Part 18

[561] _Sayth from, &c._] This line added to MS. in (perhaps) a different hand.

[562] _can_] MS. seems to read “cam.”

[563] _holde_] MS. “bolde.”

[564] _wyl_] Compare v. 135.

[565] _rybawde_] MS. seems to have “rylowde.”

[566] _Withowte thou leue, &c._] In MS. the latter part of this line, and the concluding portions of the next two lines, are so injured by stains that I can only guess at the words. The endings of the third and fourth lines after this are illegible.

[567] _callyst_] MS. “callydst.”

[568] _Wher_] Seems to be the reading of MS.

[569] _wyll_] Compare v. 97.

[570] _Haftar_] MS. “hastar;” see notes.

SKELTON LAVREATE, ORATORIS REGIS TERTIUS,[571] AGAINST VENEMOUS TONGUES[572] ENPOYSONED WITH SCLAUNDER AND FALSE DETRACTIONS, &c.

_Quid detur tibi, aut quid apponatur tibi ad linguam dolosam?_ Psalm. c. xlij.

_Deus destruet te in finem; evellet te, et emigrabit te de tabernaculo tuo, et radicem tuam de terra viventium._ Psal. lxvii.

Al maters wel pondred and wel to be regarded, How shuld a fals lying tung then be rewarded? Such tunges shuld be torne out by the harde rootes, Hoyning like hogges that groynis and wrotes.

_Dilexisti omnia verba præcipitationis, lingua dolosa._ Ubi s. _&c._

For, as I haue rede in volumes olde, A fals lying tunge is harde to withholde; A sclaunderous tunge, a tunge of a skolde, Worketh more mischiefe than can be tolde; That, if I wist not to be controlde, Yet somwhat to say I dare well be bolde, How some delite for to lye thycke and threfolde.

_Ad sannam hominem redigit comice[573] et graphice._

For ye said, that he said, that I said, wote ye what? I made, he said, a windmil of an olde mat: If there be none other mater but that, Than ye may commaunde me to gentil Cok wat.

_Hic notat purpuraria arte intextas literas Romanas in amictibus post ambulonum[574] ante et retro._

For before on your brest, and behind on your back, In Romaine letters I neuer founde lack: In your crosse rowe nor Christ crosse you spede, Your Pater noster, your Aue, nor your Crede. Who soeuer that tale vnto you tolde, He saith vntruly, to say that I would Controlle the cognisaunce of noble men Either by language or with my pen.

_Pædagogium meum de sublimiori Minerva constat esse: ergo, &c._

My scole is more solem and somwhat more haute Than to be founde in any such faute.

_Pædagogium meum male sanos maledicos sibilis complosisque manibus[575] explodit, &c._

My scoles are not for vnthriftes vntaught, For frantick faitours half mad and half straught; But my learning is of an other degree To taunt theim like liddrous, lewde as thei bee.

_Laxent ergo antennam elationis suæ inflatam vento vanitatis._ li. ille, _&c._

For though some be lidder, and list for to rayle, Yet to lie vpon me they can not preuayle: Then let them vale a bonet of their proud sayle, And of their taunting toies rest with il hayle.

_Nobilitati ignobilis cedat vilitas, &c._

There is no noble man wil iudge in me Any such foly to rest or to be: I care muche the lesse what euer they say, For tunges vntayde be renning astray; But yet I may say safely, so many wel lettred Embraudred, enlasid together, and fettred, And so little learning, so lewdly alowed, What fault find ye herein but may be auowed? But ye are so full of vertibilite, And of frenetyke folabilite, 10 And of melancoly mutabilite, That ye would coarte and enforce me Nothing to write, but hay the gy of thre, And I to suffre you lewdly to ly Of me with your language full of vilany!

_Sicut novacula[576] acuta fecisti dolum._ Ubi s.

Malicious tunges, though they haue no bones, Are sharper then swordes, sturdier then stones.

_Lege Philostratum de vita Tyanæi Apollonii._

Sharper then raysors that shaue and cut throtes, More stinging then scorpions that stang Pharaotis.

_Venenum aspidum sub labiis eorum._ Ps.

More venemous and much more virulent Then any poysoned tode or any serpent.

_Quid peregrinis egemus exemplis? ad domestica recurramus, &c._ li. ille.

Such tunges vnhappy hath made great diuision In realmes, in cities, by suche fals abusion; Of fals fickil tunges suche cloked collusion Hath brought nobil princes to extreme confusion.

_Quicquid loquantur, ut effœminantur, ita effantur, &c._

Somtime women were put in great blame, Men said they could not their tunges atame; But men take vpon theim nowe all the shame, With skolding and sklaundering make their tungs lame.

_Novarum rerum cupidissimi, captatores, delatores, adulatores, invigilatores, deliratores, &c. id genus._ li. ille.

For men be now tratlers and tellers of tales; What tidings at Totnam,[577] what newis in Wales, What shippis are sailing to Scalis Mails? And all is not worth a couple of nut shalis: But lering and lurking here and there like spies; The deuil tere their tunges and pike out their ies! Then ren they with lesinges and blow them about, With, He wrate suche a bil withouten dout; With, I can tel you what such a man said; And you knew all, ye would be ill apayd. 10

_De more vulpino, gannientes ad aurem, fictas fabellas fabricant._ li. ille.

_Inauspicatum, male ominatum, infortunatum se fateatur habuisse horoscopum, quicunque maledixerit vati Pierio, S[keltonidi] L[aureato], &c._

But if that I knewe what his name hight, For clatering of me I would him sone quight; For his false lying, of that I spake neuer, I could make him shortly repent him for euer: Although he made it neuer so tough, He might be sure to haue shame ynough.

_Cerberus horrendo barathri latrando sub antro_ _Te rodatque voret, lingua dolosa, precor._

A fals double tunge is more fiers and fell Then Cerberus the cur couching in the kenel of hel; Wherof hereafter I thinke for to write, Of fals double tunges in the dispite.

_Recipit se scripturum opus sanctum,[578] laudabile, acceptabile, memorabileque, et nimis honorificandum._

_Disperdat Dominus universa labia dolosa et linguam magniloquam!_

[571] _Tertius_] A misprint: qy. “Versus?”

[572] _Against venemous tongues, &c._] From Marshe’s ed. of Skelton’s _Workes_, 1568.

[573] _comice_] Ed. “comite.”

[574] _post ambulonum_] The Rev. J. Mitford would read “_ambulonum post_.”

[575] _manibus_] Ed. “mantibus.”

[576] _novacula_] Ed. “nouocla.”

[577] _Totnam_] Ed. “Totmā.”

[578] _sanctum_] Ed. “sancte.”

Ye may here now,[579] in this ryme, How euery thing must haue a tyme.

Tyme is a thing that no man may resyst; Tyme is trancytory and irreuocable;[580] Who sayeth the contrary, tyme passeth as hym lyst; Tyme must be taken in season couenable; Take tyme when tyme is, for tyme is ay mutable; All thynge hath tyme, who can for it prouyde; Byde for tyme who wyll, for tyme wyll no man byde.[581]

Tyme to be sad, and tyme to play and sporte; 10 Tyme to take rest by way of recreacion;[582] Tyme to study, and tyme to use comfort; Tyme of pleasure, and tyme of consolation: Thus tyme hath his tyme of diuers maner facion: Tyme for to eate and drynke for thy repast; Tyme to be lyberall, and tyme to make no wast;

Tyme to trauell, and tyme for to rest; Tyme for to speake, and tyme to[583] holde thy pease; Tyme would be vsed when tyme is best; Tyme to begyn, and tyme for to cease; 20 And when tyme is, [to] put thyselfe in prease, And when tyme is, to holde thyselfe abacke; For tyme well spent can neuer haue lacke.

The rotys take theyr sap in tyme of vere; In tyme of somer flowres fresh and grene; In tyme of haruest men their corne shere; In tyme of wynter the north wynde waxeth kene, So bytterly bytynge the flowres be not sene; The kalendis of Janus, with his frostes hore, That tyme is when people must lyue vpon the store. 30

Quod Skelton, Laureat.

[579] _Ye may here, &c._] This and the next three poems are from the ed. by Kynge and Marche of _Certaine bokes compyled by mayster Skelton_, n. d., collated with the same work, ed. Day, n. d., and ed. Lant, and with Marshe’s ed. of Skelton’s _Workes_, 1568. I may here notice that in those eds. the present piece is preceded by a copy of verses, “All nobyll men of this take hede,” &c., which will be given afterwards, before _Why come ye not to Courte?_ where it is repeated in all the eds.

[580] _irreuocable_] So Marshe’s ed. Other eds. “irrouocable.”

[581] _byde_] Eds. of Day, and Marshe, “abide.”

[582] _recreacion_] So other eds. Ed. of Kynge and Marche, “creation.”

[583] _to_] Eds. of Day, and Marshe, “for _to_.”

PRAYER TO THE FATHER OF HEAUEN.

O radiant Luminary of lyght intermynable, Celestial Father, potenciall God of myght, Of heauen and earth, O Lord incomperable, Of all perfections the essencial most perfyght! O Maker of mankynde, that formyd day and nyghte, Whose power imperyal comprehendeth euery place! Myne hert, my mynde, my thought, my hole delyght Is, after this lyfe, to see thy glorious face:

Whose magnifycence is incomprehensybyll, All argumentes of reason which far doth excede, 10 Whose Deite dowtles is indiuysybyll, From whom all goodnes and vertue doth procede; Of thy support all creatures haue nede: Assyst me, good Lord, and graunte me of thy grace, To lyue to thy pleasure in word, thoughte, and dede, And, after this lyfe, to see thy glorious face.

TO THE SECONDE PARSON.

O benygne Jesu, my souerayne Lord and Kynge, The only Sonne of God by filiacion, The Seconde Parson withouten[584] beginnynge, Both God and man our fayth maketh playne relacion, Mary the[585] mother, by way of incarnacion, Whose glorious passion our soules doth reuyue! Agayne all bodely and goostely trybulacion Defende me with thy piteous woundis fyue. O pereles Prynce, payned[586] to the deth, Rufully rent, thy body wan and blo, 10 For my redempcion gaue vp thy vytall breth, Was neuer sorow lyke to thy dedly wo! Graunte me, out of this world when I shall go, Thyne endles mercy for my preseruatyue; Agaynst the world, the flesh, the deuyl also, Defende me wyth thy pyteous woundis fyue.

[584] _withouten_] Eds. of Day, and Marshe, “without.”

[585] _the_] Qy. “thy?”

TO THE HOLY GOOSTE.

O firy feruence,[587] inflamed wyth all grace, Enkyndelyng hertes with brandis charitable, The endles reward of pleasure and solace, To the Father and the Son thou art communicable _In unitate_ which is inseperable! O water of lyfe, O well of consolacion! Agaynst all suggestions dedly and dampnable Rescu me, good Lorde, by your preseruacion:

To whome is appropryed the Holy Ghost by name, The Thyrde Parson, one God in Trinite, 10 Of perfyt loue thou art the ghostly flame: O myrrour of mekenes, pease, and tranquylyte, My confort, my counsell, my parfyt charyte! O water of lyfe, O well of consolacion! Agaynst all stormys of harde aduersyte Rescu me, good Lord, by thy preseruacion. Amen.

Quod Skelton, Laureat.

[586] _payned_] So Lant’s ed. Other eds. “paynted.”

[587] _feruence_] So Lant’s ed. Other eds. “seruence” and “sentence.”

Woffully araid,[588] My blode, man, For thé ran, It may not be naid; My body bloo and wan, Woffully araid.

Beholde me, I pray thé, with all thi hole reson, And be not so hard hartid, and ffor this encheson, Sith I for thi sowle sake was slayne in good seson, Begylde and betraide by Judas fals treson; 10 Vnkyndly entretid, With sharpe corde sore fretid, The Jewis me thretid, They mowid, they grynned, they scornyd me, Condempnyd[589] to deth, as thou maist se, Woffully araid.

Thus nakyd am I nailid, O man, for thy sake! I loue thé, then loue me; why slepist thou? awake! Remembir my tendir hart rote for thé brake, With panys my vaynys constreyn[e]d to crake; 20 Thus toggid to and fro, Thus wrappid all in woo, Whereas neuer man was so,[590] Entretid thus in most cruell wyse, Was like a lombe offerd in sacrifice, Woffully araid.

Off sharpe thorne I haue worne a crowne on my hede, So paynyd, so straynyd, so rufull,[591] so red; Thus bobbid, thus robbid,[592] thus for thy loue ded, Onfaynyd[593] not deynyd[594] my blod for to shed; 30 My fete and handes sore The[595] sturdy nailis bore; What myȝt I suffir more Than I haue don, O man, for thé? Cum when thou list, wellcum to me, Woffully araide.[596]

Off record thy good Lord y haue beyn and schal bee; Y am thyn, thou artt myne, my brother y call thee; Thé love I enterly; see whatt ys befall me! Sore bettyng, sore thretyng, too mak thee, man, all fre: 40 Why art thou wnkynde? Why hast nott mee yn mynde? Cum ȝytt, and thou schalt fynde Myne endlys mercy and grace; See how a spere my hert dyd race, Woyfully arayd.

Deyr brother, noo other thyng y off thee desyre Butt gyve me thyne hert fre to rewarde myn hyre: Y wrouȝt thé, I bowgȝt thé frome eternal fyre; Y pray thé aray thé tooward my hyȝt empyre, 50 Above[597] the oryent, Wheroff y am regent, Lord God omnypotent, Wyth me too reyn yn endlys welthe; Remember, man, thy sawlys helthe.

Woofully arayd, My blode, man, For thé rane, Hytt may nott be nayd; My body blow and wane, 60 Woyfully arayde.

Explicit qd. Skelton.

[588] _Woffully araid_] From the Fairfax MS. (which once belonged to Ralph Thoresby, and now forms part of the Additional MSS., 5465, in the British Museum), where it occurs twice,—(fol. 76 and, less perfectly, fol. 86); collated with a copy written in a very old hand on the fly-leaves of _Boetius de Discip. Schol. cum notabili commento, Daventrie_, 1496, 4to. (in the collection of the late Mr. Heber), which has supplied several stanzas not in the Fairfax MS. It was printed from the latter, not very correctly, by Sir John Hawkins, _Hist. of Music_, ii. 89. I have followed the metrical arrangement of the MS. in the _Boetius_.

[589] _condempnyd_] So sec. copy in Fairfax MS., and MS. in the _Boetius_. First copy in F. MS. “condemp.”

[590] _Whereas neuer man was so_] MS. in the _Boetius_, “Ah _was never man soo_.”

[591] _rufull_] MS. in the _Boetius_, “rowfully.”

[592] _bobbid ... robbid_] MS. in the _Boetius_, “bowde ... rowyd.”

[593] _Onfaynyd_] MS. in the _Boetius_, “Unfraynyd.”

[594] _deynyd_] MS. in the _Boetius_, “drynyde.”

[595] _The_] MS. in the _Boetius_, “Thes.”

[596] _Woffully araide_] Here the Fairfax MS. concludes: what follows is given from the MS. in the _Boetius_.

[597] _Above_] MS. “I love.”

Now synge we,[598] as we were wont, _Vexilla regis prodeunt_.

The kinges baner on felde is [s]playd, The crosses mistry can not be nayd, To whom our Sauyour was betrayd, And for our sake; Thus sayth he, I suffre for thé, My deth I take. Now synge we, &c.

Beholde my shankes, behold my knees, 10 Beholde my hed, armes, and thees, Beholde of me nothyng thou sees But sorowe and pyne; Thus was I spylt, Man, for thy gylte, And not for myne. Now synge we, &c.

Behold my body, how Jewes it donge With knots of whipcord and scourges strong; As stremes of a well the blode out sprong On euery syde; 20 The knottes were knyt, Ryght well made with wyt, They made woundes wyde. Now synge we, &c.

Man, thou shalt now vnderstand, Of my head, bothe fote and hand, Are four c. and fyue thousand Woundes and sixty; Fifty and vii. Were tolde full euen Vpon my body. 30 Now synge we, &c.

Syth I for loue bought thé so dere, As thou may se thy self here, I pray thé with a ryght good chere Loue me agayne, That it lykes me To suffre for thé Now all this payne. Now synge we, &c.

Man, vnderstand now thou shall, In sted of drynke they gaue me gall, And eysell mengled therwithall, 40 The Jewes fell; These paynes on me I suffred for thé To bryng thé fro hell. Now synge we, &c.

Now for thy lyfe thou hast mysled, Mercy to aske be thou not adred; The lest drop of blode that I for thé bled Myght clense thé soone Of all the syn The worlde within, 50 If thou haddest doone. Now synge we, &c.

I was more wrother with Judas, For he wold no mercy aske, Than I was for his trespas Whan he me solde; I was euer redy To graunt hym mercy, But he none wolde. Now synge we, &c.

Lo, how I hold my armes abrode, Thé to receyue redy isprode![599] 60 For the great loue that I to thé had Well may thou knowe, Some loue agayne I wolde full fayne Thou woldest to me shewe. Now synge we, &c.

For loue I aske nothyng of thé But stand fast in faythe, and syn thou fle, And payne to lyue in honeste Bothe nyght and day; And thou shalt have blys 70 That neuer shall mys Withouten nay. Now synge we, &c.

Now, Jesu, for thy great goodnes, That for man suffred great hardnes, Saue vs fro the deuyls cruelnes, And to blys vs send, And graunt vs grace To se thy face Withouten ende. Now synge we, &c.

[598] _Now synge we, &c._] From _Bibliographical Miscellanies_ (edited by the Rev. Dr. Bliss), 1813, 4to, p. 48, where it is given from an imperfect volume (or fragments of volumes) of black-letter _Christmas Carolles_, partly (but probably not wholly) printed by Kele.

[599] _isprode_] _Bib. Mis._ “I sprede.”

[“CCCCXXXII.

“_Codex membranaceus in 4to, seculo xiv scriptus, figuris illuminatis, sed injuria temporis pene deletis ornatus, in quo continetur_,

I. Polichronitudo basileos _sive_ historia belli quod Ricardus I. gessit contra Sarracenos, _Gallice_.

_Hoc opus Skeltono ascribitur a Cl. Stanleio; primo autem intuitu satis liquet codicem ipsum longe ante tempus quo claruit Skeltonus fuisse scriptum, ab eoque regi dono missum, ut testantur sequentes versus diverso et recenti caractere primæ paginæ inscripti_:”[600]]

_I, liber, et propera, regem tu pronus adora;_ _Me sibi commendes humilem Skeltonida vatem:_ _Ante suam majestatem, (per cætera passim,)_ _Inclyta bella refer, gessit quæ maximus heros_ _Anglorum, primus nostra de gente Ricardus,_ _Hector ut intrepidus, contra validissima castra_ _Gentis Agarenæ; memora quos ille labores,_ _Quos tulit angores, qualesque recepit honores._ _Sed_ _Chronica Francorum, validis inimica Britannis,_ _Sæpe solent celebres Britonum compescere laudes._ 10

[600] Nasmith’s _Catal. Libr. Manuscript, quos Coll. Corporis Christi et B. Mariæ Virginis in Acad. Cantabrig. legavit Reverendiss. in Christo Pater Matthæus Parker, Archiepisc. Cantuar._ p. 400. 1777, 4to.

THE MANER OF THE WORLD NOW A DAYES.[601]

So many poynted caps Lased with double flaps, And so gay felted hats, Sawe I never: So many good lessons, So many good sermons, And so few devocions, Sawe I never.

So many gardes worne, Jagged and al to-torne, 10 And so many falsely forsworne, Sawe I never: So few good polycies In townes and cytyes For kepinge of blinde hostryes Sawe I never.

So many good warkes, So few wel lerned clarkes, And so few that goodnes markes, Sawe I never: 20 Such pranked cotes and sleves, So few yonge men that preves, And such encrease of theves, Sawe I never.

So many garded hose, Such cornede shoes, And so many envious foes, Sawe I never: So many questes sytte With men of smale wit, 30 And so many falsely quitte, Sawe I never.

So many gay swordes, So many altered wordes, And so few covered bordes, Sawe I never: So many empti purses, So few good horses, And so many curses, Sawe I never. 40

Such bosters and braggers, So newe fashyoned daggers, And so many beggers, Sawe I never: So many propre knyves, So well apparrelled wyves And so yll of theyr lyves, Saw I never.

So many cockolde makers, So many crakers, 50 And so many peace breakers, Saw I never: So much vayne clothing With cultyng and jagging, And so much bragginge, Saw I never.

So many newes and knackes, So many naughty packes, And so many that mony lackes, Saw I never: 60 So many maidens with child And wylfully begylde, And so many places untilde, Sawe I never.

So many women blamed And rightuously defaimed, And so lytle ashamed, Sawe I never: Widowes so sone wed After their husbandes be deade, 70 Having such hast to bed, Sawe I never.

So much strivinge For goodes and for wivinge, And so lytle thryvynge, Sawe I never: So many capacities, Offices and pluralites, And chaunging of dignities, Sawe I never. 80

So many lawes to use The truth to refuse, Suche falshead to excuse, Sawe I never: Executers havinge the ware, Taking so littel care Howe the soule doth fare, Sawe I never.

Amonge them that are riche No frendshyp is to kepe tuche, 90 And such fayre glosing speche Sawe I never: So many pore In every bordoure, And so small soccoure, Saw I never.

So proude and so gaye, So riche in araye, And so skant of money, Saw I never: 100 So many bowyers, So many fletchers, And so few good archers, Saw I never.

So many chepers, So fewe biers, And so many borowers, Sawe I never: So many alle sellers In baudy holes and sellers, 110 Of yonge folkes yll counsellers, Sawe I never.

So many pinkers, So many thinkers, And so many good ale drinkers, Sawe I never: So many wronges, So few mery songes, And so many yll tonges, Sawe I never. 120

So many a vacabounde Through al this londe, And so many in pryson bonde, I sawe never: So many citacions, So fewe oblacions, And so many newe facions, Sawe I never.

So many fleyng tales, Pickers of purses and males, 130 And so many sales, Saw I never: So much preachinge, Speaking fayre and teaching, And so ill belevinge, Saw I never.

So much wrath and envy, Covetous and glottony, And so litle charitie, Sawe I never: 140 So many carders, Revelers and dicers, And so many yl ticers, Sawe I never.