¶ Here after foloweth certayne bokes / cōpyled by mayster Skelton / Poet Laureat / whose names here after shall appere.
- Speke Parrot
- The deth of the noble prince Kyng Edwarde the fourth.
- A treatyse of the Scottes.
- Ware the Hawke
- The Tunnyng of Elynour Rummynge.
¶Printed at London by Richard Lant / for Henry Tab / dwelling in Pauls churchyard / at the sygne of Iudith.
My name is Parrot / a byrd of paradyse,
By nature deuysed / of a wonderuos kynde
Dyentely dyeted / wt 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 of estate
Then parot / must haue an almon or a date
¶ A cage curyously caruen / with syluer pyn
Properly paynted / to be my couertowre
A myrrour of glasse / that I may toote therin
These maidens ful mekely wt many a diuers flowre
Freshly they dresse / a [...]d make swete my bowre
with speke parrot I pray you / full curtesly they say
Parrot is a goodly byrd / a prety Popag [...]y
¶With my becke bent / my lyttyl wanton eye
My fedders freshe / as is the Emrawde grene
A bout my neck a cyrculet / lyke the ryche rubye
My lyttyll leggys / my feet both fete and clene
[...] am a mynyon / to wayt vppon the quene
My proper Parrot / my lyttyl prety foole
[...]ith ladyes I lerne / and go with them to scole
¶Hagh / ha / ha / Parrot / ye can laugh pretyly
Parrot hath not dy [...]ed / of al this long day
[...]yke your pus cate Parrot can mute and cry
[...]n lattyn / in Ebrew / Araby and Caldey
[...]n greke tong / Parrot / can bothe speke and say
[...]s Percyus that poet / doth reporte of me
[...]uis expediuit ꝑsitacio suum Chire
Dowse french of parryse / Parrot can lerne
Pronoūsynge my purpose / after my properte
With perlie [...] byen / Parrot ou perle [...] rien
With Douch / with Spanysh / my tong can agre
In Englysh / to god Parrot can snpple
Cryst saue Kyng Henry the viii. our Royall Kyng
The red rose in honour / to florysh and sprynge
with Kateryne Incōparable / our Ryall quene also
That pereles pomegarnet / chryst saue her noble grac [...]
Parrot sauies / habler castiliano
With sidasso de cosso / in turkey and in trace
Uis consilii expers / as techith me borace
Mole ruit sua / whose dictes ar pregnaunte
Souente [...] foys / Parrot en souenaunte
My lady maystres / dame philology.
Gaue me a gyfte / in my nest whan I laye
To lerne all language / and it to spake aptely
Now pande [...] mory / wax frantycke some men saye
Phroneses for freneses / may not holde her way
An almo [...] now for Parrot / dilycatly drest
In salue fest a dies toto / theyr doth best
Moderata iuuant / but toto doth excede
Dyscressyon is moder of noble vertues all
Niden agan / in greke tonge we rede
But reason / and wyt wantyth theyr prouyncyall
When wylfulnes / is vycar geuerall
Hecres acu tangitur / Parrot parmafoy
Tice [...] vous Parrot / Tene [...] vous coye
Besy / besy / besy / and besynes agayne
Que pense [...] vo [...] Parrot / what meneth this besynes
Uitulus in Oreb / troubled Aro [...]s brayne
Melchisedeck mercyfull / made Molot mercyles
To wyse is no vertue / to medlyng to restles
In mesure is tresure / cum sensu mat [...]rato
Ne tropo sanno / ne tropo mato.
Aram was fyred / with Caldies fyer called Ut
Iobab was brought vp / in the lande of Hus
The lynage of Lo [...] / toke supporte of Assur
Iereboseth is Ebrue / who lyst the cause dyscus
Peace Parrot ye prate / as ye were ebrius
Howst the lyur [...] god / van hemrik ic seg
In popering grew peres / whan Parrot was an eg
What is this to purpose / ouer in a whynnymeg
Hop Lobyn of Lowdeon / wald haue e byt of bred
The Iebet of Baldock / was made for Iack Leg
A narrow vnfethered / and withont an hed
A Bagbyte 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 Exstrych fether
Ic dien / is the language of the land of Beme
In Affryc tongue / Byrsa is a thonge of lecher
In Palestina / there is Ierusalem
Collustrū now for parot / whyte bred & swete creme
Our thomasē she doth trip / our ienet she doth shayle
Parrot hath a blacke beard / & a fayre grene tayle [...]
Moryshe myne owne shelfe / the costermonger sayth
Fate / fate / fate / ye Irysh water lag
In flattryng fables / men fynde but lyttyl fayth
But moueatur terra / let the world wag
Let syr wrig wrag / wrastell with syr delarag
Euery man / after his maner of wayes
Pawbeunearuer / so the welche man sayes
¶Suche shredis of sentence / strowed in the shop
Of auncyent Aristippus / and such other mo
I gader to gyther / and close in my crop
Of my wanton conseyt / v [...]de do promo
Dilemata docta / in pedagogio
Sacro vatum / where of to you I breke
I pray you / let parot haue lyberte to speke
¶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 dyners 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
Lyke a wanton whan I wyll / I rele to and froo
Parot ca [...] say / Ceser / aue / 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 Iudicum rede the boke
Now Geball / Amon & Amaloch / harke / harke
Parrot pretendith / to be a bybyll clarke
¶O Esebon Esebon / to the is cum agayne
Seon the regent amorreorum
And Og that fat hog / of basan doth retayne
The crafty coistronus canaueor [...]m
And assilum / whilom / refugium miserorum
Non pha [...]ū sed prophanū / standyth in lyttyll sted
Ulula Esebon / for Iepte / is starke ded
¶Esebon / Marybon / wheston / nert Barnet
A trym tram for an horse myll it were a nyse thyng
Deyntes for dammoysels / Chaffer far fet
Bo ho doth bark wel but hough ho he rulyth yt rīg
Frō scarpary to tartary renoun therin doth spryng
with he sayd & we said ich wot now what ich wot
Quod magnus est dominus Iudas scarioth
¶Tholomye / and haly were cunny [...]g and wyse
In the vol vell in the quadrāt and in the astroloby
To pronosty cate truly the chaūce of fortunys dyse
Som trete of theyr tirykis / som of astrology
Som pseudo propheta with Ciromancy
yf fortune be frendly / and grace be the guyde
Honowre with renowne / wyll ren o [...] that syde
Monon Calon
Agatō qd parato
In greco
¶Let parrot I pray you / haue lyerte to prate
For aurea lyngua greca / ought to be magnyfyed
yf it were co [...]d perfytely / and after the rate
As lyngua latina / in scote matter occupyed
But our grekis / theyr greke so well haue applyed
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 grece / cum medio termino
Our grekys ye walow / in the wash [...]ol argolycorū
For though ye can tell in greke what is phormio
yet ye seke our your greke / in Capricornio
For they scrape ou [...] good scrypture / & set in a gall
ye go about to amende / and ye mare all
¶ Some argue / secundum quid ad simpliciter
And yet he wolde be rekenyd / pro ariopagita
And some make distinctions / multipliciter
Whether ita were before non / or [...]o [...] before ita
Nether wise nor wel lernid but like hermophradita
Set sophia asyde / for euery iack raker
And euery mad medler must now be a maker
In achademia Parrot / dare no probleme kepe
For grecifari / so occupyeth the chayre
That latinum far [...] / may fall to rest and slepe
And silogisari / was drowned at sturbrydge fayre
Tryuyals / & quatryuyals / so sore now they appayre
That Parrot the Popagay / hath pytye to beholde
How the rest of good lernyng / is roufled vp & tro [...]
¶ Albertus / de modo significandi
And Donatus / be dryuen out of scole
Prisians hed broken / now handy [...]andy
And inter didascolos / is rekened for a fole
Alexander / a gander of Menanders pole
With da ca [...]sales / is cast out of the gate
And da racionales / dare not shew his pate.
Plautfi in his comedies / a chyld shall now reherse
And medyll with Quintylyan / in his declaracyons
That pety Caton / can scantly construe a verse
With Aueto / in Greco / & such solempne salutacyōs
Can skantly the ten [...]s / of his [...]oniugacyons
Settynge theyr myndys / so moche of eloquens
That of theyr scole maters / lost is the hole sentens
Now a nutmeg / a nutmeg / cum gariop [...]olo
For parrot to pyke vpon / his brayne for to stable
Swete synamum styckis / and pleris cum musco
In Paradyce / that place of pleasure perdurable
The progeny of parrottis / were fayre & fauorable
Nowe in valle ebron / parrot is fayne to fede
C [...]stecrosse / & saynt Nycholas / parrot be your good spede
The myrrour that I tote in / quasi diaphonum
Uel quasi speculum / in Enigmate
Elencum / or ells / Emtimematicum
For logicious to loke on / somwhat sophistice
Retoricyons and oratours / in freshe humanyt [...]
Support parrot / I pray you wt your suffrageornate
Of confuse tantum / auoydynge the chekmate
¶But of that supposicyon / that callyd is arte
Confuse distrubytyue / as Parrot hath deuysed
Let euery man / after his merit / take his parte
For in this processe / Parrot nothīg hath surmysed
No ma [...]ter pretendyd / nor nothyng enterprysed
But that metaphora / alegoria with all
Shall be his protectyon / his pauys and his wall
For parot is no churlish Chowgh / nor no f [...]ekyd pye
Parrot is no pendugum / that men call a carlyng
Parrot is no woodecocke / nor no butterfly
Parrot is no stameryng stare / ye men call a starlyng
But Parot is my owne dere harte / & my dere de [...]līg
Melpomene ye fayre mayde / she burneshed his beke
I pray you let Parrot / haue lyberte to speke
Parrot / is 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
That neuer may dye / nor neuer dye shall
Make moche of parrot / the popegay ryall
¶For that pereles prynce / that parrot dyd create
He made you of nothynge / by his magistye
Poynt well this ꝓbleme / 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 & worldly lust
Parrot sayth playnly / shall tourne all to d [...]st
Thus parrot dothe pray you
with hert most tender
To rekyn with this recule now
And it to remember
Psitacus ecce cano nec sunt mea carmina phebo.
Digna scio tamen est
Plena camena. deo.
Secundum skeltonida famigeratum
In piereorum Cathalago numeratum
Galathea
Itaque Consolanimi inuicem
In verbis istis. &c.
Candidi lectores callide callete
vestrum fouere / psitacum. &c.
Galethea
Now kus me parrot / kus me / kus / kus / kus
Goddys blessyng lyght on thy swete lyttyll mus
Uita et antina zoelzepsiche Amen.
Aquinates
Concumbunt grece / Non
est hic sermo pudicus
Ergo
Actica dictamina
Suus plumbi lamina
Uel spurta Uitulamina:
Auertat hoc Urania
Amen amen
and set to a.d
And then it is amend
Our new found a. b. c.
Cum ceteris paribus.
¶Of the deth of the noble prynce Kynge Edwarde ye forth / per Skeltonidem Laureatum.
MIseremini met / ye that be my freendis
This world / hathe formyd me down to fall
How may I endure whē ye euery thīg endis
What creature is borne / to be eternall
Now there is no more / but pray for me all
Thus say I Edward / that late was your Kynge
And xxiii. yeres tulyd / this imperyall
Some vnto pleasure / and some to no lykyng
Mercy I aske / of my mysdoynge
What auaylyth bit / frendys to be my foo
Syth I can not resyst / nor amēd your complayning
Quia ecce nunc in puluere dormio
¶I slepe now in molde / as it is naturall
As erth / vnto erth / hath his reuerture
what ordeyned god / to be terestryall
without recours / to the erth of nature
who to lyue euer / may be sure
what is it to trust / on mutabylyte
Syth that in this world / no thynge may indure
For now am I gone / that late was in prosperyte
To presume ther vppon / it is but a vanyte
Not certayne / but as a chery fayre full of w [...]
Reygned not I of late / in greate felycyte
Et ecce nunc in puluere dormio
¶Where was in my lyfe / such one as I
[Page]whyle lady fortune / with me had contynuaunce
Graunted not she me / to hane victory
In Englond to rayne / and to contribute Fraunce
She toke me by the hand / and led me a daunce
And with her sugerd lyppys / on me she smyled
But what / for her dyssemblyd countenaunce
I coud not beware / tyll I was begyled
Now from this worlde / she hath me excyled
when I was lothyst / hens for to go
And I am in age / but as who sayth a chylde
Et ecce nunc in puluere dormio
¶I had ynough / I helde me not content
without remembraunce / that I shulde dye
And more euer to incroche / redy was I bent
I knewe not how longe / I shulde it occupy
I made the tower strong / I wyst not why
I knew not to whme / I purchasyd Te [...]tsall
I a mendyd Doue [...] / on the mountayne hye
And London I prouoked / to fortify the wall
I made Notyn gam / a place royall [...]
Wyndsore / El [...]am / and many other mo
Yet at the last / I went from them all
Et ecce nunc in puluere dormio
¶Where is now / my conquest and victorye
Where is my ryches / and my royall aray
where be my coursers / and my horses hye
where is my myrth / my solas / and play
As vanyte to nonght / all is wandred away
O lady Bes / long for me may ye call
For I am departyd / tyldomys day
[Page]But loue ye that lorde / that is souerayn of all
Where be my castels / and buyldynges royall
But Wyndsore alone / now I haue no mo
And of Eton / the prayers perpetuall
Et ecce nunc in puluere dormio
¶Why sholde a man / be proud or presume hye
Saynt Bernard / thereof nobly doth trete
Seyth a man / is but a sack of stercorty
And shall returne / vnto wormys mete
Why / what cam of Alexaunder the greate
Orels of strong Sampson / who can tell
Were not wormes ordeyned / theyr flesh to fre [...]e
And of Salamon / that was of wyt the well
Absolon / profferyd his heare for to sell
Yet for all his bewte / wormys ete him also
And I but late / in honour dyd excell
Et Ecce nunc in puluere dormio
I haue pleyd my pageyond / now am I past
Ye wot well all / I was of no great yeld
This al thyng concludyd / shalbe at the last
when deth approchyth / then lost is the felde
Then sythen this world / me no lenger vp helde
Nor nought wolde conserue me / here in my place
In manus tuas domine / my sprite vp I yelde
Humbly besechyng / the god of thy grace
O ye curtes commyns / your hertys vnbrace
Benyngly now to pray for me also
For ryght wel you know / your kyng I was
Et Ecce nunc in puluere dormio
Finis.
¶Skelton Laureate agaynst the Scottes.
¶Agaynst the prowde Scottys claterynge
That neuer wyll leue theyr tratlynge
Wan they the felde / and lost theyr kynge
They may well say / fye on that wynnynge
TO these fond sottes. And tratlyng Skottys
How they are blynde. In theyr owne mynde
And wyll not know. Theyr ouer throw
At branxton more. They are so stowre
So frantyke mad. They say they had
And wan the felde. With spere and shelde
That is as trew. As blacke is blew
And grene is gray. What euer they say
Iemmy is ded. And closyd in led
That was theyr owne kynge. Fy on that wynnyng
¶At Floddon hyllys. Out bowys our byllys
Slew all the floure. Of theyr honoure
Are nat these scottys. Folys and sottys
Such boste to make. To prate and crake
To face to brace. All voyde of grace
So prowde of hart. So ouerthwart
So out of frame. So voyde of shame
As it is enrolde. Wrytten and tolde
With in this quaire. Who lyst repayre
And ther in reed. Shall fynde in deed
A mad rekenynge. Consydrynge all thynge
That the scottys may synge. Fy on the wynnynge
¶When the Scotte lyued.
IOly Iemmy / ye scornefull Scot
Is it come vnto your lot
A solempne sumner for to be
It greyth nought for your degre
Our Kynge of England for to sygh [...]
Your souerayne lord / our prynce of myght
Ye for to sende / suche a Cytacyon
It shameth all your noughty nacyon
In comparyson / but kynge Koppynge
Unto one prince / anoynted kyng
Ye play Hop Lobbyn of Lowdean
ye shew ryght well / what good ye can
ye may be lorde of Locryan
Chryst fence you / with a fryinge pan
Of Edynge borrow / and saynt Ionys towne
A dieu syr sumner / cast of your crowne.
¶When the Scot was slayne.
COntynually I shall remember
The mery moneth of september
With the xi. day of the same
For then began / our myrth and game
So that now I haue deuysed
And in my mynde / I haue comprised
Of the prowde Scot / kynge Iemmy
To write some lytell tragedy
For no maner consyderacyon
Of any sorowfull Lamentacyon
But for the specyall consolacyon
Of all our royall englysh nacyon
¶Melnomone / O muse tragedy all
[Page]Unto your grace / for grace now I call
To guyde my pen / and my pen to enbybe
Illumyn me / your Poete and your Sstybe
That with myrture / of Aloes and bytter gall
I may compounde / confectures for A [...]cordyall
To angre the Scottes / & Irysh keterynges with all
That late were discomfect / with battayle mar [...]yall
¶ Thalya / my Muse / for you also call I
To touche them with tauntes / of your armony
A medley to make / of myrth with sadnes
The hertes of England / to comfort with gladnes
And now to begyn / I wyll me adres
To you rehersyng / the somme of my proces
KInge Iamy / Iemmy / Iocky my Io
ye Summond our kyng / why dyd ye so
To you / nothing it dyd accorde
To Summon our kyng / your soueraygne lorde
A kyng a Sumner / it was great wonder
Know ye not suger / and salt a sonder
your Sumner to saucy / to malapert
your harrold in armes / not yet halfe expert
ye thought ye dyd / yet valyauntly
Not worth thre skyppes of a Pye
Syr skyr galyard / ye were so skyt
your wyll / than ran before your wyt.
your lege ye layd / and your aly
your frantyck fable / not worth a fly
Frenche kyng / or one or other
[Page]Regardyd ye shuld / your lord / your brother
Trowyd ye syr Iemy / his nobull grace
From you syr scot / wolde turne his lace
With guy syr scot / of Galaway
Now is your pryde / fall to decay
Male vryd / was your fals entent
For to offend / your presydent
your soueraygne lorde / most reuerent
your lorde / your brother and your regent.
¶ In him is sygured / Melchisedec
And ye were disloyall Amalec
He is our noble Scipione
Anoynted kyng / and ye were none
Though ye vntruly / your father haue slayne
His tytle is true / in Fraunce to raygne
And ye proud scot / Dunde / Dunbar
Pardy ye were / his homager
And su [...]er to his parlyament
For your vntruth / now arye shent
ye bare your selfe / som what to bold
Therfore ye lost / your copye hold
ye were bonde tenent / to his estate
Lost is your game / ye art check mate
¶ Unto the castell of Norram
I vnderstand / to sone ye came
At Branxston more / and Floddrn hylles
Our Englysh bowes / our Englysh bylles
Agaynst you gaue / so sharpe a shower
That of Scotland / ye lost the flower
[Page]The white lyon there rampaunt of moode
He ragyd and rent out your hart bloode
He the white / and ye the red
The white / there slew the red starke ded
Thus for your guerdon quyt ar ye
Thankyd be god in Trinyte
And swete saynt George our ladyes knyghe
youre eye is out / a dew good nyght
¶ye were starke mad to make a fray
His grace beyng out of the way
But by the power and myght of god
For youre owne tayle ye made a rod
ye wantyd wyt / sir at a worde
ye lost your spurrys / ye lost your sworde
ye myght haue buskyd you to huutley bankys
your pryde was peuysh to play such prankys
youre pouerte cowde not attayne
with our kyng royall / war to mayntayne
Of the kynge of Nauer [...]e / ye might take heed
Ungraciously how he doth speed
In double delyng / so he dyd dreme
That he is kyng / without a Reme
And for example / he wold none take
Experiens hath brought you / in such a brake
your welth / yonr ioy / your sport / your play
your braggyng bost / your royall aray
your beard so brym / as bore at bay
your seuen systers / that Gun so gay
All haue ye lost / and cast away.
[Page]Thus fortune hath tourned you / I dare well say
Now from a kyng / to a clot of clay
Out of your Robes / ye were shaked
And wretchedly ye lay / starke naked
For lacke of grace / hard was your hap
The Popes cures / gaue you that clap.
¶ Of the out Iles / the rough foted Scottes
We haue well eased them of the bottes
The rude ranke Scottes / lyke dronken dranes
A [...] Englysh bowes / haue fetched their banes
It is not syttyng / in tower and towne
A Sumner / to were a kynges crowne
Fortune on you / therfore dyd frowne
ye were to hye / ye at cast downe
Syr sumner now / where is your crowne
Cast of your crowne / cast vp your crowne
Syr S [...]mner / now ye haue lost your crowne.
Quod Skelton Laureate. Oratour to the Rynges most royall estate.
SCotica redacta in formam prouinc [...]e
Regis parebit nutibus anglie:
Alioquin (per desertum sin) super Cherubim
Cherubin / seraphim / seraphin (que) ergo. &c.
¶ Unto dyuers people that remord his rymyng agaynst the scot Iemmy.
I Am now constrayned
With wordes nothing fayned
This Inuectyue to make. For some peoples sake
That lyst for to iangyll
And waywardly to wrangyll
[Page]Agaynst this my makyng
Their males therat shakyng
At it reprehendyng. And venemously stingyng
Rebukyng and remordyng
And nothing accordyng.
Cause haue they none other
But for that he was brother
Brother vnnaturall. Unto our kyng royall
Agaynst whom he dyd fyght
Falsly agaynst all right
Lyke that vntrue rebell
Fals Kayn agaynst Abell
Who so therat pyketh mood
The tokens ar not good
To be true Englysh blood
For if they vnderstood
His traytourly dispyght
He was a recrayed knyght
A subtyll sysmatyke
Ryght nere an heretyke
Of grace out of the state
And dyed excomunycate
And for he was a kyng
The more shamefull rekenyng.
Of him shuld men report
In ernest and in sport
He skantly loueth out kyng
That grudgeth at this thing
That cast such ouerthwartes
Percase haue hollow hartes.
¶ Si veritatem dico / quare non creditis mic [...]i.
¶ Chorus de Dyd / contra Scottos / cum omni processionall [...]estiuitate solempnisauit hoc Epitoma xxii. die Septembris. &c.
SAlue festa dies toto resonabilis euo
Qua scottus Iacobus obrutus ense cadit
Barbara scottorum gens ꝑfida plena malorum
Uincitur ad Norram / vertiturin (que) fugam
Uasta [...]aulus sed campestris (borie memoratur
Branxton more) scottis terra ꝑosa fuit /
Scottica castra fremūt Floddun sub mōeibus altis
Que valide Inuadens dissipat angla manus
Millia scottorum trusit gens anglica passim
Lururiat tepido sanguine pignis humus
Pars animas mis [...]et miseras / misere sub vmbras
Pars ruit in foueas / pars subiit latebras
Iam quid agit Iachobus / dānorū gremine cretus
Perfidus vt nemroth lapsus ad Iam ruit
Di [...] modo scottorū Dudum male sane malorum
Rector nunc Regeris mortuus ecce Iaces
Sic Leo te Rapidus Leo candidus Inclitus vrsit
Quo [...] Leo tu Rubius vltima fata luis
Anglia duc choreas Resonēt tua tempana psallas
Da laudes dn̄o. Da pia vota deo.
¶ Chorus de Dys &c. suꝑ triūphali victoia contra gallos &c. cantauit solemniter hoc Elogium in profesto diui Iohīs ad decolationem.
Salue festa dies toto memorabilis euo
Qua Rex Henricus gallica bella premit
Hēricus Rutilans Octauus noster in armis
Ti [...]winne gentis menia strauit humi
Sceptriger anglo (rum) bello validissimꝰ hector
Francorn̄ genus colla suꝑba terit
Dux armis nuꝑ celebris modo dux Inermis
De longuile modo dic quo [...]ua pompa rul [...]
De cleremount clarus dudū dic galle suꝑbe
Unde suꝑbus eris? carcere nonne gemis?
Discite frācorū gens cetera capta / britānū
Noscite magnanimū. subdite vos (que) sibil
Gloria cappadocis diue miles (que) Marie
Illius hic sub ope Gallica regna reget.
Hoc insigne bonum diuino Nuumine gestū
Anglica gēs referat semꝑ / onans (que) canat
Here after foloweth the Boke / entytuled Ware the Hauke.
¶Prologus Skeltonidis Laureati super ware the Hawke.
THis worke deuysed is
For suche as do a mys
And specyally to controule
Such as haue cure of soule
That be so far abusyd
They can not be excusyd
By reason nor by law
But that they playe the daw
To hawke or els to hunt
From the Auter to the funt
wyth cry vnreuerent
Be fore the sacrament
wythin the holy church bowndis
That of our fayth / the grownd is
That preest that hawkys so
All grace is far hym fro
He semeth a sysmatyke
Or els an heretike
For fayth in hym is faynte
There fore to make complaynt
[Page]Of such mysaduysed
Parsons / and dysgysed
Thys boke we haue deuysed
Compendyously comprysed
No good preest to offend
But suche dawes to amend
In hope that no man shall
Be myscontent withall
I Shall you make relacyon
By way of a postrofacyon
Under supportacyon
Of your pacyent tolleracyon
How I Skelton Laureat
Deuysyd and also wrate
Uppon a lewde Curate
A parson benyfyced
But nothynge well aduysed
He shall be as now nameles
But he shall not be blameles
Nor he shall not be shameles
For sure he worught a mys
To hawke in my church of Dys
This fonde frantyke fouconer
[Page]Wyth his polutyd pawtenar
As preest vnreuerent
Streyght to the sacrament
He made his hawke to fly
with hogeous showte and cry
The hy auter he strypte naked
There on he stode and craked
He shoke downe all the clothys
And sware horryble othes
Be fore the face of god
By moyses and Arons rod
Or that he thens yede
His hawke shulde pray and fede
Upon a pegions maw
The blode ran downe raw
Upon the auter stone
The hawke tyryd on a bonne
And in the holy place
She mutyd there a chase
Upon my corporas face
Such sacrificium laudis
He made with suche gambawdis
Obseruate
His seconde hawke wexyd gery
[Page]And was with flyenge wery
She had flowyn so oft
That on the rode loft
She perkyd her to rest
The Fauconer then was prest
Came runnynge with a dow
And cryed stow stow stow
But she wold not bow
He then to be sure
Callyd her with a lure
Her me [...]e was very crude
She had not wel endude
She was not clene ensaymed
She was not well reclaymed
But the fawconer vnfayned
Was moch more febler brayned
The hawke had no lyst
To come to his fyst
She loked as she had the frounc [...]
Wyth that he gaue her a bounc [...]
Full vpon the gorge
I wyll not fayne nor forge
The hawke with that clap
Fell downe with euyll hap
[Page]The church dores were sparred
Fast boltyd aud barryd
yet wyth a prety gyn
I fortuned to come In
Thys rebell to behold
where of I hym controld
But he sayde that he wolde
A gaynst my mynde and wyll
In my church hawke styll
Considerate
¶ On saynt Iohn̄ decollacyon
He hawked on thys facyon
Tempore / vesperarum
S [...] / non scūdumsarum
But lyke a march harum
His braynes were so parum
He sayde he wold not let
His houndys for to fet
To hunte there by lyberte
In the despyte of me
And to halow there the fox
Downe went my offerynge box
Boke bell and cand yll
All that he myght handyll
[Page]Cros staffe / lectryne and banner
Fell downe on thys manner
Deliberate
¶ wyth troll / cytrace and trouy
They rangyd hankyn bouy
My churche all a bow [...]e
Thys fawconer then gan showte
These be my gospellers
These be my pystyllers
These be my querysters
To helpe me to synge
My hawkes to mattens rynge
Is thys preestly gydynge
His hawke then flew vppon
The rode with mary and Iohn̄
Delt he not lyke a fon
Delt he not lyke a daw
Or els is thys goddis law
Decrees or Decretals
Or holy Sinodals
Or els prouincyals
Thus within the wals
Of holy church to deale
Thus to ryng a peale
[Page]wyth his hawkys bels
Dowtles such losels
Make the churche to be
In smale auctoryte
A curate in specyall
To snappar and to fall
In to this opyn cryme
To loke on this were tyme
Uigilate
But who so that lokys
In the offycyallys bokys
There he may se and reed
That thys is matter in deed
How be it mayden meed
Made theym to be a greed
And so the scrybe was feed
And the Phatasay
Then durst nothynge say
But let the matter slyp
And made truth to tryp
And of the spūall law
They made but a gew gaw
And toke it outen drynke
And this the cause doth shrynke
[Page]The church is thus abusyd
Reproched and pollutyd
Correctyon hath no place
And all for lacke of grace
De plorate
¶ Loke now in Exodi
And de archa domini
with regum by and by
The bybyll wyll not ly
How the temble was kept
How the temple was swept
where sanguis taurorum
Aut sanguis vitulorum
was offryd with in the wallys
After Ceremoniallys
when it was polutyd
Sentence was executyd
By wey of e [...]pyacyon
For reconcylyacyon
Diuinitate
¶ Then moch more by the rode
where Crystis precyous blode
Dayly offryd is
To be polutyd this
[Page]And that he wysshyd with all
That the dow [...]es donge downe myght fa [...]
In to my chalys at mas
when consecratyd was
The blessyd sacrament
O pryeest vnreuerent
He sayd that he wold hunt
From the Aulter to the Funt.
Reformate.
¶ Of no tyrand I rede
That so far dyd excede
Neither yet Dyoclesyan
Nor yet Domysyan
Nother crokyd Cacus
Nor yet dronken Bacus
Nother Olybryus
Nor Dyonysyus
Nother Phalary
Rehersyd in valery
Nor Sardanapall
Unhappyest of all
Nor Nero the worst
Nor Clawdyus the curst
Nor yet / Egeas
[Page]Nor yet syr Pherūbras
Nother morobabell
Nor cruell Iesabell
Nor yet Tarquinius
whom Tytus Lyuyus
In wrytynge doth enroll
I haue red theym poll by poll
The story of Arystobell
And of Constantynopell
whych Cytie Myscreantyswan
And slew many a crysten man
yet the Sowden nor the Turke
wrought neuer such a worke
For to let their hawkys fly
In the church of saynt Sophy
with moch matter more
That I kepe in store
Pensitate
¶Then in a tabull playne
I wroute a verse or twayne
where at he made dysdayne
The pekysh parsons brayne
Cowde not rech nor attayne
what the sentence ment
[Page]He sayde for a crokyd Intent
The wordis were paruertyd
And this he ouerthwartyd
Of the whych proces
ye may know more expres
If it please you to loke
In the resydew of thys boke
¶Here after folowyth the tabull
LOke on this tabull
whether thou art abull
To rede or to spell
what these verses tell
¶Sicculo lutuerꝭ est colo būraarā Nixphedras visa (rum) can [...] tūtātes
¶ Ra [...]erplas Natābrian vmsudꝰ itnugenus. 18.10.2.11.19. [...].13.3.3.1. [...]ēualet
¶ Cartula stet precor her uullo temeranda petulco.
¶ Hos rapiet Numeros non homo (sed) mala bos.
¶ Ex parte. Rem carte aduerte aperte. pone musam are [...]husam hanc.
¶wherto shuld I rehers
The sentens of my vers
In them be no scolys
For braynsycke frantycke folys
Construas hoc / domine daucock [...] Ware the hauke.
Maister Sophista
ye Simplex / silogista
The deuelysh. dogmatista
your hawke on your fista
To hawke when your lista
In ecclesia ista / domine [...]acapisti
with thy hawke on thy fysty
Nunquid sic dixisti. Nunqid, sic fecisti
Sed vbi hoc legisti
Aut vnde hoc / doctor dawcocke ware the hawke
¶Doctor. Dialetica
where fynde you in. ypotetica
Or in Cathagoria. Latina / siue dorica
To vse youre hawkys / forica
In / ꝓpictatorio / Tanquā / diuersorio
Unde hoc, domine dawcocke
ware the hawke
[Page]Say to me Iacke harys
Quare accuparis Ad sacramētū altaris
For no reuerens thou sparys
To shake my pygyons sederis
Suꝑ / arcam federis
Unde hoc / doctor dawkocke whare the hawke
Sir dn̄s vobiscū Par aucupium
ye made your hawke to cum
Desuꝑ / candelabrum
Christi crucifixi
To fede vppon your fisty
Dic / ī [...]mice crucis xp̄i. Ubi didicisti
Facere hoc / domine dawcoke
ware the hawke
¶Apostata Iulianus
Nor yet Nestorianus
Thou shalt no where rede
That they dyd such a dede
To let theyr hawkys fly
Ad ostium tabernaculi
I [...] quo est corpus domini
Caue hoc / doctor dawcock
ware the hawke
[Page]¶This dowtles ye rauyd
Dys church ye thus deprauyd
Wherfore as I be sauyd
ye ar therfore be knauyd
Quare / quia euangelia
Concha / & conchelia
Ancipit / & sonalia Et / bruta aīlia
Cetera / quo (que) talia
Tibi sunt equalia
Unde hoc domine dawkock
whare the hawke
Et relis & ralis. Et reliqualis
From Granado to galys
From wynchelsee to walys
Non est braynsycke talys
Nec minꝰ racionalis Nec magis bestialis
That synggys with a chalys
Construas hoc. doctor dawcoke
ware the hawke
¶Masyd wytles smery smyth
Hampar with your hammer vpon thy styth
And make here of a syckyll or a saw
For though ye lyue a .c. yere ye shal dy a daw
Uos valete doctor indiscrete.
Skeltonis Apostrophat ad diuū Iohānē decollatū in cuiꝰ ꝓfesto fiebat hoc aucupiū
O Memorāda dies qua decolare Iohānes
Aucuptū facit hod quōdā ꝙ fecerit īfra
Ecclesiam de Dis violans sua sacra sacrorū
Rector de whipstok doctor cognomīe daucock
Et dn̄s wodcock. ꝓbat is. ꝓbat hic. ꝓbat hec hoc.
Idem. de libera dicatitate poctica / in extolē da ꝓbitate & in ꝑfricanda ignobilitate.
Libertas veneranda p [...]s concessa poetis
Dicēdi est quecū (que) placēt quecū (que) Iuuabūt
Uel quecū (que) valent Iustas defēdere causas
Uel quecū (que) volēt stolidos mordere petulcos
Ergo dabis veniam.
Quod Skelton Laureat.
¶All nobyll men of this take hede And beleue it as your Crede.
TO hasty of sentens
To fers for non offens
To scars of your expens
To large in neclygens
To slacke in recompens
[Page]To hawt in excellens
To lyght Intellygens
And to lyght of Credens
Where these kepe Resydens
Reason is banyshed thens
And also dame Prudens
With sober Sapyens
All nobyll men of this take hede
And beleue it as your Crede
Then without Collusyon
Marke well this conclusyon
Thorow such Abusyon
And by such Illusyon
Unto great Confucyon
A nobyll man may fall
And his honour appall
That yf ye thynke this shall
Not rub you on the gall
Then the deuyll take all
All nobyll men of this take hede, &c.
Quod Skelton Laureate.
¶ ye may here now in this ryme How euery thynge / must haue a tyme
TIme is a thyng / that no man may resyst
Tyme is trancytory / and Irreuocable
who saith ye cōtrary / tyme passith as him lyst
Tyme must be takyn / 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 will / for tyme will no man byde
¶ Tyme to be sad / and tyme to play and sporte
Tyme to take rest / by way of recreacyon
Tyme to study / and tyme to vse comfort
Tyme of pleasure / and tyme of consolacyon
Thus tyme hath his tyme / of dyuers maner facyō
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 speke / and tyme to holde thy pease
Tyme wolde be vsyd / when tyme is best
Tyme to begyn / and tyme for to cease
And when tyme is / put thy selfe in prease
And when tyme is / to holde thy selfe a backe
For tyme well spent / can neuer haue lacke
¶ The totys take theyr sap / in tyme of vere
In tyme of somer / flowres fresh and grene
In tyme of haruest / men theyr corne [...]here
In tyme of wynter / the north wynde waxeth kene
So bytterly bythnge / the flowres be not sene
The kalendys of Ianus / with his frostes hore
That tyme is / when people must lyue vpon the store
¶Quod Skelton Laureate.
¶Prayer to the father of heuyn.
O Radyant lumynary of lyght Intermynable
Celestyall father / potencyall god of myght
Of heuyn & erth. O lorde Incomperable
Of all perfectyōs the essēcyal must perfyght
O maker of mankynde / that formyd day and nyght
whose power Imperyall / cōprehendyth euery place
Myne hert / my mīde / my thought / my hole delyght
Is after this lyfe / to see thy gloryous face
¶Whose magnyfycence / is Incomprehensybyll
All argumentys of reason / which far doth e [...]cede
Whose deite dowtles / is Indyuy [...]ydyll
From whom all goodnes / and uerru doth procede
Of thy support / all creatures haue nede
Assyst me good lorde / and graunte m [...] of thy grace
To lyue to thy pleasure / In worde thought & dede
And after this lyfe / to see thy gloryous face.
To the seconde parson.
OB [...]nygne Iesu / my souerayne lorde & kynge
The only sonne of god / by filiacyon
The second parson / withouten begynnynge
Both god & man / our fayth makyth playne relacyō
Mary thy mother / by way of Incarnacyon
Whose gloryous passyon / our soulys doth reuyue
A gayne all bodely / and goostely trybulacyon
Defende me / with thy pyteous woundys fyue
¶O pereles prynce / payned to the deth
Rufully rent / thy body wan and blo
[Page]For my redempcyon / gaue vp thy by fall breth
Was neuer sorow / lyke to thy dedly wo
Graunt me / out of this worlde when I shall go
Thyne Endles mercy / for my preseruatyue
A gaynst the worlde / the flesh / the deuyll also
Defende me / with thy pyteous woundys fyue
¶To the holy gooste.
O Firy feruence / Inflamyd with all grace
Enkyndetyng hertes / wt brādys charytable
The endles rewarde / of pleasure and solace
To the father / and the son / thou art cōmunycable
In vnitate / which is Inseperable
O warer of lyfe / O well of consolacyon
A gaynst all suggestyons dedly / and dampnable
Rescu me good lorde / by your preseruacyon
¶To whome is apropryed / the holy ghost by name
The thyrde parson / one god in Trinite
Of perfyt loue / thou art the ghostly flame
O myrrour of mekenes / pease and tranquylyte
My conforte / my counsell / my parfyt charyte
O water of lyfe / O well of consolacyon
Agaynst all stormys / of harde aduersyte
Rescu me good lorde / by thy preseruacyon.
AMEN.
Quod Skelton Laureate.
Here after foloweth the boke called Elynour Rūmynge.
¶The tunnyng of Elynour Rummyng. Per Skelton Laureat.
TEll you I chyll
If that ye wyll
A whyle be styll
Of a comely gyll
That dwele on a hyll
But she is not gryll
For she is somwhat sage
And well worne in age
For her vysage
It woldt a swage
A mannes courage
¶Her lothely lere
Is nothynge clere
But vgly of chere
Droupy and drowsy
Scuruy and lowsy
Her face all bowsy
Comely crynklyd
Woundersly wrynklyd
Lyke a rost pygges eare
Brystled with here
¶Her lewde lyppes twayne
They slauer men sayne
Lyke a ropy rayne
A gummy glayre
[Page]She is vgly fayre
Her nose somdele hoked
And camously croked
Neuer stoppynge
But euer droppynge
Her skynne lose and slacke
Greuyned lyke a sacke
With a croked backe
¶Her eyen gowndy
Are full vnsowndy
For they are blered
And she gray hered
Iawed lyke a Ietty
A man wolde haue pytty
To se howe she is gumbed
Fyngered and thumbed
Gently Ioynted
Gresed and anoynted
Up to the knockles
The bones her huckels
Lyke as they were with buckels
Togyder made fast
Her youth is farre past
Fo [...]ed lyke a plane
Legges lyke a crane
Aud yet she wyll iet
Lyke a Ioyly fet
In her furred flocket
And graye russet rocket
With symper the cocket
Her huke of Lyncole grene
[Page]It had ben hers I wene
More then fourty yere
And so doth it apere
For the grene bare thredes
Loke lyke sere wedes
Wyddered lyke hay
The woll worue away
And yet I dare saye
She thynketh her selfe gaye
Upon the holy daye
Whan she doth her aray
And gyrdeth in her gytes
Stytched & pranked with pletes
Her kyrtell Brystowe red
With clothes vpon her hed
That wey a sowe of led
Wrythen in wonder wyse
After the sarasyns gyse
With a whym wham
Knyt with a trym tram
Upon her brayne pan
Lyke an Egypcyan
Lapped about
Whan she goeth out
Her selfe for to shewe
She dryueth downe the dewe
With a payre of heles
As brode as two wheles
She hobles as she gose
With her blanket hose
Ouer the falowe
[Page]Her shone smered wyth talowe
Gresed vpon dyrt
That baudeth her skyrt
Primus passus
¶And this comely dame
I vnder stande her name
Is Ely [...]our Rummynge
A [...] home in her wonnynge
And as men say
She dwelt in Sothray
In a certayne stede
Bysyde Lederhede
She is a tonnysh gyb
The deuyll and she be syh.
¶ But to mke vp my tale
She breweth noppy ale
And maketh there of port sale
To trauellars / to tynkers
To sweters / to swynkers
And all good ale drynkers
That wyll nothynge spare
But drynke tyll they stare
And brynge them selfe bare
With now away the mare
And let vs sley care
As wyse as an hare
¶Come who so wyll
To Elynoure on the hyll
With fyll the cup fyll
And syt there by styll
Erly and late
[Page]Thyther cometh Kate
Cysly and Sare
With theyr legges bare
And also theyr fete
Hardely full vnswete
with theyr h [...]les dagged
Theyr kyrtelles all to [...]agged
Theyr smockes all to ragged
with tytters and tatters
Brynge dysshes and platters
with all theyr myght runnynge
To Elynour Rummynge
To haue of her tunnynge
She leneth them on the same
And thus begynneth the game
Some wenches come vnlased
Some huswynes come vnbrased
with theyr naked pappes
That flyppes and flapp [...]s
It wygges and it wagges
Lyke tawny saffron bagges
A sorte of foule drabbes
All scuruy with scabbes
Some be flybytten
Some skewed as a kytten
Some with a sho clout
Bynde theyr heddes a bout
Some haue no herelace
Theyr lockes aboute theyr face
Theyr tresses vntrust
All full of vnlust
[Page] [...]
Some cawry mawry
Fall vntydy tegges
Lyke rotten egges
Such a [...]ewde sorte
To Elynour resorte
From tyde to tyde
A byde a byde
And to you shall be tolde
Howe hyr al [...] is solde
To mawte and to molde
Secundus passus.
Some haue no mony
That thyder commy
For theyr ale to pay
That is a shreud aray
Elynour swered nay
Ye shall not bere awaye
Myne ale for nought
By hym that me bought
¶With hey dogge hay
Haue these hogges away
with get me a staffe
The swyne eate my draffe
Stryke the hogges with a clubbe
They haue dronke vp my swyllyng tubbe
For be there neuer so moche prese
These swyne go to the hye dese
The sowe with her pygges
The bore his tayle wrygges
His rumpe also he frygges
[Page]Agaynst the hye benche
With fo / ther is a stenche
Gather vp thou wenche
Seest thou not what is fall
Take vp dyrt and all
And bere out of the hall
God gyue it yll preuynge
Clenly as yuell cheuynge
But let vs turne playne
There we lefte agayne
For as yll a patch as that
The hennes ron in the mashfat
For they go to roust
Streyght ouer the ale Ious [...]
And donge whan it commes
In the ale tunnes
Than Elynour taketh
The mashe bolle and shaketh
The hennes donge awaye
And skommeth it into a tray
Where as the ycest is
With her maungy fystis
And somtyme she blennes
The donge of her hennes
And the ale togyder
And sayth gossyp come hyder
This ale shalbe thycker
And floure the more quycker
For I may tell you
I lerned it of a Iewe
[...]han I began to brewe
[Page]And I haue found it trew
Drinke now whyle it is new
And ye may it broke
It shall make you loke
yonger than ye be
yeres two or thre
For ye may proue it by me
Behold she sayd and se
How bright I am of ble
Ich am not cast away
That can my husband say
Whan we kys and play
In lust and in lykyng
He calleth me his whytyng
His mullyng and his nytyng
His nobbes and his conny
His swetyng and his honny
With bas my prety bonny
Thou art worth good and monny
This make I my falyre fonny
Tyll that he dreme and dronny
For after all our sport
Than wyll he rout and suort
Than swetely togither wely
As two pygges in a sty.
¶ To cease me semeth best
And of this tale to rest
And for to leue this letter
Bicause it is no better
And bicause it is no swetter
We wyll no farther ryme
[Page]Of it / at this tyme
But we wyll turne playne
Where we left agayne
Tertius passus
¶In stede of coyne and monny
Some brynge her a conny
And some a pot with honny
Some a salt / and some a spone
Some their hose some their shom
Some ranne a good trot
With a skellet or a pot
Some fyll theyr pot full
Of good Lemster woll
An huswyfe of trust
Whau she is a thrust
Suche a webbe can spyn
Her thryfte is full thyn
¶ Some go streyght thyder
Be it slaty or slyder
They holde the hye waye
They care not what men saye
Be that as be maye
Some lothe to be espyde
Some start in at the backe syde
Ouer the hedge and pale
And all for the good all
¶ Some renne tyll they swete
Brynge with them malte or whe [...]e
And dame Elynour entrete
To byrle them of the best
Than cometh an other gest
[Page]She sweted by the rode of Rest
Her lyppes are so drye
Without drynke she must dye
Therefore fyll it by and by
And haue here a pecke of ry
¶ Anone cometh another
As drye as the other
And with her doth brynge
Mele / salte / or other thynge
Her hernest gyrdle / her weddynge rynge
To pay for her scot
As cometh to h [...]r lot
Some bryngeth her husbandis hood
Bycause the ale is good
Another brought her his cap
To offer to the al [...] tap
with flaxe and with towe
And some brought sowre dowe
with hey and with howe
Syt we downe a rowe
And drynke tyll we blowe
And pype tyrly tyrlowe
Some layde to pledge
Theyr hatchet and theyr wedge
Theyr hekell and theyr tele
Theyr rocke / theyr spynnyg whele
And some went so narrowe
They layde to pledge theyr wharrowe
Theyr rybskyn and theyr spyndell
Theyr nedell and theyr thymbell
Here was scant thyrft
[Page]Whan they made suche shyf [...]
¶Theyr thrust was so great
They asked neuer for mete
But drynke styll drynke
A [...]d let the cat wynke
Let vs wasshe our gommes
From the drye crommes
Quartus passus
¶Some for very nede
Layde downe a skey [...]e of threde
And some a skeyue of yarne
Some brought from the barne
Both Benes and Pease
Small chaffer doth ease
Sometyme / now and than
Another there was that [...]an
With a good brasse pan
Her colour was full wan
She ran in all the ha [...]t
Unbrased and vnlast
Tawny swart and sallowe
Lyke a cake of tallowe
I swere by all hallowe
It was a stare to take
The deuyll in a brake
¶And than came haltyng Ione
And brought a gambone
Of bakon that was resty
But lorde as she was testy
Angry as a waspy
She began to yane and gaspy
[Page]And bad Elynour go bet
And fyll in good met
It was dere that was far fet
¶ Another brought a spycke
Of a bacon flycke
Her tonge was very quycke
But she spake som what thycke
Her felowe dyd stāmer and stut
But she was a foule slut
For her mouth fomyd
And her bely groned
Ione sayde she / had eten a fyest
By Chryst sayde she thou lyest
I haue as swete a breth
As thou with shamefull deth
¶ Thā Elynour sayde / ye calettes
I shall breke your palettes
wythout ye now cease
And so was made the dronken peace
Than thydder came drouken Ales
And she was full of tales
Of tydynges in wales
And of saynte Iames in Gales
And of the Portyngales
with lo gossyp I wys
Thus and thus it is
There hath ben greate war
Betwene Temple bar
And the crosse in chepe
And there came an hepe
Of mylstones in a route
[Page]She speketh thus in her snou [...]
S [...]euelyng in her nose
As though she had the pose
Lo here is an olde typpet
And ye wyll gyue me a syppet
Of your stale ale
God sende you good sale
And as she was drnkynge
She fyll in a wynkynge
with a barly hood
She pyst where she stood
Than began she to wepe
And forth with fell on slepe
Elynonr toke her vp
And blessed her with a cup
Of newe ale in cornes
Ales founde therin no thornes
But supped it vp at ones
She founde therein no bones
Quintus passus.
Nowe in cometh another rabell
First one with a ladell
Another with a cradell
And with a syde sadell
And there began a [...]abell
A clatterynge and a babell
Of foles fylly
That had a fole wfth wylly
with [...]ast you / and gup gylly
She coulde not lye stylly
Then came in a geuet
[Page]And sware by saynt Benet
I dranke not this sen [...]
A draught to my pay
Elynour I the pray
Of thyne ale let vs assay [...]
And haue here apylche of graye
I were skynnes of conny
That causeth I loke so donny
Another than dyd [...]yche her
And brought a pottell pycher
A tonnell / and a bottell
But she had lost the stoppell
She cut of her sho sole
And stopped there with the hol [...]
¶Amonge all the blommer
Another brought a skommer
A fryenge pan and a styce
Elynour made the pryce
For god ale eche whyt
¶Than sterte in made kyt
That had lytell wyt
She semed somdele seke
And brought a peny cheke
To dame Elynour
For a draught of lycour
¶Than Margery my [...]ke ducke
Her kyrtell she dyd vptucke
An yuche about her kne
Her legges that ye myght se
But they were sturdy and stubbed
Myghty pestels aud clubbed
[Page]As fayre and as whyte
As the fote of a kyte
She was somwhat foule
Croke necked lyke an oule
And yet she brought her fee [...]
A cautell of Essex chese
Was well a fote thycke
Full of magottes quycke
It was huge and greate
And myghty stronge meate
For the d [...]uyll to eate
It was tart and punyete
Another sorte of sluttes
Some brought walnuttes
Some apples / some peres
Some brought theyr clyppyng sheres
Some brought this and that
Some brought I wote nere what
Some brought theyr husbands hat
Some podynges and lynkes
Some trypes that stynkes
¶But of all this thronge
One came them amonge
She semed halfe a leche
And began to preche
Of the tewsday in the weke
Whan the mare doth keke
Of the vertue of an vnset leke
Of [...]er husbandes breke
With the feders of a quale
She could to burde on sayle
[Page]And with good ale ba [...]me
She could make a charme
To helpe with all a stytch
She semed to be a wytch
Another brought two goslynges
That were noughty fros [...]yuges
She brought them in a wallet
She was a cumly callet
The goslenges were vntyde
Elynor began to chyde
They be wretchockes thou hast brought
They are shyre shakyng nought
Secundus passus.
¶ Maude Ruggy / thyther skypped
She was vgly hypped
And vgly thycke lypped
Lyke an onyon syded
Lyke tan ledder byded
She had her so guyded
Betwene the cup and the wall
That she was there with all
In to a palsey fall
With that her hed shaked
And her handes quaked
Ones hed wold haue aked
To se her naked
She dranke so of the dragges
The dropsy was in her legges
Her face glystryng lyke glas
All foggy fat she was
She had also the gout
[Page]In all her ioyntes about
Her breth was soure and stalt
And smelled all of ale
Such a bedfellaw
Wold make one cast his craw
But yet for all that
She dranke on the mash fat
There came an old rybybe
She halted of a kybe
And had broken her shyn
At the threshold comyng in
And fell so wyde open
That one might se her token
The deuyll there on be wroken
What nede all this be spoken
She yelled lyke a calfe
Ryse vp on gods halfe
Sayd Elynour Rummyng
I be shrew the for thy cummy [...]g
And as she at her dyd pulck
Quake / quake / sayd the duck
In that lampatrams lap
With fy / couer thy shap
With sum flyp flap
God gyue it yll hap
Sayd Elynour / for sham [...]
Lyke an honest dame
Up she stert / halfe lame
And skantly could go
For payne and for wo
¶ In came another dant
[Page]With a gose and a gan [...]
She had a wyde wesant
She was nothynge plesant
Necked lyke an Olyfaut
It was a bullyfant
A gredy cormerant
Another brought her garlyke heddes
Another brought her bedes
Of Iet or of cole
To offer to the ale pole
Some brought a wymble
Some brought a thymble
Some brought a sylke lace
Some brought a pyncase
Some her husbandes gowne
Some a pyllowe of downe
Some of the napery
And all this shyfte they make
For the good ale sake
¶Astrawe sayde Bele stande vttes
For we haue egges and butter
And of pygeons a payre
¶Than sterte forth a fy sgygge
And she brought a bore pygge
The flesshe there of was ranke
And her brethe strongely s [...]anke
Yet or she went she dranke
And gat her great thanke
Of Elynour for her ware
That she thyder bare
To pay for her share
[Page]Nowe truly to my thynkynge
This is a solempne drynkynge
Septimus passus
¶Soft quod one hyght Sybbyll
And let me with you bybyll
She sat downe in the place
With a sory fate
Whey wormed about
Garnysshed was her suout
With here and there a puscull
Lyke a scabbyd muscull
This ale sayd she is noppy
Let vs syppe and soppy
And not spyll a droppy
For so mote I hoppy
It coleth well my croppy
¶Dame Elynour sayde she
Haue here is for me
A clout of London pynnes
And with that she begynnes
The pot to her plucke
And dranke a good lucke
She swynged vp a quarte
At ones for her parte
Her paunche was so puffed
And so with ale stuffed
Had she not hyed a pace
She had defoyled the place
¶Than began the sporte
Amonge that dronken sorte
Dame Elynour sayde they
[Page]Lende here a cocke of hey
To make all thynge cleane
ye wote well what we meane
¶But syr amonge all
That sate in that hall
There was a prycke me denty
Sat lyke a seynty
And began to paynty
As though she wolde faynty
She made it as koye
As a lege moy
She was not halfe so wyse
As she was peuysshe nyse
She sayde neuer a worde
But rose from the borde
And called for our dame
Elynour by name
We supposed I wys
That she rose to pys
But the very grounde
Was for to compound
With Elynour in the spence
To paye for her expence
I haue no penny nor grote
To paye sayde she / god wote
For wasshyng of my throte
But my bedes of amber
Bere them to your chamber
¶Than Elynour dyd them hyde
Within her beddes syde
But some than sate ryght sad
[Page]That nothynge had
There of their awne
Neyther gelt nor pawne
Suche were there menny
That had not a penny
But whan they shulde walke
Were fayne with a chalke
To score on the balke
Or score on the tayle
God gyue it yll hayle
For my fyngers ytche
I haue wrytten to mytche
Of this mad mummy ge
Of Elynour Rummynge
Thus endeth the gest
Of this worthy fest.
¶ Laureati Skeltonidis in despectu malignantium disticon.
QUamuis insanis / (quam)uis marcescis inanis
Inuidi cantamus / hec loca plena locis
¶ Bien men souuient.
OMnes feminas (que uel nimis bibule sunt / vel que sordida labe squaloris / aut q̄ spurca feditatis macula / aut verbosa loqua [...]itate notantur [...] Poeta inuitat ad audiendum hunc libellum. &c.
Ebria / squalida / sordidida femina / ꝓdiga verbi [...]
Huc currat / ꝓperet vemat sua gest [...] libellꝰ
Iste volutabit: pean sua plectra sonando
Materiam risus cantabit carmine rauco
Finis.
¶ Thus endethe these lytell workes compyled by mayster Skelton Poet Laureat. And prynted by Rychard Lant / for Henry Tab / dwellyng in Poules churche yard at the sygne of Iudith