els to say yll Now haue I shewyd you part of your proud mīd Take this in worth the best is behynde Wryten at Croydon by Crowland in the Clay On Candelmas euyn the Kalendas of May. FINIS Contra alium Cantitatem Organisantem Asinum qui impugnabat Skeltonida Pierium Sarcasmos PRponenda meis non sunt tua plectra camenis Necquantum nostra fistula clara tua est Sepelicet liricos modularis arundine psalmos Et tremulos calamis concinis ipse modos Quamuis mille tuus digitus dat carmine plausus Nam tua quam tua uox est mage docta manus Quamuis cuncta facis tumida sub mente superbus Gratior est Phaebo fistula nostra tamen Ergo tuum stude as animo deponere fastum Et uiolare sacrum desine Stulte uirum Skelton Laureat vppon a deedmans hed that was sent to hym from an honorable Ientil woman for a token Deuysyd this gostly meditacion in Englysh Couenable in sentence Comendable Lamentable Lacrimable Profitable for the soule Youre vgly tokyn My mynd hath brokyn From worldly lust For I haue dyscust We are but dust And dy we must It is generall To be mortall I haue well espyde No man may hym hyde From deth holow eyed With sinnews wyderyd With bonys shyderyd With hys worme etyn maw And his gastly Iaw Gaspyng asyde Nakyd of hyde Neyther flesh not fell Then by my councell Loke that ye spel Well thys gospell For wher so we dwell Deth wil vs qwell And with vs mell For all our pamperde paūchis Ther may no fraunchys Nor worldly blys Redeme vs from this Oure days be datyd To be chek matyd With drawttys of deth Stoppyng oure breth Oure eyen synkyng Oure bodys stynkyng Oure gummys grynnyng Oure soulys brynnyng To whom then shall we sew For to haue reskew But to swete Iesu On vs then for to rew O goodly child Of Mary mylde Then be oure shylde That we be not exyld To the dyne dale Of botemles bale Nor to the lake Of fendys blake But graunt vs grace To se thy face And to purchace Thyne heuenly place And thy palace Full of solace Aboue the sky That is so hy Eternally To beholde and se The Trynyte Amen Mirres vous y. VUomanhod wanton ye want Your medeling mastres is manerles Plenty of yll of goodnes skant Ye rayll at ryot recheles To prayse youre porte it is nedeles For all your draffe yet and youre dreggys As well borne as ye full oft tyme beggys Why so koy and full of skorne Myne horse is sold I wene you say My new furryd gowne when it is worne Put vp youre purs ye shall non pay By Crede I trust to se the day As proud a pohen as ye sprede Of me and other ye may haue nede Though angelyk be youre smylyng Yet is youre tong an adders tayle Full lyke a Scorpyon styngyng All those by whom ye haue auayle Good mastres Anne there ye do shayle What prate ye praty pyggys ny I truste to quyte you or I dy Youre key is mete for euery lok Youre key is commen and hangyth owte Youre key is redy we nede not knok Nor stand long wrestyng there aboute Of youre doregate ye haue no doute But one thyng is that ye be lewde Holde youre tong now all be shrewde To mastres Anne that farly swete That wonnes at the key intemmys strete The boke of three fooles M. Skelton poete Laureate Gaue to my Lord Cardynall The fyrst foole The man that doth wed a wyfe For her goodes and her rychesse And not for lygnage femynatyfe Procureth doloure and dystresse With infynyte payne and heuynesse For she wyll do hym moche sorowe Bothe at euyn and at morowe The seconde foole The dartes ryght cursed of enuye Hath rayned sythe the worlde began Whiche bryngeth man euydently In to the bondes of Sathan Wherfore he is a dyscrete man That can eschewe that euyll synne Where body and soule is lost in The thyrd foole Dyuers by voluptuousnes Of women the which be present Be brought in to full great dystres Forgettyng vertues excellent Of god the whych is permanent And suffreth themselfe to be bounde In cordes as it were a hounde COme hyther take this Boke rede therein for your lernyng with clere iyeu and loke in this boke y t sheweth you folysh Fooles w tout wyt or vnderstanding Pecunyous Fooles that bee auaryce and for to haue good tyme and to lyue meryly weddeth these olde wyddred women whych hath sackes full of nobles claryfye here your syghte ye shal know what goodnes cōmeth therby and what Ioye and gladnes Some there be y t habandoneth themselfe for to gather togyther the donge that yssuethoute of theyr asses arse for to fynde euermore grese it is grete foly trulye but yet the yonge man is more folyssher the whiche weddeth an olde wyfe for to haue her golde syluer I say that he is a great Foole that taketh anne olde wyfe for her goodes and is much to blame They the whiche do so procureth all trybulations For with her he shall neither haue ioy recreacion nor rest He noryssheth stryfes and greate debates thoughte payne anguyshe melancoly And yf he wolde accomplysshe the workes of maryage hee may not for shee is so debylyte colde vnpropyce vnnaturall and vndyscur rente for the coldenes that is in her The husbande of this olde wyfe hath none esperaunce to haue lygnage by her for he neuer loued her The man is a verye Foole to make his demoraunce vpon such an olde wife whan he thinketh somtime vpon such thynges he leseth his naturall wit in cursynge hymselfe more then a. M. tymes with the golde and the syluer the cursed hasarde of Fortune And when he seeth his poore lyfe in suche dystresse his hert is all oppressed with melancoly and dolour but whan the vnhappye man seeth that it is force and that hee is constrayneth to haue pacience he puttteth his cure to draw to hym the money of the olde wyddred woman in makyng to her glade chere And whan hee hath the money and the bagge w t nobles God knoweeth what chere he maketh wythoute thynkinge on them that gathereth it And when he hath spente al he is more vnhappyer then hee was before yf that the foole be vnhappye it is well ryghte for hee hath wedded auaryce mother of all euylles yf hee had taken a wyfe that had ben fayre and yonge after his complection he had not fallen into so great an inconuenience It is wryten in auncient bokes that hee whiche weddeth a wyfe by auaryce and not for to haue lygnage hath no cure of the honestie of matrymonye and thynketh full euyll on his conscience The Unyon of maryage in decayed for vnder the coloure of good and loyall maryage is wedded auaryce as we secuery day by experience through the world And one wil haue a wife and that hee marke his to be demaunded in maryage they will enquyre of his ryches and
people carke And surely thus they say Byshoppes if they may Smal houses wold kepe But slumbre forth and slepe And assay to crepe Within the noble walles Of the kinges halles To fat their bodies full Their soules lame and dul And haue ful litle care How euil their shepe fare The temporality say plain How bishoppes disdain Sermons for to make Or such labour to take And for to say trouth A great part is ful slouth But the greatest part Is for they haue but smal art And right sclender cunnyng Within their heades wunning But this reason they take How they are able to make With their gold and treasure Clerkes out of measure And yet that is a pleasure How be it some there bee Almost two or three Of that dignity Full worshipful Clerkes As appeareth by their werkes Like Aaron and Ure The wolfe from the dore To wary and to kepe From their gostly shepe And their spirituall lammes Sequestred from rammes And from the berded Gotes With their hery cotes Set nought by gold ne grotes Their names if I durst tel But they are lothe to mel And lothe to hang the bel About the cattes necke For dred to haue a checke They are fain to play deuz de ck How be it they are good men Much harted lyke an hen Their lessons forgotten they haue That Becket them gaue Thomas manum mittit ad forcia Spernit damna spernit opprobria Nulla Thomam frangit iniuria But now euery spirituall father Men say they had rather Spende muche of their share Than to be combred with care Spende nay but spare For let see who that dare Shoe the mockish mare They make her winch and kicke But it is not worthe a leeke Boldnesse is to seeke The churche for to defende Take me as I intende For lothe I am to offende In thys that I haue pende I tell you as men say Amend when ye may For vs que ad montem fare Men say ye cannot appare For some say ye hunt in parkes And Hanke on hobby Larkes And other wanton warkes Whan the night darkes What hath laymen to doe The gray gose for to shoe Lyke houndes of hell They cry and they yell How that ye sell The grace of the holygost Thus they make their host Through euery cost How some of you do eat In Lenton season flesh meat Fesauntea Partriche and cranes Men call you therfore prophanes Ye picke no shrympes nor pranes Saltfissh Stockfish nor Herring It is not for your wearing Nor in holy Lenton season Ye wil neither Beanes ne Peason But ye looke to be let loose To a pygge or to a Goose Your george not endewed Without a Capon stewed Or a stewed Cocke Under her surfled smocke And her wanton wodicocke And how when ye geue orders In your prouinciall borders As at sicientes Some are in sufficientes Some parum sapientes Some nichil intelligentes Some ualde negligentes Some nullum sensum habentâ—s But bestially and vntaught But whan they haue once caught Dominus vobiscum by the hed Than renne they in euere stede God wot with droÌ„ken nolles Yet take they cures of soules And woteth neuer what they rede Pater noster nor Crede Construe not worth a whistle Nether gospel nor pistle Theyr Mattins madly sayde Nothing deuoutly praid Their learning is so small Their prymes and houres fal And lepe out of their lippes Lyke sawdust or dry chippes I speake not now of al But the moste parte in general Of suche vagabundus Speaketh totus Mundus How some syng let abundus At euerye ale stake With welcome hake and make By the bread that God brake I am sory for your sake I speake not of the god wife But of their Apostles lyfe Cum ipsis Vel illis Qui manent in Villis Est Vxor Vel ancilla Welcome Iacke and Gilla My prety Petronylla And you wil be stilla You shall haue your wylls Of such Pater noster pekes All the worlde speakes ¶ In you the faut is supposed For that they are not apposed By iust examinacion In conning and connersation They haue none instruction To make a true construction A priest without a letter Without his vertue be greater Doutlesse were much better Upon him for to take A Mattocke or a Kake Alas for very shame Some can not declyne their name Some cannot scarsly rede And yet wyll not drede For to kepe a cure And in nothing is sure This dominus Vobiscum As wyse as Tom a thrum A chaplayne of truste Layth all in the dust ¶ Thus I Colin Clout As I go about And wandryng as I walke I heare the people talke Men say for syluer and Golde Miters are bought and sold There shall no clergy appose A myter nor a Crosse But a full purse A straw for goddes curse What are they the worse For a simoniake Is but a hermoniake And no more ye make Of Symony men say But a childes play ¶ Ouer this the forsayd laye Report how the Pope maye A holy anker call Out of the stony wall And hym a bysshopp make If he on him dare take To kepe so hard a rule To ryde vpon a Mule Wyth golde all be trapped In purple and paule be lapped Some hatted and some capped Rychely be wrapped God wot to theyr great paynes In Rotchettes of fine raynes Whyte as morowes mylke Their tabertes of fine silke Their stirops of mixt golde begarded There may no cost be spared Their Moyles Golde doth eate Theyr neyghbours dye for meat What care they though Gill sweat Or Iacke of the Noke The pore people they yoke With Sommons and Citacions And excommunications Aboute churches and market The byshop on his carpet At home full soft doth syt This is afeareful fyt To heare the people iangle How warely they wrangle Alas why do ye not handle And them all mangle Full falsly on you they lye And shamefully you asâ—ry And say as vntruly As the butter fly A man might say in mocke Ware the Wethercocke Of thee steple of Poules And thus they hurt their soules In sclaunderyng you for truth Alas it is great ruthe Some say ye sit in trones Like prynces aquilonis And shryne your rotten bones With pearles and precious stones But how the commons grones And the people mones For preestes and for loues Lent and neuer payde But from day to day delaid The commune welth decayd Men say ye are tunge tayde And therof speake nothing But dissimuling and glosing Wherfore men be supposing That ye geue shrewd counsel Against the commune wel By pollyng and pillage In cities and village By taxyng and tollage Ye haue monks to haue y e culerage For coueryng of an old cottage That committed is a collage In the charter of dottage Tenure par seruice de sottage And not par seruice desocage After olde segnyours And the learning of litletoÌ„ tenours Ye haue so ouerth warted That good lawes are subutered And good reason peruerted ¶ Religious men are fayne
conninge And on the other syde he wyl demaūde great goodes with her to norysshe her with For and her father and mother and frendes haue no greate ryches he wyll not of her But and she be ryche hee demaundeth none other thynge It is written that one were better haue his house in deserte where as no mencion shoulde be of hym thenne to bide with suche wyues for they be replete w t all cursednes And the pore foole breketh his hearte he loseth his soule and corrompeth his body He selleth his youth vnto the olde wife that weddeth her for anaryce and hath but noyse and discention in vsyng his lyfe thus in synne Consydre you fooles what seruytude ye put yourself in when ye wedde such wyues I pray you be chast if that ye wyl lyue without vnhap My frends whiche be not in that bande put you not therin and yee shalbe well happy Notwithstanding I defende you not to mary but I exhorte you to take a wyfe that ye may haue progeny by solace bodely and gostly and thereby to wyn the ioyes of paradyse Of Enuye the seconde Foole. APproche you foly she enuyous the which can say no good by them that ye hate come and se in this Booke youre peruerse and euyll condycions O enuy that deuoureth the condycions of men and dyssypers of honour Thou makest to haue rauisshynge heartes famyshed thou brennest the desyres and sleeth the soule in the ende thou engendrest the darte enuyronned with mischefe that whiche traueyleth diuers folkes Cursed foole howe haste thou thy heart so replete with cruelte for if I haue temporall goodes thou wilte haue enuye therat or if that I can worke well that I apply mee vnto dyuers thynges the whiche be honest or if that I haue castels landes and tenementes or if that I am exalted vnto honoure by my science or won it by hardynes truely and iustyle or if that I am beloued of dyuers persons whiche reclaymeth mee good vertuous and of a noble courage thou wylt vilep ende me with thy wordes thou wottest neuer in what maner thou mayst adnychell mine honour Thy malicious hert is hurt with a mortall wounde in such wise that thou haste no ioye nor solace in this world for the darte of Enuye perceth thy herte lyke a spere Thou hast wylde lycoure the whiche maketh all thy stomacke to be on a flambe There is no medicyne that maye hele thy mortall wounde I beynge in a place where as myne honoure was magnyfyed thoughte for to haue taken alyaunce w t an odyffe raūt floure but all sodaynely I was smyten with a darte of enuye be hinde my backe wherthroughe all tho that were on my partye turned theyr backes vpon me for to agree to one of Uenus dissolate seruauntes procedynge frome a hearte enuenymed with enuye Wherfore I shall specyfye vnto you the condycyons of the enuyous who that holdeth hym of the subgectes of enuye she constytueth to deuoure and byte euery bodyegyuynge vnhappes and myseryes vnto her seruaūtes Suche folkes doth the innocente a thousande wronges They be replenysshed with so many treasons y t they can not siepe in theyr beddes they haue no swete cantycles nor songes They haue theyr tonges honyed with swete words vnder the coloure of loue they be lene and infecte of rygoure these enuyous more bytterer thenne the gall of the fyshe Glauca wyth theyr eyen beholdinge a trauers of stomackes chaufed syntillously and without these mouthes as the vyne that is newe cut they be enuyroned with rage and greate anguysshe beholdynge euermore to destroy some body Conceyue the history of Ioseph in your myndes the which had vii brethren that were enuyous against him which was the yongeste and solde hym vnto the marchauntes of Egypte by enuy betrayed him The which were delybered of a longe time to haue destroyed him These euuious neuer laughe but whā some good man hath domage vpon the see or lande or at the disfortune of some body he drynketh his bloud as milke Notwithstandinge his heart is euer enbraced with enuy and as longe as he lyueth it shall gnawe his hert Hee resembleth vnto Ethua whiche brenneth alwayes As of Romulus and Remus his brother the whiche Romulus edefyed first Rome and gaue it to name Rome after his owne name Neuertheles they were past ours for they establyshed lawes in the citie And Romulus punished euerye body egally He dyd Instytute lymittes or markes aboute the citie and ordeyned that he that passed the lymyttes shuld be put to death His brother passed them wherfore he was put vnto death incontinente in the same place Wee rede also how Cayme slewe his owne brother by enuye Haue we not ensample semblablye of Atreus of whom his brother occupyed y e parke howe well that they were in the realme stronge and puyssaunte for to defende them It was Thesius that expulsed his brother oute of the realme by enuy and was called agayne bycause that he had taken the parke fynally was banyshed and by enuye and vnder the colour of peace he was sent for And when hee was commen vnto a Feast he made his two children for to be rested and made them to drynke their bloude O what horroure was it to see his twoo children dye that were so dyscrete In lykewise Ethiocles by his brethren receyued great enormyties by that cursed enuye O thou prudent man if thou wilt be discrete good and wise flye from enuy and thou shalt finde thyselfe sounde of body and soule Of the voluptuousnes corporall The third Foole. RYghte heartely I beseche you folysshe Lecherous people that it will please you for to come and make a litell Collacion in this Booke and if there be any thinge that I can do for you I am all yours both body and goodes for truelye I haue an ardaunte desyre to doo you some meditorious dede bicause that I haue euer frequented your seruyce Nowe herken what I haue found you cautellous women They that the Pappes be sene all naked their heyre combed and trussed in dyuers places merueylously be vnreasonable Fooles for they dresse theim like voluptuous harlottes that make their heyre to appere at theyr browes yalowe as fine golde made in lytel tresses for to drawe yonge folke to theyr loue Some for to haue their goodes presenteth to theim their beddes for to take their carnall desires And after that they haue taken all their disportes they pill theim as an Onion The other for to haue their plesures mōdayne cheseth theim that we loue best maketh sygnyfyaunce to theim sayeng y t she is anamoured on theim Thou art a verye Idyot so to abandone thyselfe vnto the vyle synne of Lecherye for thou lettest thyselfe be wrapped therein lyke as a calfe or a shepe is bounde in a corde In suche wise that ye can not vnbynde youreselfe O foole haue aspecte vnto that whiche thou cōmyttest for thou puttest thy poore soule in great daunger of damnation eternall thou puttest thy goodes
she by bone auenture Thus in a row of marchauntes a grete route Sued to fortune that she wolde be theyr frynde They thronge in faste and flocked her aboute And I with them prayed her to haue in mynde She promysed to vs all she wolde be kynde of bowge of court she asketh what we wold haue And we asked fauoure and fauoure she vs gaue Thus endeth the Prologue Drede THe sayle is vp fortune ruleth our helme We wante no wynde to passe now ouer all Fauoure we haue tougher then any elme That will abide and neuer frome vs fall But vnder honie ofte time lieth bytter gall For as me thoughte in our shippe I did se Full subtell persones in nombre foure and thre The first was fauell full of flaterie With fables false that well coude fayne a tale The seconde was Suspecte whiche that dayly Mysdempte eche man with face deedly pale And Haruy haster that well coulde picke a male With other foure of theyr affynyte Dysdayne Ryotte Dyssymuler Subtylte Fortune theyr frende w t whom oft she dyd daūce They coude not fayle they thought they were so sure And oftentimes I wold myselfe auaunce With them to make solace and pleasure But my dysporte they coulde not well endure They sayd they hated for to dele with Drede Than Fauell gan with fayre speche me to sede Fauell Nothinge erthly that I wonder so sore As of your conninge that is so excellent Deynte to haue with vs suche one in store So vertuously that hath his dayes spente Fortune to you gyftes of grace hathe lente Lo what it is a man to haue conninge All erthly tresoure it is surmountinge Ye be an apte man as ony can be found To dwell with vs serue my ladyes grace Ye be to her yea worth a thousande pounde I herde her speke of you within shorte space when there were dyuerse y t sore did you manace And though I saye it I was myselfe your frend For here be dyuerse to you that be vnkinde But this one thinge ye maye be sure of me For by that lorde that bought dere all mankinde I cannot flatter I must be playne to the And ye nede ought man shew to me your minde For ye haue me whome faythfull ye shall finde Whyles I haue ought by god y u shalte not lacke And if nede be a bolde worde I dare cracke Naye naye be sure whiles I am on your syde Ye may not fall truste me ye maye not fayle Ye stande in fauoure and fortune is your gyde And as she wyll so shall our greate shyppe sayle These lewd cok witts shal neuermore preuaile Againste you hardely therfore be not afrayde Fare well till soone but no worde that I sayde Drede Than thanked I him for his great gentylnes But as me thought he ware on him a cloke That lyned was with doubtfull doublenes Me thoughte of wordes that he had full a poke His stomake stuffed ofte tymes dyde reboke Suspycyon me thoughte mett hym at a brayde And I drewe nere to herke what they two sayde In fayth qd suspecte spake drede no worde of me Why what than wylte thou lette men to speke He sayth he can not well accorde with the Twysshē qd suspecte go◠playe him I ne reke By chryst qd fauell drede is soleyne freke What lete vs holde hym vp man for a whyle Ye so qd suspecte he maye vs bothe begyle And whan he came walkinge soberly With whom and ha and with a croked loke Me thoughte his heed was full of gelousy His eyen rollynge his hondes fast they quoke And to me warde the strayghte way he toke God sped brother to me quod he than And thus to talke with me he began Suspicion Ye remembre the gentylman ryght now That cōmaund w t you me thought a party spake Beware of hym for I make god auowe He wyll begyle you and speke fayre to your face Ye neuer dwelte in suche an other place For here is none that dare well other truste But I wolde tell you athinge and I durste Speke he a fayth no wordeto you of me I wote and he dyde ye wolde me tell I haue a fauoure to you wherof it be That I muste shewe you muche of my coūselle But I wonder what the deuyll of hell He sayd of me whan he with you dyd talke By myne aduyse vse not with him to walke The soueraynst thinge that any man may haue Is litill to saye and muche to here and se For but I trusted you so god me saue I wolde nothing so playne be To you onely me thynke I durste shryue me For nowe am I plenarely dysposed To shewe you thyngs that may not be disclosed Drede Than I assured hym my fydelyte His counseyle secrete neuer to dyscure Yf he could fynde in herte to truste me Els I prayed hym with all my besy cure To kepe it hymselfe for than he myght be sure That no man erthly could hym bewreye Whyles of his mynd it were lockte with y t keye By god quod he this and thus it is And of his mynde he shewed me al and some Farre well quod he we will talke more of this So he departed there he wolde be come I dare not speke I promised to be dome But as I stode musinge in my minde Haruy haster came lepinge light as linde Upon his breste he bare a versinge boxe His throte was clere and lustely coulde fayne Me thought his gowne was all furred with foxe And euer he sange sithe I am nothinge plaine To kepe him from pikinge it was a grete paine He gased on me with his gotishe berde Whan I loked on him me purse was halfaferde Heruy Haster Syr god you saue why loke ye so sadde What thinge is that I maie do for you A wonder thinge that ye waxe not madde For and I studie sholde as ye do nowe My witte wolde waste I make god auowe Tell me your minde me thinke ye make a verse I could it skan and ye wolde reherse But to the pointe shortelie to procede Wher hathe your dwelling ben er ye came here For as I trowe I haue sene you in dede Er this whan that ye made me roiall chere Holde vp the helme loke vp lete god stere I wolde be merie what wind that euer blowe Heue how rombelow row y t bote normā rowe Princes of youghtecan ye singe by rote Or shall I saile with you a feloship assaie For on the booke I can not singe a note Wolde to god it wolde please you some daye A ballade booke before me for to laye And lerne me to singe Re mi fa sol And when I faile bobbe me on the noll Loo what is to you a pleasure great To haue that coninge waies that ye haue By goddes soule I wonder howe ye gete Soo great pleasure or who to you it gaue Sir pardone me I am an homelie knaue To be with you thus perte and thus bolde But ye be
great pain With a pore knight What so euer he hight The chiefe of his own counsel They can not well tell Whan they with him should mel He is so fierce and fel He rayles and he rates He calleth them doddy pates He grinnes and he gapes As it were Iacke Napes Such a mad Bedlem For to rule this realm It is a wonderous case That the kinges grace Is toward him so minded And so farre blinded That he can not perceiue How he doth him disce yue I dought least by Sorsery Or such other loselry As witch craft or charming For he is the kinges derlyng And his sweete hart rote And is gouerned by this mad koote For what is a man the better For the kynges letter For he wil tere it a sunder Wherat much I wonder How such a hoddy poule So boldly dare controule And so malapertly withstand The kynges owne hand And settes not by it a mite He sayth the kyng doth wryte And wryteth he wot not what And yet for all that The kyng his clemency Despenseth with his demensy But what his grace doth thinke I haue no pen nor ynke That therwith can mel But wel I can tel How Fraunces Petrarke That much noble clerke Writeth how charlemaine Could not himself refrayne But was rauisht with a rage Of a lyke dotage But how that came aboute Rede ye the story out And ye shal finde surely It was by nicromansy By carectes and coniuracion Under a certayne constellacion And a certayne fumigacion Under a stone on a gold ryng Wrought to Charlemain y t kyng Whiche constrayned him forcebly For to loue a certaine body Aboue all other inordinatlye This is no fable nor no lie At Acon it was brought to pas As by mine auctor tried it was But let my masters mathematical Tel you the rest for me they shall They haue the ful intelligence And dare vse the experience In there obsolute conscience To practique such abolete science For I abhor to smatter Of one so deuillyshe a matter But I wil make further relacion Of this Isagogicall colation How master Gaguine the crownicler Of the feates of war That were done in Fraunce Maketh remembraunce How kyng Lewes of Late Made vp a great estate Of a pore wretched man Wherof much care began Iohannes Balua was his name Mine auctor writeth the same Promoted was he To a Cardinals dignitie By Lewes the kynge aforesayd With him so wel apayd That he made him hys chaunceler To make all or to mar And to rule as him liste Tyl he checked at the fiste And agayne all reason Committed open treason And against his lord souerain Wherfore he suffred pain Was heded drawen and quarterd And dyed stinkyngly martred Loe yet for all that He ware a cardinals hat In him was small fayth As mine auctor sayth Not for that I meane Suche a casuelty should be seene Or suche chaunce should fal Unto oure Cardinal Almightye God I trust Hath for him discuste That of force he muste Be faythfull true and iuste To oure moste royal kynge Chief rote of his makyng Yet it is a wilye mouse That caÌ„ bylde his dwelling house Within the cattes eares Withouten drede or feare It is a nice reconing To put al the gouernyng All the rule of this land Into one mans hand One wise mans head May stand somwhat in stede But the wittes of many wyse Much better can deuise By their circumspection And their sad direction To cause the commune weale Longe to endure in heale Christ kepe king Henry the eyght From trechery and disceipt And graunt him grace to know The Faucon from the Crow The wolfe from the Lambe From whens that maistife came Let him neuer confounde The gentil greyhound Of this matter the ground Is easy to expound And sone may be perceyued How the world is conueyd But harke my frend one worde In earnest or in borde Tel me now in this stede Is maister Mewtas dead The kinges french secretary And his vntrue aduersary For he sent in writing To fraunces the french kynge of our masters couÌ„sel in eueri thiÌ„g That was a perillous rekenyng Nay nay he is not dead But he was so payned in the head That he shall neuer eat more bred Now he is gone to another stede With a Bul vnder lead By way of commission To a straunge iurisdiction Called Diminges Dale Farre beyonde portyngale And hath his pasporte to pas Ultra sauro matas To the deuil syr Sathanas To Pluto and syr Bellyal The deuils vicare generall And to his colledge conuentuall As wel calodemonial As to cacademoniall To purney for our Cardinall A palace pontificall To kepe his court prouinciall Upon articles iudiciall To contend and to striue For his prerogatiue Within that consistory To make sommons peremptorye Before some prothonoâ—ory Imperial or papal Upon this matter misticall I haue told you part but not all Here after perchaunce I shall Make a large memoriall And a further rehersall And more paper I thinke to blot To the court why I came not Desiring you aboue all thing To kepe you from laughyng Whan ye fall to redyng Of this wanton scrowle And pray for Mewtas soule For he is wel past and gone That wold god euery chone Of his affinitie Were gone as wel as he Amen amen say ye Of your inward charitie Amen Of your inward charitie IT were greate ruthe For writinge of truthe Anye manne shoulde be In perplexitie Of displeasure For I make you sure Where trouth is abhord It is a playne recorde That there wantes grace In whose place Dothe occupye Full vngraciously Fals flattery Fals trechery Fals bryberye Subtyle Sym Sly Wyth mad folye For who can best lye He is best set by Than farewell to thee Welthfull felicitee For prosperitie Awaye than wyll flee Than muste we agree With pouertye For misery With penurye Miserably And wretchedly Hathe made Askry And oute crye Folowynge the chase To dryue away grace Yet sayest thou percase We can lacke no grace For my Lordes grace And my Ladyes grace With trey deuse ase And ase in the face Some haute and some bace Some daunce the trace Euer in one case Marke me that chase In the Tennis play For sinke quater trey Is a tal man He rod but we ran Hay the gye and the gan The graye goose is no swan The waters waxe wan And beggers they ban And they cursed datan De tribu dan That this worke began Palam et clam With Balak and Balam The golden ram Of flemmyng dam Sem Iapheth or cam But how come to pas Your cupboorde that was Is turned to glasse From siluer to brasse From golde to pewter Or els to a newter To copper to tyn To leade or Alcumin A goldsmyth your Mayre But the chefe of your fayre Might stand now by potters And suche as sel trotters Pytchars potshordes This shrewdly accordes To be a cupborde for Lordes My lord now and sir knyghte Good euen and good nyghte For now
openly And declareth oure villany And of our fre simplenesse He sayes that we are rechlesse And full of wylfulnesse Shameles and merciles In corrigible and insaciate And after this rate Against vs doth prate At Paules crosse or els where Openly at Westminster And saynt Mary spittel They set not by vs a whistel At the Austen fryers They count vs for lyers And at saynt Thomas of Akers They carpe vs lyke crakers How we wyl rule al at will Without good reason or skyll And say how that we be Full of parcialitie And how at a pronge We turne right to wrong Delay causes so longe That right no man can fong They say many matters be born By the right of a rammes horne Is not this a shamefull scorne To be teared thus and torne ¶ How may we thus indure Wherfore we make you sure Ye preachers shalbe yawde Some shalbe sawde As noble Ezechias The holy prophet was And some of you shall dye Lyke holy Ieremy Some hanged some slayn Some beaten to the brayne And we wil rule and rayne And our matters maintaine Who dare say there agayne Or who dare dysdaine At your pleasure and wil For be it good or be it yll As it is it shalbe stil For al master doctour of ciuil Or of oiuine or doctour dryuil Let him cough roughe or sneuil Renne God renne deuil Renne who may renne best And let take all the rest We set not a nut shel The way to heauen or to hel ¶ Lo this is the gise now a dayes It is to drede men sayes Least they bee saducies As they be sayd sayne Which determine playne We shoulde not rise agayne At dreadful domes daye And so it semeth they play Which hate to be corrected When they bee infected Nor wyll suffer this boke By hooke ne by crooke Prynted for to be For that no man shoulde see Nor rede in any scrolles Of their dronken nolles Nor of their noddy polles Nor of theyr sely soules Nor of some witles pates Ofdiuers great estates As well as other men Now to withdraw my pen And now a while to rest Me semeth it for the beste The fore castel of my ship Shall glide and smothely slip Out of the waues wode Of the stormye floude Shote anker and lye at rode And sayle not farre a brode Til the cooste be clere That the lode starre appere My shyp now wyl I pere towarde the port salu Of our sauiour Iesu Such grace that he vs sende To rectify and amend Thinges that are amis Whan that his pleasure is In opere imperfecto In opere semper perfecto Et in opere plusquam perfecto ⧠Here after folovveth a Litle boke of Philip sparow compiled by â–ª master Skelton Poet Laureate PLa ce bo Who is there who Di le â—i Dame Margery Fa re my my Wherefore and why why For the soule of philip sparow That was late slaine at Carow Amonge the Nunnes blake For that sweet soules sake And for al sparowes soules Set in our bead roules Pater noster qui With an Aue mari And with the corner of a creed The more shalbe your meed WHan I remembre agayne How my philip was slaine Neuer halfe the paine Was betwene you twayne Pyramus and Theshe As than befell to me I wept and I wayled The teares down hayled But nothing it auailed To call Pptlip agayne Whom Gib our cat hath slayne Gib I say our cat Worrowed her on that Which I loued beste It cannot be exprest My sorowful heauynes But al without redres For within that stound Half slumbryng in a sounde I fell downe to the ground ¶ Unneth I kest mine eyes Toward the cloudy skyes But when I did behold My sparow dead and cold No creature but that wold Haue rewed vpon me To behold and see What heauines did me pange Wherwith my haÌ„des I wrange That my senowes cracked As though I had ben racked So payned and so strained That no life welnye remained ¶ I sighed and I sobbed For that I was robbed Of my sparowes life O mayden widow and wife Of what estate ye be Of hye or low degre Great sorow then ye might se And learne to wepe at me Such paynes did me freat That mine harte did beat My visage pale and dead Wanne and blue as lead The panges of hateful death wel nye stopped my breathe Heu heu me That I am woe for thee Ad dum cumtribularer clamaui Of god nothing els craue I BUt Philips soule to kepe From the marees deepe Of Acherontes wel That is a floud of hel And from the greate Pluto The prince of endles woe And from foule Alecto With visage blacke and blo And from Medusa that â—are That lyke a feende doth stare And from Megeras edders From rufflinge of philips fethers And from her firy sparklinges For burning of his winges And from the smokes soure Of Proserpinas boure And from the dennes darke Wher Cerberus doth baike Whom Theseus did afray Whom Hercules did out tray As Famous Poetes saye For that hel hounde That lyeth in chaynes bound With gastly heades three To Iupiter pray wee That Phillip preserued maye bee Amen say ye wyth me Do mi nus Helpe now sweet Iesus Leuaui oculos meos in montis Wold God I had zenophontis OR Socrates the wyse To shew me their deuise Moderately to take Thys sorow that I make For Philyp sparowes sake So feruently I shake I fele my body quake So vrgently I am broughte Into careful thought Like andromaca hactors wife Was weary of her lyfe When she had lost her ioy Noble Hector of Troy In like maner also Encreaseth my deadly woe For my sparow is goâ—â—â— It was so prety a foole It wold syt on a stoole And learned after my scoole For to kepe his cut With Phillip kepe your cut ¶ It had a veluet cap And wold syt vpon my lap And seke after smal wormes And sotime white bread croÌ„mes And many times and ofte Betwene my brestes soft It wold lye and rest It was propre and prest ¶ Sometime he wold gaspe When he saw a waspe A flye or a gnat He would fly at that And pretely he would pant When he saw an ant Lord how he wold pry After the butter fly Lord how he wold hop After the gressop And whan I sayd phyp phip Then he wold leape and skip And take me by the lip Alas it wyl me sloe That Philip is gone me fro ¶ Si in i qui ta tes Alas I was euil at ease ¶ Deprofundis clamaui When I saw my sparow dye NOwe after my dome Dame Sulpicia at Rome whose name registred was For euer in tables of bras Because shee did pas In poesy to endyte And eloquently to write Though she wold pretend My sparow to commend I trow she could not amende Reporting the vertues al Of my sparow royal ¶ For it would come and go And fle so to and fro And on me it wold leape Whan