The Poetical Works of John Skelton, Volume 1 (of 2)

Volume 2 — VNTO DIUERS PEOPLE THAT REMORD THIS[724] RYMYNGE AGAYNST THE SCOT JEMMY.

Reading edition

VNTO DIUERS PEOPLE THAT REMORD THIS[724] RYMYNGE AGAYNST THE SCOT JEMMY.

I am now constrayned, With wordes nothynge fayned, This inuectiue to make, For some peoples[725] sake That lyst for to iangyll And waywardly to wrangyll Agaynst this my makynge, Their males therat shakynge, At it reprehending, And venemously stingynge, 10 Rebukynge and remordyng, And nothing according. Cause haue they[726] none other, But for that he was brother,[727] Brother vnnatural Vnto our kynge royall, Against whom he dyd fighte[728] Falsly agaynst all ryght, Lyke that vntrue rebell Fals Kayn agaynst Abell. 20 Who so[729] therat pyketh mood, The tokens are not good To be true Englysh blood; For, yf they vnderstood His traytourly dispyght, He was a recrayed knyght, A subtyll sysmatyke, Ryght nere an heretyke, Of grace out of the state, And died excomunycate. 30 And for he was a kynge, The more shamefull rekenynge Of hym should men report, In ernest and in sport. He skantly loueth our kynge, That grudgeth at this thing: That cast such ouerthwartes Percase haue hollow hartes. Si veritatem dico, quare non creditis mihi?

Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · this] So other eds. Ed. of Kynge and Marche, and of Lant, “his.”Note 2 · peoples] So Lant’s ed. Other eds. “people.”Note 3 · haue they] Eds. of Day, and Marshe, “they haue.”Note 4 · brother] Eds. of Day, and Marshe, “hys brother.”Note 5 · fighte] So other eds. Ed. of Kynge and Marche, “syght.”Note 6 · Who so] Eds. of Day, and Marshe, “But who so.”