibyble, as far as I am aware, occurs only in Skelton. Chaucer has a well-known passage,

“And playen songes on a small ribible;

Therto he song somtime a loud quinible.”

The Milleres Tale, v. 3331, where Tyrwhitt (apparently against the context) supposes quinible to be an instrument: and I may notice that Forby gives “Whybibble, a whimsy; idle fancy; silly scruple, &c.” Voc. of East Anglia.

v. 398. faytes] i. e. facts, doings.

v. 399. me dresse] i. e. address, apply myself.

Page 80. v. 406. auaunce] i. e. advance.

v. 410. nobles] i. e. noblesse, nobleness.

v. 417. rechelesse] i. e. reckless.

v. 418. a lunatyke ouerage] See note, p. 352. v. 39.

v. 420. ennewde] See note, p. 144. v. 775.

v. 431. Lyke vnto Hercules] Barclay goes still farther in a compliment to the same monarch;

“He passeth Hercules in manhode and courage.”

The Ship of Fooles, fol. 205. ed. 1570.

v. 436. foy] i. e. faith.

Page 81. v. 439. Scipiades] i. e. Scipio.

v. 442. Duke Iosue]—Duke, i. e. leader, lord. So Hawes;

“And in lyke wyse duke Iosue the gente,” &c.

The Pastime of Pleasure, sig. c ii. ed. 1555.

v. 448. animosite] i. e. bravery.

v. 457. to] i. e. too.

v. 459. losels] i. e. good-for-nothing fellows, scoundrels.

v. 461. astate] i. e. estate, high dignity.

v. 468. domage] i. e. damage.

v. 470. rydes or goos] See note, p. 125. v. 186.

Page 82. v. 475. a knappishe sorte] “Knappish. Proterve, pervers, fascheux.” Cotgrave’s Dict. “Knappish. Tart, testy, snappish.” Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang.: sorte, i. e. set.

v. 477. enbosed iawes] See note, p. 301. v. 24.

v. 478. dawes] i. e. simpletons: see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 479. fende] i. e. fiend.

v. 487. hart blode] i. e. heart-blood.

v. 488. gode] i. e. good,—goods.

v. 494. faytour] See note, p. 195. v. 2.

Page 82. v. 495. recrayed] i. e. recreant.

v. 500. rede ... loke] i. e. advise ... look.

Page 83. v. 506. Sainct George to borowe] i. e. St. George being my surety or pledge: the expression is common in our early poetry.

v. 508. quayre] i. e. quire,—pamphlet, book.

v. 523. wrate] i. e. wrote.

—— Lenuoy] Concerning this second L’envoy, which, I believe, does not belong to the poem against Albany, see Account of Skelton, &c.

Page 84. v. 9. ammas] i. e. amice: see note, p. 134. v. 560.

—— Ie foy enterment, &c.] i. e. Je fie entièrement, &c.

POEMS ATTRIBUTED TO SKELTON.

VERSES PRESENTED TO KING HENRY THE SEVENTH[273] AT THE FEAST OF ST. GEORGE CELEBRATED AT WINDSOR IN THE THIRD YEAR OF HIS REIGN.

O moste famous noble king! thy fame doth spring and spreade,

Henry the Seventh, our soverain, in eiche regeon;

All England hath cause thy grace to love and dread,

Seing embassadores seche fore protectyon,

For ayd, helpe, and succore, which lyeth in thie electyone.

England, now rejoyce, for joyous mayest thou bee,

To see thy kyng so floreshe in dignetye.

This realme a seasone stoode in greate jupardie,

When that noble prince deceased, King Edward,
Which in his dayes gate honore full nobly;
After his decesse nighe hand all was marr’d;

Eich regione this land dispised, mischefe when they hard;

Wherefore rejoyse, for joyous mayst thou be,

To see thy kynge so floresh in high dignetye.

Fraunce, Spayne, Scoteland, and Britanny, Flanders also,

Three of them present keepinge thy noble feaste

Of St. George in Windsor, ambassadors comying more,[274]

Iche of them in honore, bothe the more and the lesse,[275]

Seeking thie grace to have thie noble begeste:

Wherefore now rejoise, and joyous maiste thou be,

To see thy kynge so florishing in dignetye.

O knightly ordere, clothed in robes with gartere!

The queen’s grace and thy mother clothed in the same;

The nobles of thie realme riche in araye, aftere,

Lords, knights, and ladyes, unto thy greate fame:

Now shall all embassadors know thie noble name,

By thy feaste royal; nowe joyeous mayest thou be,

To see thie king so florishinge in dignety.

Here this day St. George, patron of this place,

Honored with the gartere cheefe of chevalrye;

Chaplenes synging processyon, keeping the same,

With archbushopes and bushopes beseene nobly;

Much people presente to see the King Henrye:

Wherefore now, St. George, all we pray to thee

To keepe our soveraine in his dignetye.

[273] Verses presented to King Henry the Seventh, &c.] Ashmole, who first printed these lines from “MS. penes Arth. Com. Anglesey, fol. 169,” thinks that they were probably by Skelton: see Order of the Garter, p. 594.

[274] more] The rhyme requires “mo.”

[275] lesse] The rhyme requires “leste.”

THE EPITAFFE OF THE MOSTE NOBLE AND VALYAUNT JASPAR LATE DUKE OF BEDDEFORDE.[276]

Color Ficcio.
Bydynge al alone, with sorowe sore encombred,
In a frosty fornone, faste by Seuernes syde,
The wordil beholdynge, wherat moch I wondred

To se the see and sonne to kepe both tyme and tyde,

The ayre ouer my hede so wonderfully to glyde,

And howe Saturne by circumference borne is aboute;

Whiche thynges to beholde, clerely me notyfyde,

One verray God to be therin to haue no dowte.

And as my fantasy flamyd in that occupacyon,
Fruteles, deuoyde of all maner gladnes,
Of one was I ware into greate desolacyon,
To the erthe prostrate, rauyuge for madnes;

By menys so immoderate encreased was his sadnes,

That by me can not be compyled
His dedly sorowe and dolorous dystres,
Lyfe in hym by deth so ny was exiled.

Hym better to beholde, so ferre oute of frame,

Nerre I nyghed, farsyd with fragyllyte;

Wherwith Smert I perceyued he called was by name,

Which ouer haukes and houndes had auctoryte;

Though the roume vnmete were for his pouer degre,

Yet fortune so hym farthered to his lorde;
Wherfore him to lye in soch perplexite,
What it myghte mene I gan to mysylfe recorde.

I shogged him, I shaked him, I ofte aboute him went,

And al to knowe why so care his carayn hyued;

His temples I rubbyd, and by the nose him hente;

Al as in vayne was, he coude nat be reuyued;

He waltered, he wende, and with himsilfe stryued,

Such countenaunce contynuyng; but or I parte the place,

Vp his hede he caste; whan his woful goste aryued,

Those wordes saynge with righte a pytous face:

Metricus primus. Color repeticio.

O sorowe, sorowe beyonde al sorowes sure!

All sorowes sure surmountynge, lo!

Lo, which payne no pure may endure,

Endure may none such dedely wo!

Wo, alas, ye inwrapped, for he is go!

Go is he, whose valyaunce to recounte,

To recounte, all other it dyd surmounte.

Metricus secundus. C. recitacio simplex.

Gone is he, alas, that redy was to do

Eche thynge that to nobles required!

Gone is he, alas, that redy was to do

Eche thynge that curtesye of him desyred!

Whose frowarde fate falsely was conspyred

By Antraphos vnasured and her vngracyous charmys;

Jaspar I mene is gone, Mars son in armys.

M. iii. C. narracio.
He that of late regnyd in glory,
With grete glosse buttylly glased,
Nowe lowe vnder fote doth he ly,
With wormys ruly rente and rasyd,
His carayne stynkynge, his fetures fasyd;
Brother and vncle to kynges yesterday,
Nowe is he gone and lafte vs as mased;
Closed here lyeth he in a clote of clay:
Shall he come agayne? a, nay, nay!
Where is he become, I can nat discusse:
Than with the prophet may we say,
Non inuentus est locus eius.

Metricus quartus et retrogradiens. Color. discripcio.

Restynge in him was honoure with sadnesse,
Curtesy, kyndenesse, with great assuraunce,
Dispysynge vice, louynge alway gladnesse,
Knyghtly condicyons, feythful alegeaunce,
Kyndely demenoure, gracyous vtteraunce;
Was none semelyer, feture ne face;
Frendely him fostered quatriuial aliaunce;
Alas, yet dede nowe arte thou, Jaspar, alas!

Metricus quintus.

Wherfore sorowe to oure sorowe none can be founde,

Ne cause agayne care to mollyfy oure monys:

Alas, the payne!

For his body and goste,

That we loued moste,

In a graue in the grounde

Deth depe hath drounde

Among robel and stonys:

Wherfore complayne.

M. vi.
Complayne, complayne, who can complayne;
For I, alas, past am compleynte!
To compleyne wyt can not sustayne,
Deth me with doloure so hath bespraynte;
For in my syghte,
Oure lorde and knyghte,
Contrary to righte,
Deth hath ateynte.

M. vii. C. iteracio.
As the vylest of a nacyon,
Deuoyde of consolacyon,
By cruel crucyacyon,
He hath combryd hym sore;
He hath him combryd sore,
That Fraunce and Englonde bere byfore
Armys of both quarteryd,
And with hony soyte was garteryd,
Se howe he is nowe marteryd!
Alas for sorowe therfore,
Alas for sorowe therfore!
Oute and weleaway,
For people many a score
For him that yel and rore,
Alas that we were bore
To se this dolorous day!

With asshy hue compleyne also, I cry,
Ladyes, damosels, mynyonat and gorgayse;
Knyghtes aunterus of the myghty monarchy,
Complayne also; for he that in his dayes

To enhaunce wonte was your honoure, youre prayse,

Now is he gone, of erthly blysse ryfyld;
For dredeful Deth withouten delayse
Ful dolorously his breth hath stifild.

C. transsumpcio.
Terys degoutynge, also complayne, complayne,
Houndes peerles, haukes withoute pereialyte,
Sacris, faucons, heroners hautayne;

For nowe darked is youre pompe, youre prodogalyte,

Youre plesures been past vnto penalyte;

Of with your rich caperons, put on your mourning hodes;

For Iaspar, your prynce by proporcyon of qualyte,

Paste is by Deth those daungerous flodys.

M. viii.
He that manhode meyntened and magnamynite,
His blasynge blys nowe is with balys blechyd;
Through Dethes croked and crabbed cruelte,

In doloure depe nowe is he drowned and drechyd;

His starynge standerde, that in stoures strechyd

With a sable serpent, nowe set is on a wall,

His helme heedles, cote corseles, woful and wrechyd,

With a swerde handeles, there hange they all.

M. ix.
Gewellys of late poysyd at grete valoyre,
He ded, they desolate of every membre,

Stykynge on stakes as thynges of none shaloyre;

For the corse that they couched cast is in sendre,

By cruel compulsyon caused to surrendre

Lyfe vp to Deth that al ouerspurneth:

O, se howe this worlde tourneth!

Some laugheth, some mourneth:

Yet, ye prynces precyous and tendre,

Whyle that ye here in glory soiourneth,

The deth of our mayster rue to remembre.

C. exclamacio.
O turmentoure, traytoure, torterous tyraunte,
So vnwarely oure duke haste thou slayne,
That wyt and mynde are vnsuffycyaunte
Agayne thy myschyf malyce to mayntayne!
We that in blysse wonte were to bayne,
With fortune flotynge moste fauourably,
Nowe thorow thrylled and persyd with payne,
Langoure we in feruente exstasy.

C. reprobacio.
O murtherer vnmesurable, withouten remors,
Monstruus of entrayle, aborryd in kynde,
Thou haste his corse dystressed by force,
Whos parayle alyue thou can not fynde!

Howe durst thou his flessh and spyryte vntynde,

Dissendynge fro Cyzyle, Jerusalem, and Fraunce?

O bazalyke bryboure, with iyes blynde,

Sore may thou rue thy vtterquidaunce!

Thou haste berafte, I say, the erthly ioye
Of one, broder and vncle to kynges in degre,
Lynyally descendynge fro Eneas of Troye,
Grete vncle and vncle to prynces thre,
Brother to a saynte by way of natyuyte,
Vncle to another whom men seketh blyue,
Blynde, croked, lame, for remedyes hourly;

Thus God that bromecod had gyuen a prerogatyue.

C. newgacio.

And yet thou, dolorous Deth, to the herte hast him stynged:

Wenest thou, felon, such murther to escape?

I say, the brewtors of Wales on the wyl be reuenged

For thy false conspyracy and frowarde fate:

We his seruantes also sole disconsolate

Haste thou lafte; so that creatures more maddyr

In erthe none wandreth atwene senit and naddyr.

M. x.

Wherfore, to the felde, to the felde, on with plate and male,

Beest, byrde, foule, eche body terrestryal!
Seke we this murtherer him to assayle;
Vnafrayde ioyne in ayde, ye bodyes celestyal;

Herry saynt, with iyes faynte to the also I cal,

For thy brothers sake, help Deth to take, that al may on him wonder;

For and he reyne, by drift sodeyne he wil ech kynd encumbre.

Dethe.

C. prosopopeya. M. xi.
Fouconer, thou arte to blame,
And oughte take shame
To make suche pretense;
For I Deth hourly
May stande truly
At ful lawful defence:
Deth hath no myghte,
Do wronge no righte,
Fauoure frende ne fo,
But as an instrumente
At commaundemente
Whether to byde or go.

I am the instromente
Of one omnipotente,
That knowest thou fyrme and playne;
Wherfore fro Dethe
Thy wo and wreth
I wolde thou shulde reteyne,
And agayne God
For thy bromecod
Batayle to darayne.

M. xii. C. Introductio.

Than, if it be ryghte, most of myght, thy godhed I acuse,

For thy myght contrary to right thou doste gretly abuse;

Katyffes vnkind thou leuest behind, paynis, Turkes, and Iewis,

And our maister gret thou gaue wormes to ete; wheron gretly I muse:

Is this wel done? answer me sone; make, Lorde, thyn excuse.

M. xiii. C. onomotopeya.

Dyd thou disdayne that he shuld rayne? was that els the cause?

In his rayne he was moste fayne to mynester thy lawes;

Than certayn, and thou be playn and stedfaste in thy sawes,

Euery knyght that doth right, ferynge drede ne awes,

Of thy face bryghte shall haue syghte,

After this worldly wawes:

Than, gode Lorde, scripture doth record, verefieng that cause,

That our bromcod with the, gode God, in heuen shal rest and pause.

M. xiiii. C. probacio.

For first of nought thou him wroght of thy special grace,

And wers than noght him also boght in Caluery in that place;

Thou by thoght oft he were broght with Satanas to trace,

Yet, Lorde, to haue pyte thou oght on the pycture of thy face.

M. xv.

We neyther he dampned to be, willyngly thou wilt noght;

Yet dampned shal he and we be, if thy mercy helpe nought:

Discrecion hast thou gyuen, yde [Lorde?]; what wold we more ought?

After deth to lyue with the, if we offende nought.

M. xvi.

There is a cause yet of oure care, thou creatoure alofte,

That thy gospel doth declare, whiche I forgete noughte;

Howe vnwarly our welfare fro vs shal be broughte

By Deth that none wyl spare, Lorde, that knowe we noughte:

In syn drowned if we dare, and so sodenly be coughte,

Than of blysse ar we bare; that fylleth me ful of thoughte.

C. degressio. M. xvii.
Thou knowest, Lorde, beste thysylfe,
Man is but duste, stercorye, and fylthe,
Of himsylfe vnable,
Saue only of thy specyal grace,
A soule thou made to occupye place,
To make man ferme and stable;
Which man to do as thou ordeyned,
With fendes foule shal neuer be payned,
But in blysse be perdurable;
And if he do the contrarye,
After this lyfe than shal he dye,
Fendes to fede vnsaciable;
For which fendys foule thou made a centre,
In which centre thou made an entre,

That such that to breke thy commaundementes wolde auenter

Theder downe shulde dessende;
But oure maister, whan Deth hym trapte,
In pure perseueraunce so was wrapte,
That thou inuisyble his speryte thyder rapte
Where thy sheltrons him shal defende.

M. quatrinalis. C. transuersio.
If we nat offende,
He wyl purchace
A gloryous place
At oure laste ende;

To se his face
We shal assende,
By his grete grace,
If we nat offende.

Thou haste enuapored, I say, alofte
The soule of Jaspar, that thou wroughte,
Seruyce to do latrial:
And why, Lorde, I dyd the reproue,
Was for perfyte zele and loue,
To the nat preiudicyal;
For, Lorde, this I knowe expresse,
This worldly frute is bytternesse,
Farcyd with wo and payne,
Lyfe ledynge dolorously in distresse,
Shadowed with Dethes lykenesse,
As in none certayne.

C. neugacio.

Yet, me semeth so, thou art non of tho that vs so shuld begyle:

He is nat yet ded; I lay my hed, thou hast him hid for a while;

And al to proue who doth him loue and who wil be vnkynd,

Thou hast in led layde him abed, this trow I in my mynd;

For this we trow, and thou dost know, as thy might is most,

That him to dye, to lowe and hye it were to grete a lost.

C. excusacio.

And he be dede, this knowe I very right;

Thou saw, Lorde, this erth corrupt with fals adulacyon,

And thought it place vnmete for Jaspar thy knyght;

Wherfore of body and soule thou made seperacyon,

Preantedate seynge by pure predestynacyon

Whan his lyfe here shulde fyne and consum;

Wherfore, Lorde, thus ende I my dolorous exclamacyon,

Thy godenes knewe what was beste to be done.

M. xviii. C. conclusio.
As a prynce penytente and ful of contricion,
So dyed he, we his seruauntes can recorde:
And that he may haue euerlastynge fruicyon,
We the beseche, gloryous kynge and lorde!
For the laste leson that he dyd recorde,
To thy power he it aplyed, saynge tibi omnes,
As a hye knyghte in fidelyte fermely moryd,
Angeli celi et potestates;
Wherwith payne to the hert him boryd,
And lyfe him lefte, gyuynge deth entres.
Whiche lyfe, in comparyson of thyne,
Is as poynt in lyne, or as instant in tyme;
For thou were and arte and shal be of tyme,
In thy silfe reynynge by power diuyne,
Makynge gerarcyüs thre and orders nyne,
The to deifye:
Wherfore we crye,
Suffer nat Jaspar to dye,
But to lyue;
For eternally that he shal lyue
Is oure byleue.

M. xix. C. prolongacio.
And than [?] moste craftely dyd combyne
Another heuen, called cristalline,
So the thyrde stellyferal to shyne
Aboue the skye:
Wherfore we crye,
Suffer nat Jaspar to dye,
But to lyue;
For eternally that he shal lyue
Is oure byleue.

Moreouer in a zodiake pure and fyne
Synys xii. thou set for a tyme,
And them nexte, in cercle and lyne,
Saturne thou set, Iupiter, and Mars citryne,
Contect and drye:
Wherfore we crye,
Suffer nat Jaspar to dye,
But to lyue;
For eternally that he shal lyue
Is oure byleue.

Than, to peryssh, thorouthryll, and myne
The mystes blake and cloudes tetryne,
Tytan thou set clerely to shyne,
The worldes iye:
Wherfore we crye, vt supra.

Yet in their epycercles to tril and twyne,

Retrograte, stacyoner, directe, as a syne,

Uenus thou set, Marcury, and the Mone masseline;

Nexte fyre and ayre, so sotyl of engyne,

The to gloryfye:

Wherfore we crye,
Suffer nat Jaspar to dye,
But to lyue;
For eternally that he shal lyue
Is oure byleue.

Water, and erth with braunch and vine;
And so, thy werkes to ende and fyne,
Man to make thou dyd determyne,
Of whome cam I:
Wherfore I cry and the supplye,
Suffer nat Jaspar to dye,
But to lyue;
For eternally that he shal lyue
Is oure byleue.

With him, to comford at all tyme,
Thou ioyned the sex than of frayle femynyne,
Which by temptacyon serpentyne
Theyre hole sequele broughte to ruyne
By ouergrete folye:
Wherfore we crye,
Suffer not Jaspar to dye,
But to lyue;
For eternally that he shal lyue
Is oure byleue.

Than, of thy godenes, thou dyd enclyne
Flessh to take of thy moder and virgyne,
And vs amonge, in payne and famyne,
Dwalte, and taughte thy holy doctryne
Uulgarly:
Wherfore we crye,
Suffer nat Jaspar to dye,
But to lyue;
For eternally that he shal lyue
Is oure byleue.

Tyl a traytoure, by false couyne,
To Pylat accused the at pryme;
So taken, slayne, and buryed at complyne,
Rose agayne, of Adam redemynge the lyne
By thy infynyte mercy:
For whych mercy,

Incessantly we crye,
And the supplye,
Suffer nat our lorde to dye,
But to lyue;
For eternally that he shal lyue
Is oure byleue.

M. xx.
Kynges, prynces, remembre, whyle ye may,
Do for yoursilfe, for that shal ye fynde
Executours often maketh delay,

The bodye buryed, the soule sone oute of mynde;

Marke this wel, and graue it in youre mynde,

Howe many grete estates gone are before,

And howe after ye shal folowe by course of kynde:

Wherfore do for youresilfe; I can say no more.

Though ye be gouernours, moste precious in kynde,

Caste downe your crounes and costely appareyle,

Endored with golde and precyous stones of Ynde,

For al in the ende lytyl shal auayle;
Whan youre estates Deth lyketh to assayle,
Your bodyes bulgynge with a blyster sore,
Than withstande shal neyther plate ne mayle:

Wherfore do for youresilfe; I can say no more.

There is a vertue that moost is auaunsed,
Pure perseueraunce called of the porayle,
By whome al vertues are enhaunsed,
Which is not wonne but by diligente trauayle:
Ware in the ende; for and that vertue fayle,
Body and soule than are ye forlore:
Wherfore, if ye folowe wyll holsom counsayle,
Do for youresilfe; I can say no more.

Kynges, prynces, moste souerayne of renoune,

Remembre oure maister that gone is byfore:

This worlde is casual, nowe vp, nowe downe;

Wherfore do for yoursilfe; I can say no more.

Amen.

Honor tibi, Deus, gloria, et laus!

Smerte, maister de ses ouzeaus.

[276] The Epitaffe of the moste noble and valyaunt Jaspar late duke of Beddeforde] The old ed. is a quarto, n. d. Above these words, on the title-page, is a woodcut, exhibiting the author (with a falcon on his hand) kneeling and presenting his work to the king. On the reverse of the last leaf is Pynson’s device.

If not really written by Smert (or Smart), the duke’s falconer, (see stanza 3, and the subscription at the conclusion, “Smert, maister de ses ouzeaus”) this curious poem was not, at all events, as the style decidedly proves, the composition of Skelton, to whom it was first attributed by Bishop Tanner.

I now print it from a transcript of the (probably unique) copy in the Pepysian library,—a transcript which appears to have been made with the greatest care and exactness; but I think right to add, that have not had an opportunity of seeing the original myself.

Jasper Tudor, second son of Owen Tudor by Katherine widow of King Henry the Fifth, was created Earl of Pembroke, in 1452, by his half-brother, King Henry the Sixth. After that monarch had been driven from the throne by Edward, Jasper was attainted, and his earldom conferred on another. He was again restored to it, when Henry had recovered the crown; but being taken prisoner at the battle of Barnet, he lost it a second time. After the battle of Bosworth, Henry the Seventh not only reinstated Jasper (his uncle) in the earldom of Pembroke, but also created him Duke of Bedford, in 1485; subsequently appointed him Lieutenant of Ireland for one year, and granted to him and his heirs male the office of Earl Marshal of England with an annuity of twenty pounds. The duke married Katherine, daughter of Richard Wydevile Earl Rivers, and widow of Henry Stafford Duke of Buckingham. He died 21st Dec. 1495, and, according to his own desire, expressed in his will, was buried in the abbey of Keynsham, where he founded a chantry for four priests to sing mass for the souls of his father, his mother, and his elder brother Edmond Earl of Richmond. He left no children except a natural daughter. See Sandford’s Geneal. Hist. p. 292. ed. 1707.

ELEGY ON KING HENRY THE SEVENTH.[277]

... orlde all wrapped in wretchydnes,
... hy pompes so gay and gloryous,
... easures and all thy ryches
... y be but transytoryous;
... to moche pyteous,
... e that eche man whylom dred,
... by naturall lyne and cours,
... s, alas, lyeth dede!

... ryall a kynge,
... ianer the prudent Salamon;
... sse and in euery thynge,
... 10 Crysten regyon,
... not longe agone,
... his name by fame spr[e]de;
... te nowe destytute alone,
... as, alas, lyeth dede!

... ater we wretchyd creatures,
... es and tryumphaunt maiestye,
... pastymes and pleasures,
... thouten remedye;
... o wyll the myserable bodye
... n heuy lede,
... lde but vanyte and all vanytye,
... h alas, alas, lyeth dede!

... is subgectes and make lamentacyon
... o noble a gouernoure;
... ayers make we exclamacyon,
... de to his supernall toure:
... dly rose floure,
... yally all aboute spred,
... iated where is his power?
... alas, alas, lyeth dede!

Of this moost Crysten kynge in vs it lyeth not,

His tyme passed honour suffycyent to prayse;

But yet though that that thyng envalue we may not,

Our prayers of suertye he shall haue alwayes;

And though that Atropose hathe ended his dayes,

His name and fame shall euer be dred

As fer as Phebus spredes his golden rayes,

Though Henry the Seuenth, alas, alas, lyeth dede!

But nowe what remedye? he is vncouerable,

Touchyd by the handes of God that is moost just;

But yet agayne a cause moost confortable
We haue, wherin of ryght reioys we must,
His sone on lyue in beaute, force, and lust,
In honour lykely Traianus to shede;
Wherfore in hym put we our hope and trust,
Syth Henry his fader, alas, alas, lyeth dede!

And nowe, for conclusyon, aboute his herse
Let this be grauyd for endeles memorye,
With sorowfull tunes of Thesyphenes verse;
Here lyeth the puyssaunt and myghty Henry,
Hector in batayll, Vlyxes in polecy,
Salamon in wysdome, the noble rose rede,
Creses in rychesse, Julyus in glory,
Henry the Seuenth ingraued here lyeth dede!

[277] Elegy on King Henry the Seventh] From an imperfect broadside in the Douce Collection, now in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. This unique piece formerly belonged to Dr. Farmer, who has written on it, “Qu. the author of this Elegy? Per J. Skelton, tho’ not in his works?” to which Douce has added, “The Doctor is probably right in what he says concerning the Elegy on Henry the Seventh, which is a singular curiosity.”

At the top of the original is a woodcut, representing the dead king, lying on a bed or bier, crowned and holding his sceptre; on one side the royal arms, on the other the crown resting on a full-blown rose, which has the king’s initials in its centre.

Henry died April 21st, 1509: see note, p. 214.

VOX POPULI, VOX DEI.[278]

Mr. Skeltone, poete.[279]

To the Kinges moste Exellent Maiestie.[280]

I pray yow, be not wrothe
For tellyng of the trothe;
For this the worlde yt gothe
Both to lyffe and[281] lothe,
As God hymselffe he knothe;[282]
And, as all men vndrestandes,
Both lordeshipes[283] and landes
Are nowe in fewe mens handes;
Bothe substance and bandes
Of all the hole realme
As most men exteame,
Are nowe[284] consumyd cleane
From the fermour and the poore
To the towne and the towre;
Whiche makyth theym to lower,
To see that in theire flower
Ys nother malte nor meale,
Bacon, beffe, nor[285] veale,
Crocke mylke nor kele,
But readye for to steale
For very pure neade.
Your comons saye indeade,
Thei be not able to feade
In theire stable scant a steade,
To brynge vp nor to breade,
Ye,[286] scant able to brynge
To the marckytt eny thynge
Towardes theire housekeping;
And scant have a cowe,
Nor[287] to kepe a poore sowe:
This[288] the worlde is nowe.
And[289] to heare the relacyon
Of the poore mens communycacion,
Vndre what sorte and fashyon
Thei make theire exclamacyon,
You wolde have compassion.
Thus goythe theire protestacion,
Sayeng that suche and suche,
That of late are made riche,
Have to, to, to myche
By grasyng and regratinge,
By poulyng and debatynge,
By roulyng and by dating,
By checke and checkematynge,[290]
[With delays and debatynge,
With cowstomes and tallynges,
Forfayttes and forestallynges];
So that your comons[291] saye,
Thei styll paye, paye
Most willyngly allwaye,
But yet thei see no staye
Of this outrage araye:
Vox populi, vox Dei;
O most noble kynge,
Consydre well this thynge!

2.

And thus the voyce doth multyplye
Amonge[292] your graces commonaltye:
Thei are in suche greate penvry[293]
That thei can nother sell nor bye,
Suche is theire extreame povertye;
Experyence dothe yt verefye,
As trothe itselffe dothe testefye.
This is a marveilous myserye:
And trewe thei saye, it is no lye;
For grasyers and regraters,
Withe to[294] many shepemasters,
That of erable grounde make pastures,
Are thei that be these wasters
That wyll vndoo your[295] lande,
Yf thei contynewe and stande,
As ye shall vnderstand
By this lytle boke:
Yf you[296] yt overloke,
And overloke agayne,[297]
Yt wyll tell you playne [298]
The tenour and the trothe,
Howe nowe[299] the worlde yt gothe
Withe my neighbour and my noste,[300]
In every countre, towne, and coste,
Within the circumvisions
Of your graces domynyons;
And why the poore men wepe
For storyng of suche shepe,
For that so many do[301] kepe
Suche nombre and suche store
As[302] never was seene before:
[What wolde ye any more?]
The encrease was never more.
Thus goythe the voyce and rore:
And truthe yt is indeade;
For all men nowe do breade
Which[303] can ketche any lande
Out of the poore mans[304] hande;
For who ys so greate a grasyer
As the landlorde[305] and the laweare?
For at[306] every drawing daye
The bucher more must paye
For his fatting ware,
To be the redyare[307]
Another tyme to crave,
When, he more shepe wold have;
And,[308] to elevate the pryce,
Somewhate he must ryce
Withe a sinque or a sice,
So that the bucher cannot spare,
Towardes his charges and his fare,
To sell the very carcas bare
Vnder xijˢ or a marke,
[Wiche is a pytyfull werke.]
Besyde the offall and the flece,[309]
The flece and the fell:
Thus he dothe yt sell.
Alas, alas, alas,
This is a pitious case!
What poore man nowe is able
To have meate on his table?
An oxe at foure[310] pounde,
Yf he be any thynge rounde,
Or cum not in theire[311] grounde,
Suche laboure for to waste:
This ys the newe caste,
The newe cast from the olde;
This comon pryce thei holde;
Whiche is a very ruthe,
Yf men myght saye the truthe.
The comons[312] thus dothe saye,
They are not able to paye,
But miserere mei:[313]
Vox populi, vox Dei;
O most noble kyng,
Consydre well this thynge!

3.

Howe saye you to this, my lordes?
Are not these playne recordes?
Ye knowe as well as I,
This[314] makes the comons crye,
This makes theym crye and wepe,
Myssevsing so theire shepe,
Theire shepe, and eke theire beves,
As yll or[315] wourse then theaves:
Vnto a comonwealthe
This ys a very stealthe.
But you that welthe[316] this bete,
You landlordes[317] that be grete,
You wolde not pay so for your meate,
Excepte your grasing ware so sweate,
Or elles I[318] feare me I,
Ye wold fynde remeadye,[319]
And that[320] right shortlye.
But yet this extremytie,
None feles yt but the comynaltie:
Alas, is there no remedye,
To helpe theym of this[321] myserye?
Yf there shuld come a rayne,
To make a dearthe of grayne,
As God may send yt playne
For our covetous and disdayne,
I wold knowe, among vs[322] all,
What ware he[323] that shuld not fall
And sorowe as he went,
For Godes ponyshment?
Alas, this were a plage[324]
For poverties pocession,
Towardes theire suppression,
For the greate mens transgression!
Alas, my lordes, foresee
There may be remeadye!
For the[325] comons saye,
Thei have no more to paye:
Vox populi, vox Dei;
O most noble kyng,
Consydre well this thyng!

4.

And yet not long agoo
Was preachers on or twoo,
That spake yt playne inowe
To you, to you, and to you,
Hygh tyme for to repent[326]
This dyvelishe entent
[Of covitis the convente]:
From Scotland into Kent
This preaching was bysprent;
And from the easte frount
Vnto Saynct Myghelles Mount,
This sayeng[327] dyd surmount
Abrode to all mens eares,
And to your graces peeres,
That from piller vnto[328] post
The powr man he[329] was tost;
I meane the labouring man,
I meane the husbandman,
I meane the ploughman,
I meane the[330] playne true man,
I meane the handecrafteman,
I meane the victualing[331] man,
Also[332] the good yeman,
That some tyme in this realme
Had plentye of kye and creame,
[Butter, egges, and chesse,
Hony, vax, and besse]:
But now, alacke, alacke,
All theise men goo to wracke,
That are the bodye and the[333] staye
Of your graces realme allwaye!
Allwaye and at leinghe
Thei must be your streinghe,
Your streinghe and your teme,
For to defende your realme.
Then yf theise men appall,
And lacke when you do call,
Which way may you or shall
Resist your enemyes all,
That over raging streames
Will vade[334] from forreyn reames?
For me to make judiciall,
This matter is to mystycall;
Judge you, my lordes, for me you shall,
Yours ys the charge that governes all;
For vox populi me thei call,
That makith but reherssall
De parvo,[335] but not de totall,
De locis, but not locall:
Therfore you must not blame
The wight that wrot the same;
For the comons[336] of this land
Have[337] sowen this in theire sande,
Plowing yt withe theire hande;
I founde it wheare I stande;
And I am but the hayne[338]
That wryttes yt newe[339] agayne,
The coppye for to see,
That also learneth me
To take therby good hede
My shepe howe for to fede;
For I a shepherd am,
A sorye poore man;
Yet wolde I wyshe, my lordes,
This myght be[340] your recordes,
And make of yt no dreame,
For yt ys a worthy realme,
A realme that in tymes past
Hath made the prowdest[341] agast.
Therfore,[342] my lordes all,
Note this in especiall,
And have it in memoryall
[With youre wysse vnyversall,
That nether faver nor effection,
Yowe grawnt youre protection
To suche as hath[343] by election
Shall rewle by erection,
And doth gett the perfection
Of the powre menes refection;
Wiche ys a grett innormyte
Vnto youre grasys commynalte;
For thay that of latt did supe
Owtt of an aschyn cuppe,
Are wonderfully sprowng vpe;
That nowght was worth of latt,
Hath now a cubborde of platt,
His tabell furnyscheyd tooe,
With platt besett inowe,
Persell gylte and sownde,
Well worth towo thousand pounde.
With castinge cownteres and ther pen,
Thes are the vpstart gentylmen;
Thes are thay that dewowre
All the goodes of the pawre,
And makes them dotysche davys,
Vnder the cowler of the kenges lawys.
And yett annother[344] decaye
To youre grasys seetes alwaye;
For the statte of all youre marchantmen
Vndo most parte of youre gentyllmen,
And wrape them in suche bandes
That thay haue halle ther landes,
And payeth but halfe in hande,
Tyll thay more vnderstownde
Of the profett of there lande,
And for the other halfe
He shalbe mayd a calfe,
Excepte he haue gud frendes
Wiche well cane waye bothe endes;
And yet with frendes tooe
He shall haue mvche to doe;
Wiche ys a grett innormyte
To youre grasys regallyte.
Lett marchantmen goe sayle
For that ys ther trwe waylle;
For of one c. ye haue not ten
That now be marchantes ventring men,
That occupi grett inawnderes,
Forther then into Flanderes,
Flawnderes or into France,
For fere of some myschance,
But lyeth at home, and standes
By morgage and purchasse of landes
Owtt of all gentyllmenes handes,
Wiche showld serve alwaye your grace
With horse and men in chasse;
Wiche ys a grett dewowre
Vnto youre regall pawre.
What presydente cane thay shewe,
That fowre skore yeres agooe,
That[345] any marchant here,
Above all charges clere,
In landes myght lett to hyre
To thowsant markes by yere?
Other where shall ye fynde
A gentyllman by kynde,
But that thay wyll ly in the wynde,
To breng hyme fer behynde,
Or elles thay wyll haue all,
Yf nedes thay hyme[346] forstall?
Wiche ys the hole decaye
Of your marchantmen, I saye,
And hynderes youre grasys costome
By the yere a thowsant pawnde,
And so marryth, the more petye,
The comonwelth of yche sytte,
And vndoth the cowntre,
As prosse [?] doth make propertie;
This matter most spesyally
Wolde be loked one quiclye.
Yett for ther recreation,
In pastime and procreation,
In tempore necessitatis,
I wysche thay myght haue grattis
Lysens to compownde,
To purchasse fortie pownde
Or fyfte at the moste,
By fyne or wrytte of post;
And yf any marchantman,
To lyve his occupieng then,
Wolde purchasse any more,
Lett hyme forfett it therfore.
Then showld ye se the trade
That marchantmen frist mayde,
Whyche wysse men dyd marshall,
For a welth vnyversall,
Yche man this lawe to lerne,
And trewly his goodes to yerne,[347]
The landlord with his terme,
The plowghtman with his ferme,
The kneght wyth his fare,
The marchant with his ware,
Then showld increse the helth
Of yche comonwelthe],
And be not withe me wrothe[348]
For tellyng you[349] the trothe;
For I do heare yt everye daye,
How the comons thus do saye,
Yf thei hadde yt, thei wold paye:
Vox populi, vox Dei;
O most noble kyng,
Consydre well this thyng!

5.

But, howe, Robyn, howe!
Whiche waye dothe the wynde blowe?
Herke! hercke! hercke!
Ys not here[350] a pytious werke,
The grounde and the cheiffe[351]
Of all this hole[352] myscheiffe?
For our covetous lordes
Dothe mynde no nother[353] recordes,
But framyng fynes for fermes,
Withe to myche, as some termes,
Withe rentes and remaynders,
Withe surveye and surrenders,
Withe comons and comon ingenders,
Withe inclosyers and extenders,
Withe horde vp, but no spenders;
For a comonwealthe
Whiche[354] is a verye stealthe.
Prove it who shall
To make therof tryall,
Thus goithe theire dyall:
I knowe not whates[355] a clocke,
But by the countre cocke,
The mone[356] nor yet the pryme,
Vntyll the sonne do shyne;
Or els I coulde tell
Howe all thynges shulde be well.
The compas may stand awrye,
But the carde wyll not lye:
Hale in your mayne shete,[357]
This tempest is to grete.
[For pawre men dayly sees
How officers[358] takes their fees,
Summe yll, and some yet worse,
As good right as to pike there purse:
Deservethe this not Godes curse?
There consyenes ys sooe grett,
Thaye fere not to dischare,[359]
Yf it were as moche more,
Soe thay maye haue the stowre.
Thus is oure we[l]the vndone
By synguler commodome;
For we are in dyvision,
Bothe for reght and religion;
And, as some[360] saythe,
We stagger in our faythe:
But excepte in shortt tyme
We drawe by one lyne,
And agre with one accorde,
Bothe the plowghman and the lorde,
We shall sore rewe
That ever this statte we knewe.]
The comons so do[361] saye,
Yf thei had yt, thei wold paye:
Vox populi,[362] vox Dei;
O most noble kyng,
Consydre well this thynge!

6.

Thus runnes this[363] rumour about
Amongest the hole route;
Thei can not bryng aboute
How this thyng[364] shuld be,
Yt hathe suche high degree:
The coyne yt is so scante,
That every man dothe wante,
And some thincke not so scace,[365]
But even as myche to base.
Our[366] merchauntmen do saye,
Thei fynde it day by daye
To be a matter straunge,
When thei shulde make exchaunge
On the other side the sea,
Thei are dryven to theire plea;
For where oure pounde somtyme
Was better then theires by nyne,
Nowe ours, when yt comes[367] forthe,
No better then theires is worthe,
No, nor scant soo good;
Thei saye so, by the roode.
How maye the merchauntman
Be able to occupye than,
Excepte, when he comes heare,
He sell his ware to deare?
He neades must have a lyveng,
Or elles, fye on hys[368] wynneng!
This coyne by alteracion
Hathe brought this desolacyon,
Whiche is not yet all knowen
What myscheiffe it hathe sowen.
Thei saye, Woo worthe that man
That first that coyne began,
To put in any hedde
The mynde to suche a rede,
To come to suche a hiere
For covetous desyre!
I knowe not what it meanethe;
But this thei saye and deamythe,[369]
Væ illi[370] per quem scandalum venit!
For[371] this wyll axe greate payne
Before it be well agayne,
Greate payne and sore
To make it as it was[372] before.
The[373] comons thus do saye,
Yf thei hadde yt, thei would paye:
Vox populi, vox Dei;
O most noble kynge,
Consydre well this thinge!

7.

This matter is to trewe,
That many man[374] dothe rewe
Theise sorowes doo ensue;
For poore men thei doo crye,
And saye it is awrye;
Thei saye thei can not be herde,
But styll from daye defferde,
When thei have any sute,
Thei maye goo blowe theire flute:
This[375] goithe the comon brute.
The riche man wyll come in;
For he is sure to wynne,
For he can make his waye,
With hande in hande to paye,
Bothe to thicke and thynne;[376]
Or els to knowe theire[377] pleasure,
My lorde is not at leysure;[378]
The poore man at the durre
Standes lyke an Island curre,
And dares not ons to sturre,[379]
Excepte he goo his waye,
And come another daye;
And then the matter is made,
That the poore man with his spade
Must no more his farme invade,
But must vse[380] some other trade;
For yt is so agreed
That my ladye mesteres Mede[381]
Shall hym expulce with all spede,
And our master the landlorde
Shall have yt all at his accorde,
His house and farme agayne,
To make therof his vttermost[382] gayne;
For his vantage wylbe more,
With shepe and cattell it to store,
And not to ploughe his grounde no more,
Excepte the fermour wyll aryere
The rent hyere by a hole yeare:
Yet must he have a fyne too,
The bargayne he may better[383] knowe;
Which makes[384] the marcket now so deare
That there be fewe that makes good cheare;
For the fermour must sell his goose,
As he may be able to paye for his house,
Or els, for non[385] payeng the rent,
Avoyde at our Lady daye in Lent:
Thus the poore man shalbe shent;
And then he and his wyffe,
With theire children, all theire lyffe,
Doth crye oute and ban
Vpon this covetous[386] man.
I sweare by God omnypotent,
I feare me[387] that this presedent
Wyll make vs all for to be[388] shent.
Trowe you, my lordes that be,
That God dothe not see
This riche mans charitie
Per speculum ænigmatæ?[389]
Yes, yes, you riche lordes,
Yt is wrytten in Cristes recordes,
That Dives laye in the fyere
With Belsabub his sire,
And Pauper he above satte
In the seate of Habrahams lappe,
And was taken from thys Troye,
To lyve allwaye with God in ioye.
The[390] comons thus do saye,
Yf thei had yt, thei wold paye:
Vox populi, vox Dei;
O most noble kyng,
Consydre well this thynge!

8.

The prayse no les is worthe,
Godes worde is well sett forthe:
Yt never was more preached,
Nor never so playnlye teached;
Yt never was so hallowed,
Nor never so lytle followed
Bothe of highe and lowe,
As many a man dothe trowe;[391]
For this ys a[392] playne perscripcion,
We have banyshed superstycion,
But styll we kepe ambycion;
We have sent awaye all cloysterers,[393]
But styll we kepe extorcyoners;
We have taken theire landes for theire abuse,
But we convert[394] theym to a wourse vse.
Yf this tale be no lye,
My lordes, this goythe awrye;
Awrye, awrye ye goo,
With many thinges moo,
Quyte from the highe[395] waye.
The comons thus do saye,
Yff thei hadd yt, thei wold paye:
Vox populi, vox Dei;
O most noble kyng,
Consydre well this thinge!

9.

Off[396] all this sequell
The faute I can not tell:
Put you together and spell,
My lordes of the councell.
I feare all be not well,
Ambycion so dothe swell,
As gothe[397] by reporte,
Amonge [398] the greatest sorte;
A wonderfull sorte of selles,[399]
That vox populi telles,[400]
Of those bottomlesse welles,[401]
That are este, weast, and so furthe,
Bothe by southe, and also northe,
Withe riche, riche, and riche,
Withe riche, and to myche,
The poore men to begyle,
Withe sacke and packe to fyle,[402]
[With suche as we compownd
For an offys ij thowsant pownde:
Howe maye suche men do reght,
Youre pawre men to requytt
Owtt of there trowbell and payne,
But thay most gett it agayne
By craft or such coarsyon,
By bryberey and playne exstorsyon?]
With many ferrelys moo,
That I could truly shewe:
There never was suche myserye,
Nor never so myche vserye.
The comons so[403] do saye,
Yf we had ytt, we[404] wold paye:
Vox populi, vox Dei;
O most noble kynge,
Consydre well this thynge!

10.[405]

And thus this ile of Brutes,
Most plentyfull of frutes,
Ys sodenlye decayede;
Poore men allmost dysmayde,
Thei are so overlayed:
I feare and am afrayde
Of the stroke of God,
Whiche ys a perelous rodde.
Praye, praye, praye,
We never se that daye;
For yf that daye do come,
We shall dyssever and ronne,
The father agaynst the sonne,
And one agaynst another.
By Godes blessed[406] mother,
Or thei begynne to hugger,
For Godes sake looke aboute,
And staye betymes this route,
For feare thei doo come oute.
I put you out of doubte,
There ys no greate trust,
Yf trothe shuld be discuste:
Therfore, my lordes, take heade
That this gere do not brede
At[407] chesse to playe a mate,
For then yt is to late:
We may well prove a checke,
But thei wyll have the neke;[408]
Yt is not to be wondered,
For thei are not to be nombred.
This the poore men saye,[409]
Yf thei hadde yt, thei wolde paye:
Vox populi, vox Dei;
O most noble kyng,
Consydre well this thinge!

11.[410]

Yt is not one alone
That this[411] dothe gronte and grone,
And make[412] this pytyous mone;
For yt is more then wonder,
To heare the infynyte nombre
Of poore men that dothe[413] shewe
By reason yt must be soo.
Thei wishe and do coniector[414]
That my lordes grace and protector,
That cheiffe is nowe erector
And formost of the rynge,
Vnder our noble kynge,
That he wold se redresse
Of this moste greate excesse,
For yt stondes[415] on hym no lesse;
For he is calde doubteles
A man of greate prowesse,
And so dothe beare the fame,
And dothe desyre the same;
His mynde thei saye is good,
Yf all wold followe his moode.
Nowe for to sett the frame,
To kepe styll this good name,
He must delaye all excuses,
And ponnyshe these greate abuses
Of these fynes and newe vses,
That have so many muses;
And first and pryncipallye
Suppresse this shamfull[416] vsurye,
Comonlye called husbondrye;
For[417] yf there be no remeadye
In tyme and that right shortlye,
Yt wyll breade to a pluresye,
Whiche is a greate innormytie
To all the kynges[418] comynaltye;
For there is no smale nombre
That[419] this faute dothe incombre:
Yt is a wordly wondre.[420]
The comons[421] thus do saye,
Yf thei had yt, thei wolde paye:
Vox populi, vox Dei;
O most noble kyng,
Consydre well this thynge!

12.[422]

Nowe, at your graces leysour,
Yf you wyll see the seisor
Of all the cheffe treasure,
Heapyd without measure,
Of the substance of your realme,
As yt were in a dreame,
I wyll make an esteame,
In the handes of a fewe,
The trothe you to showe,
Howe[423] this matter dothe goo;
For I wyll not spare
The trothe to declare;
For trothe trulye ment
Was never yet shent,
Nor never shent shalbe;
Note this text of me,
Yt may a[424] tyme be framed
For feare some shuld be blamed,
But yt wyll not be shamed;
Yt is of suche a streinghe,
Yt wyll overcome at leinghe.
Yff nowe I shall not fayne,
The trothe to tell you playne
Of all[425] those that do holde
The substance and the[426] golde
And the treasure of this realme;[427]
And shortlye to call,
Allmost thei have all;
Att least thei have the[428] trade
Of all[429] that may be made:
And fyrst[430] to declare
By[431] a bryeffe what thei are,
To make shorte rehersall,
As well spyrytuall as temporall;
The laweare and the landelorde,[432]
The greate reave and the recorde,—
The recorde I meane is he
That hathe office or els ffee,
To serve our noble kyng
In his accomptes or[433] recknyng
Of his treasure surmonttynge,—
Lorde chauncellour and chauncellours,
Masters of myntes and monyers,
Secondaryes and surveyours,
Auditors and receivours,
Customers and comptrollers,
Purvyours and prollers,
Marchauntes of greate sailes,
With the master[434] of woodsales,
With grasyers and regraters,
With Master Williams of shepe masters,
And suche lyke comonwelthe[435] wasters,
That of erable groundes make[436] pasters,
[And payemasters suche as bythe[437]
With Trappes your golden smythe,]
With iij or iiij greate clothiars,
And the hole lybell of lawyars:
Withe theise and theire trayne,
To be bryeffe and playne,
Of theire to, to myche[438] gayne
That thei take for theire payne,
Yt is knowen by ceirten sterres[439]

That thei may[440] mayntayne your graces warres

By space[441] of a hole yeare,
Be yt good chepe or deare,
Thoughe[442] we shulde withstande
Both Fraunce and Scotlande,
And yet to leave ynough
Of money, ware, and stuffe,
Both in cattell and corne,
To more then thei were borne,
By patrymonye or bloode
To enherytte so myche goode.
By cause thei be so base,
Thei wylbe neadye and scase;[443]
For quod natura dedit
From gentle blode them[444] ledyth;
And to force a chorlishe best
Nemo attollere potest:
Yet rather then thei wold goo before,

Thei wolde helpe your grace with somwhat more,

For thei be they[445] that have the store;
Those be they wyll[446] warraunt ye,
Though you toke[447] never a penye
Of your poore comynaltie.
This is trewe vndoubtelye;
I dare affyrme it certeynlye;
For yf this world do holde,
Of force you must be bolde
To borowe theire fyne golde;
For thei have all[448] the store;
For[449] your comons have no more;
Ye may it call to lyght,
For yt is your awne right,
Yf that your grace have neade:
Beleve this as your Creade.
The poore men so[450] do saye,
Yf thei had yt, thei wold paye
With a better wyll then thei:
Vox populi, vox Dei;
O most noble kyng,
Consyder well this thynge!

13.[451]

O worthiest protectour,
Be herin corrector!
And you, my lordes all,
Let not your honor appall,
But knocke betymes and call
For theise greate vsurers all;
Ye knowe the pryncypall:
What neadith[452] more rehersall?
Yf you do not redresse
By tyme[453] this coveteousnes,
My hed I hold and gage[454],
There wylbe greate outrage;
Suche rage as never was seene
In any olde mans tyme.
Also for this perplexyte,[455]
Of these that are most welthye,
Yt ware a deade of charyte
To helpe theym of this[456] pluresie:
Yt comes by suche greate fyttes
That it takes awaye[457] theire wyttes,
Bothe[458] in theire treasure tellynge[459],
Or els in byeng and sellynge.
Yf thei of this weare eased,
Your grace shuld be well pleased,
And thei but lytle deseased
Of this covetous dropsye,
That brynges theym to thys pluresie,
Bothe the pluresye and goute[460],
Vncurable to be holpe [out],
Excepte your grace for pytie
Provyde this foresaid remeadye;
As doctors holde opynyon,
Both Ambros and Tertulian,
Withe the Swepestake and the Mynyon,
The Herte and[461] the Swallowe,
And all the rest that followe,
Withe[462] the Gallye and the Roo
That so swyffte do[463] goo,
Goo, and that apase,
By the Henry[464] Grace,
The Herrye and the Edwarde,[465]—
God sende theym all well forwarde,
Withe all the hole fleete!
Whose councell complete
Saithe it is full mete
That greate heddes and dyscreate
Shulde loke well to theire feate.
Amen, I saye, so be ytt!
As all your comons praye
For your long healthe allwaye.[466]
Yf thei hadde yt, thei wold paye
[With a better wyll then thay]:
Vox populi, vox Dei,
Thus dothe wrytte, and thus doth saye,
With this psalme, Miserere mei;
O most noble kyng,
Consyder well this thynge!

ffinis quothe Mr. Skelton, Poete Lawriate.[467]

[278] Vox Populi, Vox Dei] From MS. 2567 in the Cambridge Public Library, collated with MS. Harl. 367. fol. 130. The latter, though it contains a very considerable number of lines which are not found in the former, and which I have placed between brackets, is on the whole the inferior MS., its text being greatly disfigured by provincialisms.

This poem, which is assigned to Skelton only in the Cambridge MS., was evidently composed by some very clumsy imitator of his style. The subject, however, renders it far from uninteresting.

[279] Mr. Skeltone, poete] Not in MS. Harl.

[280] To the Kinges moste Exellent Maiestie] So MS. Harl. Not in MS. C.

[281] and] MS. Harl. “and to.”

[282] knothe] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “knoweth.”

[283] lordeshipes] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “lordshippe.”

[284]

As most men, &c.

Are nowe, &c.

Transposed in MS. Harl.

[285] nor] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “or.”

[286] Ye] M.S. Harl. “Nor.”

[287] Nor] So MS. Harl.—Omitted in MS. C.—(“to kepe” is governed by the preceding “able.”)

[288] This] MS. Harl. “Thus.” (But see note, p. 86.)

[289] And] So MS. Harl.—Omitted in MS. C.

[290] matynge] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “making.”

[291] comons] MS. Harl. “poormen.”

[292] Amonge] MS. Harl. “Amownges.”

[293] penvry] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “povertye” (which ends the next line but one).

[294] to] MS. Harl. “soe.”

[295] your] MS. Harl. “this.”

[296] you] MS. Harl. “youre grace.”

[297] agayne] MS. Harl. “it agayne.”

[298] playne] MS. Harl. “soo playne.”

[299] Howe nowe, &c.] MS. Harl. “Howe this warld now gowthe.”

[300] my noste] i. e. mine host.

[301] do] Not in MS. Harl.

[302] As] MS. Harl. “And.”

[303] Which] MS. Harl. “That.”

[304] mans] MS. Harl. “menes.”

[305] landlorde] MS. Harl. “lorde.”

[306] at] Not in MS. Harl.

[307] To be in the redyare] MS. Harl. “And to be the more redyer.”

[308] And] So MS. Harl.—Not in MS. C.

[309] the flece] A line, which rhymed with this, has dropt out.

[310] foure] MS. Harl. “fyve.”

[311] Or cum not in theire] MS. Harl. “Or elles come not in the.”

[312] The comons, &c.] MS. Harl.

“Youre poormen thus doo saye

Yf thaye haue it thows thay paye.”

[313] But miserere mei] Not in MS. Harl.

[314] This] MS. Harl. “Thus.”

[315] or] MS. Harl. “and.”

[316] welthe] MS. Harl. “wyll.”

[317] landlordes] MS. Harl. “lordes.”

[318] I] Not in MS. Harl.

[319] Ye wold fynde remeadye] MS. Harl. “Yowe fynde some remedy.”

[320] And that, &c.] In MS. Harl. is written, in a later hand, at the beginning of this line, and as part of it, “In tyme.”

[321] This] MS. Harl. “there.”

[322] among vs] MS. Harl. “amownges.”

[323] ware he] MS. Harl. “he where.”

[324] plage] A line wanting to rhyme with this.

[325] the] MS. Harl. “youre powre.”

[326] Hygh tyme for to repent] Altered in MS. Harl. by a later hand from “That it was reght tyme to repente.”

[327] This sayeng] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “Theise sayenges.”

[328] vnto] MS. Harl. “to.”

[329] powr man he] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “povertye.”

[330] I meane the, &c.] MS. Harl. omits this line.

[331] victualing] MS. Harl. “vylyng.”

[332] Also] MS. Harl. “And also.”

[333] the] Not in MS. Harl.

[334] vade] MS. Harl. “wadde.”

[335] parvo] MS. C. “paruie.” MS. Harl. “parvū.” Qy. “parvis?”

[336] comons] MS. Harl. “poremen,”—altered in a later hand from “commenes.”

[337] Have] MS. Harl. “Hath.”

[338] hayne] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “hande.”

[339] wryttes yt newe] MS. Harl. “wrythe new.”

[340] be] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “by.”

[341] prowdest] MS. Harl. “prowdes.”

[342] Therfore] MS. Harl. “And now.”

[343] To suche as hath, &c.] There appears to be some corruption here.

[344] annother] MS. “and nother.”

[345] That] Qy. dele?

[346] hyme] MS. “hyne.”

[347] yerne] MS. “ywre.”

[348] And be not withe me wrothe] MS. Harl. “Therfore be not yow wrothe.”

[349] you] MS. Harl. “of.”

[350] here] MS. Harl. “this.”

[351] cheiffe] MS. Harl. “pithe.”

[352] hole] Not in MS. Harl.

[353] no nother] i. e. none other. MS. Harl. “noe other.”

[354] Whiche] MS. Harl. “This.”

[355] whates] MS. Harl. “what.”

[356] mone] So both MSS. But qy. “none?”

[357] mayne shete] In MS. Harl. is altered by a later hand from “graett shepe.”

[358] How officers, &c.] This line is added by a later hand.

[359] dischare] There is some error here; and perhaps a line or more has dropt out.

[360] And, as some, &c.] This line and the next added by a later hand.

[361] so do] MS. Harl. “thus doth.”

[362] Vox populi, &c.] This line in MS. Harl. is added by a later hand.

[363] this] MS. Harl. “the.”

[364] How this thyng, &c.] This line omitted in MS. Harl.

[365] scace] MS Harl. “skarese.”

[366] Our] MS. Harl. “Your.”

[367] comes] MS. Harl. “commythe.”

[368] hys] MS. Harl. “the.”

[369] this ... deamythe] MS. Harl. “thus ... dremethe.”

[370] illi] Both MSS. “ille.”

[371] For] MS. Harl. “But.”

[372] it as it was] MS. Harl. “this as was.”

[373] The] MS. Harl. “Youre.”

[374] man] MS. Harl. “a man.”

[375] This] MS. Harl. “Thus.” (But see note, p. 86.)

[376] thynne] A line, or perhaps more, has dropt out here.

[377] theire] MS. Harl. “the.”

[378] My lorde is not at leysure] A line borrowed from Skelton’s Why come ye nat to Courte, v. 622 vol. ii. 46.

[379] dares not ons to sturre] MS. Harl. “darre not ones sture.”

[380] must vse] MS. Harl. “most gowe vse.”

[381] mesteres Mede] The writer, perhaps, recollected that Skelton had mentioned “mayden Meed” in Ware the Hauke, v. 149. vol. i. 160.

[382] vttermost] MS. Harl. “vttmost.”

[383] better] MS. Harl. “the” (the scribe having omitted “better” by mistake).

[384] makes] MS. Harl. “maketh.”

[385] non] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “now.”

[386] this covetous] MS. Harl. “this corsede covitys”.

[387] me] Not in MS. Harl.

[388] be] Not in MS. Harl.

[389] Per speculum ænigmatæ] This line in MS. C. is added by a different hand; and in MS. Harl. it is one of the various additions by a later hand: “ænigmatæ” (written in both MSS. “inigmatæ”) must have been used for the sake of the rhyme.

[390] The] MS. Harl. “Yowr.”

[391] trowe] MS. Harl. “knowe.”

[392] a] Not in MS. Harl.

[393] sent ... cloysterers] MS. Harl. “showtt ... cloystres.”

[394] convert] MS. Harl. “haue convertyd.”

[395] the highe] MS. Harl. “the kenges hy.”

[396] Off] MS. Harl. “And of.”

[397] gothe] MS. Harl. “it gothe.”

[398] Amonge] MS. Harl. “Amownges.”

[399] selles] MS. Harl. seems to have “sylkes.”

[400] telles] MS. Harl. “tyltis.”

[401] those ... welles] MS. Harl. “thes ... weltes.”

[402] fyle] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “fylde.”

[403] The commons so] MS. Harl. “Yowr powr men thus.”

[404] we ... we] MS. Harl. “thay ... thay.”

[405] 10] Not in MS. Harl.

[406] blessed] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “blest.”

[407] At] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “A.”

[408] thei wyll have the neke] MS. Harl. “we shall haue the werke.”

[409] This the poore men saye, &c.] This and the next four lines omitted in MS. Harl.

[410] 11] Not in MS. Harl.

[411] this] MS. Harl. “thus.” (But see note, p. 86.)

[412] make] MS. Harl. “makethe.”

[413] dothe] MS. Harl. “doo.”

[414] coniector] MS. Harl. “conuector.”

[415] For yt stondes, &c.] This line not in MS. Harl.

[416] shamfull] So MS. Harl.—Not in MS. C.

[417] For] MS. Harl. “So.”

[418] the kynges] MS. Harl. “youre grasis.”

[419] That] MS. Harl. “But that.”

[420] Yt is a wordly wondr.] Not in MS. Harl.

[421] The commons] MS. Harl. “Youre powre men.”

[422] 12] MS. Harl. “10.”

[423] Howe] So MS. Harl.—Omitted in MS. C.

[424] Yt may a] MS. Harl. “Yf a.”

[425] all] Not in MS. Harl.

[426] the] So MS. Harl.—Not in MS. C.

[427] realme] A line wanting, to rhyme with this.

[428] the] So MS. Harl.—Not in MS. C.

[429] all] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “that.”

[430] fyrst] MS. Harl. “frist.”

[431] By] Not in MS. Harl.

[432] laweare ... landelorde] MS. Harl. “laweres ... lawlorde.”

[433] or] MS. Harl. “and.”

[434] master] MS. Harl. “maisteres:” but perhaps some particular individual is alluded to; compare the second line after.

[435] comonwelthe] MS. Harl. “commen.”

[436] groundes make] MS. Harl. “grownd makes.”

[437] And payemasters, &c.] These two lines added in MS. Harl. by a later hand.

[438] to, to myche] MS. Harl. “to myche.”

[439] sterres] MS. Harl. “stowrys.”

[440] may] Not in MS. Harl.

[441] By space] MS. Harl. “By the space.”

[442] Thoughe] MS. Harl. “Ye thowght.”

[443] scase] MS. Harl. “skarsse.”

[444] them] MS. Harl. “they.”

[445] they] MS. Harl. “thosse.”

[446] wyll] MS. Harl. “I wyll.”

[447] toke] MS. Harl. “take.”

[448] all] Not in MS. Harl.

[449] For] Not in MS. Harl.

[450] so] Not in MS. Harl.

[451] 13] MS. Harl. “11.”

[452] neadith] MS. Harl. “nedes.”

[453] By tyme] MS. Harl. “Be tymes.”

[454] I hold and gage] MS. Harl. “I wold to gage.”

[455] perplexyte] In writing this word with a contraction, the transcriber of MS. C. has omitted the second p.

[456] this] MS. Harl. “ther.”

[457] awaye] MS. Harl. “waye.”

[458] Bothe] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “But.”

[459] treasure tellynge] MS. Harl. “tresure and tellyng.”

[460] and goute] MS. Harl. “and the gowt.”

[461] The Herte and, &c.] This line and the next omitted in MS. Harl.

[462] Withe] Not in MS. Harl.

[463] do] MS. Harl. “dothe.”

[464] Henry] MS. Harl. “Herry.”

[465] Edwarde] So MS Harl.—MS. C. “Ewarde.”

[466] allwaye] MS. Harl. “awaye.”

[467] ffinis quothe Mr. Skelton, Poete Lawriate] Instead of these words, MS. Harl. has,

“God saue the kenge

Finis quod vox populi vox dei.”

THE IMAGE OF IPOCRYSY.[468]

Vpon....
Of the cruell clergy[?],
And the proude prelacy[?],
That now do looke so hie,
As though that by and by
They wold clymbe and fflye
Vp to the clowdy skye:[469]
Wher all men may espye,
By fals hipocrysye
Thei long haue blered the eye
Of all the world well nye;
Comytting apostacie
Against that verytye
That thei can not denye:
In which how shamlessly
They do ... and aye
Ther concyens testyfye
The poppe[?]....
Curte[?]....
The rest of B ... markes,
That be heresyarkes,
Which do com[yt?] ther warkes,
As one that in the darke ys,
And wotes not wher the marke ys,
Do take the kites for larkes.
Suche be owr primates,
Our bisshopps and prelates,
Our parsons and curates,[470]
With other like estates
That were shaven pates;
As monkes white and blacke,
And channons that cane chatte,
Glottons[471] ffayre and fatt,
With ffriers of the sacke,
And brothers of the bagg,
As nymble as a nagg,
That cane bothe prate and bragg,
To make the pulpett wagge
With twenty thousand lyes,
Do make the blind eate flyes,
And[472] blere our symple eyes,
To make vs to beleve
God morowe is god eve;
For pleynly to be breve,
So nye they do vs dreve,
That we, to our great greve,
Must sey that white is blacke,
Or elles they sey we smacke,
And smell we wote not what:
But then beware the catt;
For yf they smell a ratt,
They grisely chide and chatt,
And, Haue him[473] by the jack,
A fagott for his backe,
Or, Take[474] him to the racke,
And drowne hyme in a sacke,
Or burne hyme on a stake!
Lo, thus they vndertake
The trothe false to make!
Alas, for Christ his sake!
Is the sonnelight darke,
Or ignoraunc[e] a clarke,
Bycawse that thei hath powre
To send men to the Towre,
The simple to devowre?
If they lyst to lowre,
Ys suger therfor sowre?
Dothe[475] five and three make ffour?
As well I durst be bolde
To sey the ffier were colde.
But yet they worke muche worse,
When they for blissinge cowrse;
For Father Friska jolly,
And Pater Pecke a lolly,
That be all full of folly,
Doo[476] fayne them seem[477] holy,
For ther monopoly,
And ther private welthe,
That they haue take by stelthe;
And in the churche they lurke,
As ill as any Turke,
So proudely they vsurpe,
Besyde the spritt of Christ,
The office of a pryste
In any wise to take,
As thoughe it were a iape,
To runne in att the rove;[478]
For some of them do prove[479]
To clyme vpp ere they knowe
The doore from the wyndowe;
They may not stoope alowe,
But backe bend as a bowe;
They make an owtwarde showe,
And so forthe one a rowe,
As dapper as a crowe,
And perte as any pye,
And lighte as any ffly.
At borde and at table
They be full servysable,
Sober and demure,
Acquayntans to allure,
Wher they may be sure[480]
By any craft or trayne
To fyshe for any gayne,[481]
Or wayt for any wynnyng,—
A prestly begynnynge!
For many a hyerlinge,
With a wilde fyerlinge,
Whan his credyte is most,
With mikell brag and bost
Shall pryck[482] owt as a post,
Chafyng[483] lyke myne hoste,
As hott as any toste,
And ride from cost to cost,
And then[484] shall rule the rost.
And some avaunced be
For ther auncente,
Thoughe[485] ther antiquitye
Be all innequitye;
Yett be they called
To the charge of the fald,
Because they be balled,
And be for bisshopps stalled.
And some kepe ther stations
In owtwarde straunge natyons,
Lernynge invocatyons,
And craftye incantatyons;
And so by inchantement
Gette theyr avauncement.
And some by fayned favour
For honour or for havour,
By voyses boughte and solde,
For sylver and for golde,
For lande, for rente or ffee,
Or by authoritye
Of menn of hye degree,
Or for some qualitye,
As many of them bee,
For ther actyvitee,
Ther practyse and industrye,
Sleyght, craft, and knavery,
In matters of bawdery,
Or by helpe of kynne,
An easy liffe to wynne.
I swere by Saincte Mary,
He that thus dothe cary
Is a mercenary,
Yea, a sangunary,
A pastore for to pull
Of bothe skynne and wolle.
Thoughe Christ be the doer,
They force not of his looer,
They sett therby no stoore;
Ther stody is for moore:
And I tell youe therfore
That they ther tyme temper
With a provisoo semper
An other wey to enter,
For love of wordely good,
Not forcinge of the fflode
Of hyme that bledd the roode;
It is not for ther moode.
They make deambulacyons
With great ostentations,
And loke for salutations
On every mannes face,
As in the merkett place
To saye, God saue your grace!
Thus in churche and chepinge,
Wher they may haue metinge
With lordes and with ladyes,
To be called Rabyes:
Nowe God saue these dadyes,
And all ther yonge babyes!
The holy worde of God
Is by these men forbod;
Pater noster and Creede
They vtterly forbeede
To be said or songe
In our vulgar tonge.
Ohe Lorde, thou hast great wronge
Of these that shoulde be trustye,
Whiche sey the breade is musty,
And with ther lawe vnlusty
Make it rusty and dusty!
But I do thinke it rustye
For lacke of exercyse:
Wherfore they be vnwise
That will the lawe despise,
And daylye newe devyse,
So dyvers and so straunge,
Which[486] chaunge and rechaunge
Of fastinges and of feestes,
Of bowes[487] and behestes,
With many of ther[488] iestes,
As thoughe lay men wer bestes;
As many of vs bee,
That may and will not see,
Nor ones cast vpp an eye,
These jugglinges to espye;
For this that nowe is vsed
Is efte ageyne refused,
Chaunged or mysvsed,
That we be still abused:
The lawe that servethe nowe,
Ageyne they disalowe.
Thus forthe and backe,[489]
With bryve and with bull
They dayly plucke and pull,
And yett be never ffull;
For wher one bull makes,
An other bull forsakes;
The thyrde yett vndertakes
To alter all of newe:
Thus none will other sue.
Wherfore, by swete Jesu,
I thinke they be vntrewe
That iuggle tyme and tyme
To gett thyne and myne;
Yea, thoughe the worlde pynne,
No man wyll they spare,[490]
So they ther pelfe prefarre,
The lawes to make and marre,
To bynde vs nere and farre;
Wherto may be no barre
In peace tyme nor in warre;
For none ther is that darre
Replye ageyne or speake,
This daunce of thers to breake;
The trouthe it is so weeke:
They make all men cry creake,
Or fry them to a steake,—
Adieu, Sir Huddypeake!
Lo, Peters barge is leake,
And redy for to synke!
Beware yett least youe drinke;
God dothe not slepe nor wynke,
But sethe lande and brynke;
And yf ye take the chynke,
I feare me ye will stynke,
And corrupt your vnctyon
With an iniunctyon;
Your[491] pride and presumption,
In[492] abvsing your functyon,
Will breade a consumtion,
And make a resumption,
To bringe youe to compunction;
Youre[493] lawes falsely grounded,
That hath the world surounded,
By trouthe shalbe confounded.
Thoughe ye be lordes digne,
Ye shoulde no man maligne,
But ever be benyngne;
And namely in suche case
Wher God his gyfte or grace[494]
Lyst to plante or place:
The poore man, or the riche,
Is to his pleasure lyche;
For Christ, our derest Lorde,
That made the full accorde,
As Scripture dothe recorde,
Betwyxt God and man,
Suppressynge Sattan
And all his kingdom, whan[495]
Vpon the holy roodd
He shadd his blissed bloode,
As muche for one as other,
Exceptinge not his mother,
Made every man his brother,
As many as ther bee
In faythe and charitee.
But nowe by fals abvsyon,
The clergy by collution,
Without good conclution,
Haue broughte vs to confution,
And made an illution:
By great inyquytie,
Avaunt themselfes to be
No lesse then godes, yee,
Of equall authorytye;
Whiche, by ipocrysye,
To exalt ther dignytye,
Call vs the leudd lay ffee,
Men of temporalitee;
But they pretend to bee
A people eternall,
Of powr supernall:
I fere me, infernall;
For they that be carnall,
Idolaters to Baall,
And nothinge gostely at all,
Be named spirituall;
For so we must them calle,
As we aye do and shall,
What happe soever falle.
Ther successyon may not dye,
But lyve eternallye;
For, without question,
Perpetuall succession
They haue from one to other,
As childer of ther mother;
Yea, they kepe all in store
That other hadd afore,
And daylye gather more.
Lo, thus the people rore,
As on a fistred sore
Of matter most vnpure,
That thei ar dryven to indure
Tyll God himself send cure!
That as you be possessors,
So be yee successors
Vnto your predecessors:
And yet ye be questors,
And hoorders vppe of testers;
Ye[496] daylye cache and gather
Of mother and of father,
And of no man rather
Then of your poore brother,
And of euery other;
Yea, all that comes is gayne,
You passe of no mans payne,
Whiche ye allwey reteyne,
Who ever grudge or playne,
It may not out agayne;
Noughte may be remitted
That to youe is commytted;
Ye be not so lighte witted.
The people thinke it true
That ye possession sue
To haue an easy life,
Without debate or strife,
To lyve without a wife,
Lordely[497] and at ease,
Without payne or disease,
Your belly god to please,
And worldly welth to haue:[498]
Ye do your heeades shave,
To make youe sure and save
In every wind and wave,
That wolde as sone rave
As ones to chippe[499] an heare
So farre aboue your eare,
Or suche an habite weare,
With a polled heade,
To fayne yourselves deade;
But for possessions sake
That ye suche rules take,
And bynde youe to the brake,
That ye maye not forsake
Durynge all your lyves:
So well is he that thrives.
Thus be youe spirituall;
And yett ye do vs call
But lewde and temporall;
And that is for that we
So weake and simple be,
To put oure possession
From oure succession
And heires lyniall
Or kynne collaterall,
That be menn temporall,
And so from lyne to lyne;
For ech man for his tyme
Sayes, While it is myne,
I will give while I maye,
That, when I am away,
They shall both singe and saye,
And for my soules helthe pray,
Tyll it be domes day:
So, after this array,
Alake and well away!
We oure landes straye,
And other goodes decay;
Wherat ye laughe and play:
And natheles allwey
We dayly pay and pay,
To haue youe to go gaye
With wonderfull araye,
As dysardes in a play.
God wolde it were imprented,
Written and indentyd,
What youe haue invented!
So great diversyte
Nowe in your garmentes be,
That wonder is to se;
Your triple cappe and crowne,
Curtle, cope, and gowne,
More worthe then halfe a towne,
With golde and perle sett,
And stones well iffrett;
Ther can be no bett;
And for no price ye lett,
How far of they be fett.
Oh ye kynde of vipers,
Ye beestly bellyters,
With Raynes and Cipres,
That haue so many miters!
And yett ye be but mychers.
Youe weere littell hattes,
Myters, and square capps,
Decked with flye flappes,
With many prety knackes,
Like Turkes of Tartary,
Moores, or men of Moscovye,
Or lyke bugges of Arraby,
With ouches and bosses,
With staves and crosses,
With pillers and posses,
With standers and banners,
Without good life or manners:
Then haue youe gay gloves,
That with your hand moves,
Wroughte with true loves,
And made well, for the nones,
With golde and precious stones:
Ye blisse vs with your bones,
And with your riche ringes,
That quenes and kinges,
At your offringes,
Shall kisse with knelinges;
Which your mynykyns
And mynyon babbes,
Your closse chambred drabbes,
When masse and all is done,[500]
Shall were at afternone:
Your curtells be of sylke,
With rochetes white as mylke;
Your bootes of righte sattyne,
Or velvett crymosyne;
Your shoes wroughte with gold,
To tredd vpon the molde;
Wandring, as Vandals,
In sylke and in sandals,
Ye kepe your holy rules,
As asses and mules;
For on your cloven cules
Will ye never sytt
But on a rich carpett;
And nowe and then a fitt,
After the rule of Bennett,
With, dythmunia vennett,
A gaye a vott gennett,
With Gill or with Jennyt,
Wyth Cycely or Sare;
Yf thei come wher they are,
Thei lay one and not spare,
And never look behind them,
Wher soever they ffynd them;
For whan that thei be hett,
And Asmodeus grett,
They take, as[501] thei can gett,
All[502] fyshe that comes to nett,
For lust fyndes no lett[503]
Tyll hys poyson be spett;
Be she fyne or feat,
Be she white or[504] jett,
Long or short sett,
Do she smyle or skowle,
Be she ffayr or fowle,
Or owgly[505] as an owle;
For vnderneth a cowle,
A surplyse or an amys,
Can no man do amys;
Ye halse them from harmes
With blessinges and charmes,
While the water warmes,
In your holy armes,
Broging in ther barmes,
Devoutly to clipe it,
To caste her with a tryppytt,
With, lusty Sir John, whip it
Vnderneth your tippitt,
Prætextu pietatis,
Quam contaminatis
Sub jugo castitatis,
Your burning heate to cease,
And expell your disease,
Vnder pretens[506] of pease,
The paynes to release
Of poore sely sowles,
That hide be in holes
As hote as any coles.
Ye cappes haue and capes,
With many other iapes,
To cover with your pates;
As hoodes and cowles,
Like horned owles,
With skapplers and cootes,
Courtbies and copes,
White knottyd ropes,
With other instrumentes,
Straunge habilimentes,
And wanton vestementes,
And other implementes,
As tyrantes haue in tentes:
But what therby ment is,
Or what they signifye,
I cane not tell, not I,[507]
Nor you vndowtedlye
Can shew no reason whie.
Ye make it herisy
And treason to the kinge,
Yf we speke any thinge
That is not to your lykynge;
The truth may not be spoken,
But ye will be wroken:
Yett marke and note this token;
Yf Gods worde ones open,
Which wyll er long perdye,
Then shall we here and se
In Cristianitye,
Whether youe or we
The very traytours be.
But, by the Trynite,
It wonder is to me
To se your charite
And hospitalite
So littell to the poore;
And yet vpon a hoore
Ye passe for non expence,
As thoughte it non offence
Were in the sighte of God;
Youe fray not of his rod;
Youe loue your bely cod;
For them that haue no nede
Ye dayly feest and fede:
I thinke it be to dreede
Lest here you[508] haue your mede.
Ye drawe and cast lottes,
In hattes and in pottes,
For tottes and for quottes,
And blere vs with your blottes,
And with your mery poppes:
Thus youe make vs sottes,
And play with vs[509] boopepe,
With other gambaldes like,
To pill oure Lordes sheepe,
Your honour for to kepe,
Vsinge great excesse,
Which I pray God represse,
And soone to sende redresse!
For no man can expresse
The wo and wretchednesse
Youe on oure neckes do lye,
By your grett tyrannye,
Your pride and surquedrye,
That ye do openlye:
But that youe secretly
Practyse pryvylye,
May not be tolde,—and why?
Lest it be herysye,
And than by and by
To make a faggott ffrye.
For we can not deny,
And treuth[510] doth playne dyscrye,
And all wysemen espye
That all the falt doth lye[511]
Vpon oure owne foly,
That ye be so iolye,
For with oure owne goodes
We fether vppe oure[512] hoodes.
Youe sanguinolently,
Your mony is so plenty,
That youe make no deynty
Of twenty pound and twenty,
So youe may haue entry;
And then youe laughe and skorne
To se vs were the horne,
Ridinge here and hether,
Goinge ther and thether,
Lyke cokold foles[513] together,
In colde, wynde, and in wether,
For woll, for ledd, and lether;
And yet do not consydre
We wer an oxes fether:[514]
This is a prety bob,
Oure hedes for to gnob[515]
With suche a gentill job:
And we oure selves rob
Of landes temporall,
And jvelles great and smalle,
To give youe parte of all
In almes perpetuall,
To make our heyres thrall
For your[516] hye promotyon,
Through[517] our blynde devotion
And small[518] intellygens,
But that our conscyens,
Laden with offens,
And you vs so incense,
When we be going hens,
To make soch recompens,
By gyvyng[519] yowe[520] our pens,
Our land, goodes, and rentes,
For that[521] holy pretens,
Havyng ffull confydens
That be[522] a safe defens:
So do we styll dyspens
With all remorse and sens
Of harty penytens.
This cane not be denyed;
Your jugglynge is espied,
Your mayster is vntyed,
Which is the prince of pride;
For you on[523] neyther syde
Can suffre or abyde[524]
To here the troth tryed,
Which ye intend to hide
With vehement[525] desyre,
As hote as any ffire.

Thus endeth the ffirst parte of this present treatyse, called the Image of Ipocrysy.

Alake, for Christes might,
These thinges go not arighte!
Oure lanterns give no lighte,
All bisshopps be not brighte:
They be so full of spyte,
They care not whom they byte,
Both frend and foo they smyte
Wyth prison, deth, and flighte;
So dayly they do fyght
To overturne the ryght:
So[526] we be in the plyte,
That, losing of oure sight,
We[527] know not black from whyght,
And be thus[528] blinded quyte,
We know not[529] day from nyght.
But, by my syres soule,
The true Apostell Paule
Wrott, as we may see
In Tyte and Tymothe,
Who should a bisshoppe be:
A man of holy liffe,
The husbonde of one wiffe;
That vseth not to strife,
Or strike with sworde or knyff,
Nor that at any tyme
Suspected is of cryme,
But wise and provident,
Colde and contynent,
But never vynolent;
That when he eat[530] or drinke,
Slepe, awake,[531] or winke,
Doth styll[532] on measure thinke,
And therof vse a messe,
To put away excesse,
Kepe[533] hyme lowe and chast;
That he make no wast
By prodigalite
Or sensualytye,
A waster for to be,
But, after his degree,
With liberallite
Kepe hospitallite;
He must be sadd and sage,
Vsinge non outrage,
But soberly with reason
To spende in tyme and season,
And so to kepe his meason;
He may in no wise streke,
But suffer and be meke,
Shamefast and discrete,
Temperat, dulce, and swete,
Not speakinge angerly,
But soft and manerly;
And, in any wise,
Beware of covetyse,
The rote of all ill vice;
He must be liberall,
And thanke oure Lorde of all;
And, as a heerde his sheepe,
His childer must he kepe,
And all his family
In vertu edyfy,
Vnder disciplyne
Of holsome doctryne,
With dew subiection,
That non obiection
Be made vnto his heste[534]
Of most or of leste;
For thus he doth conclude,
As by simylitude,
Howe he that cane not skill
His housholde at his will
To governe,[535] rule, and teche,
Within his power and reach,
Oughte to haue no speache
Of cure and diligence,
Of suche premynence,
Within the churche of God;
And eke it is forbode
That he no novice be,
Lest with superbite
He do presume to hye,
And consequently
Fall vnhappely
Into the frenesy
Of pride and of evyll,[536]
Lyke Lucyfer, the devyll;[537]
For he playnly writes,
That of these neophites,
And pevishe proselites,
Springe vpp ipocrites;
A bisshoppe eke must haue,
His honesty to save,
Of all men such a name,
That his outwarde fame
Be clene from any blame,
Impeched with no shame,
To draw all people in,
They may repent of synne,
And so[538] he may them wynne,
That thei fall not vnware[539]
Into[540] the devils snare.
Thus Paule, as ye may se,
Taughte Tyte and Tymothe,
Who should a bisshoppe be:
And Christ oure maister dere,
While he lyved here,
Full poorly did appere,
Mekely borne and bredd;
The bare earth was his bedd,
For where to hele his headd,
Or where to lye and rest,
He had no hole nor nest;
But in great poverty
He lyved soberly,
His worde to multyply;
And thus did edifye
His churche that is so holy,
Suppressinge synne and foly:
But not with friska ioly,
As somme do nowe a dayes,
That haue so many wayes
All maner[541] gaynes to reape,
Ther tresures one a heap
To gather and to kepe,
By pillinge of his shepe,
Not forsyng who do wepe,
And to his flocke repayre
As it were to a ffayre;
To sit in Peters chayer
With pride and ambition,
Sowyng great sedition;
And by superstition
Blinde vs with remission,
By bulles vnder led,
To serve both quicke and dead;
And by that way pretend
To clyme vpp and ascend
That Lucifer did discend.
I thinke that suche frykars
Be not Christes vickars,
But crafty intrycars,
And pryvy purse pykars;
For they that be sekars
Of stores newe and olde,
May perceyve and beholde
Howe euery thinge is solde
For sylver[542] and for golde:
The craft[543] can not be told,
What is and hath bene done
By Antychryst[544] of Rome;
For thens[545] the sourdes springe
Of every naughty thinge,
Hide vnderneth the whynge
Of the Sire of Synne;
At whom I will begynn
Somwhat for to speake,
And playnly to intreate
Of this farly freake,
That sitteth in his seat,
Devouringe synne as meatte,
Whiche he and his do eate
As they may catch and geate:[546]
They spare not to devower
Cyty, towne, and tower,
Wherat no man may lower;
For be it swete or sower,
Or be it good or yll,
We must be muett still,
The lustes to fulfill
Of that cocodryll,
Which at his[547] only will
May ech man[548] save or spyll.
This wicked man of warr
So hault is that he darr,
As he lyste,[549] make and marr,
His owne lawe to prefarr
Aboue the worde of God;
It passeth Godes forbod
That ever it should be;
A man to clyme so hy,
By reason of his see,
To clayme auctoritye
Aboue the Deyte,
It is to hy a bost,
And synne one of the most
Ageynst the Holy Gost,
That is not remissable:
For as for the Bible,
He taketh it for a ridle,
Or as a lawles lible,
Which, to the hy offence
Of his conscience,
He dare therwith dispence,
And alter the sentence;
For wher God do prohibitt,
He doth leve exhibite,
And at his[550] lust inhybyte;
And wher God doth commaunde,
Ther he doth countermaunde;
After his owne purpose
The best text to turne and glose,
Like a Welshe manes hose,
Or lyke a waxen nose:
But wyse[551] men do suppose
That truth shall[552] judge and trye,
For lyars can but lye.
He is so hault and taunt,
That he dare hyme avaunt
All erthly men to daunt;
And faynes to give and graunt,
In heaven above or hell,[553]
A place wherin to dwell,
As all his lyars tell,
Which he doth dayly sell,
After his devise,
If men come to his prise;
It is his marchaundyse;
For, as ye will demaunde,
He can and may commaunde
A thowsande, in a bande,
Of angells out of heaven,
To come throughe the leven,
And make all thinge even,
His biddinges to obey,
Which beares the greatist swaye,
Your soules to convey
Frome all decaye
Out of the fendes wey;
But provided alwey,
That ye first mony paye;
At the appoynted daye
Ye present, if it maye;
Then,[554] vnder thi petycion,
Thou gettest true remyssion,[555]
From synnes the absolution,
By this his owne commyssion,
By bryve or els by bull,
To fill his coffers full;
Ye may aske what ye wull.
Alas, ye be to dull
To se this lorde of losse,
The fo of Christes crosse,
This hoore of Babilon,
And seede of Zabulon,
The enemy of Christ,
The devels holy pryst,
And very Antechrist,
To revell and to ride,
Like the prince of pride,
That of euery syde
Warres the worlde wyde,
Whom no strenghe may abide—
The devill be his guyde!
For loke in his decrees,
And ye shall finde out lyes,
As thik as swarme of byes,
That throughe the worlde flyes,
Making parsemonyes
Of Peters patrimonyes,
But great mercymonyes
Of his seremonyes,
To smodder vs with smoke:
For, when he wilbe wroke,
No man may bere his stroke;
So hevy is his yoke,
To Christes full vnlike,
That saide his yoke is swete,
His burthen lighte and meete
For all men that be meke,
To suffer and to bere,
Without drede or fere:
But Popes afterwarde,
That never[556] had regard
Which ende shoulde go forewarde,
Haue drawen vs bakwarde,
And made the yoke so harde
By false invented lawes,
As thoughe lay men were dawes,
And dome as any stone,
With sivile and canon
To serve God and Mammon;
Righte and wronge is one.
Serche his decretalles
And bulles papalles,
Et, inter alia,
Loke in his palia
And Bacchanalia,[557]
With his extravagantes
And wayes vagarantes:
His lawes arrogantes
Be made by truwantes
That frame his finctions
Into distinctions,
With cloutes of clawses,
Questyons and cawses,
With Sext and Clementyne,
And lawes legantyne:
His county pallantyne
Haue coustome colubryne,
With codes viperyne
And sectes serpentyne:
Blinde be his stores
Of interogatores
And declaratores,
With lapse and relapse,
A wispe and a waspe,
A clispe and a claspe,
And his after[558] clappes;
For his paragraffes
Be no cosmograffes,
But vnhappy graffes,
That wander in the warrayne,
Fruteles and barayne,
To fede that foule carrayne,
And dignite papall;
With judges that scrape all,
And doctours that take all,
By lawes absynthyall
And labirynthyall:
His tabellions
Be rebellions;
His laweres and scribes
Live only by bribes;
His holy advocates
And judges diligates
Haue robbed all estates,
By many inventions
Of sundry suspentions,
Subtile subventions,
Crafty conventions,
Prevy preventions,
And evell exemptions;
So hath his indictions
And his interdictions,
With croked commyssions,
Colde[559] compromyssions,
Cursed conditions,
Hevy traditions,
Elvishe inibitions,
And redy remissions:
Then hathe he inductions
And colde conductions;
His expectatyves
Many a man vnthrives;
By his constitutions
And his subtitutions
He maketh institutions,
And taketh restitutions,
Sellinge absolutions,
And other like pollutions:
His holy actions
Be satisfactions
Of false compactions:
He robbeth all nations
With his fulminations,
And other like vexations;
As with abiurations,
Excomunycations,
Aggravations,
Presentations,
Sequestrations,
Deprivations,
Advocations,
Resignations,
Dilapidations,
Sustentations,[560]
Adminystrations,
Approbations,
Assignations,
Alterations,
Narrations,
Declarations,
Locations,
Collocations,
Revocations,
Dispensations,
Intimations,
Legittimations,
Insinuations,
Pronunttiations,
Demonstrations,
Vacations,
Convocations,
Deputations,
Donations,
Condonations,
Commynations,
Excusations,[561]
Declamations,
Visitations,
Acceptations,
Arrendations,
Publications,
Renunttiations,
Fatigations,
False fundations,
And dissimulations,
With like abbominations
Of a thowsand fasshions:
His holy vnions
Be no communyons:
His trialitees
And pluralytyes
Be full of qualitees;
His tottes and quottes
Be full of blottes:
With quibes and quaryes
Of inventataries,
Of testamentaries,
And of mortuaries,
By sutes of appeales,
And by his[562] ofte repeales,
He oure mony steales.
I speake not of his sessions,
Nor of his confessions
Olde and avricular,
Colde and caniculer;
Howe the cubiculer,
In the capitular,
With his pylde[563] spitler,
Playde the knavyculer
Vnderneth a[564] wall:
I may not tell youe all,
In termes speciall,
Of pardon nor of pall,
Nor of confessionall;
For I feare, yf[565] he call
The sentence generall,
I mighte so take a fall,
And haue his bitter curse,[566]
And yett be not the wurse,
Save only in my purse,
Because I shoulde be fayne
To by my state agayne
Ex leno vel ex lena,
Aut pellice obscœna,
Res certe inamœna:[567]
Papisticorum scena,
Malorum semper plena;
For all the worlde rounde
He falsely doth confounde
By lawes made and founde,
By thyr devyse vnsownde,
With no[568] steadfast grounde,
But with fayned visions
And develyshe devisions,
With basterde religions:
Thus this cursed elfe,
To avaunce his pelfe,
Falsely fayne[s] hymeself
To be semideus:
No, youe Asmeodeus,
Ye are Amoreus,
The sonne of Chanaan;
O thou monstrous man,
And childe of cursed Chan,
Arte thou halfe god, halfe man?
Gup, leviathan,
And sonne of Sattan,
The worme letophagus,
And sire to Symonde Magus!
O porter Cerberus,
Thou arte so monstrous,
Soo made and myschevous,
Proude and surquedrous,
And as lecherous
As Heliogabalus
Or Sardanapalus!
Hatefull vnto God,
And father of all falsehoode,
The poyson of prestoode,
And deth of good knighthoode,
The robber of riche men,
And murderer of meke men,
The turment of true men
That named be newe men,
The prince of periury,
And Christes enemy,
Vnhappy as Achab,
And naughty as Nadab,
As crafty as Caball,
And dronken as Naball,
The hope of Ismaell,
And false Achitofell,
The blissinge of Bell,
And advocate of hell;
Thou hunter Nembroth,
And Judas Iscarioth,[569]
Thou bloody Belyall,
And sacrifise of Ball,
Thou elvishe ipocrite,
And naughty neophite,
Thou pevishe proselite,
And synefull Sodymite,
Thou gredy Gomorrite,
And galefull[570] Gabaonite,
Tho[u] hermofrodite,
Thou arte a wicked sprite,
A naughty seismatike,
And an heritike,
A beestely bogorian,[571]
And devill meridian,
The patrone of proctors,
And dethe of trewe doctours,
The founder of faytors,
And trust of all traytours,
The shender of sawes,
And breaker of lawes,
The syre of serdoners,
And prince of pardoners,
The kinge of questors,
And rule of regestors,
The eater of frogges,
And maker of goddes,
The brother of brothells,
And lorde of all losells,
The sturrur of stoores,
And keper of hoores
With gloriouse gawdes,
Amonge trusty bawdes,
The father of foles,
And ignoraunce of scoles,
The helper of harlettes,
And captayne of verlettes,
The cloke of all vnthriftes,
And captayne of all caytifes,
The leader of truwantes,
And chefe of all tyrauntes,
As hinde as an hogge,
And kinde as any dogge,
The shipwrake of Noye,—
Christ saue the and Sainct Loy!
Arte thou the hiest pryst,
And vicar vnto Christ?
No, no, I say, thou lyest:
Thou arte a cursed crekar,
A crafty vppcrepar;
Thou arte the devils vicar,
A privye[572] purse pikar,
By lawes and by rites
For sowles and for sprites:
O lorde of ipocrites,
Nowe shut vpp your wickettes,
And clape to your clickettes,—
farewell, kinge of crekettes!
For nowe the tyme falles
To speake of cardinalles,
That[573] kepe ther holy halles
With towres and walles:
Be they not carnalles,
And lordes infernalles?
Yea, gredy carmalles,
As any carmarante;
With ther coppentante
They loke adutante:
For soth, men say they be
Full of iniquite,
Lyvinge in habundance
Of all worldly substance,
Wherin they lodge and ly,
And wallowe beasteally,
As hogges[574] do in a stye,
Servinge ther god, ther belly,
With chuettes and with gelly,
With venyson and with tartes,
With confytes and with fartes,[575]
To ease ther holy hartes.
They take ther stations,
And make dyambulations
Into all nations,
For ther visitations,
Callinge convocations,
Sellinge dispensations,
Givinge condonasions,
Makinge permutations,
And of excomunycations
Sell they relaxations;
For they, in ther progresse,
With Katern, Mawde, and Besse,
Will vse full great excesse,
Withowt any redresse;
And all men they oppresse
In syty, towne, and village;
From olde and yong of age
They robbe[576] and make pyllage,
Thyr lusts for to aswage,
Which they extorte by mighte
As in the churches righte;
They may not lese a fether:
But God, that lyveth ever,
Graunt that they never
Haue power to come hether!
For wher they ones arive,
So cleane they do vs shryve,
That I swere by my life,
The contry ther shall thrive
Yeres tenn and ffive
After them[577] the worse:
Men give them Godes curse
To shute within ther purse;
Both lernyd and lewde
Wolde they were beshrewed,
They never mighte come nere
For to visitt here,
Altho they haue sotch chere
As they cann well desyre,
And as they will requier;
For why, it doth appere,
The hartes ar sett on fyer
Of[578] chanon, monke, and fryer,
That daylye dothe aspyre,[579]
By bulles vnder ledd,
How they should be fedd;
It is therfore great skill
That every Jacke and Gyll
Performe[580] the Popes will,
Hys[581] purse and panch to ffill;
For, as I erst haue tolde,
There lyves not suche a scolde
That dare ons be[582] so bold,
From shorne ne yet from polde,
Nor[583] monye, meate, nor golde,
From soch men[584] to withholde,
Ther favour boughte and solde,
That take a thowsand ffolde
More then that Judas did:
The trouth can not be hid;
For it is playnly kid
Judas for his dispense
Sold Christ for thirty pense,
And did a foule offence,
His Lorde God so to tray;
And they in likewise say,
After Judas way,
What will ye give and pay,
As the matter falles,
For pardonnes and for palles,
And for confessionalles?
We may have absolucions
Without restytutyons,
And at oure owne election
Passe without correction,
Besydes Christes passion
To make satisfaction;
We feare for non offence,
So they haue recompence:
By great audacitees
They graunt capacitees;
For heaven and for hell
They mony take and tell:
So thus they by and sell,
And take therof no shame,
But laughe and haue good game,
To all oure souls bane:
God helpe, we be to blame
Sutch lordes to defame;
Yett, by the common fame,
Some bisshops vse the same,
In Christes holy name
Soules to sell and bye:
My mynde is not to lye,
But to write playnlye
Ageynst ipocresye
In bisshopp or in other,
Yea, thoughe it were my brother,
My father or my mother,
My syster or my sonne;
For, as I haue begonne,
I will, as I haue donne,
Disclose the great outrage
That is in this Image;
For[585] he that feles the pricke,
And theron groweth sycke,
May with the gald horse kike;
For, as I erst haue said,
Oure bisshops at a brayd
Ar growne so sore afrayde,
And in[586] the world so wide
Do vse sutch pompe and pride,
And rule on euery syde,
That none may them abide:
Of no[587] prince, lord, nor duke,
They take will a rebuke;
All lay men they surmount,
Makinge non accompte,
Nor cast no reckonynge
Scarcely of a kinge:
This is a wonder[588] thinge;
They stande so suer and fast,
And be nothinge agast;[589]
For that blody judge
And mighty sanguisuge,
The Pope that is so huge,
Is ever ther refuge;
So be the cardinalles
Ther suer defence and walles,
With whom they stifly stande
By water and by lande,
To gett the overhande
Of all the world rounde,
Wher profitt may be founde:
They be so many legions,
That they oppresse regions
With boke, bell, and candell,
Any kinge to handell,
As they haue many one:
For triall herevpon
I take of good Kinge John,
Whom by the bitinge
Of ther subtill smytinge,
First by acytinge,
And after interditinge,
By fulmynations
Of excommunications;
For by ther holy poores
They stored vpp stoores,[590]
And kepte suche stvrre with hores,
And shut vpp all churche doores
For ther princely pleasure,
They lyve so owt of measure,
Till they might haue leasure,
Ther lieg lorde and kinge
So base and lowe to bringe;
Which was a pyttevs thyng,
That he with wepinge yees,
Bowinge backe and thies,
And knelinge on his knees,
Must render vpp his fees,
With kingly dignytees,
Septer, crowne, and landes,
Into ther holy handes:
Alas, howe mighte it be
That oure nobilitee
Could then no better se?
For theyrs was the fault
Oure prelates were so haulte;
Their strength then was to seke
Ther liege lorde to kepe;
They durst not fight ne strike,
They feared of a gleke,
That, no day in the weke,
For any good or cattell,
Durst they go to battell,
Nor entre churche ne chappell
In syxe or seven yere,
Before Christ to appere,
And devine seruice here
In any hallowed place,
For lacke of ther good grace;
Ther was no tyme nor space
To do to God seruice,
But as they wolde devise;
Their lawes be so sinystre,
That no man durst minystre
The holy sacrementes
Till they hadd ther intentes
Of landes and of rentes,
By lawes and by lyes;
To inriche ther sees,
The blind men eat vpp flees;
For by ther constitutions
They toke restitutions
Of cyties and of castells,
Of townes and bastells,
And make ther prince pike wastells,
Till they rang out the belles,
And did as they wold elles,
Like traytours and rebelles,
As the story telles.
But Jesu Christ hymeself,
Nor his appostells twelffe,
Vnto that cvrsyd elfe
Did never teach hym[591] so
In any wise to do,
For lucre or advayle,[592]
Ageynst thyr kyng to rayle,
And[593] lieg lorde to assayle,
Within his owne lande
To put hym vnder bande,
And take brede of his hande:
The Lorde saue sutch a flock
That so could mowe and mock
To make ther kinge a block,
And eke ther laughinge stocke!
They blered hym with a lurche,
And said that he must wurche
By counsell of the churche;
Wherby they ment nothinge
But to wrest and wringe,
Only for to bringe
Ther liege lorde and kinge
To be ther vnderlinge:
Alas, who euer sawe
A kinge vnder awe,
Ageynst all Gods lawe,
All righte and consience,
For doinge non offence
To make sutch recompence?
They gave ther lorde a laske,
To purge withall his caske,
And putt hym to no taske,
But as they wold hyme aske:
This was a midday maske,
A kinge so to enforce
With pacyence perforce.
Take hede therfore and watche,
All ye that knowe this tatche,
Ye make not sutch a matche;
Loke forth, beware the katche,
Ye fall not in the snatche
Of that vngratiovs pacthe,
Before the rope hym racthe,
Or Tyburne dothe hym strache.
But who so[594] preache or prate,
I warne youe, rathe and late
To loke vpp and awake,
That ye do never make
Your maister nor your mate
To sytt withowt your gate;
Take hede, for Christes sake,
And knowe your owne estate,
Or ye be tardy take;
Yea, lest it be to late
To trust on hadd I wist,
Imasked in a myst,—
As good to ly bypist;
For these his primates,
Bysshops and prelates,
And popeholy legates,
With ther pild pates,
Dare conquer[595] all estates:
They do but as they will;
For, be it good or ill,
We must be muett still:
Why lay men can not se,
It is the more pite.

Thus endeth the Seconde Parte of this present treatyse called the Image of Ipocresy.

Of prechers nowe adayes
Be many Fariseyes,
That leue the Lordes layes,
And preche ther owne wayes;
Wherof nowe of late
Hathe risen great debate;
For some champe and chaffe
As hogges do in draffe,
And some cry out apase
As houndes at a chase,
Whiche for lacke of grace
The playne truthe wold defase.
So busely they barke,
An other in the darke,
That is a busarde starke,
And cane not se the marke,
Wondereth at this warke,
And therfore taketh carke
Bycause he is no clarke.
Some be soft and still
As clappes in a mill,
And some cry and yell
As sprites do in hell;
Some be here and ther,
And some I wote not wher;
Some holde vpp, yea and nay,
And some forsake ther lay;
Some be still and stey,
And hope to haue a daye;
Some wote not what to say,
But dout whether they may
Abide or rune away;
Ther wittes be so weake,
They say they dare not speake,
They be afrayd of heate;
Some be sycke and sadd,
For sorrowe almost madd;
I tell youe veryly,
Ther wittes be awry,
They peyne themselves greatly
To haue the trouth go by;
Some on bokes dayly prye,
And yett perceyve not reason whie;
Tho some affirme, some do deny,
With nowe a trouth and then a ly,
To say one thinge openly,
And an other prively;—
Here be but youe and I;
Say to me your mynd playnlye,
Is it not open heresy?
Thus say they secretly,
Whisperinge with sorrowe
That they deny to morowe.
Ther tales be so dobble,
That many be in trobble,
And doubt which way to take,
Themselves sure to make:
A lorde, it makes me shake!
For pyty that I quake.
They be so colde and horse.
That they haue no forse,
So they be prefarred,
Tho all the rest were marred.
Thus the people smatter,
That dayly talke and clatter,
Oure preachers do but flatter,
To make themselves the fatter,
And care not thoughe the matter
Were clerely layde a watter.
Douse men chatt and chide it,
For they may not abid it;
The Thomistes wold hide it,
For littera occidit.
Thus these sysmatickes,
And lowsy lunatickes,
With spurres and prickes
Call true men heretickes.
They finger ther fidles,
And cry in quinibles,
Away these bibles,
For they be but ridles!
And give them Robyn Whode,
To red howe he stode
In mery grene wode,[596]
When he gathered good,
Before Noyes ffloodd!
For the Testamentes
To them, they sey, sente is,
To gather vpp ther rentes,
After ther intentes:
Wherby it by them ment is,
That lay men be but lowtes;
They may not knowe the clowtes,
Nor dispute of the doubtes,
That is in Christes lawe;
For why, they never sawe
The bagg nor the bottell
Of oure Arrestotle,
Nor knowe not the toyes
Of Doctore Averroyes;
It is no play for boyes,
Neyther for lay men;
But only for schole men,
For they be witty men,
As wise as any wrenne,
And holy as an henne.
For Doctoure Bullatus,
Though[597] parum literatus,
Will brable and prate thus;
Howe Doctoure Pomaunder,
As wise as a gander,
Wotes not wher to wander,
Whether to Meander,
Or vnto Menander;[598]
For of Alexander,
Irrefragable Hales,
He cane tell many tales,
Of many parke pales,
Of butgettes and of males,
Of Candy and of Cales,
And of West Wales.
But Doctoure Dorbellous
Doth openly tell vs
Howe they by and sell vs:
And Doctoure Sym Sotus
Cann goostely grope vs;
For he hathe rad Scotus,
And so the dawe dotus
Of Doctour Subtyles;
Yea, three hundreth myles,
With sutch crafty wyles
He many men begiles,
That never knewe an vnce
At full of Master Dunce.
Then Doctoure Bonbardus
Can skill of Lombardus;
He wonnes at Malepardus,[599]
With Father Festino,
And Doctoure Attamino,
Dudum de camino,
With ther consobrino,
Capite equino
Et corde asinino;
Hi latent in limo
Et in profundo fimo,
Cubantes in culino
Cum Thoma de Aquino,
Tractantes in ima
De pelle canina
Et lana caprina.
Then Doctoure Chekmate
Hath his pardoned pate,
A man yll educate;
His harte is indurate,
His heade eke edentate;
His wittes be obfuscate,
His braynes obumbrate,
Oure questions to debate;
For thoughe cam but late,
His cause is explicate
With termes intricate,
I note wherof conflate;
And therfore must he make
His bull and antedate.
Then Doctour Tom-to-bold
Is neyther whote nor colde,
Till his coles be solde;
His name may not be tolde
For syluer nor for golde;
But he is sutch a scolde,
That no play may hym holde
For anger vnbepyst,
Yf his name were wist;
Ye may judge as ye liste;
He is no Acquiniste,
Nor non Occanist,[600]
But a mockaniste;
This man may not be myste,
He is a suer sophiste,
And an olde papist.
But nowe we haue a knighte[601]
That is a man of mighte,
All armed for to fighte,
To put the trouthe to flighte
By Bowbell pollecy,
With his poetry
And his sophestry;
To mocke and make a ly,
With quod he and quod I;
And his appologye,
Made for the prelacy,
Ther hugy pompe and pride
To coloure and to hide;
He maketh no nobbes,
But with his diologges
To prove oure prelates goddes,
And lay men very lobbes,
Betinge they[m] with bobbes,
And with ther ow[n]e roddes;
Thus he taketh payne
To fable and to fayne,
Ther myscheff to mayntayne,
And to haue them rayne
Over hill and playne,
Yea, over heaven and hell,
And wheras sprites dwell,
In purgatorye holles,
With whote ffier and coles,
To singe for sely soules,
With a supplication,
And a confutation,
Without replication,
Havinge delectation
To make exclamation,
By way of declamation,
In his Debellation,[602]
With a popishe fasshion
To subvert oure nation:
But this daucok doctoure
And purgatory proctoure
Waketh nowe for wages,
And, as a man that rages
Or overcome with ages,[603]
Disputith per ambages,
To helpe these parasites
And naughty ipocrites,
With legendes of lyes,
Fayned fantasies,
And very vanyties,
Called veryties,
Vnwritten and vnknowen.
But as they be blowne
From lyer to lyer,
Inventyd by a ffryer
In magna copia,
Brought out of Vtopia
Vnto the mayde of Kent,[604]
Nowe from the devill sent,
A virgyne ffayre and gent,
That hath our yees blent:
Alas, we be myswent!
For yf the false intent
Were knowen of this witche,
It passeth dogg and bitche:
I pray God, do so mutche
To fret her on the itche,
And open her in tyme!
For this manly myne
Is a darke devyne,
With his poetry,
And her iugglery,
By conspiracy
To helpe our prelacy,
She by ypocresye,
And he by tyranny,
That causeth cruelly
The simple men to dye
For fayned herisye:
He saythe that this nody
Shall brenne, soule and body,
Or singe his palanody,
With feare till he pant,
To make hym recreante
His sayinges to recante,
So as he shalbe skante
Able for to loke
In writinge or in booke,
That treatithe of the rote
Or of the base and fote
Of ther abhomynation:
He vsethe sutche a fasshion,
To send a man in station
With an evill passion
To his egression,
Before the procession
Slylye for to stalke,
And solempeny to walke,
To here the preacher talke,
Howe he hath made a balke;
And so the innocent,
For feare to be brent,
Must suffer checke and checke,
His faccott on his necke,
Not for his life to quecke,
But stande vpp, like a bosse,
In sighte at Paules crosse,
To the vtter losse
Of his goode name and fame:
Thus with great payne and shame
He kepethe men in bandes,
Confiskinge goods and landes,
And then to hete ther handes
With faccottes and with brandes,
Or make them be abjure:
These thinges be in vre;
Youe leade vs with the lure
Of your persecution
And cruell execution,
That the fyry fume
Oure lyves shall consume
By three, by two, and one;
Men say ye will spare none
Of hye nor lowe degre,
That will be eneme
To your ipocrese,
Or to your god the bele;
For who dare speake so felle
That clerkes should be simple,
Without spott or wrinkell?
Yett nathelesse alwey
I do protest and saye,
And shall do while I may,
I never will deny,
But confesse openly,
That punnysshement should be,
In every degre,
Done with equite;
When any doth offende,
Then oughte youe to attende
To cause hyme to amend,
Awaytinge tyme and place,
As God may give youe grace,
To haue hyme fase to fase,
His fautes to deface,
With hope to reconcyle hyme;
But not for to begile hym,
Or vtterly to revile hyme,
As thoughe ye wold excile hyme;
For then, the trouth to tell
Men thinke ye do not well.
Ye call that poore man wretch,
As thoughe ye hadd no retche,
Or havinge no regarde,
Whiche ende should go forwarde:
Ye be so sterne and harde,
Ye rather drawe backwarde,
Your brother so to blinde,
To grope and sertche his mynde,
As thoughe youe were his frinde,
Some worde to pike and finde,
Wherby ye may hyme blinde;
With your popishe lawe
To kepe vs vnder awe,
By captious storyes
Of interrogatoryes:
Thus do ye full vnkindly,
To feyne yourselves frindley,
And be nothinge but fyndly.
I tell youe, men be lothe
To se youe wode and wrothe,
And then for to be bothe
Th’accuser and the judge:
Then farewell all refuge,
And welcom sanguisuge!
When ye be madd and angry,
And an expresse enemy,
It is ageynst all equitye
Ye shoulde be judge and partye:
Therfore the kinges grace
Your lawes muste deface;
For before his face
Youe should your playntes bringe,
As to your lorde and kinge
And judge in euery thinge,
That, by Godes worde,
Hathe power of the sworde,
As kinge and only lorde,
So scripture doth recorde;
For her within his lande
Should be no counterband,
But holy at his hande
We shoulde all be and stande,
Both clerkes spirituall,
And lay men temporall:
But youe make lawe at will,
The poore to plucke and pill,
And some that do no yll,
Your appetites to ffill,
Ye do distroy and kill.
Lett Godes worde try them,
And then ye shall not frye them;
Yea, lett the worde of God
Be every mannes rode,
And the kinges the lawe
To kepe them under awe,
To fray the rest with terroure,
They may revoke ther erroure:
And thus, I say agayne,
The people wolde be fayne
Ye prelates wolde take payne
To preache the gospell playne;
For otherwise certayne
Your laboure is in vayne;
For all your crueltye,
I knowe that you and we
Shall never well agree:
Ye may in no wise se
Sutch as disposed be
Of ther charitye
To preach the verytye;
Ye stope them with decrees,
And with your veritees,
Unwritten, as ye saye;
Thus ye make them stay:
But God, that all do may,
I do desire and pray,
To open us the day,
Which is the very kaye
Of knowledge of his way,
That ye have stolen awaye!
And then, my lordes, perfay,
For all your popishe play,
Not all your gold so gay,
Nor all your riche araye,
Shall serve youe to delaye
But some shall go astraye,
And lerne to swyme or sinke;
For truly I do thinke,
Ye may well wake or wynke,
For any meat or drinke
Ye geitt, without ye swynke.
But that wold make youe wrothe;
For, I trowe, ye be lothe
To do eyther of both,
That is, yourself to cloth
With laboure and with sweate
And faste till youe eate
But that youe erne and geate;
Like verlettes and pages,
To leve your parsonages,
Your denns and your cages,
And by[605] dayly wages:
God blesse us, and Sainct Blase!
This were a hevy case,
A chaunce of ambesase,
To se youe broughte so base,
To playe without a place:
Now God send better grace!
And loke ye lerne apase
To tripe in trouthes trace,
And seke some better chaunce
Yourselves to avaunce,
With sise synke or synnes;
For he laughe[s] that wynnes,
As ye haue hetherto,
And may hereafter do;
Yf ye the gospell preche,
As Christ hymself did teche,
And in non other wise
But after his devise,
Ye may with good advyse
Kepe your benefise
And all your dignite,
Without malignite,
In Christes name, for me;
I gladely shall agre
It ever may so be.
But this I say and shall,
What happ soeuer fall,
I pray and call
The Kinge celestiall,
Ones to give youe grace
To se his worde haue place;
And then within shorte space
We shall perceyve and se
Howe euery degre
Hath his auctorite
By the lawe of Christ,
The lay man and the prest,
The poore man and the lorde;
For of that monocorde
The scripture doth recorde;
And then with good accorde,
In love and in Concorde
We shall together holde;
Or elles ye may be bolde,
For heate or colde
Say ye what ye will,
Yt were as good be still;
For thoughe ye glose and frase
Till your eyes dase,
Men holde it but a mase
Till Godes worde haue place,
That doth include more grace
Then all erthly men
Could ever knowe or ken.

Thuse endith the thirde parte of this present treatise called the Image of Ypocresye.

Nowe with sondry sectes
The world sore infectes,
As in Christes dayes
Amonge the Pharisees,
In clothinge and in names;
For some were Rhodyans,
And Samaritans,
Some were Publicanes,
Some were Nazarenes,
Bisshops and Essenes,
Preestes and Pharisees;
And so of Saducees,
Prophetes and preachers,
Doctours and teachers,
Tribunes and tribes,
Lawers and scribes,
Deacons and levytes,
With many ipocrites;
And so be nowe also,
With twenty tymes[606] mo
Then were in Christes dayes
Amonge the Pharisees:
The Pope, whom first they call
Ther lorde and principall,
The patriarke withall;
And then the Cardinall
With tytles all of pride,
As legates of the side,
And some be cutt and shorne
That they be legates borne;
Then archebisshops bold,
And bisshops for the folde,
They metropolitannes,
And these diocysanyes,
That haue ther suffraganyes
To blesse the prophanyes;
Then be ther curtisanes
As ill as Arrianes
Or Domicianes,
Riall residentes,
And prudent presidentes;
So be their sensors,
Doughty dispensors,
Crafty inventors,
And prevy precentors,
With chaplaynes of honour
That kepe the Popes bower;
Then allmoners and deanes,
That geit by ther meanes
The rule of all reames;
Yett be ther subdeanes,
With treasorers of trust,
And chauncelours iniust,
To scoure of scab and rust,
With vicars generalls,
And ther officialles,
Chanons and chaunters,
That be great avaunters;
So be ther subchaunters,
Sextons and archedeakons,
Deakons and subdeakons,
That be ypodeakons,
Parsonnes and vicars,
Surveyors and sikers,
Prevy pursepikers,
Provostes and preachers,
Readers and teachers,
With bachilers and maysters,
Spenders and wasters;
So be ther proctors,
With many dull doctors,
Proude prebendaryes,
Colde commissaries,
Synfull secundaries,
Sturdy stipendaries,
With olde ordinaryes,
And penytencyaryes,
That kepe the sanctuaries;
So be ther notaries,
And prothonotaries,
Lawers and scribes,
With many quibibes,
Redy regesters,
Pardoners and questers,
Maskers and mummers,
Deanes and sumners,
Apparatoryes preste
To ride est and weste;
Then be ther advocates,
And parum litterates,
That eate vpp all estates,
With wyly visitors,
And crafty inquisitors,
Worse then Mamalokes,
That catche vs with ther crokes,
And brenne vs and oure bokes;
Then be ther annivolors,
And smalle benivolers,
With chauntry chapleynes,
Oure Ladyes chamberleynes;
And some be Jesu Christes,
As be oure servinge pristes,
And prestes that haue cure
Which haue ther lyvinge sure,
With clerkes and queresters,
And other smale mynisters,
As reders and singers,
Bedemen and bellringers,
That laboure with ther lippes
Ther pittaunce out of pittes,
With Bennet and Collet,
That bere bagg and wallett;
These wretches be full wely,
They eate and drinke frely,
Withe salve, stella cœli,[607]
And ther de profundis;
They lye with immundis,
And walke with vacabundis,
At good ale and at wynne
As dronke as any swynne;
Then be ther grosse abbottes,
That observe ther sabbottes,
Fayer, ffatt, and ffull,
As gredy as a gull,
And ranke as any bull,
With priors of like place,[608]
Some blacke and some white,
As channons be and monkes,
Great lobyes and lompes,
With Bonhomes and brothers,
Fathers and mothers,
Systers and nonnes,
And littell prety bonnes,
With lictors and lectors,
Mynisters and rectors,
Custos and correctors,
With papall collectors,
And popishe predagoges,[609]
Mockinge mystagoges,
In straunge array and robes,
Within ther sinagoges;
With sectes many mo,
An hundreth in a throo
I thinke to name by roo,
As they come to my mynde,
Whom, thoughe they be vnkind,
The lay mens labor finde;
For some be Benedictes
With many maledictes;
Some be Cluny,
And some be Plumy,
With Cistercyences,
Grandimontences,
Camaldulences,
Premonstratences,
Theutonycences,
Clarrivallences,
And Easiliences:
Some be Paulines,
Some be Antonynes,
Some be Bernardines,
Some be Celestines,
Some be Flamynes,
Some be Fuligines,
Some be Columbines,
Some be Gilbertines,
Some be Disciplines,
Some be Clarines,
And many[610] Augustines,
Some Clarissites,
Some be Accolites,
Some be Sklavemytes,
Some be Nycolites,
Some be Heremytes,
Some be Lazarites,
Some be Ninivites,
Some be Johannytes,
Some be Josephites,
Some be Jesuytes,
Servi and Servytes,
And sondry Jacobites;
Then be ther Helenytes,
Hierosolymites,
Magdalynites,
Hieronimytes,
Anacorites,
And Scenobites;
So be ther Sophrans,
Constantinopolitanes,
Holy Hungarians,
Purgatorians,
Chalomerians,
And Ambrosians;
Then be ther Indianes,
And Escocyanes,
Lucifrans,
Chartusyanes,
Collectanes,
Capusianes,
Hispanians,
Honofrianes,
Gregorianes,
Vnprosianes,
Winceslanes,
With Ruffianes,
And with Rhodianes;
Some be Templers,
And Exemplers,
Some be Spitlers,
And some be Vitlers,
Some be Scapelers,
And some Cubiculers,
Some be Tercyaris,
And some be of St. Marys,
Some be Hostiaris,
And of St. Johns frarys,
Some be Stellifers,
And some be Ensefers,
Some Lucifers,
And some be Crucyfers,
Some haue signe of sheres,
And some were shurtes of heres,
Some be of the spone,
And some be crossed to Rome,
Some daunte and daly
In Sophathes valley,
And in the blak alley
Wheras it ever darke is,
And some be of St Markis
Mo then be good clarkes,
Some be Mysiricordes,
Mighty men and lordes,
And some of Godes house
That kepe the poore souse,
Minimi and Mymes,
And other blak devines,
With Virgins and Vestalles,
Monkes and Monyalles,
That be conventualles,
Like frogges and todes;
And some be of the Rhodes,
Swordemen and knightes,
That for the [faith] fightes
With sise, sinke, and quatter.
But nowe never the latter
I intend to clatter
Of a mangye matter,
That smelles of the smatter,
Openly to tell
What they do in hell,
Wheras oure ffryers dwell
Everich in his sell,
The phane and the prophane,
The croked and the lame,
The mad, the wild, and tame,
Every one by name:
The formest of them all
Is ther Generall;
And the next they call
Ther hie Provincyall,
With Cvstos and Wardyn
That lye next the gardeyn;
Then oure father Prior,
With his Subprior
That with the covent comes
To gather vpp the cromes;
Then oure fryer Douche
Goeth by a crouche,
And slouthfull ffryer Slouche
That bereth Judas pouche;
Then ffryer Domynike
And ffryer Demonyke,
Fryer Cordiler
And ffryer Bordiler,
Fryer Jacobine,
Fryer Augustyne,
And ffryer Incubyne
And ffryer Succubine,
Fryer Carmelyte
And ffryer Hermelite,
Fryer Mynorite
And ffryer Ipocrite,
Frier ffranciscane
And ffrier Damiane,
Frier Precher
And ffrier Lecher,
Frier Crusifer
And ffrier Lusifer,
Frier Purcifer
And ffrier Furcifer,
Frier Ferdifer
And ffrier Merdifer,
Fryer Sacheler
And ffryer Bacheler,
Fryer Cloysterer
And ffrier Floysterer,
Frier Pallax
And ffrier Fallax,
Frier Fugax
And ffrier Nugax,
Frier Rapax
And ffrier Capax,
Frier Lendax
And ffrier Mendax,
Frier Vorax
And ffrier Nycticorax,[611]
Fryer Japax,
Frier Furderer
And ffrier Murderer,
Frier Tottiface
And ffrier Sottiface,
Frier Pottiface
And frier Pockyface,
Frier Trottapace
And ffrier Topiace,
Frier Futton
And ffrier Glotton,
Frier Galiard
And ffrier Paliard,
Frier Goliard
And ffrier Foliard,
Frier Goddard
And ffrier Foddard,
Frier Ballard
And ffrier Skallard,
Frier Crowsy
And ffrier Lowsy,
Frier Sloboll
And ffrier Bloboll,
Frier Toddypoll
And ffrier Noddypoll,
Frier fflaphole
And ffrier Claphole,
Frier Kispott
And ffrier Pispott,
Frier Chipchop
And ffrier Likpott,
Frier Clatterer
And ffrier fflatterer,
Frier Bib, ffrier Bob,
Frier Lib, ffrier Lob,
Frier Fear, ffrier Fonde,
Frier Beare, ffrier Bonde,
Frier Rooke, ffrier Py,
Frier Flooke, ffrier Flye,
Frier Spitt, ffrier Spy,
Frier Lik, ffrier Ly,
With ffrier We-he
Found by the Trinytye,
And frier Fandigo,
With an hundred mo
Could I name by ro,
Ne were for losse of tyme,
To make to longe a ryme:
O squalidi laudati,
Fœdi[612] effeminati,
Falsi falsati,
Fuci fucati,
Culi cacati,[613]
Balbi braccati,
Mimi merdati,[614]
Larvi larvati,[615]
Crassi cathaphi,[616]
Calvi cucullati,
Curvi curvati,
Skurvi knavati,
Spurci spoliati,
Hirci armati,
Vagi devastati,
Devii debellati,
Surdi sustentati,
Squalidi laudati,
Tardi terminati,
Mali subligati,
Inpii conjurati,
Profusi profugi,
Lapsi lubrici,
Et parum pudici!
Oth ye drane bees,
Ye bloody flesheflees,
Ye spitefull spittle spyes,
And grounde of herisees,
That dayly without sweat
Do but drinke and eate,
And murther meat and meat,
Ut fures et latrones!
Ye be incubiones,[617]
But no spadones,
Ye haue your culiones;
Ye be histriones,
Beastely balatrones,[618]
Grandes thrasones,[619]
Magni nebulones,
And cacodæmones,[620]
That [eat] vs fleshe and bones
With teeth more harde then stones;
Youe make hevy mones,
As it were for the nones,
With great and grevous grones,
By sightes and by sobbes
To blinde vs with bobbes;
Oh ye false faytours,
Youe theves be and tratours,
The devils dayly wayters!
Oh mesell Mendicantes,
And mangy Obseruauntes,
Ye be vagarantes!
As persers penitrantes,
Of mischef ministrantes,[621]
In pillinge postulantes,
In preachinge petulantes,
Of many sycophantes,[622]
That gather, as do antes,
In places wher ye go,
With in principio
Runnynge to and ffro,
Ye cause mikle woo
With hie and with loo;
Wher youe do resorte,
Ye fayne and make reporte
Of that youe never harde,
To make foles aferde
With visions and dremes,[623]
Howe they do in hevens,
And in other remes
Beyonde the great stremes
Of Tyger and of Gange,
Where tame devils range,
And in the black grange,
Thre myle out of hell,
Where sely sowles dwell,
In paynes wher they lye,
Howe they lament and cry
Vnto youe, holy lyars,
And false fflatteringe ffriers,
For Dirige and masses;
Wherwith, like very asses,
We maynteyn youe and your lasses;
But in especiall
Ye say, the sowles call
For the great trentall;
For some sely sowles
So depe ly in holes
Of ffier and brennyng coles,
That top and tayle is hid;
For whom to pray and bid
Thens to haue them rid,
Ye thinke it but a foly;
Althoughe the masse be holy,
The fendes be wyly;
Till masse of scala cœli,[624]
At Bathe or at Ely,
Be by a ffrier saide
That is a virgine mayde,
These sowles may not away,
As all yow ffriers say;
So trowe I without doubte
These sowles shall never out;
For it is rara avis,
Ye be so many knaves;
I swere by crosses ten,
That fewe be honest men;
So many of youe be
Full of skurrilite,
That throughly to be sought
The multitude is noughte:
Ye be nothinge denty;
Ye come among vs plenty
By coples in a peire,
As sprites in the heire,
Or dogges in the ffayre;
Where yow do repayre,
Ye ever ride and rune,
As swifte as any gune,
With nowe to go and come,
As motes in the sonne,
To shrive my lady nonne,
With humlery hum,
Dominus vobiscum!
God knoweth all and some,
What is and hath bene done,
Syns the world begone,
Of russett, gray, and white,
That sett ther hole delighte
In lust and lechery,
In thefte and trecherey,
In lowsy lewdenes,
In synne and shrodenes,
In crokednes acurst,
Of all people the worste,
Marmosettes and apes,
That with your pild pates
Mock vs with your iapes:
Ye holy caterpillers,
Ye helpe your wellwillers
With prayers and psalmes,
To devoure the almes
That Christians should give
To meynteyne and releve
The people poore and nedy;
But youe be gredy,
And so great a number,
That, like the ffier of thunder,
The worlde ye incomber:
But hereof do I wonder,
Howe ye preache in prose,
And shape therto a glose,
Like a shipmans hose,
To fayne yourse[l]ves ded,
Whiche nathelesse be fed,
And dayly eate oure bred,
That ye amonge vs beg,
And gett it spite of oure hede:
It wonder is to me,
Howe ye maye fathers be
Your sede to multiply,
But yf yow be incubi,[625]
That gender gobolynes:
Be we not bobolynes,
Sutch lesinges to beleve,
Whiche ye amonge vs dry[ve]?
Because ye do vs shrive,
Ye[626] say we must youe call
Fathers seraphicall
And angelicall,
That be fantasticall,
Brute and bestiall,
Yea, diabolicall,
The babes of Beliall,
The sacrifise of Ball,
The dregges of all durte,
Fast bounde and girte
Vnder the devils skyrte;
For pater Priapus,
And frater Polpatus,
With doctor Dulpatus,
Suffultus fullatus,[627]
Pappus paralyticus,[628]
And pastor improvidus,
Be false and frivolus,
Proude and pestiferous,
Pold and pediculous,
Ranke and ridiculous,
Madd and meticulous,
Ever invidious,
Never religious,
In preachinge prestigious,
In walkinge prodigious,
In talkinge sedicious,
In doctrine parnicious,
Haute and ambicious,
Fonde and supersticious,
In lodginge prostibulus,
In beddinge promiscuous,
In councells myschevous,
In musters monstrous,
In skulkinge insidicious,
Vnchast and lecherous,
In excesse outragious,
As sicknesse contagious,[629]
The wurst kind of edders,
And stronge sturdy beggers:
Wher one stande and teaches,
An other prate and preches,
Like holy horseleches:
So this rusty rable
At bourd and at table
Shall fayne and fable,
With bible and with bable,
To make all thinge stable,
By lowringe and by lokinge,
By powrynge and by potinge,
By standinge and by stopinge,
By handinge and by ffotinge,
By corsy and by crokinge,
With their owne pelf promotinge,
With ther eyes alweyes totinge
Wher they may haue shotinge
Ther and here ageyne:
Thus the people seyne,[630]
With wordes true and playne,
Howe they jest and ioll
With ther nody poll,
With rownynge and rollinge,
With bowsinge and bollinge,
With lillinge and lollinge,
With knyllinge and knollinge,
With tillinge and tollinge,
With shavinge and pollinge,
With snyppinge and snatchinge,
With itchinge and cratchinge,
With kepinge and katchinge,
With wepinge and watchinge,
With takinge and catchinge,
With peltinge and patchinge,
With findinge and fatchinge,
With scriblinge and scratchinge,
With ynkinge and blatchinge;
That no man can matche them,
Till the devill fatche them,
And so to go together
Vnto their denne for ever,
Wher hens as they never
Hereafter shall dissever,
But dy eternally,
That lyve so carnally;
For that wilbe ther ende,
But yf God them sende
His grace here to amend:
And thus I make an ende.

Thus endeth the ffourthe and laste parte of this treatise called the Image of Ypocresy.

The grudge of ypocrites conceyved ageynst the auctor of this treatise.

These be as knappishe knackes
As ever man made,
For javells and for iackes,
A jymiam for a iade.

Well were we, yf we wist
What a wight he were
That starred vpp this myst,
To do vs all this dere:

Oh, yf we could attayne hym,
He mighte be fast and sure
We should not spare to payne hym,
While we mighte indure!

The awnswer of the auctor.

Ego sum qui sum,
My name may not be told;
But where ye go or come,
Ye may not be to bold:

For I am, is, and was,
And ever truste to be,
Neyther more nor las
Then asketh charite.

This longe tale to tell
Hathe made me almost horse:
I trowe and knowe right well
That God is full of force,

And able make the dome
And defe men heare and speake,
And stronge men overcome
By feble men and weke:

So thus I say my name is;
Ye geit no more of me,
Because I wilbe blameles,
And live in charite.

Thuse endith this boke called the Image of Ypocresye.

[468] The Image of Ipocrysy] Is now printed from MS. Lansdown 794. The original has very considerable alterations and additions by a different hand: the first page is here and there illegible, partly from the paleness of the ink, and partly from the notes which Peter Le Neve (the possessor of the MS. in 1724) has unmercifully scribbled over it. I give the title here as it stands at the end of the First Part.

Hearne and others have attributed this remarkable production to Skelton. The poem, however, contains decisive evidence that he was not its author: to say nothing of other passages,—the mention of certain writings of Sir Thomas More and of “the mayde of Kent” (Elizabeth Barton), which occurs in the Third Part, would alone be sufficient to prove that it was the composition of some writer posterior to his time.

[469] Vp to the clowdy skye] Originally “Vp into the skye.”

[470] Our parsons and curates] This line (now pasted over in the MS.) has been obtained from a transcript of the poem made by Thomas Martin of Palgrave.

[471] Glottons] Originally “Prelates.”

[472] And] Substituted for “To,” when the preceding line was added.

[473] him] Originally “vs.”

[474] Take] Originally “haue.”

[475] Dothe] Originally “Or.”

[476] Doo] Originally “That.”

[477] seem] Is the substitution of a somewhat later hand, the original word being faded: qy. “self?”

[478] runne in att the rove] Originally “runnynge at the masse.”

[479] prove] Originally “presse.”

[480] Wher they may be sure] Followed by a deleted line, now partly illegible,—

“ ... wayte to haue wynnynge.”

[481] To fyshe for any gayne] Followed by a deleted line which seems to have been,—

“With shotinge or with singinge.”

[482] Shall pryck, &c.] The position of this line, and of the next but one, was originally different.

[483] Chafyng] Which seems to be the reading intended, was originally preceded by “Wyll.”

[484] And then] Originally “At lenghe.”

[485] Thoughe] MS. “Throughe”

[486] Which] Qy. “With?”

[487] bowes] Qy. “vowes?”

[488] of ther] Qy. “other?”

[489] backe] Something wanting here.

[490] No man wyll they spare] Originally,—

“They passe not of a sparre.”

[491] Your] Originally “For.”

[492] In] Originally “And.”

[493] Youre] Originally “And.”

[494] Wher God his gyfte or grace] Originally,

“Wher god of his grace.”

[495] And all his kingdom, whan] Originally,

“At the good tyme whan.”

[496] Ye] Originally “That.”

[497] Lordely, &c.] On the outer margin of the MS., opposite this verse, are the following lines, partly cut off by the binder;

“Thes be the knavysh
knackes that ever w ...

o ...

ffor Javelles and for J[ackes].”

[498] And worldly welth to haue] Originally “And possession to haue.”

[499] chippe] Qy. “clippe?”

[500] When masse and all is done] Followed by a deleted line;

“The paynes to release.”

[501] as] Originally “that.”

[502] All] Originally “All ys.”

[503] For lust fyndes no lett] Occupies the place of the following three deleted lines;

“be she ffayre or fowle
for vnderneth an amys
alyke ther hart is.”

[504] or] MS. “as.”

[505] Or owgly] Over this is the deleted word “blobcheked.”

[506] pretens] Originally “the bande.”

[507] not I] Originally “for why.”

[508] Lest here you] Originally “Here lest youe.”

[509] with vs] Originally “your.”

[510] treuth] Originally “the treuth.”

[511] That all the falt doth lye] Originally “But all the falt do lye.”

[512] oure] Qy. “youre?” but compare 6th line of next column. In the following line, “sanguinolently” should perhaps be printed as Latin,—“sanguinolenti.”

[513] cokold foles] Originally “loutes and knaves.”

[514] We wer an oxes fether] Originally “And in oure hoode a fether.”

[515] Oure hedes for to gnob] Followed by two deleted lines;

“And make vs soch a lob

To vse one lyke a lob.”

[516] For your] Originally “With.”

[517] Through] Originally “With.”

[518]

And small, &c.

...

To make soch recompens

This passage is substituted for two deleted lines;

“To your possessyon

Without discretion.”

[519]

By gyvyng, &c.

...

Of harty penytens

This passage is substituted for three deleted lines;

“S ... fonde affection
To oure correccion
Without protection.”

[520] yowe] Originally “them.”

[521] that] Originally “an.”

[522] be] Originally “to be.”

[523] For you on] Originally “For on.”

[524] Can suffre or abyde] Originally “Ye cane here abide.”

[525] vehement] Originally “diligent.”

[526] So] Originally “That.”

[527] We] Originally “And.”

[528] And be thus] Originally “That we be.”

[529] We know not] Originally “Not knowing.”—After this line is one cut off by the binder.

[530] That when he eat] Originally “When he shall eat.”

[531] Slepe, awake] Originally “Slepe or wake.”

[532] Doth styll] Originally “He must.”

[533] Kepe] Before this word stood originally “And,” afterwards altered to “To,” which is also deleted.

[534] Be made vnto his heste] Originally,

“Be made to his heste;”

for which, was first substituted,

“Made be to his hest.”

[535] To governe] Originally “Wisely to.”

[536] evyll] Originally “ill.”

[537] Lyke Lucyfer, the devyll] Originally,

“In Judgement of the devill.”

[538] And so] Originally “For.”

[539] That thei fall not vnware] Originally,

“Or elles may vnware.”

[540] Into] Originally “Fall in.”

[541]

All maner, &c.

...

To gather and to kepe

These three lines substituted for two deleted lines;

“To gather and to kepe

Treasure in a hepe.”

[542] sylver] Originally “mony.”

[543] The craft, &c.] Originally,

“Yf all the chraft were tolde.”

[544] Antychryst] Originally “the courte.”

[545] For thens, &c.] Originally,

“For ther sourdes the springe.”

[546] geate] Followed by a deleted line;

“Be it by colde or heate.”

[547] Which at his] Originally “That his.”

[548] May ech man, &c.] Originally,

“May bothe saue and spill.”

[549] As he lyste] Originally “At will to.”

[550] And at his, &c.] Originally,

“And wyll it clere enhibyte.”

[551] wyse] Originally “true.”

[552] shall] Originally “must.”

[553] above or hell] Originally “or in hell.”

[554] Then] Originally “But.”

[555] Thou gettest true remyssion] Originally,

“To haue remission.”

[556] That never, &c.] Originally “That haue hadd no regarde.”

[557] palia ... Bacchanalia] It would seem from the context that the right reading is “Palilia.” The MS. has “Bacchanallia.”

[558] after] Originally “afterwarde.”

[559] Colde] Originally “Olde.”

[560] Sustentations] MS. “Sustentions,” and originally “Substentions.”

[561] Excusations] Substituted for a word now illegible.

[562] his] Originally “oure.”

[563] pylde] Originally “pylde and.”

[564] a] Originally “the.”

[565] yf] Originally “leste.”

[566] curse] Originally “course.”

[567] inamœna] MS. “In amena” the latter word being substituted for one now illegible.

[568] no] Originally “out.”

[569]Iscarioth] Originally “Scarioth.”

[570] galefull] Originally “gale.”

[571] bogorian] Originally “bogorane.”

[572] A privye] Originally “And a.”

[573] That] Originally “And.”

[574] As hogges, &c.] Originally,

“As any pigge in stye.”

[575] With confytes, &c.] Originally,

“And portingale fartes.”

[576] They robbe, &c.] Originally “Wher they take pillage.”

[577] them] Originally “that.”

[578] Of] Originally “By.”

[579] aspyre] Followed by a deleted line (inserted above with a slight variation);

“Thyr hartes ar so on fyer.”

[580] Performe] Originally “We do,” the preceding line being an addition.

[581] Hys] Originally “Ther.”

[582] That dare ons be] Originally “No man dare be,” the preceding line being an addition.

[583] Nor] Originally “For.”

[584] soch men] Originally “them.” This line is followed by three deleted lines (inserted above,—the first two slightly altered);

“Mony meat or golde
But be they shorne or polde
Ther lyves not suche a scolde.”

[585] For] Originally “And.”

[586] And in, &c.] Originally,

“In all the all the world wide

Vse such pompe,” &c.

[587] Of no, &c.] Originally “Of no prince nor of duke.”

[588] wonder] Originally “wonderfull.”

[589] agast] Followed by a deleted line;

“But fede whilst they do brast.”

[590] vpp stoores] Originally “vpp ther stoores.”

[591] hym] Originally “them.”

[592] or advayle] Originally “or for avayle.”

[593] And] Originally “Their.”

[594] But who so] Originally “But who euer.”

[595] conquer] Originally “subdue.”

[596] grene wode] Is obviously the right reading. MS. has merely “grenes.”

[597] Though, &c.] This line is added by a comparatively modern hand.

[598] Menander] See note, p, 130.

[599] Malepardus] The abode of Reynard according to the famous old romance: “reynart had many a dwellyng place, but the castel of maleperduys was the beste and the fastest burgh that he had, ther laye he inne whan he had nede and was in ony drede or fere.” Sig. a 8. ed. 1481.

[600] Occanist] So written, it would seem, for the rhyme; properly “Occamist.”

[601] a knighte] i. e. Sir Thomas More.

[602] his Debellation] i. e. Sir Thomas More’s Debellacyon of Salem vnd Byzance.

[603] ages] i. e. age is.

[604] the mayde of Kent] i. e. Elizabeth Barton.

[605] by] i. e. buy,—acquire, earn.

[606] tymes] MS. “tynes.”

[607] cœli] MS. “cely.”

[608] place] Should perhaps be “plite”—or there may be some omission in the MS. after this line.

[609] predagoges] Qy. “pædagoges?”

[610] And many] Originally “Some be.”

[611] Nycticorax] MS. “Necticorax.”

[612] Fœdi] MS. “Fedi.”

[613] cacati] MS. “caccati.”

[614] merdati] MS. “mardati.”

[615] Larvi larvati] MS. “Lerui leruati.” The line ought properly to be “Larvæ larvatæ.”

[616] cathaphi] Qy. “cataphagi” (voraces)?

[617] incubiones] Properly “incubones.”

[618] balatrones] MS. “ballatrones.”

[619] thrasones] MS. “thrassones.”

[620] cacodæmones] MS. “cacademones.”

[621]

penitrantes] }

ministrantes] }

MS. “pennytrantes” and “mynistrantes.”

[622] Of many sycophantes] Perhaps “many” should be “mony.” MS. “sicophantes:” the proper form is “sycophantæ.”

[623] dremes] I suspect the author wrote “sweuens,” and that “dremes,” a gloss on the word, crept by mistake into the text.

[624] cœli] MS. “cely.”

[625] incubi] MS. “incuby.”

[626] Ye] MS. “We.”

[627] fullatus] Qy. “fulcratus?”

[628] paralyticus] MS. “paraliticus.”

[629] contagious] MS. “contragious.”

[630] seyne] Originally “sey.”

CORRIGENDA AND ADDENDA.

VOL. I.

DYUERS BALETTYS, &c.

Page 22. v. 13.

“He trusted her payment, and lost all hys pray.”

Dele the foot-note “Qy. pay?”—pray (as I have mentioned in note, vol. ii. 98) being doubtless the right reading.

—— v. 15.

“The ryuers rowth, the waters wan;

She sparyd not to wete her fete.”

The proper punctuation seems to be,

“The ryuers rowth, the waters wan,

She sparyd not, to wete her fete.”

THE BOWGE OF COURTE.

Page 38. v. 215. In some copies the semicolon at the end of the line has dropt out—

“To you oonly, me thynke, I durste shryue me;”

Page 44. v. 368.

“What reuell route! quod he, and gan to rayle.”

Point,

“What, reuell route! quod he,” &c.

Here (as in the line cited from the Digby Mysteries, Notes, vol. ii. 116) “route” is of course a verb—What, let revel roar! I might have added to the note on this passage, that the compound substantive revel-rout is used by Rowe;

“for this his minion,

The revel-rout is done.”

Jane Shore, act i. sc. 1.

PHYLLYP SPAROWE.

Page 58. v. 245.

“Ma gni fi cat.”

In some copies the line stands erroneously,

“Mag gni fi cat.”

ELYNOUR RUMMYNG.

Page 101. v. 185.

“God gyue it yll preuynge,

Clenly as yuell cheuynge!”

Dele the comma after “preuynge.” Clenly, i. e. Wholly.

POEMS AGAINST GARNESCHE.

Page 119. v. 40.

“Wranglynge, waywyrde, wytles, wraw, and nothyng meke.”

wraw, i. e. peevish, angry: see Tyrwhitt’s Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales.

Page 120. v. 3. For “shryke” read “skrybe.”

AGAINST VENEMOUS TONGUES.

Page 133. v. 2.

“In Romaine letters I neuer founde lack:”

Put a semicolon at the end of this line.

THE MANER OF THE WORLD NOW A DAYES.

Page 148.

This piece (see Notes, vol. ii. 199) ought, I believe, to have been inserted among the Poems attributed to Skelton,—not among his undoubted productions.

TETRASTICHON VERITATIS.

Page 181.

The indentation of the second and fourth lines has been retained by mistake from the old ed.

AGAINST THE SCOTTES.

Page 185. v. 103.

“Your lege ye layd and your aly

Your frantick fable,” &c.

Put a comma after “aly.”

ELEGIA IN COMITISSAM DE DERBY.

Page 196. The last line in this page,

“Quo regnas rutilans rex sine fine manens,”

as it is a pentameter, ought to have been indented.

MAGNYFYCENCE.

Page 234. v. 281.

“Magn. Largesse is laudable, so it in measure be.”

The rhyme seems to require,

“Magn. Largesse is laudable, so it be in measure.”

Page 243. v. 540.

“Cr. Con. By God, had not I it conuayed,

Yet Fansy had ben dysceyued.”

Qy. “dyscryued?” In v. 2398 of this drama, Skelton appears to employ “dyscryue” in the (unusual) sense of—discover, search, try; and in the present passage a word equivalent to discovered seems necessary.

Page 247. v. 681.

“Fan. Ye, my Fansy was out of owle flyght”

would perhaps stand more properly,

“Fan. Ye, my fansy,” &c.

Page 249. v. 746.

“I muster, I medle amonge these grete estates,

I sowe sedycyous sedes of dyscorde and debates”

ought probably to be pointed thus,

“I muster, I medle; amonge these grete estates

I sowe sedycyous sedes of dyscorde and debates.”

Page 258. v. 1033.

“That I wote not where I may rest.
Fyrst to tell you what were best,
Frantyke Fansy seruyce I hyght;”

Perhaps there should be a comma after “rest” and a full-point after “best.” In the last line, for “Fansy seruyce” read “Fansy-seruyce.”

Page 261. v. 1128.

“For Goddes cope thou wyll spende.”

Point,

“For, Goddes cope, thou wyll spende.”

Page 272. v. 1442.

“Magn. What can ye agree thus and appose?”

Point,

“Magn. What, can ye agree thus and appose?”

—— v. 1444.

“Lyb. Ye, of Jacke a thrommys bybyll can ye make a glose?”

is not a question: put a full-point at the end of the line.

Page 272. v. 1446.

“What sholde a man do with you, loke you vnder kay.”

Point,

“What sholde a man do with you? loke you vnder kay?”

Page 293. v. 2090.

“ye mary.”

Put a comma between these words.

Page 295. v. 2166.

“And some fall prechynge at the Toure Hyll.”

Qy.

“And some fall to prechynge,” &c.?

compare the preceding line.

COLYN CLOUTE.

Page 328. v. 460.

“Iche wot what eche other thynk.”

The reading of Kele’s ed. “yehe” ought not to have been rejected, as the earlier part of the line seems to mean—Each knows (not, I know), &c.

Page 332. v. 562.

“And qualyfyed qualytes”

ought perhaps to be followed by a semicolon: but the passage is very obscure.

Page 358. v. 1208.

“As noble Ezechyas.”

Read “Isaias” (MS. has “Isay,” vide foot-note). See Notes, vol. ii. 298.

GARLANDE OF LAURELL.

Page 381. v. 477.

“Thus passid we forth walkynge vnto the pretory”—

insert a comma after “forth” and at the end of the line.

Page 384. v. 581.

“And seryously she shewyd me ther denominacyons.”

seryously, i. e. seriatim. So in a letter from Tuke to Wolsey; “Thus preceding to the letters, to shewe Your Grace summarily, for rehersing every thing seriously I shal over long moleste Your Grace,” &c. State Papers (1830), i. 299.

Page 393. v. 790.

“To weue in the stoule sume were full preste,

With slaiis, with tauellis, with hedellis well drest;

The frame was browght forth with his weuyng pin,” &c.

Perhaps the right punctuation may be,

“To weue in the stoule sume were full preste;

With slaiis, with tauellis, with hedellis well drest,

The frame was browght forth with his weuyng pin,” &c.

Page 417. v. 1418.

“With, Wofully arayd, and shamefully betrayd;

Of his makyng deuoute medytacyons.”

Two pieces seem to be mentioned here; and therefore the passage ought to stand,

“With, Wofully arayd, and Shamefully betrayd,

Of his makyng deuoute medytacyons.”

The sacred poem Wofully arayd occurs in vol. i. 141.

VOL. II.

SPEKE, PARROT.

Page 22. v. 441.

“Sette asyde all sophysms,” &c.

I ought to have altered the reading of the MS. “sophyns” to “sophyms” (not to “sophysms”): see “sophime” (i. e. sophism) in Tyrwhitt’s Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales.

WHY COME YE NAT TO COURTE?

Page 36. v. 290.

“Into a mouse hole they wolde
Rynne away and crepe,
Lyke a mayny of shepe;
Dare nat loke out at dur,” &c.

The proper punctuation is,

“Into a mouse hole they wolde
Rynne away and crepe;
Lyke a mayny of shepe,
Dare nat loke out at dur,” &c.

NOTES.

Page 110.—“Page 40. v. 252. Heue and how rombelow]” I might have added, that “heaue and hoe Rumbelo” occurs in a nonsensical song (No. 31) in Ravenscroft’s Pammelia, 1609.

Page 124.—“Page 54. v. 118. For to kepe his cut, &c.]” So in the Coventry Mysteries, the Pharisee says to the woman taken in adultery;

“We xal the teche with carys colde

A lytyl bettyr to kepe thi kutte.”

MS. Cott. Vesp. D viii. fol. 123.

Page 132.—“Page 66. v. 485. at a brayde]” This expression is used here in connexion with singing: and in one of the Christmas Carols printed for the Percy Society, p. 51, we find,

“Wherefor syng we alle atte a brayde, nowell.”

Page 147.—“Page 84. v. 1078. Enhached] i. e. Inlaid,” &c. I ought to have observed that, though in the preceding line Skelton calls this beauty-spot a “sker” (scar), he means the wart already mentioned;

“Her beautye to augment,
Dame Nature hath her lent
A warte vpon her cheke,
Who so lyst to seke
In her vysage a skar,” &c.

v. 1041.

and see too v. 1064.

Page 148.—“Page 86. v. 1151.

She is playnly expresse
Egeria, the goddesse,
And lyke to her image,
Emportured with corage,
A louers pilgrimage]

I must leave the reader to form his own idea of the meaning of the last two lines,” &c. The following lines of Lydgate may be cited as somewhat resembling the present passage;

“To hym appered a monstruous ymage

Parted on twayne of colour and corage,” &c.

Fall of Prynces, B. vi. leaf cxxxiiii. ed. Wayland.

Page 157. last line but one. “The gist or point of this satire had a noble origin, or there must be an extraordinary coincidence of thought in the Beoni, or Topers, a ludicrous effusion of the great Lorenzo de Medici, when a young man.” Dallaway was led to this remark by the following passage in Spence’s Anecdotes, &c.; “Skelton’s poems are all low and bad: there’s nothing in them that’s worth reading.—P. [Mr. Cleland, who was by, added, that the Tunning of Ellinor Rummin, in that author’s works, was taken from a poem of Lorenzo de’ Medici’s].” p. 173. ed. 18-20.—I Beoni, observes Mr. D’Israeli (referring to Roscoe’s Life of Lorenzo de’ Medici, i. 290), “was printed by the Giunti in 1568, and therefore this burlesque piece could never have been known to Skelton.” Amen. of Lit. ii. 79.

Page 166.—“Page 102. v. 229.... fonny is, I suppose, foolishly amorous,” &c. I ought to have said “fonny, i. e. to fon, to be foolishly amorous,” &c.

Page 172. line 3. for “v. 490,” read “v. 400.”

Page 176.—“Page 113. v. 560. mote I hoppy] i. e. may I have good hap.” Rather, I believe—may I hop. “Hoppy, to hop or caper. Exm.” Grose’s Prov. Gloss. ed. 1839.

Page 184.—“Page 121. v. 46. dud frese] i. e. coarse frieze.” But in Prompt. Parv. we find “Dudde clothe. Amphibolus. Burrus.” ed. 1499.

Page 188.—“Page 125. v. 178. Soche pelfry thou hast pachchyd.” Add to note on this line,—Dekker, describing “The Blacke Arte” (or “Picking of Lockes”), tells us that “The gaines gotten is Pelfry.” The Belman of London, &c. sig. F 4. ed. 1608.

Page 190. “—— goliardum].” “Goliardeis, one who gains his living by following rich men’s tables, and telling tales and making sport for the guests. See on this word the Introduction to the Poems of Walter Mapes.” Wright’s Gloss, to Piers Ploughman.

Page 195.—“Page 133. v. 3. In your crosse rowe nor Christ crosse you spede]” Add to note on this line that—in The Boke of Curtasye we find;

“Yff that thou be a ȝong enfaunt,
And thenke tho scoles for to haunt,
This lessoun schulle thy maister the merke,
Cros Crist the spede in alle thi werke.”

The sec. Boke, p. 7. (printed for the Percy Society.)

Page 206.—“Page 157. v. 73 ... So Fansy, in our author’s Magnyfycence, exclaims to his hawk,” &c. But, though Fansy calls his bird a hawk, it appears to have been an owl.

Page 207.—“Page 157. v. 78 ... Juliana Barnes.” Read “Juliana Berners.”

Page 244.—“Page 246. v. 658. a pystell of a postyke]” Cotgrave has “Postiquer. To play the vagrant Impostor,” &c.: “Postiqueries. Cousening sleights,” &c.: “Postiqueur. A wandering impostor,” &c.

Page 271.—“Page 297. v. 2211. rede] i. e. advice.” Read “i. e. advise.”

—— “Page 298. v. 2233. rode] i. e. road, cross.” Read “i. e. rood, cross.”

Page 284.—“Page 326, v. 397 ... Cole’s Dict.” Read “Coles’s Dict.”

Page 311.—“Page 380. v. 474. The carpettis within and tappettis of pall].” I may just notice that in an unpublished book of Kings Payments, in the Chapter-House, we find, under the first year of Henry 8;

“Item to Corneles Vanderstrete opon his waraunt for xv Tappettes made for Wyndowes at the towre | ix s.”

Page 328.—“Page 410. v. 1219 ... but, though Skelton was in all probability an author as early as 1583,” &c. Read “1483.”

Page 345.—“Page 14. v. 280.” Latter part of the note—“if ‘33ᵒ’ and ‘34’” &c. I ought to have mentioned that at the end of Why come ye nat to Courte (vol. ii. 67) we find (what is equally puzzling) “xxxiiii.”

INDEX TO THE NOTES.

[The figures indicate the pages of the Second Volume only, all the Notes being contained in that Volume.]

a, 245.

abbay, make a graunge of an, 285.

a tyd, 194.

abandune, 260.

abasshe, 106.

Abdalonimus, 362.

abiections, 294.

abolete, 366.

abused, 205.

abylyment, 275, 302.

Abyron, 227.

Acherontes, 123.

acomberyd, 271.

accompte, 275.

Acon, 366.

acquyte, 265 (see aquyte).

adnychell, 228.

adres, 218;
adresse, 276.

aduysed, 248 (see auyse).

aduysement, 275.

adyment, 307.

affyaunce, 276.

affyaunsynge, 312.

aforce, 105;
aforse, 276.

after none, 240.

again, 90 (see agayn, gayne, and geyne).

Agarenæ, gentis, 199.

agaspe, 260.

agayn, 226;
agayne, 112, 119, &c.;
agayng, 278;
ageyne, 303, 304 (see again, gayne, and geyne).

agerdows, 329.

agryse, 118.

Akers, Saynt Thomas of, 298.

alamyre, 279.

Albany, John Duke of, 359.

——, his invasion of the borders in 1523, 375.

——, said to have aimed at the destruction of James V., 377.

——, his passionate temper, 378.

Albertus de modo significandi, 343.

Albons, Saint, abbacy of, held by Wolsey in commendam, 371.

Albumazer, 133, 333, 361.

alcumyn, 369.

alderbest, 374.

ale, newe, in cornes, 171, 247.

ale pole, 175, 314.

ale stake, 282.

Alerycus, 260.

Alexander, kyng, 143.

Alexander de Villa Dei, 343.

algife, 92.

all and some, 109.

all hallow, 168.

all one, 271.

alle sellers, 203.

allectuary, 100 (see lectuary).

allygate, 297.

almesse, 258.

almon for parrot, 339.

alowde, 244;
alowed, 144, 195.

alumbek sodyldym syllorym ben, 93.

amense, 236.

amicare, 295.

ammas, 383 (see amysse).

amonge, 344.

amrell, 377, 379.

Amund, Quater Fylz, 138.

amysse, 134 (see ammas).

animosite, 382.

anker, 283.

Anteocus, 143.

antetyme, 241.

apayd, 367;
apayed, 113, 196, 275.

apayere, 178 (see appare).

apostata, 212;
apostataas, 284.

apostrofacion, 205.

appall, 352.

appare, 280;
appayre, 343 (see apayere).

appose, apposed, 282.

apposelle, 304.

aquyte, 194, 325 (see acquyte).

ar, 181.

arace, clothes of, 311 (see Arras).

araid, 197 (see raist).

aray, 164.

Arcet, 136.

arecte, 237;
arrect, 302;
arectyng, 300;
arrectinge, 310;
arrectyng, 320;
arrectyd, 100 (and see erectyd).

Arethusa, 145.

Argyua, 320.

Armony, 126.

armony, 218, 235, 306.

Arras, 294;

Arres, clothe of, 192 (see arace).

Arturis Creacyoun, Prince, 327.

Arturs rounde table, &c., 137.

—— auncyent actys, 182.

Aryna, 321.

Arystobell, 210.

as who sayth, 86.

ascry, 152, 377;
ascrye, 283 (see askry and escrye).

Ashrige, 334.

askry, 145, 191 (see ascry and escrye).

askrye, 368.

Asmodeus, 355.

asprely, 229.

aspy, 316;
aspyed, 333;
aspyid, 314.

assawte, 113.

assay, 171;
assaye, 112;
asayde, 136, 318.

assayes, at all, 242, 274.

assoyle, 291.

Assuerus, 143.

assurded, 307.

astate, 90, 302, 311, 313, &c. (see estate).

astrologys, 286.

astronomy, 133.

at nale, 117.

atame, 195;
attamed, 232.

athrust, 167.

auale, 147.

auaunce, 106, 108, 235, 240, &c.;
auaunced, 310;
auaunsid, 192;
auaunsyd, 276;
auaunsynge, 320.

auauns, 381.

auayle, 97;
avayles, 204.

avent, 104.

auenture, 113.

auenture, 118.

auncetry, 191.

auncyente, 143.

Aungell, Castell, 331.

Aungey, 254.

auowe, 109, 110, 116, &c.;
for God auowe, 265.

aureat, 91, 145.

aurum musicum, 326.

Austen fryers, 297.

auter, 205.

Auycen, 332.

auyse, 109.

auyse, 106;
auysed, 247;
auysid, 309;
auysynge, 105 (see aduysed).

away the mare, 162, 258.

awne, 176, 181, 183.

awtentyke, 288.

axes, 307;
axys, 100.

ba, 97 (see bas).

babell, 171.

babyls, 234;
babylles, 348.

babyone, 188.

baile, 91 (see bale).

baile, 182.

bake, 179.

balas, 347;
balassis, 326.

Baldock, the iebet of, 340, 370.

bale, 96, 245, 268, 309 (see first baile).

bale of dyce, 117.

balke, 176.

Baltazar, blake, 179.

Balthasor (see Guercis).

Balue, Cardinal, 366.

banketyng, 350;
banketynge, 352.

ban, 369;
banne, 272.

Barabas, 178.

baratows, 316.

barbican, 331.

barbyd, 252.

bare in hande, 241 (see bereth on hand).

barlyhood, 171.

barnacle, 131.

Barton, Elizabeth, 436.

bas, 97, 166, &c.;
basse, 262, 352;
bassed, 268;
bassyd, 184 (see ba).

Bas, 380.

basnet, 179.

Basyan, 260.

batowe, 247.

Bath, Wyfe of, 136.

baudeth, 161.

baudrie, 232.

baudy, 203;
bawdy, 184, 188, 193.

bawmys, 316.

Bayarde Mountalbon, 138.

bayarde, bolde, 186.

bayardys bun, 93.

bayned, 230.

be, 103, 104, 180, &c.;
bee, 227.

be come, 109, 119.

beade rolles, 285 (see bederolle).

becke, 252, 339.

becke, 280.

becked, 251.

bedawyd, 189.

bedell, 146.

bederolle, 128;
bederolles, 122;
bederoule, 126 (see beade rolles).

Bedford, Jasper Duke of, 388.

bedleme, 364.

begared, 283.

beholde, 240.

beholdinge a trauers, 228.

befole, 253, 265;
befoule, 250.

Bele Isold, 137.

belluyng, 301.

belymmed, 112.

Beme, 340.

bemole, 134.

ben, 278, 362, 372.

bende, 248.

bended, 371.

bene, 107.

bent, 146, 252.

bere coles, 356.

bereth on hand, 360 (see bare in hande).

Bernard, Saint, 88.

Bes, Lady, 87.

beseke, 320.

besene, 112, 295, &c.;
beseen, 190;
be seyn, 183.

besherewe, 103;
beshrew, 175;
beshrewde, all, 97, 192, 279, 350;
beshrowe, 244, 254.

best, 213, 374;
beste, 238.

bestad, 320.

besy, 94, 109, 194, &c.

betake, 242.

bet, 302.

bet, 315;
bete, 146.

betell, 247.

beyte, 113;
beyght, 377.

bil, 196 (see byl).

birdbolt, 330.

birrall, 311.

bitter 130 (see bytter).

blasy, 190.

ble, 165, 180, 332.

Blenner-Haiset, maystres Iane, 323.

blennes, 165.

bleryd thyne I, 98.

blo, 103, 123, &c.;
bloo, 197, &c.;
blow, 198.

blode, 230, 271, 358.

blommer, 172.

blother, 253, 278, 289.

blow at the cole, 313, 353.

blowboll, 98.

blunder, 253.

blunderyng, 241.

blysse, 270;
blyst, 263.

bobbe, 112;
bobbid, 198.

Bochas, his Latin works, 309.

bode, 90.

boke, 208, 211, &c.;
bokes, 278, &c.;
bokis, 209, &c.

bole, 104.

bole, 247;
bolle, 165, 264.

bolte, 240.

Bonam, Johnn a, 256.

bonde, 203.

Bonehoms of Ashrige, 334.

bones, 114.

bonet, 195.

bonne, 252;
bonny, 166.

borde, 367, 381.

Bordews, 118.

bordowre, 203.

borowe, Sainct George to, 383.

boskage, 352.

botchment, 254.

bote, 268, 309.

bote, 180;
botes, 244.

bote, 112, 127.

boteles, 96.

Bothombar, 354.

botowme, 319.

bottes, 222.

bougets, 143 (see bowget).

bourne, 302.

bowge of courte, 105.

bowget, 272 (see bougets).

bowgȝt, 198.

Bowgy row, 191.

bowsy, 159.

bowyers, 203.

Boyce, 308.

boystors, 301.

brablyng, 131.

brace, 216, 258, 266;
bracyd, 271.

brace, 262.

bracers, 305.

brag, 189.

brake, 169, 221, 371.

Branxton more, 216.

brast, 270, 277.

Brasy, Pers de, 190.

brayde, 109, 132 [Corr. and Add. p. 454].

brayne pan, 161;
braynpannys, 100.

brayne seke, 258.

brede, 337.

breke, 173.

bremely, 234 (see brymly).

brende, 232;
brennest, 228;
brenneth, 228;
brennyng, 286;
brennynge, 127, 267;
brynnyng, 96;
brent, 151, 235, 353 (see byrne).

brere, 315.

bresyth, 100 (see broisid and brose).

brode gatus, the, 289.

broder, 240, 254, 266.

broisid, 314 (see bresyth and brose).

broisiours, 316.

broke, 191.

broke, 165, 289.

broken, 262.

bronde, 245, 274.

brose, 370 (see bresyth and broisid).

brothell, 269;
brothells, 191.

brute, 233.

bruted, 286;
bruitid, 304;
brutid, 310.

brybaunce, 260.

brybery, 258, 304, 314;
bryboury, 256.

brybors, 204.

brydelynge caste, 117.

brym, 221;
brymme, 260.

brymly, 179, 257 (see bremely).

Brystow red, 161.

budge furre, 253.

bull vnder lead, 368.

bullyfant, 175.

bullyons, 326.

bumpe, 130.

burblyng, 230.

burde, 117.

Burgonyons, 359, 369.

burris, 319.

bushment, 91.

buske, 180;
buskt, 90;
buskyd, 221.

busynesse, 235.

buttyng, 191.

by, 236, 254.

bybyll, 175.

bydene, 295.

byes, 112.

byl, 375;
byll, 333, 353;
bylles, 141 (see bil).

bylles, 219;
byllys, 216.

bynde, 188.

bynde beres, 378.

byrle, 167.

byrne, 377 (see brende).

byrsa, 340.

byrnston, 314.

byse, 325.

bytter, 266 (see bitter).

cabagyd, 350.

cache, 260.

cacodemonyall, 368.

Cacus, 210, 213.

Cæsar, ave, 341.

Cales, 352.

callet, 173;
callettes, 170.

calodemonyall, 368.

calstocke, 359.

Calyce, the armes of, 118, 244.

Cam, 126, 369.

camoke, 179;
cammocke, 353.

camously croked, 159.

can, 119, 217, 242, &c.;
canest, 255 (see kan).

cane, 260.

Cane, 369.

cantell, 173.

captacyons, 319.

carbuckyls, 266.

carde of ten, outface with a, 113.

carders, 204, 313.

Cardynall Hat, the sygne of the, 356.

carectes, 366;
carectis, 313.

carle, 265;
carlys, 250 (see karlis).

carlyng, 344.

carlyshe, 126.

Carowe, 121, 126.

carp, 93;
carpe, 286, 298.

casseth, 107.

cast, 377.

cast, 264, 270;
caste, 183.

Castrimergia, 356.

cat wynke, let the, 168, 286.

catacumbas, 178.

catell, 255.

Caton, Pety, 344.

cattes necke, hang the bell aboute, 279.

Catywade, 178.

cauell, 271.

cautellous, 229.

cawdels, 267.

cawry mawry, 163.

Cayface, 181.

Cayme, 229.

Cayre, 178.

cayser, 247, 256 (see kayser).

caytyvys, 190.

Cayus, 182.

Cesar, Julious, romance of, 140.

chafer, 242;
chaffer, 168, 342;
chaffre, 106.

chalys, 212, 284.

Chambre of Starres, 355.

chare, 334;
chares, 295.

Charlemagne, story concerning, from Petrarch, 364.

chase, 205, 368.

checke, 240.

checke, 259.

checkmate, 219;
checke mate, 240, 296, 362;
chekmate, 344, 382.

cheked at the fyst, 367.

chekmatyd, 96.

chepers, 203.

chere, 92, 159, 199, 238, &c.

chermed, 114.

cheryfayre, 85.

cheryston pytte, 347.

cheseth, 229.

cheuynge, 165.

cheuysaunce, 107, 272.

Christ crosse you spede, 195 [Corr. and Add. p. 455].

Christian Clowte, 104, 292.

chydder, 265.

chyncherde, 276.

Cidippes, 322.

clap, 207, 222;
clappys, 100.

clarionar, 305.

clauycordys, payre of, 94.

clawes, 231.

Clementine, 291, 294.

clepe, 265.

clergy, 282.

clerke, 119.

clokys, 266.

clubbed, 173.

coarte, 195;
coarted, 360.

cocke wat, 256 (see cok wat).

Cockes armes, 258, 262, 264, 269.

Cockes blode, 112.

Cockes bones, 270, 272.

Cockes woundes, 244.

cockly fose, 357.

Cockys body, 245.

Cockys harte, 243, 247, 251, 254, 265.

coe, 131.

cofer kay, 244.

cognisaunce, 195 (see conusaunce).

coistronus, 341 (see coystrowne).

Cok wat, 195;
cok wattes, 108 (see cocke wat).

coke stole, 183 (see cooke stole).

cokwolde, 333;
cokwoldes, 305.

cole rake, 370.

coleth, 176.

Colation, 366;
collacion, 229.

colostrum, 341.

comberyd, 276;
combred, 274, 280.

come of, 238, 251.

comerous, 113.

commaunde, 109 (see comonynye).

commaunde, 195, 240.

Commune Place, 358.

commy, 164.

commyth, 192 (see cumys).

comon, 261.

comonynge, 264 (see first commaunde).

complayne, 92.

comprised, 303.

conceyte, 113, 301;
conceyght, 361 (see consayte).

concha, 212.

condicions, 378 (see condityons)

condiscendid, 305;
condiscendyng, 325 (see condyscended).

condityons, 152;
condycions, 228;
condycyons, 271, 314;
condycyonns, 183 (see condicions).

condyscended, 371;
condyssende, 237 (see condiscendid).

confecture, 303.

confetered, 90;
confetryd, 120;
confettred, 232.

confyrmable, 275.

congruence, very, 302.

coniect, 317;
coniecte, 346.

conninge, 228;
conyng, 322;
connyng, 229, &c.;
connynge, 105, &c. (see cunnyng and konnyng).

connynge, 119.

conquinate, 288.

consayte, 237, 239, &c.;
conseyt, 319, 341 (see conceyte).

contemplacyon, at the, 263, 328;
contemplationem, ad, 214, 229.

contenons, 178 (see countenaunce).

content, 231.

contribute, 86.

contynewe, 275.

conuenable, 317.

conuenyent, 239, 269, 374;
convenient, 204.

conuenyently, 147.

conueyauns, 329.

conusaunce, 100 (see cognisaunce).

cooke stole, 349 (see coke stole).

coost, 119.

copious, 181.

corage, 98, 99, 100, 127, &c. (see courage).

cordylar, 381.

cormoraunce, 130.

cornede, 203.

corporas, 206.

corrompeth, 228.

corteise, 322, 324 (see curteyse).

corum, 284.

coryed, 263.

coryously, 315.

costious, 312.

cote, 330 (see kote).

coted, 289;
cotyd, 362.

couenable, 96, 196, 320.

couent, 290.

couertowre, 338.

covetous, 204;
couetys, 362;
coueytous, 294.

coughe me a dawe, 254.

coughe me a fole, 254.

cought, 98, 133.

coundight, 315.

counsell, 100.

countenaunce, 113 (see contenons).

counter, 116;
countyr, 181 (see cowntred).

counteryng, 316;
countrynge, 131, 352.

courage, 228, 295 (see corage).

courte rowlis, 305.

cousshons, 183 (see quosshons).

cowche quale, 348.

cowntred, 92 (see counter).

coystrowne 92, 378 (see coistronus).

crabes, 113.

crafte, 322.

craftely, 309.

crag, 380.

crakar, 186;
crakers, 203, 298, 357.

crake, 145, 198, 216, 248, &c.;
craked, 205.

crackis, 305.

crakynge, 371.

Cranes, the Thre, in the Vyntre, 230.

cranys, 149.

crase, 328;
crased, 147.

craw, 174;
crawes, 187.

craynge, 250.

creaunser, 193;
creauncer, 328.

Creisseid, 321.

croke, 299.

croked, 210;
crokid, 211.

crokys, 252.

Crome, nostre dame de, 346.

crommes, 168.

cronell, 306, 318.

croppy, 176.

cros, the, 100.

crose, 283.

crosse, 118, 294.

Crosse in Chepe, the, 170.

crosse rowe, 195.

crowche, 116.

Croydon by Crowland in the Clay, 95.

cue, 236 (see kues).

cule, 354.

culerage, 284.

cultyng, 203.

cumys, 192 (see commyth).

cunnyng, 305 (see conninge and konnyng).

cupbord, 369.

cure, 109, 228, 322, 357.

currysly, 178.

curteisly, 325, 337.

curtel, 118;
curtoyl, 99.

curteyse, 321 (see corteise).

custrell, 243.

Cutberdes banner, Sainct, 377.

cuttys, 240.

Da Cansales, 344.

Da Rationales, 344.

dagged,163;
daggid, 314.

daggeswane, 270;
dagswayne, 378.

Dakers, Lorde, of Gillesland, 357.

Dakers of the Sowth, Lady Anne, 322.

Dalyda, 355.

Dalyrag, 189, 380 (see Delarag).

Dane, 309.

dant, 175.

Daphnes, 307.

dare, 258;
dared, 379.

dased, 147, 355;
dasid, 317, 331;
dasyng, 315.

daucockes, 381 (see dawcock).

daungerous, 363.

daw, 205, 209, &c.;
dawe, 119, 254, &c.;
dawes, 113, 231, &c.;
dawis, 371;
dawys, 257.

dawcock, 375;
dawcocke, 211, 266, 297;
dawcokkis, 314 (see daucockes).

dawpate, 186.

daynnously, 106.

deale, 372;
deall, 346 (see dele).

debarre, 237;
debarrid, 304.

debylyte, 228.

decollacion, 207.

defacid, 337.

defaut, 304;
defaute, 239, 248, 271, &c.

defende, 228.

defoyle, 381;
defoyled, 176.

Delarag, 341 (see Dalyrag).

dele, 270;
dell, 257 (see deale).

delyaunce, 239.

delybered, were, 228.

demeane, 134.

demenour, 266.

demensy, 364.

demoraunce, 228.

dempte, 118.

demye, 115.

denayd, 147.

denty, 131.

departed, 127.

depraue, 150, 226, 286, 297, &c.;
deprauyd, 212.

derayne, 337, 379.

Derby, Margaret, countess of, 226.

dese, 164.

despyghtyng, 187.

desyrous, 103.

Deurandall, 181.

Deuyas, docter, 95, 297.

deuyll, the, is dede, 278.

deuyll, dynge the, 270, 379.

deuyll spede whyt, the, 252, 371.

deuyll way, in the, 287, 381;
deuyl way, a, 315.

devyll, the date of the, 349;
deuylles date, in the, 116, 119, 251, 270.

deuz decke, 280.

deynte, 108, 114.

deynyd, 198.

Dialetica, 211.

dictes, 339.

diffuse, 144, 303, 308 (see dyffuse).

disable, 231.

discured, 232, 377;
discurid, 317 (see dyscure).

discust, 321 (see dyscust).

disgysede, 301 (see dysgysed).

dissolate, 228.

dites, 90.

do, 254 (see done).

doddypatis, 364.

domage, 228, 382.

dome, 125, 335.

Donatus, 313.

done, 117;
doone, 199 (see do).

dong, 199 (see dynge).

donne, 252.

donny, 172.

donnyshe, 254.

dosen browne, 117.

doterell, 129;
doteryll, 255;
dotrellis, 315.

doute, 97.

doute, 264;
doutted, 91.

Douer, 86.

dow, 206.

dowse, 339.

dowsypere, 363.

dowues donge, 210.

draffe, 96, 164.

drane, 378;
dranes, 222.

drawttys of deth, 86.

drede, 118.

dredfull, 320.

dres, 105, 146, 303;
dresse, 152, 382;
dreste, 105.

dreuyll, 113, 119 (see dryvyll).

dribbis, 315.

dronken as a mouse, 289.

dronny, 166.

dryvyll, 184 (see dreuyll).

dud frese, 184 [Corr. and Add. p. 455.]

Dugles the dowty, 178.

duke, 141, 378, 382.

dulia, 234.

dumpe, 301;
dumpis, 317;
dumpys, 95.

Dun is in the myre, 333.

Dunbar, 219, 226, 376.

Dundas, George, 224.

Dunde, 219, 226, 376.

Dunkan, 379, 381.

dur, 226, 333, 358.

dyce, for the armys of the, 247.

dyentely, 338.

dyffuse, 144 (see diffuse).

dykes, 287.

Dymingis Dale, 368.

dyne, 96.

dynge, 270, 379 (see dong).

dynt, 260, 266;
dyntes, 100, 265.

dysauaylyng, 297.

dyscharge, 152.

dyscryue, 275.

dyscure, 103, 105, 109 (see discured).

dyscust, 367 (see discust).

dysdanous, 314.

dysdayneslye, 350.

dysease, 275.

dyser, 255;
dysour, 315.

dysers, 313.

dysgysed, 115, 205, 287 (see disgysede).

dyssypers, 228.

dyuendop, 131.

Ecates, 150.

echone, 234, 371, 377.

edders, 123.

edefyed, 228.

Edward, the Fourth, 85, 86, 87.

eestryche fedder, 116.

egally, 228.

Egeas, 210.

Egyptian, 161.

eke, 358.

ela, 132.

eldyr steke, 186.

electe, 261.

elenkes, 233, 290.

Eliconys, 192 (see Elyconys).

ellumynynge, 91 (see illumyne).

Eltam, 87.

Elyconys, 90, 136 (see Eliconys).

embesy, 303 (see enbesid).

embosyd, 301 (see enbosed).

emrawde, 339.

enbesid, 319 (see embesy).

enbewtid, 321.

enbolned, 229.

enbosed, 381, 382;
enbosid, 311 (see embosyd).

enbrowder, 319;
enbrowdred, 322.

enbulyoned, 311.

enbybe, 218;
enbybed, 115;
enbybid, 316.

encheson, 197.

encraumpysshed, 301.

encrisped, 307.

endeuour, 303;
endeuoure, 323.

enduce, 303, 325.

endude, 207;
endewed, 281.

enferre, 237 (see inferrid).

enflamed, 230.

enflorid, 326.

enforce, 229.

engolerid, 310.

engrosyd, 302, 308.

enhached, 147;
enhachyde, 302.

enharpit, 91.

enkankered, 91.

enlosenged, 311.

ennew, 146;
ennewed, 146, 309;
enneude, 144;
ennewde, 382 (see enuwyd).

enplement, 310.

enprowed, 144.

ensaymed, 207.

ensembyll, 348.

ensilured, 315.

ensordyd, 277.

ensowkid, 301.

entachid, 311.

ententifly, 323.

enterly, 198.

entrusar, 379.

enuawtyd, 311.

enuectyfys, 303.

Enui, 145;
enuy, 267.

enuwyd, 323 (see ennew).

enuyrowne, 312.

enuyue, 321;
enuyued, 261;
enuyuid, 326.

enwered, 105.

equipolens, 372.

erectyd, 276 (see arecte).

erstrych, 340 (see estryge).

escrye, 297 (see ascry and askry).

esperaunce, 228.

estate, 106, 150, 240, &c.;
estates, 90, 241, 245, &c. (see astate).

estryge, 132 (see erstrych).

eterminable, 92.

Ethiocles, 229.

Euander, 143.

euerychone, 253, 286, 368;
everichone, 204.

exhibycion, 233.

Exodi, 209.

exployte, 346.

eyen, 228;
eyn, 331;
eyne, 306 (see ien and iyen).

eylythe, 192.

eyndye, 347 (see inde blewe).

eyre, 134.

eysell, 199, 285.

Ezechyas, 298 [Corr. and Add. p. 452].

fabell, 171.

face, 216, 234, 258, 202, 287;
facyd, 271.

facers, 305.

faitours, 195 (see faytors).

falabilite, 195.

fall, 174, 219.

fals poynt, 103.

fals quarter, 312.

falyre, 166.

famine, 243.

Fanchyrche strete, 191.

fange, 373.

fare, 106.

farle, 255;
farly, 97, 250, 252, 283, 381.

farre, 299 (see fer).

fauconer, 205, 206 (see fawconer).

fauell, 107, 245, 353.

faught, 91.

fauorable, 99, 344.

fauour, 146, 147 (see fauyr).

faute, 145, 195, 259, 278, &c. (see fawt).

fauyr, 183 (see fauour).

fawchyn, 271.

fawcon, the noble, 134;
fawcoun, ientill, 324.

fawconer, 207, 209 (see fauconer).

fawt, 303;
fawte, 113, 284 (see faute).

fay, 103, 274.

fayne, 95, 110.

fayne, 227, 232, 247, 268, &c.

faynty, 176.

faytes, 382.

faytors, 91;
faytour, 382 (see faitours).

fe, 267.

feders, 173;
federis, 212.

feffyd, 261.

felashyp, 112.

fell, 96, 103.

femynatyfe, 227.

fende, 123, 381, 382;
fendys, 92, 370 (see fynde).

fenestrall, 331.

fer, 239, 274;
ferre, 242, &c. (see farre).

Ferumbras, 178 (see Pherumbras).

fet, 160.

fet, 135, 170, 208, 237, &c.

fete, 339.

fetewse, 116.

fidasso de cosso, 339.

finaunce, 92.

fista, 211;
fisty, 212.

fflusshe, 348.

flagrant, 323;
flagraunt, 315.

flambe, 228.

fleckyd, 128;
flekyd, 344.

flery, 245, 377.

fletchers, 203.

flete, 239, 254.

flingande, 381.

flocket, 160.

flode, 277, 338.

Flodden, battle of, 215.

florthe, 311.

flotis, 308.

fly, not worth a, 219, 243, 354.

flycke, 170, 290.

flyt, 276, 295, 363.

flytynge, 371.

fode, 104.

fode, 264.

foggy, 174.

foisty bawdias, 315 (see fusty bawdyas).

fole, 124, 180, &c.;
foles, 233, 235;
folys, 182, 211, &c.

follest, 193 (see foule).

folysh, 227;
folysshe, 254.

folysshly, 233.

fon, 209, 249, 255;
fonne, 184.

fonde, 186, 194, 205, &c.;
fonne, 250.

fondnesse, 266.

fonge, 298.

fonny, 166 [Corr. and Add. p. 455].

fonnysshe, 244, 253.

fopped, 233.

for, 106.

for and, 182.

force, 113, 264 (see fors).

force, 264, 317 (see forsed).

fordrede, 141.

foretop, 261, 286.

forfende, 254, 276.

forica, 211.

forked cap, 279.

formar, 320.

forme, 313.

fors, 182, 380 (see first force).

forsed, 91;
forseth, 255;
forsyth, 239 (see second force).

forster, 301, 332.

fote, 148, 173, 199, &c.

fote ball, 213.

foted, 160.

fotyng, 296.

fotid, 316;
fotys, 247;
fotyth, 258.

foule, 130, 173, 252 (see follest).

founde, 233.

foxe, 110.

foy, 382.

franesy, 267.

Fraunce, fashions brought from, 250.

fraye, 131.

frayne, 360.

freare fell in the well, when the, 292.

freat, 132 (see frete and to-fret).

freers, 243, 270 (see frere).

freke, 109, 244, 255, 381;
ffreke, 178.

frere, 119, 288, 309 (see freers).

fresche, 189;
fresshe, 149, 242, 302, &c.

fresshely, 116, 304, 309.

fret, 147.

frete, 88, 123, 146, 262 (see freat and to-fret).

fretid, 197.

friscaioly, 230.

Frollo de Franko, 177.

froo, 193.

froslynges, 173.

froty, 274.

frounce, 207.

frounce, 261;
frounsid, 151.

frowardes, 144.

frytthy, 301.

fucke sayles, 284.

fumously, 276.

furst, 100.

fusty bawdyas, 192 (see foisty bawdias).

fuyson, 91.

fyer drake, 370.

fyest, 170.

fyle, 290.

fylythe, 189.

fyll, 90, 171, 322.

fynd, 362;
fynde, 126, 377, 379 (see fende).

fyngered, 160.

fysgygge, 175.

fysnamy, 182.

Gabionyte, 181.

gabyll rope, 320.

gadde, 258.

Gaguine, 366;

Gaguyne, 327;

Gagwyne, 309.

galantys, 260.

Galba, 260.

Gales, 170;

Galis, 212.

Galiene, 332.

Galtres, forest of, 301.

gambaudynge, 352.

gambawdis, 206, 313.

gambone, 169.

gane, 181.

gant, 175 (see gaunte).

gar, 261;
garde, 200, 268 (see garre).

garded, 115, 120, 203.

gardes, 203.

gardeuyaunce, 271.

gardynge, 316.

gargone, 190;
gargons, 182.

garlantes, 295.

garre, 266 (see gar).

gase, 328 (see gose).

gaspy, 169.

gasy, 190.

gat, 175;
gate, 191, 254;
gatte, 255 (see gete and gotted).

gande, 265.

gaudry, 191.

gaunce, 130.

gaunte, 130 (see gant).

gaure, 272.

Gawen, 136, 182.

gayne, 102 (see again and geyne).

Gaynour, 137.

ge hame, 354;
ge heme, 381.

geales, 204.

gelt, 176.

George, Saint, our Lady’s knight, 220, 223.

gere, 115, 149, 179, &c.

gerfawcon, 134 (see iarfawcon).

gery, 206.

geson, 187, 371.

gest, 177.

gest, 167, 254;
geste, 245.

get, 327 (see first iet).

gete, 112, 118 (see gat and gotted).

geyne, 102 (see again and gayne).

giggisse, 328.

gingirly, 327.

girnid, 306 (see gyrne).

glauca, 228.

glaymy, 188.

glayre, 159.

gle, 306.

gle, 268.

glede, 180.

glede, 253.

glent, 263.

glent, 252.

glint, 312.

glome, 106 (see glum).

glommynge, 278.

glose, 259.

glose, 90.

glowtonn, 319.

glum, 294, 325 (see glome).

gnar, 358.

go, 124.

go bet, 169.

go or ryde, 360 (see ryde and go).

gode, 91, 382.

godely, 310, 323.

God in forme of brede, 296.

Goddes brede, 264.

Gog, 317.

golde and hole, 314.

goliardum, 190 [Corr. and Add. p. 455].

gommes, 275.

gommes, 168;
gomys, 178 (see gummys).

gon stone, 380 (see gun stone).

gonge, 184.

Good euyn, good Robyn Hood, 355.

goodlyhede, 322;
goodlyhod, most, 103.

goostly, 275.

gorbelyd, 180;
gorbellyd, 183.

gore, 128.

gorge, 207, 263, 281.

gose, 161, 175, 184, 240, &c. (see gase).

gose, to sho the, 280.

gospellers, 209.

Gothyaunce, 260.

gotted, 270 (see gat and gete).

gowndy, 159.

gramatolys, 346.

grame, 266;
gramed, 297.

graundepose, 346.

gray, 354 (see grey).

grayle, 130.

gree, 306 (see greyth).

gresly, 188.

gresse, 307.

gressop, 125;
gressoppes, 326.

grey, 303 (see gray).

greyth, 217 (see gree).

groinynge, 180 (see groynninge).

gronde, 189.

grossolitis, 310.

grouchyng, 353.

groynninge, 330;
groynis, 194 (see groinynge).

gryll, 159.

grypes, 127.

Guercis, Balthasar de, 373.

gumbed, 160.

gummys, 187 (see second gommes).

gun stone, 314 (see gon stone).

gup, 99, 104, 171, 183, &c.

Guy, 136;

Gy, 182.

Guy of Gaunt, 297;

Gy of Gaunt, 184.

Gyb, 122, 128;
gyb, 162.

gydynge, 209.

gygawis, 371.

gyll, 159.

gylly, 171.

gyn, 207.

gyn, 272.

Gynys, 184.

gyrne, 178 (see girnid).

gyse, 149, 161, 242, 248, &c.

gytes, 161.

habandoneth, 227.

habarion, 191.

hach, 100 (see hecke).

Had I wyst, 86, 239, 259.

hafte, 120 (see haftynge).

hafter, 239;
hafters, 276;

Hafter, Haruy, 107, 194, 353.

haftynge, 184, 245, 264 (see hafte).

hag, 380;
hagge, 278;
haggys, 99.

hake, 282.

halfe, 253, 301;
halfe, on Gods, 174, 191, 290.

halfe strete, the, 272.

halow, 208.

hallows, to seke, 337.

halse, 265;
halsyd, 98.

Haly, 133, 242, 361.

Hampton Court, 360.

hange togyder as fethers in the wynde, 265, 345.

hankin bouy, 208.

happed, 268.

hardely, 97, 104, 106, 109, &c. (see herdely).

hardnes, 199.

hardy on his hede, not so, 296;
hardy on theyr pates, not so, 297.

Hardyson, Gorge, 190.

hare away, there went the, 353.

Hare, Jacke, 247 (see Harys, Jacke).

harnnes, 337.

haroldis, 191 (see harrold).

harow, 150;
harowe, 262.

harowe, 274.

Harpocrates, 233.

harre, out of, 250, 269.

harres, 192.

harrold, 218 (see haroldis).

hart rote, 197, 330, 364 (see hert rote).

haruest gyrdle, 167.

Harys, Jacke, 211 (see Hare, Jacke).

haskardis, 313.

hast, in all the, 168.

hastarddis, 90.

hauell, 353, 362.

haut, 278;
haute, 94, 145, 195, &c. (see hawte).

hawe, not worth an, 269, 349.

hawke of the towre, 250, 324.

hawkis bels, 209.

hawte, 112, 182, 248 (see haut).

hay, 194.

hay the gy of thre, 195.

Hay, the gye and the gan, 368.

hayle, 176, 195, 272 (see heale and hele).

hayne, 113.

haynyarde, 264.

he so, 105.

heale, 367 (see hayle and hele).

hear, 126, 288;
heare, 88 (see here and heyre).

hecke, 377 (see hach).

Hector, 141.

hede, 262;
hedes, 175;
heedes, 279.

hedellis, 318.

heery, 279, 291 (see herey).

hekell, 167.

hele, 240 (see hayle and heale).

Henry the Seventh, his tomb, 214, 215.

Henry the Eighth, his letter to James the Fourth, 221.

hente, 120.

herber, 101, 315;
herbers, 371.

Hercules, 150.

here, 114, 159, &c.;
heris, 307 (see hear and heyre).

herdely, 239 (see hardely).

herelace, 163.

herey, 191 (see heery).

hermoniake, 283.

hert, 198, 228;
herte, 275, 307, &c.;
hertes, 233, 294.

hert rote, 148 (see hart rote).

herte brennynge, 119.

herted, 280.

hertely, 312.

heue and how rombelow, 110;
hey, howe, rumbelowe, 213 [Corr. and Add. p. 453].

heuery, 187.

hey, troly, loly, 93.

heyre, 248 (see hear and here).

heyre parent, 243.

hight, 196, 317 (see hyght).

Hipocentaures, 150.

historious, 143.

Hob Lobbyn of Lowdean, 217 (see Hop, &c.).

hoby, 258;
hobby, 135, 280.

hobby, 262.

hocupy, 184.

hode, 112, 118, 119, 120, &c.

hoder moder, 278.

hoddypeke, 255 (see huddypeke).

hoddypoule, 364.

hofte, 246.

hogeous, 205.

hoke, 299.

hoked, 159 (see howkyd).

hokes, 259.

holde, 271.

hole, 147, 181, 188, &c.;
holl, 91, 303, 310 (see hooll).

holy, 91 (see hooly).

holy water clarke, 94, 135.

home, 119.

honde, 312, 329.

honge, 274.

hooll, 310 (see hole).

hooly, 239 (see holy).

Hop Lobyn of Lowdeon, 340 (see Hob, &c.).

hoppy, 176 [Corr. and Add. p. 455].

horne keke, 381.

horshowe, 132.

hose, 115, 203, 226, &c.

hosed, 233.

hostryes, 203.

hothyr, 347.

houres, 282.

houyr wachyd, 188.

Howarde, Lady Elisabeth, 321.

Howarde, Lady Mirriell, 321.

how, 341, 342;
howe, 167, 257, &c.

howgye, 350.

howkyd, 180 (see hoked).

hoyning, 194.

huckels, 160.

huddypeke, 358, 381 (see hoddypeke).

huf a galante, 181.

huffa, 245.

huke, 160.

humanyte, 344, 361 (see vmanyte).

Huntley banke, 376;

Huntley bankys, 221, 226, 357.

hyght, 126, 149, &c.;
hyghte, 106, 113 (see hight).

hyll, 274.

hynde calfe, 301.

hynder, 245;
hynderyng, 297.

hyperdulia, 234.

hytt, 198.

hyȝt, 198.

iacinctis, 311 (see jacounce).

Jacke a thrommys bybyll, 259, 305;

Jake a thrum, 189.

Jacke breehe, 362.

Jacke of the Noke, 283;

Jacke at Noke, 290.

Jacke of the vale, 239;

Jak of the vale, 104.

Jacke shall haue Gyl, 240.

iack napis, 364;
iackenapes, 269.

jackes, 204.

jacounce, 347 (see iacinctis).

jagged, 203, 278;
jagging, 203 (see to-iagged).

Jak wold be a jentylman, 93.

James the Third, his murder, 219.

James the Fourth, his arms, 215.

—— his body how treated, 216.

—— his letter to Henry the Eighth, 217.

—— his appearing in arms against his father, 219.

—— his taking the Castle of Norham, 219.

—— his sword and dagger, 221.

—— his beard, 221.

—— his artillery, 221.

—— excommunicated, 222, 223.

Jamys foder, 104.

Jamys, Saint, 149, 170.

iangle, 234, 244, 283;
iangelynge, 239;
ianglyng, 231;
ianglynge, 128, 149.

iangelers, 312.

Januay, 191.

iape, 278;
iapes, 244, 254, 266, &c.

iape, 95, 112, 308;
japed bodely, 104.

iarfawcon, 265 (see gerfawcon).

Jason, 137.

jaspe, 182.

iast, 171, 183, 356;
jayst, 99.

iauell, 271, 287, 353, 362.

ich, 165, 342;
iche, 271.

ich, 325;
iche, 303, 306, 320.

I chyll, 159.

iconomicar, 308.

ien, 180 (see eyen and iyen).

ielofer, 147;
ieloffer, 323, 331, 333.

Jerome, Saint, his Ep. ad Paulinum, 235, 304.

Jesse, 252.

iet, 242, 250 (see get).

jet, 94, 160, 182, 242;
iettes, 251;
iettynge, 269.

ietter, 247.

jetty, 159.

I faith, dikkon thou crue, 213;

In fayth, decon thou crewe, 115;

In faythe, dycken, thou krew, 352.

illumyne, 105;
illumynyd, 102 (see ellumynynge).

importe, 126.

impurtured, 261.

incontinente, 228.

inconuenyently, 378.

incyneracyon, 134.

inde blewe, 262;
indy blew, 101, 311 (see eyndye).

indeuer, 277.

inferrid, 304 (see enferre).

ingrosed, 275.

inhateth, 275.

intentyfe, 323.

Inter didascolos, 343.

intere, 238.

intoxicate, 288.

intreted, 262.

Iobab, 340.

Jocky my jo, 218.

ioforth, 329.

ioly rutterkyn, heyda, 245.

Iopas, 316.

ioust, 165.

Ioyows Garde, 330.

Ipocras, 332.

ipostacis, 286.

Irysh, 218.

isagogicall, 366.

Isaphill, 324.

isprode, 199.

Judas Machabeus, 140.

Judicum, 341.

Iue, Iohnn, 329.

I wus, 114, 323;

I wys, 98, 104, 119, 170, &c.

iyen, 227 (see eyen and ien).

kan, 190 (see can).

karlis, 90 (see carle).

kay, 259;
kayes, 242.

kayser, 287, 296, 362 (see cayser).

keke, 173, 280.

ken, 90, 146, 237, 286, &c.

kepe, 97, 240, 337.

kepe his cut, 124 [Corr. and Add. p. 453].

kest, 122, 126, 312 (see kyst).

kestrell, 135;
kesteryll, 255.

keteringes, 218;
keteryng, 379.

keylyth, 100.

kit, 91 (see kyt).

klycked, 116.

knackes, 203;
knakkes, 345.

knackynge, 236;
knak, 93.

knauate, 213.

knokylbonyarde, 243.

knowlege, 234.

konnyng, 304, 321, 329 (see conninge and cunnyng).

Koppynge, kynge, 217.

kote, 364 (see cote).

kowgh, 131.

kownnage, 314.

kowththyd, 187 (see kythyd).

koy, make it, 257.

kues, 356 (see cue).

kus, 345;
kusse, 128.

kybe, 174.

kyby, 312.

kynde, 126, 186, 238, 257, &c.

Kyrkeby Kendall, 115.

kyrtell, 149, 161, 172;
kyrtelles, 163.

kyry, 289.

kys the post, 142.

kyst, 114, 184;
kyste, 106, 118 (see kest).

kyt, 189 (see kit).

kythyd, 177 (see kowththyd).

lack, 195, 375;
lacke, 196, 245, &c.;
lake, 303.

lackys, 346.

lakyn, by, 240, 243;
lakyn, by our, 265, 271.

lampatrams, 175.

Lanam, 369.

lanners, 135.

Laodomi, 323.

large, 95, 129, 190.

large, 239.

large, 243, 352.

largesse, 239, 241, 259, 264, &c.

latria, 234.

laughe and lay downe, 369.

Launcelote de Lake, 137.

lawe, 239, 276.

lay, 142, 233.

lay fee, 285, 286;
lay fee, the people of, 234;
lay fee people, 284.

lay, 305, 325;
layd, 219.

layne, 113.

layser, 287, 362.

le, 268.

leane as a rake, 145.

leche, 173.

lectryne, 208.

lectuary, 275 (see allectuary).

lede sterre, 323.

Lederhede, 162.

ledder, 145.

lefe, 98.

lege, 118.

lege de moy, 176, 295.

leke, the vertue of an vnset, 173.

leke, not worth a, 280.

lemman, 118;
lemmanns, 191.

lene, 107;
leneth, 103.

lenen, 302.

lenger, 135, 229, 335.

lepe the hach, 100.

lere, 147, 159, 180 (see leyre).

lere, 257 (see lyerd).

lesard, 103.

lese, 194, 253, 257, 290;
leseth, 228.

lesinges, 196.

let, 149, 208, 237, &c.;
lete, 109.

leudly, 230, 231 (see lewdely).

leue, 276;
leuer, 268, 294.

leuell suse, 354.

lewd, 279;
lewde, 94, 108, 119, &c.

lewdely, 183, 287;
lewdly, 184, 195, &c.;
lewdlye, 346 (see leudly).

lewdenes, 194;
lewdnesse, 138.

leyre, 262 (see lere).

leyser, 325.

leysshe, 244.

lidderons, 305 (see lydderyns).

liddrous, 195.

liddyrnes, 317.

lista, 211 (see first lyst).

Locrian, 217;

Locryan, 376.

lode, 106.

loke, 312;
lokes, 287, 350;
lokis, 322.

loke, 165, 172, &c.;
loked, 207, 313;
loketh, 244, 248;
lokyd, 239, 346;
lokys, 250, 266.

loke, 259.

lollardy, 234.

lollers, 204.

Lomelyn, Domyngo, 374.

londe, 203, 320.

London, wall of, 87.

long, 95;
longe, 129, 190.

longe, 119;
longyth, 329.

Lor, 327.

lore, 267.

lorell, 132, 192;
lorelle, 183.

los, 100.

lose, 281.

losell, 265, 266, &c.;
losels, 209, 305, &c.;
loselles, 287, 350;
losyll, 239.

loselry, 364.

louesome, 268.

Louis the Twelfth, 236, 240.

loute, 263;
lowte, 260, 264;
lowted, 90.

Lowdean, 217;

Lowdeon, 340;

Lowdyan, 376.

lucerne, 333.

luge, 275.

luggard, 98.

lugges, 380.

lurdayne, 242, 381;
lurden, 264, 265, &c.;
lurdeyne, 297.

lure, 147, 207, 236, 357.

luske, 179.

lust, 91, 100, 266, &c.;
luste, 107.

lust and lykyng, 98, 165, 262, 269.

lusty, 101, 129, 144, 147, &c.

Lyacon, 345, 347.

Lybany, 127.

lybbard, 313.

Lybius, 138;

Lybyus, 178.

Lycaon, 127;

Lycon, 179.

lydder, 234;
lyddyr, 193 (see lyther).

lydderyns, 267 (see lidderons).

Lydgate, Johnn, 144, 309.

lyerd (see second lere).

lygnage, 227, 228.

lyghtly, 239.

lykes, 199.

lykynge, 85.

Lyle, Sir William, 376.

lylse wulse, 354.

Lymyters, 290.

Lyncole grene, 160.

lynde, 109.

lynkes, 173.

lyppers, 266.

lyppes hange in thine eye, thy, 253.

lyst, 146, 196, 263, 269, &c. (see lista).

lyst, 207.

lyste, 256.

Lytell Ease, 297.

lythe and lystyn, 192.

lyther, 239, 257, 268;
lythers, 257 (see lydder).

lytherly, 245.

Machareus and Canace, 322.

Mackemurre, 253.

made it straunge, 310.

Mahounde, 362.

maistres, 328 (see mastres and maystres).

make, 143, 282, 332, 344.

make, 186, 235, 303, 329.

make to the call, 262.

maker, 186, 342.

making, 332, 349;
makynge, 223.

malarde, 251;
mallarde, 131.

Malchus, 178.

male, 108, 117, 272;
males, 143, 203, 223.

male to wryng, 142;
male dothe wrye, 288;
males, wrang vs on the, 353.

male vryd, 219.

Malepardus, 435.

maltaperte, 180.

Mamelek, 361.

mamockes, 268, 287.

man, 260.

Mantryble the Bryge, 178.

mantycore, 180, 183, 188;
mantycors, 127.

Mapely rote, The murnyng of the, 330.

Marche harum, 208.

Mardocheus, 143.

mare, 123.

marees, 123.

margerain ientyll, 322.

Margery Mylkeducke, 172, 242.

maris lupus, 375.

Marke, kynge, 137.

marke, 254, 288.

marlyons, 135.

marmoll, 266.

marmoset, 183, 188;
marmosete, 254 (see mermoset).

Marock, the streytes of, 370.

mary, 236, 239, 241, 244, &c.

Mary Gipcy, by, 333.

Mary Spyttell, Saynt, 297.

mase, 245;
mased, 106, 235, 255;
masid, 315;
masyd, 212, 306 (see maysyd).

mastres, 103 (see maistres and maystres).

mastris, 309;
mastryes, 256 (see maysters).

mated, 355.

maumet, 371 (see mawment).

maunchet, 93.

mauys, 129.

mawment, 188, 379;
mawmett, 347 (see maumet).

Maxymyane, 308.

mayny, 90, 357, 358.

maysterfest, 276.

maysters, 113;
maystery, 238;
maystryes, 264 (see mastris).

maystres, 312, &c.;
maystresse, 261 (see maistres and mastres).

maysyd, 260 (see mase).

Measure is treasure, 238.

Mede, mesteres, 408 (see Meed, mayden).

Mede, 145.

medelyd, 330;
meddelyd, 307.

Meed, mayden, 209 (see Mede, mesteres).

mekyll, 242 (see mykel).

Melanchates, 127.

meledyously, 306.

mell, 96, 260, 279, 285, &c.;
melle, 192;
melles, 284;
mellis, 346;
mellyng, 295.

melottes, 291.

Menander, 130, 344.

mene, 260 (see meyne).

mengith, 308.

Menolope, 99.

menys, 259.

mercyall, 306, 308.

meritory, 310.

mermoset, 242 (see marmoset).

mery pyne, 117.

mese, 252.

messe, 270.

mesure is a mery mene, 241.

met, 170.

metely, 270, 312.

meuyd, 113.

mew, 236.

mew, 352;
mewed, 356.

Mewtas, John, 367.

meyne, 238 (see mene).

miscreantys, 211.

mo, 87, 143, 232, 234, &c.

mobyll, 361.

moche, 239, 241, 257, 259, &c. (see myche and mytche).

mockysshe, 280.

mode, 275, 362 (see moode).

moght, 256.

Mok there loste her sho, 331, 353.

mondayne, 229.

mone, 117, 239, 316, 346.

Monon calon agaton, 342.

moode, 113 (see mode).

More, Sir Thomas, his Debellation, 436.

morell, 93, 99;
morelle, 183.

morowes mylke, 283.

mose, 301.

mot, 90, 379;
mote, 176, 268 (see mought and mowte).

motyng, 297.

motyue, 303.

motton, 273.

mought, 287 (see mot and mowte).

moughte eaten, 278.

mountenaunce, 359.

mow, 191.

mowid, 197;
mowynge, 269.

mowte, 310 (see mot and mought).

moyles, 283.

Moyses hornis, 330.

mullyng, 165.

mulum de asino pingere, 214.

mummynge, 177, 278, 305.

Mundy, Sir John, 369.

munpynnys, 380.

mur, 129;
murre, 272.

murmur of mynstrels, 306.

murrionn, 188;
murryon, 178.

mus, 345 (see musse).

muscull, 175.

muse, 234, 331.

muskette, 135.

musse, 128 (see mus).

mute, 339.

mutid, 205.

Mutrell, 359.

my, 94.

myche, 347, 349 (see moche and mytche).

myday sprettes, 350.

myden agan, 340.

mykel, 286;
mykyll, 257, 258;
mykkylle, 194 (see mekyll).

mys, 199.

myscheue, 119.

mysdempte, 107.

mysuryd, 91.

mytche, 177 (see moche and myche).

myteyng, 187;
mytyng, 165.

myȝt, 198.

naid, 197 (see nayd).

Naman Sirus, 373.

Nanphant, Sir John, 363.

nay, no, 275.

nayd, 198, 199 (see naid).

ne, 95, 105, 115, 119, &c.

nebbis, 348.

neder, 374.

negarship, 276.

nepte, 323.

nere, 363.

Nestorianus, 212.

neuen, 290.

neuer a dele, 100.

new and new, 145.

nobbes, 166.

noble, 269;
nobles, 120, 227, 369.

nobles, 90, 382.

nody polle, 186;
nodypollys, 346;
noddy polles, 299.

noll, 112;
nolle, 186;
nolles, 282, 299.

none, 117.

nones, the, 126;
nonys, the, 306.

nones, 122;
nonne, 252;
nonnes, 270, 284.

no nother, 267.

noppe, 242.

noppy, 162, 176.

Northumberland, fourth Earl of, 89, 90.

Northumberland, fifth Earl of, 91, 358.

Norwich, fires at, 214.

nother, 210, 239, 247, &c.

Notingam, 87.

nutshales, 360;
nut shalis, 196.

nyfyls, 255.

nys, 103, 107.

nyse, 103, 125.

nysot, 256.

o, 190.

Obseruaunce, order called, 288.

obstract, 360.

occupy, 86, 242, 243;
occupye, 260;
occupyed, 187, 259, &c.

oder, 241.

odyfferaunt, 228.

Olibrius, 210.

Olifranke, 182.

olyfant, 175;
olyfaunt, 185;
olyphantes, 295.

Olyuere, 182.

on, 163, 174.

on flote, 120.

on lyue, 143.

oncomly, 178.

onfayned, 198.

Onocentaures, 150.

ony, 106, 108, 112, 116, &c.

ordynall, 134.

orgulyous, 231.

ornacy, 261.

Orwelle, 180.

ospraye, 131.

other, 237.

ouche, 141.

ouer, 230, 283, 288.

Ouer in a whinny meg, 340.

ouerage, 352, 382.

ouerse, 234, 374.

ouerthrow, 276.

ouerthwart, 103, 217, 373;
ouerthwhart, 307;
ouerwharte, 244 (see ouyrthwarthe).

ouerthwarted, 211, 284.

ouerthwartes, 223.

out yles, 222.

outray, 304;
outraye, 123.

ouyrthwarthe, 193 (see ouerthwart).

pachchyd, 188.

packes, naughty, 203;
packis, noughty, 305.

packing, 90.

pagent, 243;
pageyond, 88;
paiantes, 191;
paiauntis, 330;
pajauntes, pelory, 349;
paiaunttis, 189.

Palamon, 136.

palettes, 170.

pall, 311;
palles, 294.

paltoke, 181.

palyard, 348;
palyarde, 378.

Pamphila, 320.

Pamphylus and Galathea, 344.

Pandaer, 141;

Pandara, 142.

panys, 198 (see first payne).

papers weryng, 349.

parbrake, 381.

parcele, 192;
parcell, 237.

parde, 264, 303, &c.;
pardy, 219 (see perde).

paregall, 91, 322 (see peregall).

parfetnesse, 295.

Pargame, 125.

Paris and Vyene, 140.

parker, 331.

Partelet, 136;

Partlot, 133.

partlettes, 204 (see patlet).

party, 109.

pas, 117, 125;
passe, 180;
passid, 316.

Pasiphe, 324.

pastaunce, 98, 147.

patch, 165.

patlet, 269 (see partlettes).

paues, 90;
pauys, 344.

Pawbe une aruer, 341.

pawtenar, 205.

pay, 171.

payne, 110, 120 (see panys).

payne, 199.

paynte, 245;
payntes, 294;
paynty, 176;
payntyd, 266.

peace, the, 170.

peason, 281, 371 (see peson).

pecunyous, 227.

pek, 129;
pekes, 282.

peke, 244.

pekysh, 211.

pelfry, 188 [Corr. and Add. p. 455].

pendugims, 347;
pendugum, 344.

peper in the nose, take, 359.

Perce, 145.

perde, 125, 258 (see parde).

perdurable, 344.

peregall, 348 (see paregall).

perihermeniall, 230.

perke, 187.

perkyd, 206.

persons, 287.

perspectyue, 102.

peson, 187 (see peason).

pestels, 172.

peuisshenes, 315.

peuysshe, 306, 314, 362 (see to-peuiche).

phagolœdoros, 227.

Phalary, 210.

Pharaotis, 195.

Pherumbras, 210 (see Ferumbras).

Philargerya, 355.

Philip Sparowe, 121, 262.

Phitonesse, 151.

Phorocides, 143.

Phyp, 125;

Phyppes, 128.

piggesnye, 104 (see pyggysny).

pill, 229.

pine, 330 (see pyne).

pinkers, 203.

piplyng, 316;
pipplyng, 229.

pirlyng, 319.

Pisandros, 309.

placke, 117.

playne songe, 95, 129, 130.

playnesse, 244.

plenarely, 109;
plenarly, 239, 301.

plete, 268;
pletynge, 358.

pletes, 161.

plumpe, 306.

pode, 104.

podynges, 173 (see puddynges).

poddynge prycke, 269.

poetis laureat, 307.

Poggeus, his tales, 309.

pohen, 94.

pointyd, 192 (see poynt).

poke, 119.

pole, 240, 344 (see polys).

Polexene, 146, 321.

Polimites, 320.

poll, 210.

Pollegians, 286.

pollers, 204.

polleynge, 184;
pollyng, 189, 350;
pollynge, 264, 353 (see poollynge).

polyandro, 227.

polys, 318 (see pole).

pomaunder, 324.

pomegarnet, 339.

pomped, 268.

poollynge, 284 (see polleynge).

popagay, 104, 347;
popagey, 339;
popegay, 344 (see popigay).

popeholy, 234, 242, 314;
popholy, 230.

Popering, 340.

popigay, 341;
popingay, 327;
popyngay, 129 (see popagay).

poppyng, 231;
poppynge, 239, 357.

pore, 203, 228, 249, 261, &c.

porisshly, 233, 314.

porpose, 346.

port sale, 162.

porte salu, 299, 312.

Portyngale, 368.

Portyngales, 170.

pose, 171, 248, 272, 374.

postell, 289;
postyll, 347.

posty, 151.

postyke, 244 [Corr. and Add. p. 455].

potestate, 371.

potestolate, 371.

potsharde, 269;
potshorde, 329;
potshordes, 361;
potshordis, 369.

Poules, 283.

Poules Crosse, 297.

pounsed, 120.

Pountes, 275;

Pountesse, 240.

powle hachet, 98;
powle hatchettis, 314.

Poyle, 312.

poynt, 189, 310;
poynted, 251, 310, 325 (see pointyd).

poynte deuyse, 248, 261.

poyntmentys, 258.

practyue, 366.

prane, 260, 377;
pranes, 281;
pranys, 149.

pranked, 161.

praty, 103, 104, 191, 242, &c.

pratyer, 271.

pravare, 296.

preas, 296;
prece, 244, 262 (see second prese).

prease, 196, 306;
prece, 106 (see first prese).

precely, 276.

predyall, 294.

predycacion, 234.

premenire, 296;
premenyre, 279.

prendergest, 93.

preposytour, 267.

prese, 164, 252, 310, &c. (see prease).

prese, 106;
presed, 91, 308, &c.;
presid, 306, 312, &c. (see preas).

prest, 125, 126, 206;
preste, 318.

prestes, 284.

pretence, 245, 325 (see pretens).

pretende, 125.

pretendynge, 286.

pretens, 372 (see pretence).

pretory, 311.

preue, 119, 236, 250;
preves, 203.

preuentid, 310.

preuynge, 165.

Priamus, 182.

prickyd, 193.

primordialle, 193.

probate, 236, 309.

proces, 143, 194, 211, &c.;
processe, 230, 235, &c. (see prosses).

pronge, 243, 298.

proper, 339;
propire, 345;
propre, 125, 323, &c.;
propyr, 347.

prosses, 146, 347 (see proces).

prothonatory, 310.

prouoke, 233, 290;
prouoked, 87.

prycke songe, 95.

pryckemedenty, 176.

pryme, 312.

prymes, 282.

prymordyall, 361.

prynces aquilonis, 284.

Prynces of yougthe, 111.

pryste, 186.

Ptholome, 286;

Ptholomy, 133, 361 (see Tholomye).

puaunt, 377.

puauntely, 187.

puddynges, 254 (see podynges).

puffin, 131.

pullishe, 303;
pullisshyd, 310;
pullyshyd, 261;
pullysshed, 144, 149.

pultre, 255.

punyete, 173.

purple and paule, 283.

purueaunce, 250.

puruey, 368.

pusant, 302.

puscull, 175.

puskylde, 374.

put the stone, 242.

puwyt, 130.

py, 100;
pye, 218, 344, 362.

pyggysny, 97 (see piggesnye).

pyke, 251.

pyke, 304, 328, 341, 344.

pykes, 185.

pyketh mood, 223.

pykynge, 110.

pylche, 172.

pylde, 253;
pyll, 353, 357;
pyllyd, 192, 193;
pyllyd garleke hed, 184;
pyllyng, 350.

pyllyon, 289.

pyne, 199 (see pine).

pynk iyde, 314.

pyrdewy, 94.

pystell, 129, 244;
pystle, 282;
pystels, 234.

pystillers, 209.

Qd, 96, 100, 103 (see quod).

quaire, 336 (see quayre).

quatriuials, 361;
quatryuyals, 343.

quayre, 217, 345, 383 (see quaire.)

quecke, 268.

queed, 212.

quere, 91, 134, 284.

quest, 332.

questes, 203.

queysy, 273.

quibyble, 382.

quikly, 304, 313, 326 (see quyckely).

quight, 196 (see quyt).

quitte, 203 (see quyte).

quod, 97, 100, 106, &c. (see Qd).

quoke, 109.

quosshons, 233 (see cousshons and quysshon).

quycke, 125, 173, 359.

quyckely, 148;
quyckly, 261 (see quikly).

quysshon, 295 (see cousshons and quosshons).

quyt, 220;
quyte, 97, 266 (see quight).

quyte, 245 (see quitte).

race, 198 (see rase).

rachchyd, 188.

rage, 352.

ragman rollis, 335.

raist, 307 (see araid).

Raker, Jake, 186, 342;

Rakers, Jacke, 357.

rammysshe, 265.

rankis, 226.

rase, 303, 335;
rasid, 304, 337;
rasyd, 103 (see race).

ratches, 244.

ray, 194, 233, 376;
raye, 348.

Raynes, 268, 283.

reame, 226, 317, 364 (see reme).

rebads, 362 (see rebawde and rybaude).

rebaudrye, 116.

rebawde, 192;
rebawdis, 313 (see rebads and rybaude).

reboke, 109.

rechate, 270;
rechatyng, 234.

recheles, 96, 331, &c.;
rechelesse, 229, 230, &c. (see retchlesse).

rechery, 277.

reckys, 255 (see reke).

reclame, 193;
reclaymed, 148, 207, 345.

reclaymeth, 228.

reconusaunce, 320.

recorde, 238, 240, 361, 368.

recounfortyd, 308.

recrayd, 377;
recrayed, 223, 229, 232, &c.

recule, 327, 331, 344.

reculed, 377.

red sparow, 128.

rede, 274.

rede, 103, 105, 252, 271, &c.

redlesse, 275 (see rydlesse).

redouted, 90.

redres, 100.

reflaring, 323.

reflary, 134.

refrayne, 276.

regiment, 348.

regraciatory, 310.

Regum, 151, 210.

rehayted, 263.

rehers, 211;
reherse, 110;
rehersse, 260.

reiagged, 362.

reke, 109 (see reckys).

reme, 221, 381;
remes, 145 (see reame).

remord, 223;
remorde, 193, 295, 303;
remorded, 235;
remordyng, 229;
remordynge, 371.

remorders, 347.

remordes, 346.

remorse, 103.

ren, 196, 342;
renne, 118, 167, &c.;
renneth, 256;
renning, 195;
rennynge, 275 (see rin, ron, and ryn).

renayenge, 355.

renowme, 362.

reny, 232;
renyed, 90.

replycable, 235.

reporte me, 91, 240, 285.

repryuable, 259.

requiem æternam groweth forth of his nose, 272.

reserued, 264, 327.

rest, 238.

rest, 263.

rested, 229 (see rosty).

resty, 169.

resydeuacyon, 286.

retchlesse, 269 (see recheles).

reue, 265.

reuell route, 116 [Corr. and Add. p. 449].

reuynge, 353.

rew, 96, 127;
rewed, 122.

rin, 303, 333, 335;
rinne, 305 (see ren, ron, and ryn).

robbid, 198.

rocke, 167.

rocket, 160.

rode, 167, 209, 210, 213, &c.

rode loft, 206.

roke, 131.

role, 135.

rome, 243, 244, &c. (see rowme).

ron, 165;
ronnes, 284 (see ren, rin, and ryn).

ronner, 265.

rosabell, 323.

rosary, 323.

Rose, Lorde, 357.

rosers, 315 (see rosiar).

roset, 119.

rosiar, 327 (see rosers).

rost a stone, 353.

rosty, 151 (see rested).

rote, 367 (see rotys).

Roty bully joyse, 94 (see Rutty bully).

rotys, 196 (see rote).

rough, 298.

roughe foted, 222, 226.

rounde, 120 (see rowne).

rounses, 150.

rout, 166 (see rowtyth).

route, 131.

route, 107, 171, 248, &c. (see rowte).

routh, 179 (see row, rowth, and rughe).

royals, 369.

royle, 379.

row the bote, Norman, rowe, 111.

row, 187 (see routh, rowth, and rughe).

rowllys, 189.

rowme, 303, 361 (see rome).

rowne, 263;
rownyd, 306 (see rounde).

rowte, 252, 306, 358 (see route).

rowth, 98, 319 (see routh, row, and rughe).

rowtyth, 98 (see rout).

ruddes, 147;
ruddys, 101;
rudyes, 261.

rughe, 242 (see routh, row, and rowth).

rughly, 266.

Rukshaw, Magister, 92.

ruly, 341;
rulye, 347.

Rummyng, Elynour, 157, 158 [Corr. and Add. p. 454].

rusty, 114, 247.

rutter, 246;
rutters, 257.

rutterkyn, 246.

Rutty bully, 245 (see Roty bully joyse).

ruttyngly, 248.

ryall, 239, 241, 260, 302, &c.

ryally, 311.

ryalte, 277.

rybaude, 118;
rybawde, 193 (see rebads and rebawde).

rybibe, 174.

rybskyn, 168.

ryd, 274.

ryde and go, 125;
ryde or go, 258;
rydes or goos, 382 (see go or ryde).

rydlesse, 268 (see redlesse).

ryght of a rambes horne, 298, 350, 353.

ryn, 237, 270, &c.;
rynne, 247, 270, &c. (see ren, rin, and ron).

rynne to in manus tuas, 268.

sacre, 135.

sacryng, 296.

sad, 147, 196, &c.;
sade, 193;
sadde, 110, 118, &c.

sadly, 149, 235, 267, &c.;
sadlye, 346.

sadnes, 101, 332;
sadnesse, 242, 245, &c.

Sadoke, 346.

Sadylgose, 266.

Saint Ionis towne, 218.

salfecundight, 312.

salt, 166.

same, in, 244.

sank, 334, 361.

Sardanapall, 210.

Sarson, 180.

Sarum, secundum, 208.

satirray, 308.

Satrapas, 177.

saught, 92.

sautes, 275 (see sawte).

saw, 361;
sawe, 237, 288 (see sawis).

sawe, 239.

sawis, 371 (see saw).

sawlys, 198.

sawte, 262, 332 (see sautes).

sayd sayne, 298.

sayne, 159, 170, 337, 359.

Scalis Malis, 195.

scarce, 352.

Scarpary, 342, 347.

scholys, 211 (see scole and skoles).

Scipiades, 382;

Scipione, 219.

scole, 124, 187, &c.;
scoles, 235, 256;
scolys, 257 (see scholys and skoles).

scornnys, 112.

scrat, 258.

Scroupe, Jane or Joanna, 122, 145, 149, 152.

scryue, 192.

scut, 315.

scutus, 355.

seasyd, 261.

sedeane, 134.

seke, 172.

seke, to, 183, 322.

sekernes, 337;
sekernesse, 276 (see sykernesse).

sely, 278, 284, 287, 299, &c.

Sem, 126, 369.

semblaunt, 146, 256.

semynge, 261.

semyth, 192.

senaws, 123.

sence, 218.

sennet, 171.

sentens, 344;
sentence, 144, 211, 276, &c.

sere, 227.

Serenus, 235.

sergeaunt ferrour, 99.

serpentins, 188.

[seryously, Corr. and Add. p. 452].

set by, 99, 240, 242, 260, &c.

Seuen Systers, cannons so called, 221.

seymy, 188.

seynty, 176.

shales, 284 (see shayle).

Shall I sayle wyth you, 112.

shap, 175.

shayle, 97, 233, 341 (see shales).

shene, 152.

shene, 371.

shent, 219.

Sheriff-Hutton Castle, 299.

shet, 313;
shett, 335 (see shyt).

shilde, 90.

sho clout, 163.

shoder, 278.

shoke, 91, 313, 335.

shone, 161, 166.

shote, 240, 294, 299.

shoure, 379;
shower, 219.

shreud, 164;
shrewd, 284.

shrewdenes, 245.

shrewdly, 314, 362, 369 (see shrewlye and shroudly).

shrewe, 380 (see shrow).

shrewes, 120.

shrewlye, 349 (see shrewdly and shroudly).

shroudly, 257, 328 (see shrewdly and shrewlye).

shrow, 193 (see shrewe).

shryue, 109, 291.

shule, 287.

shuruy, 187.

shyderyd, 96.

shyll, 353.

shyne, 148.

shyre shakyng nought, 174, 258.

shyt, 256, 356 (see shet).

silogisme in phrisesomorum, 342.

Simonia, 356.

Sin, desertum, 222.

sith, 197, 229, &c.;
sithe, 177 (see syth).

Sitientes, 282.

sittyng, 304;
sittynge, 303 (see syttynge).

skellet, 166.

skelpe, 270.

sker, 147.

skewed, 163.

skoles, 233 (see scholys and scole).

skommer, 172.

skommeth, 165.

skyes, 233.

skyl, 375;
skyll, 262, 270.

skyll, 238, 259, 279, &c.;
skylle, 350.

skyregalyard, 348;
skyrgaliarde, 378;
skyrgalyard, 218.

skyt, 219.

slaiis, 318.

slaty, 167.

sle, 267;
slee, 90, 120, &c.;
sleeth, 228, 274 (see sley and slo).

sleue, 119 (see slyue).

sleue, wyde, 248.

sley, 163 (see sle and slo).

sleyght, 242;
sleyghtes, 360;
sleyte, 113 (see slyght).

sliddyr, 347 (see slyder).

slo, 90, 125, 146;
sloo, 274 (see sle and sley).

slvfferd, 184.

slyce, 172.

slyder, 167;
slydder, 265 (see sliddyr).

slyght, 194, 244, &c. (see sleyght).

slyue, 250 (see sleue).

smaragd, 102;
smaragdis, 311.

smerke, 317.

snappar, 209;
snapper, 92, 234.

snurre, 334.

snyte, 129, 266.

solace, 96, 108, 265 (see solas).

solacious, 144;
solacyous, 97, 316.

solas, 87, 126, 315, 341 (see solace).

solayne, 95 (see soleyne).

solempne, 253.

soleyne, 109, 346 (see solayne).

solfa, 279;
solfe, 132;
solfyth, 94.

somdele, 172, 227, 335 (see sumdele).

Some, 332.

somer, 101, 115, &c.

sonalia, 212.

sonde, 275.

sone, 219, 240, &c.;
soner, 275.

song, 204.

soppy, 176.

sort, 91, 146;
sorte, 163, 164, &c.

Sothray, 162.

sottys, 216.

sounde, 122.

Sowden, 211.

sowllys, 189.

sowre, 123.

sowre dowe, 167.

sowse, 184.

sowter, 265;
sowtters, 186.

spar, 333;
sparred, 207.

spayre, 127.

sped, 94, 143, 144, &c.;
spedde, 244.

spence, 176.

spence, 269.

spere, 184, 251, 316.

sperycall, 335.

splay, 182;
splayd, 199.

spone, 119, 166.

spores, 244.

Sprynge of Lanam, 369.

Spurs, Battle of the, 223.

spycke, 170.

spyll, 260, 270;
spylt, 91, 199.

spynke, 129.

spynt, 194.

stale, 168.

stalworthy, 358.

stede, 118, 152, 162, 184, &c.

stellyfye, 323.

stercorry, 88.

sterrys, 347.

stert, 175;
sterte, 120, 172, &c.

sterue, 379.

steuyn, 193.

stode, 306, 312, &c. (see stonde).

stole, 124, 278, 305.

stonde, 247, 259, &c.;
stondythe, 349 (see stode).

stoppynge oyster, 119.

storke, 131.

stounde, 122, 362 (see stownde).

stoutty, 377 (see stowty).

stow, 206, 250;
stowe, 252.

stownde, 381 (see stounde).

stowre, 216.

stowty, 178 (see stoutty).

straught, 195.

strawry, 163.

streynes, 261.

stubbed, 172.

Sturbrydge fayre, 342.

stut, 170.

stylla, 282.

styreth, 107.

styth, 212.

sufferayne, 312.

Sulpicia, 125.

sumdele, 93 (see somdele).

sumner, 217, 222.

superflue, 301.

supple, 339;
suppleyng, 335;
supply, 347;
supplye, 248;
supplyed, 263, 302.

supprised, 91;
supprysed, 261, 312.

surcudant, 230.

surfillyng, 319;
surfled, 281.

surmountinge,91;
surmountyng, 100;
surmountynge, 108, 322.

surpluse, 237.

Surrey, Earl of, his badge, 215, 220.

—— ——, his arms, 220.

Surrey, Earl of (son of the preceding), sent against France, 354.

Surrey, Cowntes of, 317.

swap, 247.

Swart, Martin, 93, 94.

swarue, 323.

swerd, 260;
swerde, 362, 381.

sweters, 162.

swyllynge tubbe, 164.

swynkers, 162.

syar, 260 (see syer).

syb, 162.

syde, 119.

Sydrake, 346.

syer, 371 (see syar).

syght, 217.

syke, 254, 265.

sykernesse, 268 (see sekernes).

sylt, 301.

symper the cocket, 160.

syn, 347.

syntillously, 228.

syth, 120, 199, &c.;
sythe, 227 (see sith).

Sythe I am no thynge playne, 110.

syttynge, 239, 277 (see sittyng).

tabers, 310;
tabertes, 283.

tails, Englishmen said to have, 224.

take in degre, 261.

take in gre, 267, 335, 360.

take in worth, 95, 145, 259.

taken, 241, 264.

tall, 368;
talle, 177 (see tawle).

talwod, 353.

Tanaquil, 227.

tancrete, 360.

tangyd, 272.

tappett, 192;
tappet, 257;
tappettis, 311, 318.

tappyster, 242.

tarsell gentyll, 134.

tauellis, 318;
tauellys, 94.

taumpinnis, 315.

tawle, 248 (see tall).

tax, 370.

tayle, 176.

teder, 119.

tegges, 164;
teggys, 179.

te he, 232, 243.

Temmys strete, 97.

tende, 247, 253.

tene, 90;
teene, 143.

tenter hokys, 252.

Terry of Trace, 178.

Testalis, 316.

Tetersall, 86.

tetrycall, 230.

tewly, 319.

Thagus, 145.

Thamer, 320.

thee, 243, 244, 249.

thees, 199.

theke, 253.

theologys, 286.

Theseus, 136.

thewde, 194, 358.

they, 188, 190.

this, 86, 128, 166, 209, &c.

tho, 228.

Tholomye, 342 (see Ptholome).

Thomas, St., of Kente, 114.

thought, 104, 124, 267;
thoughte, 228, 229.

thoughtfull, 101, 307.

thow, 178, 187, &c.;
thowth, 193;
thowthe, 190.

threstyl, 131.

thronge, 107.

throte bole, 274.

throw, 193.

thrust, 168.

thumbed, 160.

thurifycation, 133.

thwartyng ouer, 355.

timorous, 306.

tirikkis, 335;
tirykis, 342.

titiuyllis, 315 (see tytyuelles).

to, 129 (see too).

to, 94, 144, 145, &c.;
to to, 249, 269.

to-brokyn, 100.

to-fret, 333 (see freat and frete).

to-iagged, 163;
to-iaggid, 314 (see jagged).

to-mangle, 283.

to-myryd, 181.

to-ragged, 114.

to-rente, 114.

to-peuiche, 180 (see peuysshe).

to-torne, 203, 353.

toke, 209, 312, 321, &c.

tole, 187.

tollers, 204.

tolman, 226.

Tom a thrum, 282.

tone, 254, 278.

tonge, 274.

tonge tayde, 284.

tonnysh, 162.

tonsan, 345.

tonsors, 288.

too, 125, 268, 341 (see first to).

toote, 129, 339 (see tote).

Topias, 380;

Topyas, 180.

tot quot, 354;
tot quottes, 287.

tote, 148, 344;
toteth, 129 (see toote).

totyng, 297.

tough, made it, 196.

tought, 133.

towchis, 317.

towchid, 326;
towchyd, 313.

Tower, the, 86.

tragedy, 218;
tragydese, 194.

Trace, 312.

Traciane, 306.

tratlande, 375 (see tratlynge).

tratlers, 195.

tratlynge, 215 (see tratlande).

trauarse, 360.

trauell, 196.

traues, 106.

traueyleth, 228.

trentale, 212.

Trestram, 369 (see Trystram).

trete, 348.

tretory, 91.

trew, 259.

triuials, 361 (see tryuyals).

trone, 106, 260, 286, &c.;
trones, 284.

trotters, 369.

trowle, 191.

trumpet, 305, 306.

tryalytes, 287.

trym tram, 161, 342.

Trystram, 137 (see Trestram).

trysyd, 191.

tryuyals, 343 (see triuials).

tuche, 203.

Tucke, Freer, 241.

tucking hookes, 204.

tully valy, 104.

tumrelle, 192.

tunnyng, 158;
tunnynge, 163.

turkis, 310.

turney, 183 (see tyrnyd).

twybyll, 185.

twynklyng, 316.

twynkyng, 286.

twyst, 109.

Tyborne checke, 250.

tyde, 164;
tydes, 133.

Tylney, Mastres Margaret, 322.

tyne, 312.

tyned, 245.

tyrid, 205.

tyrly tyrlowe, 167, 294.

Tyrmagant, 177.

tyrnyd, 177 (see turney).

tyse, 233.

tytmose, 131.

tytyuelles, 284 (see titiuyllis).

vacabounde, 203;
vagabundus, 282.

vagys, 267.

vale, 195.

Valerius Maximus, 309;

Valery, 210.

varry, 381.

Vaspasyan that bare in his nose a waspe, 260.

vaunteperler, 348.

vawte, 311.

vayleth, 353.

vayned, 148.

vaynes, 261;
vaynys, 103, 198.

velyarde, 266.

vere, 196.

vergesse, 264.

versynge boxe, 110.

vertibilite, 195.

Vesca, 143.

Vexilla regis prodeunt, 199.

Vincencius in Speculo, 309.

vmanyte, 319 (see humanyte).

vmblis, 329.

vmwhyle, 181.

vnbrent, 231.

vncouthes, 296.

vndermynde, 360.

vnethes, 278 (see vnneth).

vnhappy, 195, 259.

vnfayned, 207.

vnlust, 163.

vnlusty, 146.

vnlykynge, 267.

vnneth, 112, 122, 148 (see vnethes).

vnpropyce, 228.

vnsowndy, 159.

vntayde, 195.

vntwynde, 126, 287, 333.

vntydy, 164.

voluell, 336, 342.

voyde, 240.

vrcheons, 355.

vre, 296.

vred, 232, 235, 377;
vryd, 236.

vtter, 175, 247.

vtteraunce, 261.

vycaryes, 287.

vyse, 235.

wake, 130.

wake, 117, 141.

walk, and be nought, 95.

Walshmans hose, 289, 329.

Waltoms calfe, as wyse as, 290.

walter, 267.

wambleth, 263.

wan, 98, 369.

wane, 369.

wanhope, 275.

warde, 184.

ware, 283.

Warham, archbishop, 372.

wark, 97;
warke, 135, 137, &c.;
warkes, 203, &c.;
warkis, 309, &c.;
warkys, 276, &c.

warke, 100, 144, 257, &c.

warlde, 193.

warne, 265 (see werne).

warre, 250;
warse, 190, 354.

wary, 186, 272.

waspy, 169.

watchynge, 115.

waterlag, 341.

wawes, 299;
wawys, 277.

wed, to, 270.

wedder, 333.

wele, 301, 303, 304, &c.

wele was, 325;
wele were, 317;
well were, 265.

weltyth, 259.

wende, 113;
wene, 119.

wengaunce, 272.

Wentworthe, Mastres Margery, 322.

were, 149, 227, 303.

werke, 288, 297;
werkes, 234, 279;
werkis, 305 (see wark).

werne, 107 (see warne and werryn).

werre, 105.

werryn, 279 (see warne and werne).

weryed on, 262.

wesant, 175;
wesaunt, 297.

wete, 118, 125, 263.

wetewoldis, 305.

wetynge, 112.

weue in the stoule, 318.

wexid, 206.

whalis bone, 311.

wharrowe, 168.

wheled, 374.

wher, 193.

where as, 228, 237, &c.;
whereas, 165, 228, &c.

wherfore and why, 121.

wheywormed, 175.

whilom, 342.

whipling, 358.

whom, 109.

whose, 91.

whylest, 240, 258, 202;
whylyst, 245.

whym wham, 161.

whynarde, 115.

whypslouens, 183.

whyste, 306.

whytyng, 165.

wist, 317 (see wyse).

withhold, 150;
withholde, 337.

wod, 299;
wode, 91, 277, 362 (see wood).

woke, 264;
wokys, 252.

woll, 161.

Wolsey, Cardinal, the son of a butcher, 349, 358, 361.

—— his poleaxes, pillars, and mule, 350.

—— his gifts and annuities from foreign powers, 355.

—— his luxurious living, 356.

—— his palaces, 360.

—— difficulty of access to him, 362.

—— chaplain to Sir John Nanphant, 364.

—— his tearing of the king’s letters, 364.

—— his holding the abbacy of St. Albans in commendam, 371.

—— made chancellor, without having employed any unfair means to
supersede Warham, 372.

Wolsey, said to have had the pox, 373.

wonder, 263;
wonders, 237.

wonderly, 112, 306.

wonne, 244, 250, 258;
wonnes, 97;
wonnyng, 279;
wonnys, 236.

wonnynge, 162.

wood, 148, 151;
woode, 113 (see wod).

woodhacke, 129.

worlde, it is a, 119.

worshiply, 91.

worshyp, 90, 239, 243, 259, &c.

worsshepfully, 294.

wortes, 254.

wot, 342;
wote, 173;
wotith, 333;
wotte, 189 (see wyt).

woundis fyue, 196.

wrate, 196, 205, 308, &c. (see wrete).

[wraw, Corr. and Add. p. 450.]

wren, our Ladyes hen, 135.

wrenche, 100;
wrenchis, 328.

wrest vp, 286.

wretchockes, 173.

wrete, 119 (see wrate).

Wrig wrag, 194, 341, 380.

wring, 91.

wroken, 174, 262, 287.

wronge, 146.

wrotes, 194.

wrouȝt, 198.

wrynge thy be in a brake, 271.

wull, 278.

wyddred, 227.

wyl, 192;
wyll, 86, 193.

wylage, 190.

wylla, 282.

wynche, 280.

Wyndsore, 87.

wyrry, 358.

wyse, 187;
wyst, 94, 189, 253;
wyste, 112 (see wist).

wyt, 236 (see wot).

wyte, 274.

xall, 187, 188, 194;
xalte, 190.

xulde, 184, 187, 191, 194;
xulddst, 188.

yane, 169.

yarke, 243.

yatis, 312.

yaue, 192.

yawde, 298.

ydder, 265.

ye, 109, 237, 238, &c.

yede, 205.

yeld, 89.

yerne, 332.

yl ticers, 204.

ylke, 377.

ymet, 242.

ynowe, 120.

Yorkes Place, 360.

ypocras, 285, 356.

ȝe, 182, 183, 184.

Zenophontes, 124.

ȝeris, 86.

ȝytt, 198.

ADDITIONAL NOTES.

The last line of the Decastichon, &c. vol. ii. 66,—

“Asperius nihil est misero quum surget in altum,”

is from Claudian,

“Asperius nihil est humili cum surgit in altum.”

In Eutrop. I. 181.

Add to note on the line,

Whome fortune and fate playnly haue discust,

vol. ii. 321.

that discust is used in the same sense by Drayton;

“Neuer did death so terrible appeare,

Since first their Armes the English learnt to weeld,

Who would see slaughter, might behold it heere

In the true shape vpon this fatall field;
In vaine was valour, and in vaine was feare,
In vaine to fight, in vaine it was to yeeld,
In vaine to fly; for destiny discust,

By their owne hands or others’ dye they must.”

The Miseries of Queene Margarite, p. 115. ed. 1627.

THE END.

LONDON:
PRINTED BY ROBSON, LEVEY, AND FRANKLYN,
Great New Street, Fetter Lane.

ADDENDA.

VOL. I.

ACCOUNT OF SKELTON AND HIS WRITINGS.

Page xviii. line 17.

“Ora lepore fluunt, sicuti dives fagus auro.”

For “fagus” read “Tagus.” This obvious error, which unaccountably had escaped my notice, was pointed out in Quart. Rev. lxxiii. 513.

P. xx. The following verses are transcribed from a MS. (in the collection of the late Mr. B. H. Bright) consisting of Hymni, &c. by Picus Mirandula:

“Pici Mirandulæ Carmen Extemporale.

Quid tibi facundum nostra in præconia fontem
Solvere collibuit,
Æterna vates, Skelton, dignissime lauro,
Castalidumque decus?
Nos neque Pieridum celebramus antra sororum,
Fonte nec Aonio
Ebibimus vatum ditantes ora liquores.
At tibi Apollo chelym [sic]
Auratam dedit, et vocalia plectra sorores;
Inque tuis labiis
Dulcior Hyblæo residet suadela liquore;
Se tibi Calliope
Infudit totam: tu carmine vincis olorem;
Cedit et ipse tibi
Ultro porrecta cithara Rhodopeius Orpheus:
Tu modulante lyra
Et mulcere feras et duras ducere quercus,
Tu potes et rapidos
Flexanimis fidibus fluviorum sistere cursus;
Flectere saxa potes.
Græcia Mæonio quantum debebat Homero,
Mantua Virgilio,
Tantum Skeltoni jam se debere fatetur
Terra Britanna suo:
Primus in hanc Latio deduxit ab orbe Camenas;
Primus hic edocuit
Exculte pureque loqui: te principe, Skelton,
Anglia nil metuat
Vel cum Romanis versu certare poetis.
Vive valeque diu!”

P. xxxiv. To my notices of Garnesche add the following (collected by Mr. D. E. Davy) from Gent. Mag. for Sept. 1844, p. 229:

“Sir Christopher Garneys, knt., whom I suppose to be the person who was the object of Skelton’s satire, was the second son of Edmund Garneys, esq. of Beccles, who was the second son of Peter Garneys, esq. of Beccles, whose eldest son, Thomas, was of Kenton. He, ‘Sir Christopher,’ was janitor of Caleys, and often employed in the wars temp. H. viii....

In a window of the chapel in the north aisle of St. Peter’s Mancroft Church, Norfolk, was the following inscription: ‘ ... anda ... a ... Dei, pro animabus Thome Elys tercia vice hujus civitatis Norwici Majoris et Margarete consortis sue.—Orandumque est pro animabus Edmundi Garnysh armigeri, et Matilde ejus consortis, filie predictorum Thome Elis et Margarete, ac pro longevo statu Christopheri Garnysh militis, dicti serenissimi Principis ville sue Calisie Janitoris.’ See Blomf. Norf. vol. iv. p. 199. [vol. ii. 628. ed. fol.]

‘A description of the Standards borne in the field by Peers and Knights in the reign of Hen. Eighth, from a MS. in the College of Arms marked I. 2. Compiled between the years 1510 and 1525.’—Syr Christoffer Garnys. ‘A on a wreath, Argent and Gules, an arm erased below the elbow, and erect proper, holding a falchion Argent, pomel and hilt Or, the blade imbrued in 3 places Gules. (Imperfect.)—Arms. Argent a chevron Azure between 3 escallops Sable.’ Excerpta Historica, p. 317.

‘Standards, temp. H. viii. Harl. MS. 4632. Syr Xr’ofer Garneyshe. Blue. The device, on a wreath Argent and Gules, an arm erased, grasping a scymitar, Proper.—Motto, ‘Oublere ne dois.’’ Collect. Topog. vol. iii. p. 64.

‘The names of the Inglishmen which were sent in Ambassade to the French King, before the Qwenes Landing, and oder Gentilmen in their Compaigne.’—‘Sir Christopher Garneys’ (inter al.).—Leland’s Collect, vol. ii. p. 704.

In the Athenæum for July 18, 1840, p. 572, there is a long letter, dated ‘at Morpeth, the xxviij day of Decembre,’ and signed ‘C. Garneys,’ whom the editor supposes to have been one of the medical attendants sent by the King, upon the illness of Queen Margaret: it was more probably [certainly, see Account of Skelton and his Writings, p. xxxii.] Sir Christ. Garneys, knt.

Sir Christopher was knighted at Touraine, 25 Dec. 5 H. viii. 1513, and married Jane, daughter of.... She died 27th March, 1552. Her will was dated 27th Aug. 1550, and proved 12th May, 1552; she was buried at Greenwich. Her husband was dead when she made her will. She names her son Arthur Dymoke, esq. Bequeaths most of her personal estate for charitable purposes.”

EXAMPLES OF THE METRE CALLED SKELTONICAL.

P. cxxiii.

“O quam venenosa pestis.”

The reviewer in Gent. Mag. p. 243, thinks that no line has been omitted here, and would read for the rhyme “pecus.”

POEMS.

P. 106.

“Jone sayne she had eaten a fyest.”

“Foist,” says the reviewer in G. M. p. 243, “is a toadstool in Suffolk language:” but qy. is that the meaning of “fyest” in our text? see my note.

P. 117.

“your semely snowte doth passe.”

Because the MS., as I have stated, appears at first sight to have “scriuely,” the reviewer in G. M. p. 243, says “the proper word is snively” and compares an expression in another poem Against Garnesche, p. 120, “In the pott your nose dedde sneuyll,” and one in Magnyfy ence, p. 286, “The snyte snyueled in the snowte.” But I still think that “semely” is right: Skelton afterwards (p. 130) tells Garnesche that he has “A semly nose and a stowte;” and the line now in question is immediately followed by

“Howkyd as an hawkys beke, lyke Syr Topyas,”

i. e. the Sire Thopas of Chaucer; and the said Sire Thopas (Cant. Tales, v. 13659, ed. Tyr.) “had a semeley nose.”

P. 133.

“Hic notat purpuraria arte intextas literas Romanas in amictibus post ambulonum ante et retro.”

The reviewer in G. M. p. 244, takes “post” to be an abridgement of “positas:” which is a very probable conjecture.

P. 134.

“Such tunges vnhappy hath made great diuision

In realmes, in cities, by suche fals abusion,” &c.

The reviewer in G. M. p. 244, says “Should not diuision be delusion?” I answer,—certainly not.

P. 139.

“Mary the mother.”

I have queried “thy mother”? to which the reviewer in G. M. p. 244 (rightly, I believe) objects—“the mother, mater, being an epitheton commune, an usual predicate of the Virgin.”

P. 163.

“Hos rapiet numeros non homo, sed mala bos.

Ex parte rem chartæ adverte aperte, pone Musam Arethusam hanc.”

The reviewer in G. M. p. 244, would read

“Hos rapiet numeros, non homo sed mulus aut bos,”

comparing (p. 170) “Asinus, mulus velut, et bos.” But why alter what Skelton intended for a pentameter? In what follows, the reviewer says that “‘hanc’ should be placed in hooks [hanc], as we think it is only a misprint for ‘aut’.” Would not “aut” stand oddly at the end of a sentence?

P. 170.

“Et cines socios.”

“Should it not be ‘cives’?” says the reviewer in G. M. p. 244. No,—as the preceding “Carpens vitales auras” shews.

P. 218.

“Qui caterisatis categorias cacodæmoniorum.”

“Mr. Dyce,” says the reviewer in G. M. p. 244, “conjectures catarrhizatis, which we do not exactly understand. We should read ‘cæteris datis;’” and he compares “enduced a secte” at p. 216, and two other similar passages. I still think that “caterisatis” is probably the old spelling of “catarrhizatis.”

P. 259. “Hic ingrediatur FOLY, quatiendo crema et faciendo multum, feriendo tabulas et similia.”

The reviewer in G. M. p. 245, supposes that “crema” is the Greek word χρημα Latinised, and that it here means “his thing or bauble.” I greatly doubt it.

P. 263.

“Howe rode he by you? howe put he to you?”

As a rhyme is wanting to “vyser” and “dyser,” I conjectured “you there.”—“We,” says the reviewer in G. M. p. 245, “would rather break the line into two short verses,—

‘How rode he by you?

Howe put he to you?’

as v. 1132, with the same cadence and accent,

‘Fan. What callest thou thy dogge?

Fol. Tusshe, his name is Gryme?’”

But the reviewer ought to have seen that the two speeches last cited make up one line.

P. 278.

“Call for a candell and cast vp your gorge.”

The reviewer in G. M. p. 245, observes, “Mr. Dyce proposes caudell; but is there any authority for caudell as an emetic? We think not, and that the text is right.” I now think so too.

P. 306.

“Sad Cyr. Then ye repent you of foly in tymes past?

Magn. Sothely, to repent me I haue grete cause:

Howe be it from you I receyued a letter,

Whiche conteyned in it a specyall clause,” &c.

The reviewer in G. M. p. 245, to restore the rhyme, would read—

“Sad Cyr. Then of foly in tymes past ye repent?

Magn. Sothely, to repent me I haue grete cause:

Howe be it from you I receyued a letter sent,

Whiche conteyned in it a specyall clause,” &c.

Against which I have nothing to object except the violence of the alteration.

P. 357.

“And Saynt Mary Spyttell,

They set not by vs a whystell.”

“Perhaps ‘whyttle,’” says the reviewer in G. M. p. 245.—I had originally proposed the latter reading, but afterwards rejected it, having found in Lydgate (see my note on the passage, vol. ii. 297),

“For he set not by his wrethe a whistel.”

P. 360. “Colinus Cloutus, quanquam mea carmina multis,” &c.

The reviewer in G. M. p. 246, would cure this corrupted passage as follows;

“Colinus Cloutus, quanquam mea carmina multis

Sordescunt stultis; sed paucis sunt data cultis,

Paucis ante alios divino flamine flatis.”

VOL. II.

POEMS.

P. 12. “In ista cantilena ore stilla plena abjectis frangibulis et aperit.”

The reviewer in G. M. p. 246, would read “Ista cantilena, in ore est illa plena,” &c.

P. 18.

“Psittacus hi notus seu Persius est puto notus,

Nec reor est nec erit licet est erit,”

is thus corrected by the reviewer in G. M. p. 246,—

“Psittacus hic notus seu Persius est puto notus,

Nec reor est, nec erit, nec licet est, nec erit.”

P. 21.

“Patet per versus, quod ex vi bolte harvi.”

The reviewer in G. M. p. 246, at least ingeniously conjectures,—

“Patet per versus quos excogitavit.”

P. 29.

“Iack Trauell and Cole Crafter.”

Among payments made in the year 1428 (in the reign of Hen. vi.), Jack Travel occurs as the name of a real person; “Et a Iakke Travaill et ses compaignons, feisans diverses Jeues et Enterludes, dedeins le Feste de Noell, devant nostre dit Sire le Roi,” &c. Rymer’s Fœd. T. iv. P. iv. p. 133.

P. 86.

“Emportured with corage,

A louers pylgrimage.”

“We interpret,” says the reviewer in G. M. p. 246, “the former line as—drawn or portrayed with force, what the French call animer les tableaux or force de couleurs; and we think a line after this must have dropped out, like the following;

‘To whom made Numa sage

A louers pylgrimage.’”

NOTES.

P. 206. “‘A chase at tennis is that spot where a ball falls, beyond which the adversary must strike his ball to gain a point or chace. At long tennis, it is the spot where the ball leaves off rolling.’ Douce’s Illust. of Shakespeare, i. 485.”

In “Additional Notes and Corrections” to his ed. of Shakespeare (vol. i. cclxxxvii.) Mr. Collier observes: “Douce in his ‘Illustrations,’ from not understanding the game of tennis, is mistaken in his definition of a ‘chase:’ a ‘chase’ is not ‘the spot where a ball falls,’ but the duration of a contest in which the players hunt or ‘chase’ the ball, bandying it from one to the other. For the same reason, probably, the Rev. A. Dyce in his Skelton’s Works, vol. ii. p. 206, commits a similar error, and we think misunderstands the passage he quotes from the ‘Merry Jests of the Widow Edith.’ To ‘mark a chase,’ the expression there employed, is to have a chase scored or marked in favour of the successful player; and such is the metaphorical meaning, as applied to the widow, who scored her own chases as she walked along.”

Now, from Douce’s intimate acquaintance with the technicalities of games, I cannot but think that he must have had some authority for his explanation of ‘chase’—(I speak of it, without reference to Shakespeare’s Henry V.): and that the word chase was not always used by early writers in the sense to which Mr. Collier would limit it—“the duration of a contest in which the players hunt or ‘chase’ the ball, bandying it from one to the other,”—might be shewn by other passages besides the following;

“Ric. Reueng’d! and why, good childe?

Olde Faukenbridge hath had a worser basting.

Fa. I, they haue banded [me] from chase to chase;

I haue been their tennis ball since I did coort.”

A pleasant Commodie called Looke about you, 1600, sig. K 2.

R. Holme gives, among the “terms,” at tennis, “Chase, is to miss the second striking of the Ball back;” and, among its “laws,” he informs us, “6. You must observe that there is no changing sides without two Chases or Forty one Chase, and then they may change sides, and the other serves upon the Pent-house beyond the Blew, and then the other is bound to play the Ball over the Line, between the Chase and the end Wall; and if the other side misses to return the Ball, he loses 15.” Acad. of Armory, 1688, B. iii. p. 265. The passage of Skelton,

“She mutid [i. e. dunged] there a chase

Vpon my corporas face,”

taken together with that which I cited from The Mery Jests of the Widow Edith, shews that the word was occasionally used as a sort of “mannerly” term when certain uncleanly subjects were in question.

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Table of Contents

THE POETICAL WORKS OF JOHN SKELTON.

SPEKE, PARROT.[1] THE BOKE[2] COMPILED BY MAISTER SKELTON, POET LAUREAT, CALLED SPEAKE, PARROT.

HERE AFTER FOLOWETH A LYTELL BOKE,[115] WHICHE HATH TO NAME WHY COME YE NAT[116] TO COURTE? COMPYLED BY MAYSTER SKELTON, POETE LAUREATE.

DECASTICHON VIRULENTUM IN GALERATUM LYCAONTA MARINUM, &c.

APOSTROPHA AD[252] LONDINI CIVES (CITANTE[253] MULUM ASINO AUREO GALERATO) IN OCCURSUM ASELLI,[254] &c.

SKELTON, LAUREATE, &c. HOWE THE DOUTY DUKE OF ALBANY,[257] LYKE A COWARDE KNYGHT, RAN AWAYE SHAMFULLY, WITH AN HUNDRED THOUSANDE TRATLANDE SCOTTES AND FAINT HARTED FRENCHEMEN, BESIDE THE WATER OF TWEDE, &c.

- SKELTON LAUREAT, OBSEQUIOUS ET LOYALL.[269] TO MY LORDE CARDYNALS RIGHT NOBLE GRACE, &c.

NOTES TO VOLUME I.

- OF THE DEATH OF THE NOBLE PRINCE, KYNGE EDWARDE THE FORTH.

- SKELTON LAUREATUS LIBELLUM SUUM, &c.

- VPON THE DOLOUR[U]S DETHE AND MUCHE LAMENTABLE CHAUNCE OF THE MOST HONORABLE ERLE OF NORTHUMBERLANDE.

- AGAYNSTE A COMELY COYSTROWNE, THAT CURYOWSLY CHAWNTYD, AND CURRYSHLY COWNTRED, &c.

- VPPON A DEEDMANS HED, &c.

- “WOMANHOD, WANTON, YE WANT,” &c.

- DYUERS BALETTYS AND DYTIES, &c.

- MANERLY MARGERY MYLK AND ALE.

- THE BOWGE OF COURTE.

- PHYLLYP SPAROWE

- ELYNOUR RUMMYNGE.

- POEMS AGAINST GARNESCHE.

- AGAINST VENEMOUS TONGUES.

- ON TYME.

- PRAYER TO THE SECONDE PARSON.

- WOFFULLY ARAID

- NOW SYNGE WE, &c.

- LATIN POEM.

- THE MANER OF THE WORLD NOW A DAYES.

- WARE THE HAUKE.

- EPITAPHE, &c.

- A DEUOUTE TRENTALE, &c.

- LAMENTATIO URBIS NORVICEN.

- IN BEDEL, &C.

- EPITAPHIUM IN HENRICUM SEPTIMUM.

- TETRASTICHON VERITATIS.

- AGAINST THE SCOTTES.

- VNTO DIUERS PEOPLE THAT REMORD THIS RYMYNGE, &c.

- CHORUS DE DIS, &c.

- CHORUS DE DIS, &c. SUPER TRIUMPHALI VICTORIA CONTRA GALLOS, &c.

- VILITISSIMUS SCOTUS DUNDAS, &c.

- ELEGIA IN COMITISSAM DE DERBY.

- WHY WERE YE CALLIOPE, &c.

- THE BOKE OF THREE FOOLES.

- A REPLYCACION, &c.

- MAGNYFYCENCE.

- COLYN CLOUTE.

- A RYGHT DELECTABLE TRATYSE VPON A GOODLY GARLANDE OR CHAPELET OF LAURELL ... STUDYOUSLY DYUYSED AT SHERYFHOTTON CASTELL, IN THE FORESTE OF GALTRES, &c.

- OWT OF LATYNE INTO ENGLYSSHE.

NOTES TO VOLUME II.

- SPEKE, PARROT.

- WHY COME YE NAT TO COURTE?

- EPITOMA, &c.

- DECASTICHON, &c.

- HOWE THE DOUTY DUKE OF ALBANY, LYKE A COWARDE KNYGHT, RAN AWAYE SHAMFULLY, &c.

POEMS ATTRIBUTED TO SKELTON.

- VERSES PRESENTED TO KING HENRY THE SEVENTH[273] AT THE FEAST OF ST. GEORGE CELEBRATED AT WINDSOR IN THE THIRD YEAR OF HIS REIGN.

- THE EPITAFFE OF THE MOSTE NOBLE AND VALYAUNT JASPAR LATE DUKE OF BEDDEFORDE.[276]

- ELEGY ON KING HENRY THE SEVENTH.[277]
- VOX POPULI, VOX DEI.[278]
- THE IMAGE OF IPOCRYSY.[468]

CORRIGENDA AND ADDENDA.

- VOL. I.

- DYUERS BALETTYS, &c.

- THE BOWGE OF COURTE.

- PHYLLYP SPAROWE.

- ELYNOUR RUMMYNG.

- POEMS AGAINST GARNESCHE.

- AGAINST VENEMOUS TONGUES.

- THE MANER OF THE WORLD NOW A DAYES.

- TETRASTICHON VERITATIS.

- AGAINST THE SCOTTES.

- ELEGIA IN COMITISSAM DE DERBY.

- MAGNYFYCENCE.

- COLYN CLOUTE.

- GARLANDE OF LAURELL.

- VOL. II.

- SPEKE, PARROT.

- WHY COME YE NAT TO COURTE?

- NOTES.

INDEX TO THE NOTES.

ADDITIONAL NOTES.

ADDENDA.

- VOL. I.

- ACCOUNT OF SKELTON AND HIS WRITINGS.

- EXAMPLES OF THE METRE CALLED SKELTONICAL.

- POEMS.

- VOL. II.

- POEMS.

- NOTES.

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