Part 22

Ouer this, for a more ample processe to be farther delated and contynued, and of euery true christenman laudably to be enployed, iustifyed, and constantly mainteyned; as touchyng the tetrycall theologisacion of these demy diuines, and Stoicall studiantes, and friscaioly yonkerkyns, moche better bayned than brayned, basked and baththed in their wylde burblyng and boyling blode, feruently reboyled with the infatuate flames of their rechelesse youthe and wytlesse wontonnesse, enbrased and enterlased with a moche fantasticall frenesy of their insensate sensualyte, surmysed vnsurely in their perihermeniall principles, to prate and to preche proudly and leudly, and loudly to lye; and yet they were but febly enformed in maister Porphiris problemes, and haue waded but weakly in his thre maner of clerkly workes, analeticall, topicall, and logycall: howbeit they were puffed so full of vaynglorious pompe and surcudant elacyon, that popholy and peuysshe presumpcion prouoked them to publysshe and to preche to people imprudent perilously, howe it was idolatry to offre to ymages of our blessed lady, or to pray and go on pylgrimages, or to make oblacions to any ymages of sayntes in churches or els where.

Agaynst whiche erronyous errours, odyous, orgulyous, and flyblowen opynions, &c.,

To the honour of our blessed lady, And her most blessed baby, I purpose for to reply 20

[Sidenote: Convenio vos, O publici injuriatores sanctæ et apostolicæ ecclesiæ, &c.]

Agaynst this horryble heresy Of these yong heretikes, that stynke vnbrent, Whom I nowe sommon and content, That leudly haue their tyme spent,

[Sidenote: O prodigiosa progenies, qualem de filio quæritis habere misericordiam, cujus matrem inficiamini esse matrem misericordiæ? Canit tamen universalis ecclesia, Salve, regina, mater misericordiæ, &c.]

In their study abhomynable, Our glorious lady to disable, And heynously on her to bable With langage detestable; With your lyppes polluted Agaynst her grace disputed, 30 Whiche is the most clere christall Of all pure clennesse virgynall, That our Sauyour bare, Whiche vs redemed from care.

[Sidenote: Convenio vos, O Ariani, Juliano apostata execrabiliores, &c.]

I saye, thou madde Marche hare, I wondre howe ye dare Open your ianglyng iawes, To preche in any clawes, Lyke pratynge poppyng dawes, Agaynst her excellence, 40 Agaynst her reuerence, Agaynst her preemynence, Agaynst her magnifycence, That neuer dyde offence.

[Sidenote: Convenio vos, O spurcissimi, O vilissimi, O nequissimi obtrectatores matris Christi, &c.]

Ye heretykes recrayed, Wotte ye what ye sayed Of Mary, mother and mayed? With baudrie at her ye brayed; With baudy wordes vnmete Your tonges were to flete; 50 Your sermon was nat swete; Ye were nothyng discrete; Ye were in a dronken hete. Lyke heretykes confettred,

[Sidenote: Convenio vos, O insensati literarum professores, &c.]

Ye count your selfe wele lettred: Your lernyng is starke nought, For shamefully ye haue wrought, And to shame your selfe haue brought.

[Sidenote: Convenio vos, O Jebusæi, O Judæi, O Cananæi, O Pharisæi, &c.]

Bycause ye her mysnamed, And wolde haue her defamed, 60 Your madnesse she attamed; For ye were worldly shamed, At Poules crosse openly, All men can testifye;

[Sidenote: Non vacat, O contemptores Mariani, non vacat, inquam, quod digna factis recepistis in deiparæ virginis conceptione, &c. hæc il.]

There, lyke a sorte of sottes, Ye were fayne to beare fagottes; At the feest of her concepcion Ye suffred suche correction. _Sive per æquivocum,_ _Sive per univocum,_ 70 _Sive sic, sive_ nat so, Ye are brought to, Lo, lo, lo!

[Sidenote: Convenio vos, O malesani, vani, profani Christiani.]

Se where the heretykes go, Wytlesse wandring to and fro! With, Te he, ta ha, bo ho, bo ho! And suche wondringes many mo. Helas, ye wreches, ye may be wo! Ye may syng wele away, And curse bothe nyght and day, Whan ye were bredde and borne, 80

[Sidenote: Convenio vos, O Husiani, &c.]

And whan ye were preestes shorne, Thus to be laughed to skorne, Thus tattred and thus torne, Thorowe your owne foly, To be blowen with the flye Of horryble heresy. Fayne ye were to reny, And mercy for to crye, Or be brende by and by, Confessyng howe ye dyde lye 90 In prechyng shamefully. Your selfe thus ye discured As clerkes vnassured, With ignorance obscured:

[Sidenote: Convenio vos, O Lutheriani.]

Ye are vnhappely vred.[772] In your dialeticall And principles silogisticall, If ye to remembrance call Howe _syllogisari_ _Non est ex particulari_ 100

[Sidenote: Neque non, neque legas.]

_Neque negativis_, _Recte concludere si vis_, _Et cætera id genus_, Ye coude nat _corde tenus_, Nor answere _verbo tenus_, Whan prelacy you opposed; Your hertes than were hosed,

[Sidenote: Quoniam ignorantibus suppositiones veritatis propositionum non relucent, &c.]

Your relacions reposed; And yet ye supposed _Respondere ad quantum_, 110 But ye were _confuse tantum_, Surrendring your supposycions, For there ye myst you[r] quosshons. Wolde God, for your owne ease,

[Sidenote: Harpocrates digito labiis impresso admonuit silentium fieri in Isidis templo, &c.]

That wyse Harpocrates Had your mouthes stopped, And your tonges cropped,

[Sidenote: Convenio vos, O coaxantes ranæ, &c.]

Whan ye logyke chopped, And in the pulpete hopped, And folysshly there fopped, 120 And porisshly forthe popped Your sysmaticate sawes Agaynst Goddes lawes, And shewed your selfe dawes!

[Sidenote: Sunt præterea nonnulli hujus farinæ, de quibus hic non est narrandi locus.]

Ye argued argumentes, As it were vpon the elenkes, _De rebus apparentibus_ _Et non existentibus_; And ye wolde appere wyse, But ye were folysshe nyse: 130 Yet be meanes of that vyse Ye dyde prouoke and tyse, Oftnar than ones or twyse, Many a good man And many a good woman, By way of their deuocion To helpe you to promocion, Whose charite wele regarded Can nat be vnrewarded.

[Sidenote: Convenio vos, O Herodiani.]

I saye it for no sedicion, 140 But vnder pacient tuicyon, It is halfe a supersticyon To gyue you exhibycion To mainteyne with your skoles, And to proue your selfe suche foles. Some of you had ten pounde, Therwith for to be founde At the vnyuersyte, Employed whiche myght haue be Moche better other wayes. 150

[Sidenote: Obscurus sarcasmos.]

But, as the man sayes, The blynde eteth many a flye: What may be ment hereby, Ye may soone make construction With right lytell instruction; For it is an auncyent brute,

[Sidenote: Ex fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos, &c.]

Suche apple tre, suche frute. What shulde I prosecute, Or more of this to clatter? Retourne we to our matter. 160

[Sidenote: Sublimius æquo aucupium agunt, &c.]

Ye soored ouer hye In the ierarchy Of Iouenyans heresy, Your names to magnifye, Among the scabbed skyes

[Sidenote: Convenio vos, O Wichliftistæ.]

Of Wycliffes flesshe flyes; Ye strynged so Luthers lute, That ye dawns all in a sute The heritykes ragged ray, That bringes you out of the way 170 Of holy churches lay; Ye shayle _inter enigmata_ And _inter paradigmata_, Marked in your cradels To beare fagottes for babyls. And yet some men say, Howe ye are this day, And be nowe as yll, And so ye wyll be styll, As ye were before. 180 What shulde I recken more?

[Sidenote: Convenio vos, O verbosi sophistæ, &c.]

Men haue you in suspicion Howe ye haue small contrycion Of that ye haue myswrought: For, if it were well sought, One of you there was That laughed whan he dyd pas With his fagot in processyon; He counted it for no correction, But with scornefull affection 190 Toke it for a sporte, His heresy to supporte; Whereat a thousande gased, As people halfe amased, And thought in hym smale grace His foly so to face. Some iuged in this case Your penaunce toke no place, Your penaunce was to lyght;

[Sidenote: Convenio vos, O díabolici dogmatistæ, &c.]

And thought, if ye had right, 200 Ye shulde take further payne To resorte agayne To places where ye haue preched, And your lollardy lernyng teched, And there to make relacion In open predycacion, And knowlege your offence Before open audyence, Howe falsely ye had surmysed, And deuyllysshely deuysed 210 The[773] people to seduce, And chase them thorowe the muse Of your noughty counsell, To hunt them into hell, With blowyng out your hornes, Full of mockysshe scornes, With chatyng and rechatyng, And your busy pratyng: Of the gospell and the pystels

[Sidenote: Sunt plerique alii, sed non alieni, qui tantundem pæne enuntiant, &c.]

Ye pyke out many thystels, 220 And bremely with your bristels Ye cobble and ye clout Holy Scripture so about, That people are in great dout And feare leest they be out Of all good Christen order. Thus all thyng ye disorder Thorowe out euery bord[e]r.

[Sidenote: Convenio vos, male docti legistæ, &c.]

It had ben moche better Ye had neuer lerned letter, 230 For your ignorance is gretter, I make you fast and sure, Than all your lytterature. Ye are but lydder _logici_, But moche worse _isagogici_, For ye haue enduced a secte With heresy all infecte; Wherfore ye are well checte, And by holy churche correcte, And in maner as abiecte, 240 For euermore suspecte, And banysshed in effect From all honest company, Bycause ye haue eaten a flye, To your great vyllony, That neuer more may dye.

[Sidenote: Convenio vos, O hypocritæ, &c.]

Come forthe, ye popeholy, Full of melancoly; Your madde ipocrisy, And your idiosy, 250 And your vayne glorie, Haue made you eate the flye, Pufte full of heresy, To preche it idolatry, Who so dothe magnifye

[Sidenote: Maledictio Mariana descendat super capita vestra, O hæretici, cretici, phrenetici, &c.]

That glorious mayde Mary; That glorious mayde and mother, So was there neuer another But that princesse alone, To whom we are bounde echone 260 The ymage of her grace To reuerence in euery place.

[Sidenote: Convenio vos, O Machomitani, &c.]

I saye, ye braynlesse beestes, Why iangle you suche iestes, In your diuynite Of Luthers affynite, To the people of lay fee, Raylyng in your rages To worshyppe none ymages, Nor do pylgrymages? 270 I saye, ye deuyllysshe pages, Full of suche dottages, Count ye your selfe good clerkes, And snapper in suche werkes?

[Sidenote: Convenio vos, O dæmoniaci meridiani, &c.]

Saynt Gregorie and saynt Ambrose, Ye haue reed them, I suppose, Saynt Jerome and saynt Austen, With other many holy men, Saynt Thomas de Aquyno, With other doctours many mo, 280 Whiche _de latria_ do trete; They saye howe _latria_ is an honour grete, Belongyng to the Deite: To this ye nedes must agre. But, I trowe, your selfe ye ouerse What longeth to Christes humanyte.

[Sidenote: Nota de latria, hyperdulia, dulia, quid pro sancto sanxitum est Constantinopoli ab ecclesia catholica et apostolica iterum infringere; quid hoc sibi vult, fasciculum consulite inflammatum, &c.]

If ye haue reed _de hyperdulia_, Than ye knowe what betokeneth _dulia_: Than shall ye fynde it fyrme and stable, And to our faithe moche agreable, 290 To worshyppe ymages of sayntes. Wherfore make ye no mo restrayntes, But mende your myndes that are mased; Or els doutlesse ye shalbe blased, And be brent at a stake, If further busynesse that ye make.

[Sidenote: O medici, mediam pertundite venam.]

Therfore I vyse you to forsake Of heresy the deuyllysshe scoles, And crye Godmercy, lyke frantyke foles.

_Tantum pro secundo._

_Peroratio ad nuper abjuratos quosdam hypotheticos hæreticos, &c._

_Audite, viri Ismaelitæ, non dico Israelitæ;_ _Audite, inquam, viri Madianitæ, Ascalonitæ;_ _Ammonitæ, Gabaonitæ, audite verba quæ loquar._

_Opus evangelii est cibus perfectorum;_ _Sed quia non estis de genere bonorum,_ _Qui caterisatis[774] categorias cacodæmoniorum,_

_Ergo_ _Et reliqua vestra problemata, schemata,_ _Dilemmata, sinto anathemata!_ _Ineluctabile argumentum est._

A confutacion responsyue, or an ineuytably prepensed answere to all waywarde or frowarde altercacyons that can or may be made or obiected agaynst Skelton laureate, deuyser of this Replycacyon, &c.

Why fall ye at debate 300 With Skelton laureate, Reputyng hym vnable To gainsay replycable Opinyons detestable Of heresy execrable?

[Sidenote: Tota erras via, si doctos poetas (illis autem non desunt charismata) arguis de inscitia. h. il.]

Ye saye that poetry Maye nat flye so hye In theology, Nor analogy, Nor philology, 310 Nor philosophy, To answere or reply Agaynst suche heresy. Wherfore by and by Nowe consequently I call to this rekenyng

[Sidenote: David rex et propheta per divum Hieronymum matriculatur in nobili catalogo poetarum lyricorum, ut patet infra, &c. hæc il.]

Dauyd, that royall kyng, Whom Hieronymus, That doctour glorious, Dothe bothe write and call 320 Poete of poetes all, And prophete princypall.

[Sidenote: Vos igitur omnes irrisores contemptoresque poetarum erubescite cum ignominiosa vercundia, exitiosaque confusio operiat facies vestras. hæc il.]

This[775] may nat be remorded, For it is wele recorded In his pystell _ad Paulinum_, _Presbyterum divinum_, Where worde for worde ye may Rede what Jerome there dothe say.

_David, inquit, Simonides[776] noster, Pindarus, et Alcæus, Flaccus quoque, Catullus, atque Serenus, Christum lyra personat, et in decachordo psalterio ab inferis excitat resurgentem. Hæc Hier._

_The Englysshe._

Kyng Dauid the prophete, of prophetes principall, Of poetes chefe poete, saint Jerome dothe wright, 330 Resembled to Symonides,[777] that poete lyricall Among the Grekes most relucent of lyght, In that faculte whiche shyned as Phebus bright; Lyke to Pyndarus in glorious poetry, Lyke vnto Alcheus, he dothe hym magnify.

Flaccus nor Catullus with hym may nat compare, Nor solempne Serenus, for all his armony In metricall muses, his harpyng we may spare; For Dauid, our poete, harped so meloudiously Of our Sauyour Christ in his decacorde psautry, 340 That at his resurrection he harped out of hell Olde patriarkes and prophetes in heuen with him to dwell.

Returne we to our former processe.

Than, if this noble kyng Thus can harpe and syng With his harpe of prophecy And spyrituall poetry, As saynt Jerome saythe, To whom we must gyue faythe, Warblyng with his strynges Of suche theologicall thynges, 350

[Sidenote: Fama matriculata, i. scripta in quadam chartula immortalitatis et schedula gratiæ inmarcescibilis, &c. h. il.]

Why haue ye than disdayne At poetes, and complayne Howe poetes do but fayne? Ye do moche great outrage, For to disparage And to discorage The fame matryculate Of poetes laureate. For if ye sadly loke, And wesely rede the Boke 360 Of Good Aduertysement, With me ye must consent And infallibly agre Of necessyte, Howe there is a spyrituall, And a mysteriall, And a mysticall

[Sidenote: Energia Græce, Latine efficax operatio, internoque quodam spiritus impulsu inopinabiliter originata, &c.]

Effecte energiall, As Grekes do it call, Of suche an industry, 370 And suche a pregnacy, Of heuenly inspyracion In laureate creacyon, Of poetes commendacion,

[Sidenote: Est deus in nobis; agitante calescimus illo.]

That of diuyne myseracion

[Sidenote: Sedibus ætheriis spiritus iste venit. h. Ovi.]

God maketh his habytacion In poetes whiche excelles, And soiourns with them and dwelles.

[Sidenote: Dona Dei, carmen nitidum, facundia præstans,]

By whose inflammacion Of spyrituall instygacion 380

[Sidenote: Mittitur ex astris, a superisque datur. hæc Bapt. Man.]

And diuyne inspyracion, We are kyndled in suche facyon With hete of the Holy Gost, Which is God of myghtes most, That he our penne dothe lede,

[Sidenote: Tarda nescit molimina Spiritus Sancti gratia. hæc Hierony.]

And maketh in vs suche spede, That forthwith we must nede With penne and ynke procede, Somtyme for affection, Somtyme for sadde dyrection, 390 Somtyme for correction,

[Sidenote: Lingua mea calamus scribæ velociter scribentis. h. psal.]

Somtyme vnder protection Of pacient sufferance, With sobre cyrcumstance, Our myndes to auaunce To no mannes anoyance; Therfore no greuance, I pray you, for to take, In this that I do make Agaynst these frenetykes, 400 Agaynst these lunatykes, Agaynst these sysmatykes, Agaynst these heretykes, Nowe of late abiured, Most vnhappely vred: For be ye wele assured, That frensy nor ielousy Nor heresy wyll neuer dye.

[Sidenote: Hæc psalmista.]

_Dixi iniquis, Nolite inique agere; et delinquentibus, Nolite exaltare cornu._

_Tantum pro tertio._

_De raritate poetarum, deque gymnosophistarum, philosophorum, theologorum, cæterorumque eruditorum infinita numerositate, Skel. L. epitoma._

[Sidenote: Quæ fiunt inter sociabus[778] sicut Achates, h. Gag. &c.]

_Sunt infiniti, sunt innumerique sophistæ,_ _Sunt infiniti, sunt innumerique logistæ,_ _Innumeri sunt philosophi, sunt theologique,_ _Sunt infiniti doctores, suntque magistri_ _Innumeri; sed sunt pauci rarique poetæ._ _Hinc omne est rarum carum: reor ergo poetas_ _Ante alios omnes divino flamine flatos._ _Sic Plato divinat, divinat sicque Socrates;_

[Sidenote: Lege Valerium Maximum de insigni veneratione poetarum.]

_Sic magnus Macedo, sic Cæsar, maximus heros_ _Romanus, celebres semper coluere poeta[s]._

Thus endeth the Replicacyon of Skel. L. &c.

[768] _Honorificatissimo, &c._] The portion of this piece given on the present page forms the title-page of the original edition by Pynson, n. d.

[769] _suæ_] Ed. “tuæ.” (Compare p. 179, l. 1., where Skelton uses “_sua_” for “ejus.”)

[770] _enbolned_] Ed. “enbolmed.”

[771] _idolatria_] For “idololatria:” see Du Cange in v.

[772] _Ye are vnhappely vred_] On the punctuation of this passage, see notes.

[773] _The_] Ed. “To.”

[774] _caterisatis_] Qy. “catarrhizatis?”

[775] _This_] Ed. “Thus.”

[776] _Simonides_] Ed. “Siphonides.”

[777] _Symonides_] Ed. “Symphonides.”

[778] _sociabus_] Qy. “sociatos?”

MAGNYFYCENCE, A GOODLY INTERLUDE AND A MERY, DEUYSED AND MADE BY MAYSTER SKELTON, POET LAUREATE.[779]

_These be the Names of the Players_:

FELYCYTE. LYBERTE. MEASURE. MAGNYFYCENCE. FANSY. COUNTERFET COUNTE[NAUNCE]. CRAFTY CONUEYAUNCE. CLOKYD COLUSYON. COURTLY ABUSYON. FOLY. ADUERSYTE. POUERTE. DYSPARE. MYSCHEFE. GOODHOPE. REDRESSE. [SAD] CYRCUMSPECCYON. PERSEUERAUNCE.

MAGNYFYCENCE.

_Felicite._ Al thyngys contryuyd by mannys reason, The world enuyronnyd of hygh and low estate, Be it erly or late, welth hath a season, Welth is of wysdome the very trewe probate; A fole is he with welth that fallyth at debate: But men nowe a dayes so vnhappely be vryd, That nothynge than welth may worse be enduryd. To tell you the cause me semeth it no nede, The amense therof is far to call agayne; For when men by welth, they haue lytyll drede 10 Of that may come after; experyence trewe and playne, Howe after a drought there fallyth a showre of rayne, And after a hete oft cometh a stormy colde. A man may haue welth, but not, as he wolde, Ay to contynewe and styll to endure; But yf prudence be proued with sad cyrcumspeccyon, Welthe myght be wonne and made to the lure, If noblenesse were aquayntyd with sober dyreccyon; But wyll hath reason so vnder subieccyon, And so dysordereth this worlde ouer all, 20 That welthe and felicite is passynge small. But where wonnys Welthe, and a man wolde wyt? For welthfull Felicite truly is my name.

_Lyberte._[780] Mary, Welthe and I was apoynted to mete, And eyther I am dysseyued, or ye be the same.

_Fel._ Syr, as ye say, I haue harde of your fame; Your name is Lyberte, as I vnderstande.

_Lyb._ Trewe you say, syr; gyue me your hande.

_Fel._ And from whens come ye, and it myght be askyd?

_Lyb._ To tell you, syr, I dare not, leest I sholde be maskyd 30 In a payre of fetters or a payre of stockys.

_Fel._ Here you not howe this gentylman mockys?

_Lyb._ Ye, to knackynge ernyst what and it preue?

_Fel._ Why, to say what he wyll, Lyberte hath leue.

_Lyb._ Yet Lyberte hath ben lockyd vp and kept in the mew.

_Fel._ In dede, syr, that lyberte was not worthe a cue: Howe be it lyberte may somtyme be to large, But yf reason be regent and ruler of your barge.

_Lyb._ To that ye say I can well condyssende: Shewe forth, I pray you, here in what you intende. 40

_Fel._ Of that I intende to make demonstracyon, It askyth lesure with good aduertysment. Fyrst, I say, we owght to haue in consyderacyon, That lyberte be lynkyd with the chayne of countenaunce, Lyberte to let from all maner offence; For lyberte at large is lothe to be stoppyd, But with countenaunce your corage must be croppyd.

_Lyb._ Then thus to you—

_Fel._ Nay, suffer me yet ferther to say, And peraduenture I shall content your mynde. 50 Lyberte, I wote well, forbere no man there may, It is so swete in all maner of kynde; Howe be it lyberte makyth many a man blynde; By lyberte is done many a great excesse; Lyberte at large wyll oft wax reklesse: Perceyue ye this parcell?

_Lyb._ Ye, syr, passyng well: But, and you wolde me permyt To shewe parte of my wyt, Somwhat I coulde enferre, 60 Your consayte to debarre, Vnder supportacyon Of pacyent tolleracyon.

_Fel._ God forbyd ye sholde be let Your reasons forth to fet; Wherfore at lyberte Say what ye wyll to me.

_Lyb._ Brefly to touche of my purpose the effecte; Lyberte is laudable and pryuylegyd from lawe, Judycyall rygoure shall not me correcte— 70

_Fel._ Softe, my frende; herein your reason is but rawe.