NOTES TO VOLUME I. (continued 4)

VILITISSIMUS SCOTUS DUNDAS, &c.

“Georgius Dundas, Græce Latineque doctissimus habitus, Equitum Hierosolymitanorum intra Regnum Scotiæ præfectus, sed prius Aberdoniæ Professor. Scripsit diligenter, et laboriose. Historiam Equitum Hierosolymitanorum, lib. ii. Claruit anno MDXX.” Dempsteri Hist. Eccles. Gentis Scotorum, &c. 1627, p. 234. This George Dundas was, I apprehend, the person who excited the wrath of Skelton.

Page 192. v. 1.

These three hexameters are, it would seem, the composition of Dundas.

“After this saynt austyn entryd in to dorsetshyre, and came in to a towne where as were wycked peple & refused his doctryne and prechyng vtterly & droof hym out of the towne castyng on hym the tayles of thornback or like fisshes, wherfore he besought almyghty god to shewe his jugement on them, and god sente to them a shameful token, for the chyldren that were borne after in that place had tayles as it is sayd, tyl they had repented them. It is sayd comynly that thys fyl at strode in kente, but blessyd be god at this day is no suche deformyte.” The lyf of saynt Austyn,—Golden Legende, fol. clxxiiii. ed. 1483. See too Nova Legenda Anglie (by Capgrave), 1516. fol. xxx.

“Anglos quosdam caudatos esse.

Svspicabar quod de Anglorum caudis traditur, nugatorium esse, nec hoc meminissem loco, nisi ipsi Anglicarum rerum conditores id serio traderent: nasci videlicet homines, instar brutorum animalium caudatos apud Strodum Angliæ vicum, ad ripam fluuii Meduciæ, qui Roffensem, siue Rocestrensem agrum alluit. Narrantque eius vici incolas, iumento quod D. Thomas Canthuariensis episcopus insideret, per ludibrium caudam amputasse, ob idque diuina vltione adnatas incolis eius loci caudas: vt in hos fatidici regis carmen torqueri possit: Percussit eos (inquit) in posteriora eorum, opprobrium sempiternum dedit illis. De huiusmodi caudis quidam in hunc modum lusit:

On the proverbial expression Kentish Long-Tailes, Fuller has the following remarks. “Let me premise, that those are much mistaken who first found this Proverb on a Miracle of Austin the Monk.... I say they are much mistaken, for the Scæne of this Lying Wonder was not laied in any Part of Kent, but pretended many miles off, nigh Cerne in Dorsetshire. To come closer to the sence of this Proverb, I conceive it first of outlandish extraction, and cast by forraigners as a note of disgrace on all the English, though it chanceth to stick only on the Kentish at this Day. For when there happened in Palestine a difference betwixt Robert brother of Saint Lewis King of France and our William Longspee Earle of Salisbury, heare how the French-man insulted over our nation:

Matthew Paris. Anno Dom. 1250. pag. 790.

O timidorum caudatorum formidolositas! quam beatus, quam mundus præsens foret exercitus, si a caudis purgaretur et caudatis.

O the cowardliness of these fearful Long-tails! How happie, how cleane would this our armie be, were it but purged from tails and Long-tailes.

That the English were nicked by this speech appears by the reply of the Earle of Salisbury following still the metaphor; The son of my father shall presse thither to day, whither you shall not dare to approach his horse taile. Some will have the English so called from wearing a pouch or poake, (a bag to carry their baggage in) behind their backs, whilest probably the proud Monsieurs had their Lacquies for that purpose. In proof whereof they produce ancient pictures of the English Drapery and Armory, wherein such conveyances doe appear. If so, it was neither sin nor shame for the common sort of people to carry their own necessaries, and it matters not much whether the pocket be made on either side, or wholly behinde. If any demand how this nick-name (cut off from the rest of England) continues still entaild on Kent? The best conjecture is, because that county lieth nearest to France, and the French are beheld as the first founders of this aspersion. But if any will have the Kentish so called from drawing and dragging boughs of trees behind them, which afterwards they advanced above their heads and so partly cozened partly threatned King William the Conqueror to continue their ancient customes, I say, if any will impute it to this original, I will not oppose.” Worthies (Kent, p. 63), ed. 1662. The preceding passage of Fuller, somewhat abridged, is copied by Ray into his Proverbs, p. 245. ed. 1768. For fanciful stories concerning the origin of Kentish long-tails, see also Cornv-copiæ, Pasquils Night-cap, 1612, (attributed to S. Rowlands), p. 42. sqq.; and the commencement of Robin Good-fellow, His mad Prankes and Merry Jests, 1628, (a tract which originally appeared at an earlier date).

Page 193. v. 1. Gup] See note, p. 99. v. 17.

v. 23. Agayn] i. e. Against.

v. 26. dur] i. e. door.

v. 28. Go shake thy dog, hey] In our author’s Magnyfycence, v. 306. vol. i. 235, is,—

and had the expression occurred only in these two passages of Skelton, I should have felt confident that in the present one “thy” was a misprint for “the,” and that both were to be explained—“Go shake thee, dog,” &c.; but again, in his poem Howe the douty Duke of Albany, &c. v. 159. vol. ii. 72, we find,

Page 194. v. 34. hose] i. e. breeches.

v. 37. A spectacle case, &c.] See note, p. 193. v. 133.

v. 40. A tolman to blot] A friend queries “tal man?” but tolman is, I believe, pen-man: compare our author’s third poem Against Garnesche;

also the commencement of the present piece,—

v. 41. rough foted] See note, p. 222. v. 170.

v. 43. depraue] i. e. vilify, defame.

v. 44. reame] i. e. realm.

v. 56. rankis] i. e., perhaps, wrangles.

v. 58. Huntley bankes] See note, p. 221. v. 149.

v. 60. Dunde, Dunbar] See note, p. 219. v. 121.

v. 63. to far] i. e. too far.

ELEGIA IN COMITISSAM DE DERBY.

This illustrious and excellent lady, born in 1441, was Margaret, the only child of John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset. Her first husband was Edmund, Earl of Richmond, who died in 1456, a little more than a year after their marriage, the sole issue of which was Henry, afterwards King Henry the Seventh. Her second husband was Sir Henry Stafford, second son of Humphrey, the great Duke of Buckingham. Her third husband was Thomas Lord Stanley, afterwards the first Earl of Derby of his name. Having survived him, as also her son King Henry, she died June 29, 1509, in her 69th year, and was buried in the magnificent chapel then lately erected in Westminster Abbey.

Page 195. v. 5. polyandro] Polyandrum or polyandrium, (properly, multorum commune sepulchrum—πολυάνδριον)—“Interdum et sæpius apud ævi inferioris scriptores sumitur pro monumento aut sepulcro unius hominis.” Du Cange’s Gloss.—Here it means, of course, the tomb of Henry vii.—Whiting has anglicised the word in a poem appended to his Albino and Bellama, 1638;

v. 7. Titus hanc, &c.] i. e. Livy, who gives an account of Tanaquil, wife of Tarquinius Priscus: see his Hist. i. 34, &c.—“Tanaquilem Sidonius Apollinaris et Ausonius pro egregia uxore.” Cassellii Var. lib. i. c. xiii. p. 210 (Gruteri Lampas, iii.).

v. 19. Abyron] i. e. Abiram: see Numbers, ch. xvi.

Page 196. v. 25. perituræ parcere chartæ] Juvenal, Sat. i. 18.

—— phagolœdoros] i. e. (φαγολοιδόρους) convicia et maledicta devorantes.

WHY WERE YE CALLIOPE, &c.

were, i. e. wear: concerning this dress, worn, it would seem, by Skelton as Laureat, see Account of his Life and Writings.

Page 197. v. 16. somdele sere] i. e. somewhat dry, withered.

v. 17. fayne] i. e. glad, willing.

THE BOKE OF THREE FOOLES.

This piece is a paraphrase of three portions of Brant’s Ship of Fools: see the Latin version by Locher, Stultifera Nauis, ed. 1497,—Vxorem ducere propter opes, fol. lx., De livore et inuidia, fol. lxi., and De voluptate corporali, fol. lviii.: the same sections will be found accompanying Barclay’s Ship of Fooles, ed. 1570,—fol. 95, fol. 97, and fol. 92.

Page 199. v. 3. lygnage femynatyfe] i. e. lineage feminine.

v. 9. sythe] i. e. since.

Page 200. l. 1. boke] i. e. book.

l. 2. iyen] i. e. eyes.

—— loke] i. e. look.

l. 3. folysh] i. e. foolish.

l. 4. Pecunyous] i. e. Money-loving.

—— bee] i. e. by.

l. 5. wyddred] i. e. withered.

l. 6. nobles] i. e. the gold coins so called.

l. 8. habandoneth] i. e. abandoneth.

Page 200. l. 9. for to gather togyther the donge ... grese] In the Latin of Locher;

l. 18. thoughte] See note, p. 101. v. 10.

l. 20. debylyte] i. e. debilitated.

l. 21. vnpropyce] i. e. unpropitious.

l. 23. esperaunce] i. e. hope, expectation.

—— lygnage] i. e. lineage.

l. 25. demoraunce] i. e. abiding.

l. 26. leseth] i. e. loseth.

l. 29. hert] i. e. heart.

l. 32. cure] i. e. care.

Page 201. l. 15. conninge] i. e. knowledge, learning, attainments.

l. 20. whereas] i. e. where.

l. 22. pore] i. e. poor.

l. 23. corrompeth] i. e. corrupteth,—destroyeth.

l. 30. defende] i. e. forbid.

Page 202. l. 3. condycions] See note, p. 183. v. 12.

l. 4. dyssypers] i. e., I suppose, disperser.

l. 5. brennest] i. e. inflamest.

l. 6. sleeth] i. e. slayeth, (slayest).

l. 7. traueyleth] i. e. causeth travail (trouble) to.

l. 15. reclaymeth] i. e. proclaimeth.

l. 16. courage] i. e. heart, mind, disposition.

l. 17. adnychell] i. e. annihilate.

l. 22. flambe] i. e. flame.

l. 24. where as] i. e. where.

l. 25. odyfferaunt] i. e. odoriferous.

l. 27. tho] i. e. those.

l. 29. dissolate] i. e. dissolute.

Page 203. l. 6. glauca] Properly, I believe, glaucus.

—— eyen beholdinge a trauers] i. e., I suppose, eyes looking askance.

l. 7. syntillously] i. e. so as to emit sparks.

l. 14. were delybered] i. e. were advised, were minded.

l. 16. domage] i. e. damage, loss.

l. 20. brenneth] i. e. burneth.

l. 21. edefyed] i. e. built.

l. 24. egally] i. e. equally, justly.

l. 28. incontinente] i. e. immediately.

Page 203. l. 29. Cayme] i. e. Cain. So formerly the name was often written:

l. 32. Thesius] Should of course be Thyestes, as in Locher’s Latin: yet Barclay in his version of the passage has,

Page 204. l. 4. rested] i. e. roasted.

—— theim] i. e., perhaps, (if it be not a misprint for “him”) the guests: but the whole passage is scarcely intelligible.

l. 6. Ethiocles] So written in Locher’s Latin for Eteocles; and so Lydgate,—

l. 12. collacion] Equivalent here, I believe, to comparison.

l. 17. cautellous] i. e. crafty, wily.

l. 25. pill] i. e. strip.

l. 26. mondayne] i. e. worldly, gross.

l. 27. cheseth] i. e. chooseth.

Page 205. l. 7. thoughte] See note, p. 101. v. 10.

l. 8. lenger] i. e. longer.

l. 17. sith] i. e. since.

l. 18. asprely] i. e. roughly, severely.

—— enforce] i. e. exert.

A REPLYCACION, &c.

Concerning the “yong scolers” against whom this piece was composed, I can give no information.

Page 206. l. 9. contemplationem] See note, p. 214, title of Epitaph.

Page 207. l. 4. remordyng] See note, p. 193. v. 101.

—— recrayed] See note, p. 223. v. 26.

l. 5. rechelesse] i. e. reckless.

l. 25. enbolned] i. e. swollen, puffed up.

l. 26. pipplyng] i. e. piping: compare our author’s Garlande of Laurell, v. 676. vol. i. 388.

l. 29. lusty] i. e. pleasant, desirable.

Page 208. l. 1. sped] i. e. versed.

l. 2. connyng] i. e. knowledge, learning.

v. 8.

Here the tavern with the sign of the Three Cranes is meant: the three cranes were originally three strong cranes of timber, placed on the Vintry-wharf, for lifting from the ships the vessels of foreign wine which were landed there.

Page 208. v. 16. enflamed] i. e. burned.

last l. Ouer] i. e. Besides.

—— processe] i. e. treatise; see notes, p. 143. v. 735. p. 146. v. 969. p. 195. v. 157; and compare v. 160 of this piece with the heading before v. 343, where “matter” and “processe” are used as synonymous.

Page 209. l. 5. tetrycall] i. e. sour, sullen, gloomy.

l. 6. friscaioly] So in the Interlude of the iiii Elementes, n. d.;

l. 7. moche better bayned than brayned] Does bayned here mean—boned? In (at least Scottish) poetry we frequently find the expression “bayne [bone] and brayne:” see, for instance, Henry’s Wallace, B. vii. v. 596. ed. Jam.

l. 9. burblyng] “I Burbyll or spring vp as water dothe out of a spring.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. clxxix. (Table of Verbes).

where a word has dropt out of the line. (The ed. reprinted for the Roxburgh Club has—

—— blode] i. e. blood.

l. 11. rechelesse] i. e. reckless.

l. 15. perihermeniall principles] i. e. principles of interpretation. “Periermeniæ, Interpretationes; vox Græcæ originis περὶ ἑρμηνείας.” Du Cange’s Gloss.

l. 17. leudly] i. e. ignorantly—or perhaps, wickedly.

l. 23. surcudant] i. e. presumptuous, arrogant.

l. 24. popholy] Occurs again several times in our author’s writings, and with the more correct spelling,—popeholy. In Pierce Plowman we find,

In Chaucer’s Romaunt of the Rose is the following description;

The original French of the preceding passage is,—

Roquefort (Gloss. de la Langue Romaine) cites these lines under “Papelardie, papelardise: Hypocrisie, tromperie, subtilité, mauvaise foi.” See too Du Cange’s Gloss. in vv. Papelardia, Papelardus. Compare also Lydgate;

and Barclay;

and the Interlude of the iiii Elementes, n. d.;

Page 209. l. 33. orgulyous] i. e. proud, insolent.

Page 210. v. 22. vnbrent] i. e. unburnt.

v. 23. content] As the marginal note has Convenio, is it not a misprint for “convent?”

v. 24. leudly] i. e. badly, wickedly.

v. 26. disable] i. e. disqualify, degrade, disparage: “disablinge hymself in wordes, though his entent was otherwise.” Hall’s Chron. (Hen. viii.) fol. lvii. ed. 1548.

v. 37. ianglyng] i. e. babbling, chattering,—noisy.

v. 38. clawes] i. e. clause.

v. 39. poppyng dawes] Compare our author’s Why come ye nat to Courte;

and v. 121 of the present piece;

“Popping, blabbing, like a popinjay or parrot.” Gloss. to Exmoor Scolding: dawes, i. e. simpletons; see note, p. 113. v. 301.

Page 210. v. 45. recrayed] See note, p. 223. v. 26.

v. 48. baudrie] i. e. foul language: see note, p. 161. v. 90.

v. 50. to] i. e. too.

Page 211. v. 54. confettred] i. e. confederated.

v. 61. attamed] i. e. tamed.

v. 65. sorte] i. e. set, company.

v. 66. fayne] i. e. glad.

v. 75. Te he, &c.] Expressions of laughter;

v. 76. mo] i. e. more.

Page 212. v. 87. reny] i. e. renounce, abjure.

v. 89. brende] i. e. burnt.

v. 92. discured] i. e. discovered.

v. 95.

The old (and unique) copy is without punctuation in this passage; but that the first line closes the sense, and that Skelton did not mean that these heretics were unhappely ured in their dialectical, &c. would appear from a comparison of other passages:

In our author’s Colyn Cloute we find,

in the note on which line I have cited various examples of vre in the sense of—hap, luck; and in his poem Against the Scottes,

which surely means—Ill-fortuned, &c. (Fr. malheur). Is vnhappely vred to be considered as nearly synonymous with male vryd, or is it to be explained,—unhappily (evilly) used, practised, habituated?

Page 212. v. 98.

“Nullus syllogismus categoricus communis, vel ex solis particularibus, vel ex solis negativis constare potest. Hanc [regulam] expresse tradit Aristoteles libro primo Prior. capite 24. numero primo. Hinc metrum hoc natum:

v. 107. Your hertes than were hosed] i. e. Your hearts were in your hose (breeches): so again our author in his Why come ye nat to Courte;

See too Ray’s Proverbs, (Scottish), p. 292. ed. 1768.

v. 113. quosshons] i. e. cushions.

v. 115. Harpocrates] The God of Silence.

Page 213. v. 120. folysshly] i. e. foolishly.

—— fopped] A singular example of the word as a verb.

v. 121. porisshly] In our author’s Garlande of Laurell is “porisshly pynk iyde,” v. 626. vol. i. 386 (and Palsgrave has “Porisshly, as one loketh that can nat se well”); see note on the passage: but I cannot determine the meaning of the word here.

v. 124. dawes] i. e. simpletons; see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 126. elenkes] i. e. elenchs (elenchus—in logic).

v. 132. prouoke and tyse] i. e. incite and entice.

v. 143. exhibycion] i. e. allowance of money.

v. 144. skoles] i. e. schools.

v. 145. foles] i. e. fools.

v. 147. founde] i. e. maintained.

Page 214. v. 156. brute] i. e. saying, proverb.

v. 165. skyes] i. e. clouds.

v. 168. dawns] i. e. dance.

v. 169. ray] See note, p. 194. v. 170.

v. 171. lau] i. e. law.

v. 172. shayle] See note, p. 97. v. 19.

Page 214. v. 175. babyls] i. e. baubles.

Page 215. v. 196. face] i. e. face out.

v. 199. to] i. e. too.

v. 204. lollardy] i. e. heretical; see note, p. 204. v. 145.

v. 206. predycacion] i. e. declaration,—or preaching.

v. 207. knowlege] i. e. acknowledge.

v. 212. muse] Is properly the opening in a fence or thicket, through which a hare or other beast of sport, is accustomed to pass: see Nares’s Gloss. in v. and Moor’s Suff. Words, in v. Mewse.

v. 215.

Whatever Skelton may have meant by “chatyng,”—(perhaps he uses it for chatting,—in the next line we have “pratyng”),—rechatyng is properly a hunting-term, and signifies sounding the rechate or recheat (Fr.), a certain set of notes blown with the horn to recal the dogs.

v. 219. pystels] i. e. epistles.

Page 216. v. 220. bremely] i. e. fiercely, roughly.

v. 234. lydder] i. e. bad.

v. 247. popeholy] See note on prose of this piece, l. 24. p. 230.

Page 217. v. 260. echone] i. e. each one.

v. 264. iangle] i. e. babble, chatter.

v. 267. the people of lay fee] i. e. the laity; as again in our author’s Colyn Cloute;

fee, i. e. possessions; see Tyrwhitt’s Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales, Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang., and Todd’s Johnson’s Dict. in v.

v. 274. snapper] i. e. stumble; but see note, p. 92. v. 4.

—— werkes] i. e. works.

v. 280. mo] i. e. more.

v. 281. latria] “Le culte que nous déférons à Dieu seul, nous l’appellons Latrie [λατρεία].” Perroniana, p. 312. ed. 1740.

v. 285.

—ouerse, i. e. overlook: longeth, i. e. belongeth. “L’adoration de Superdulie est celle qui se défère à la Vierge, et elle est plus eminente pour la grace qu’elle a reçu de Dieu, plus particuliere que les autres Saints, pour avoir porté le Fils de Dieu en ses entrailles.” Perroniana, p. 71. “Aux Saints nous déférons l’honneur qu’on appelle Dulie.” Id. p. 312. ed. 1740. “Dulia [δουλεία] enim adoratio est, quæ etiam creaturæ exhibetur, quæ duas species habet, unam quæ hominibus indifferenter, alteram quæ soli humanitati Christi exhibetur.” Gaufridus Abbas in Epist. ad Albinum Cardinalem,—cited by Du Cange, Gloss. in v.

Page 218. v. 293. mased] i. e. bewildered, confounded.

v. 295. brent] i. e. burnt.

v. 296. bvsynesse] i. e. trouble.

v. 297. vyse] i. e. advise.

v. 298. scoles] i. e. schools.

v. 299. foles] i. e. fools.

Page 219. v. 303. replycable] i. e. such as can be replied to.

Page 220. v. 323. remorded] See note, p. 193. v. 101.

v. 225. his pystell ad Paulinum] i. e. his Epistle ad Paulinum presbyterum de omnibus divinæ historiæ libris, prefixed to the Vulgate: the passage quoted by Skelton is also to be found in Hieronymi Opera, I. 1011. ed. 1609.

—— Serenus] The Scholium on this name in Hieronymi Opera is: “Aulus Serenus lyricus ipse etiam fuit, et, ut Terentianus est auctor, eleganti ac facili ingenio, et ad jocos amoresque describendos accommodato: Martianus Capella ac Nonius sæpius ejus carmina citant.” I. 1017. ed. 1609.—See also an account of Serenus, prefixed to his extant pieces, in Wernsdorf’s Poetæ Latini Minores, tom. ii.

v. 337. armony] i. e. harmony.

Page 221. processe] See note, p. 230, on last line (prose) of p. 208.

v. 359.

—sadly loke, i. e. seriously look, consider. In the Garlande of Laurell Skelton mentions, as one of his own compositions,

Qy. does he allude to it here?

Page 222. v. 395. auaunce] i. e. advance.

Page 223. v. 399. make] i. e. compose.

v. 405. vnhappely vred] See note on v. 95. p. 232.

MAGNYFYCENCE.

“That this piece was composed subsequently to the year 1515, seems evident from the mention made in one place [v. 283] of ‘Kynge Lewes of Fraunce’ as an example of liberality [and as dead, v. 285]; and this could only mean Louis xii., who died in that year, as his immediate predecessor of that name [who died in 1483] was the most niggardly of wretches.” MS. note by Ritson on a transcript of Magnyfycence.

Page 226. v. 4. probate] In our author’s Garlande of Laurell mention is made of

where probate is proof, meaning, or, perhaps, interpretation: but in what sense Skelton uses the word here I cannot determine, the greater part of this speech being beyond my comprehension.

v. 5. fole] i. e. fool.

v. 6. vnhappely be vryd] See note, p. 232. v. 95.

v. 9. amense] i. e., perhaps, amends.

v. 10. by] i. e. buy, acquire.

v. 16. sad] i. e. grave, serious, sober.

v. 17. lure] See note, p. 147. v. 1100.

v. 22. wonnys] i. e. dwells.

—— and a man wolde wyt] i. e. if a man would know.

v. 24. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

Page 227. v. 33. Ye, to knackynge ernyst what and it preue]—i. e. Yea, what if it prove mocking earnest: compare the preceding line, and see Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scott. Lang. in v. Knack.

v. 35. in the mew] i. e. in confinement,—properly, the place in which hawks were kept, or in which fowls were fattened: see note on Why come ye nat to Courte, v. 219.

v. 36. a cue] Is explained (see Todd’s Johnson’s Dict. &c.)—a farthing, as being merely the sound of q̄, the abbreviation of quadrans. But Minsheu has; “Cue, halfe a farthing, so called because they set down in the Battling or Butterie Bookes in Oxford and Cambridge the letter q. for halfe a farthing, and in Oxford when they make that Cue or q. a farthing, they say, Cap my q., and make it a farthing thus qͣ. But in Cambridge,” &c. Guide into Tongues, ed. 1617.

v. 37. to] i. e. too.

Page 227. v. 39. condyssende] “I Condescende I agre to a mater.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cxciiii. (Table of Verbes).

v. 44. countenaunce] i. e. continence, restraint.

v. 45. let] i. e. hinder, restrain.

v. 47. corage] i. e. inclination, desires.

v. 56. parcell] i. e. part, portion.

v. 57. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 60.

i. e. I could bring in somewhat to hinder, contravene, your conception of the subject. So again in our author’s Garlande of Laurell;

Page 228. v. 65. fet] i. e. fetch.

v. 72. the surpluse of my sawe] i. e. the remainder of my saying.

v. 74. where as] i. e. where.

v. 80. ryn] i. e. run.

v. 86. wonder] I may observe that the Roxburgh reprint, without authority, and against the sense, has “no wonder.”

v. 89. ken] i. e. instruct.

v. 90. wonders] i. e. wondrous.

v. 92. to] i. e. too.

Page 229. v. 94. other] i. e. either.

v. 95.

So Skelton again;

He has also,

Arect in our early writers frequently signifies—impute, a meaning foreign to the present passages: in the two last cited, there can be no doubt that it is used in the sense of—raise: in the others it seems to mean—offer, refer.

Page 229. v. 103. Come of, therfore, let se] Compare Chaucer;

and Reynard the Fox; “Why tarye ye thus longe, come of.” Sig. b 7. ed. 1481: and Morte d’Arthur; “Come of thenne sayd they alle, and do hit.” Book xx. cap. iiii. vol. ii. 394. ed. Southey.

v. 106. reason and skyll] An expression which Skelton has elsewhere; but the words are nearly synonymous. “Skyll. Racio.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

v. 113. chere] i. e. spirit,—or reception.

v. 114. intere] i. e. entire.

v. 115. Oracius to recorde] i. e. Horace to witness.

v. 117. to] i. e. too.

v. 126. Measure is treasure] Lydgate mentions this as “an olde prouerbe:” see his verses on Moderation, MS. Harl. 2251. fol. 29, and his poem beginning “Men wryte of oold how mesour is tresour.” Id. 2255. fol. 143.

—— this] i. e. thus: see note, p. 86. v. 38.

Page 230. v. 131. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 133. kynde] i. e. nature.

v. 134. renne] i. e. run.

v. 137. a rest] i. e. a wrest—by which the strings of harps and other musical instruments were drawn up.

v. 138. All trebyllys and tenours be rulyd by a meyne] “Intercentus, a meane of a songe.” Ortus Vocab. fol. ed. W. de Worde, n. d. In the notes on Shakespeare, in Todd’s Johnson’s Dict. &c., mean is wrongly explained—tenor: what the mean was, depended entirely on the nature of the composition.

v. 139. beste] i. e. beast.

v. 149. skyll] i. e. reason: see note on v. 106.

v. 150. sad] i. e. grave, serious, sober.

v. 151. It is no maystery] “Maystry done by delyuernesse ung tovr de souplesse, appertise.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xlvi. (Table of Subst.); and see note, p. 113. v. 329.

“That is lytel maystry sayd syre launcelot to slee myn hors.” Morte d’Arthur, B. xix. c. iiii. vol. ii. 369. ed. Southey.

Page 230. v. 153. herdely] i. e. firmly.

Page 231. v. 166. hyght] i. e. am called.

v. 175. Conuenyent] i. e. Fit, suitable.

—— ryall] i. e. royal.

v. 178. syttynge] i. e. proper, becoming,—a word very common in our early poetry (altered unnecessarily to “fyttynge” in the Roxburgh reprint of this piece).

v. 182. his large] i. e. his range.

v. 184. hooly] i. e. wholly.

v. 189. sawe] i. e. sow.

v. 190. nother to] i. e. neither too.

—— lawe] i. e. low: so again in v. 2541, “nowe hy, nowe lawe degre.”

v. 193. consayte] i. e. conception.

Page 232. v. 202. losyll so lyther] i. e. scoundrel so wicked.

v. 209. plenarly] i. e. fully, entirely.

v. 213. Had I wyste] See note, p. 86. v. 40.

v. 216. to fer] i. e. too far.

v. 219. defaute] i. e. default, want.

v. 226. mone] i. e. moon.

v. 230. lyghtly] “Lightly or sone [i. e. soon]. Leuiter.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499: or, easily.

Page 233. v. 231. to moche] i. e. too much.

v. 233. scole] i. e. school.

v. 234. a poppynge fole]—fole, i. e. fool. “He is a popte fole or a starke fole for the nones. Homo fatuitate monstrabilis.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. P iii. ed. 1530. And see note, p. 231. v. 39.

v. 239. delyaunce] i. e. dalliance, delay.

v. 249. endure] i. e. remain, dwell.

v. 256. Here is none forsyth whether you flete or synke]—forsyth, i. e. regardeth, careth: flete, i. e. float, swim. So Chaucer;

v. 257. lokyd] i. e. looked.

v. 259. hafter] See note, p. 107. v. 138.

Page 234. v. 260. iangelynge Jacke of the vale] i. e. chattering, &c.; see note, p. 104. v. 6.

v. 266. Mary] i. e. by the Virgin Mary.

v. 267. largesse] i. e. bounty, liberality.

v. 269. worshyp] i. e. honour, dignity.

v. 272. hyght] i. e. am called.

v. 274. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 280. hardely] i. e. firmly.

Page 234. v. 280. auaunce] i. e. advance.

v. 283. reporte me] i. e. refer.

—— Kynge Lewes] i. e. King Louis the twelfth: see note on title, p. 236.

v. 285. syth] i. e. since.

v. 290. Jacke shall haue Gyl] So Heywood;

Page 235. v. 295. broder] i. e. brother.

v. 296. I set not by] i. e. I value not.

—— Dauncaster cuttys] i. e. Doncaster horses.—Cut was a term for a common horse, from its having the tail cut short.

v. 297. bolte] i. e. arrow (for a description of it, see Nares’s Gloss. in v.).

—— shote] i. e. shoot.

v. 298. hyght] i. e. be called.

v. 300. this checke if ye voyde canne] “Checke a mery taunt.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., fol. xxiii. (Table of Subst.). “I Voyde a thyng out of the way or out of syght, Ie oste.” Id. fol. ccclxxxxix. (Table of Verbes).

v. 301. to longe to scole] i. e. too long to school.

v. 302. gose] i. e. goose.

v. 303. pole] i. e. pool, water.

v. 304. fole] i. e. fool.

v. 306. Go, shake the dogge, hay] See note, p. 226. v. 28.

v. 310. to play with me checke mate] In allusion to the king being put in check at the game of chess.

v. 311. your noble estate] Equivalent to—your noble lordship.

v. 312. recorde] i. e. testimony.

v. 314. Sad] i. e. Grave, serious, sober.

v. 318. hele] i. e. health.

v. 319. commaunde] i. e. commend.

v. 321. ony] i. e. any.

v. 322. sone] i. e. soon.

v. 323. kepe] i. e. heed, care, attention.

Page 236. v. 325. after none] i. e. afternoon.

v. 327. Whylest] i. e. Until.

v. 333. mynde] i. e. fancy.

v. 336. beholde] i. e. beholden.

v. 341. By lakyn] i. e. by our Lady: lakyn is the contraction of ladykyn, little lady.

v. 346. Pountesse] i. e. Pontoise.

Page 236. v. 347. taken me] i. e. committed, consigned to me.

Page 237. v. 355. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 357. They bare me in hande that I was a spye] i. e. They accused me, laid to my charge, that, &c.

“I Beare in hande I threp vpon a man that he hath done a dede, or make hym byleue so, Ie fais accroyre” ... “What crime or yuell mayest thou beare me in hande of: Quel crime ou mal me peulx tu mettre sus.” Palgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. clxii. (Table of Verbes). “Many be borne an hande of a faute, and punysshed therfore, that were neuer gylty. Plerique facinoris insimulantur,” &c. Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. m ii. ed. 1530. This expression occurs with a different shade of meaning in our author’s Why come ye nat to Courte,—

v. 362.

Friar Tuck was one of Robin Hood’s merry companions. Concerning these lines Ritson remarks that there is “an evident allusion to some game or practice now totally forgotten and inexplicable.” Robin Hood, i. xxvi.

v. 364. antetyme] i. e. text. So in the absurd story of Skelton’s preaching, Merie Tales, (reprinted in Appendix to Account of his Life and Writings), “I say, as I said before in my antethem, vos estis.” Tale vii.

v. 366. moche warke] i. e. much work, trouble.

v. 367. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

v. 369. made largesse as I hyght] i. e. made donation of money according to my name (Fancy’s assumed name being Largesse, see v. 272).

v. 375. grete estates] i. e. persons of great estate or rank.

Page 238. v. 384. ye] i. e. yea.

v. 385. mesure is a mery mene] Heywood in his Epigrammes vpon Prouerbs has ten on “Measure is a mery meane.” Sig. N iiii.,—Workes, ed. 1598.

v. 388. ryall] i. e. royal.

v. 391. oder] i. e. other.

v. 405. blunderyng] i. e. disturbance. “I Blonder, Ie perturbe.”

Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. clxviii. (Table of Verbes).

Page 238. v. 406. betake] i. e. commit, consign.

v. 411. to put the stone] i. e. to throw the stone above hand, from the uplifted hand, for trial of strength.

Page 239. v. 413. gyse] i. e. guise, fashion, manner.

v. 417. I set not by] i. e. I value not.

v. 423. lurdayne] i. e. lumpish, lazy fellow, clown,—worthless person in general.

v. 425. tappyster] i. e. woman presiding over the tap in a public house.

v. 429. can] i. e. know.

—— praty] i. e. pretty.

v. 430. occupy] i. e. use: see note, p. 86. v. 52.

—— kayes] i. e. keys.

v. 433. at all assayes] Occurs again in v. 2303. “At all assayes, En tous poynts, or a tous poynts.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccccxxxviii. (Table of Aduerbes). “He is a frende at all assayes. Omnium horarum amicus est.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. Y iiii. ed. 1530.

v. 435. mekyll] i. e. much.

v. 444. sleyght] i. e. trick, artful contrivance.

Page 240. v. 446. fayty bone geyte] Perhaps corrupted French—fait a bon get or geste.

v. 449. consayte] i. e. conceit, conception.

v. 453. noppe is rughe] i. e. nap is rough.

v. 455. chafer] i. e. merchandise.

v. 458. The courtly gyse of the newe iet] A somewhat pleonastic expression,—the courtly guise of the new fashion. “Gette a custome guise nouuelle.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xxxvi. (Table of Subst.).

v. 460. ferre fet] i. e. far fetched.

v. 461. ymet] i. e. met.

v. 462. Margery Mylke Ducke] See note, p. 172. v. 418.

—— mermoset] A kind of ape or monkey.

v. 465. fresshe] i. e. smart.

v. 469. praty] i. e. pretty.

v. 470. iet] i. e. strut; see note, p. 94. v. 43.

v. 472. pope holy] See note, p. 230. l. 24.

v. 473. sadnesse] i. e. gravity, seriousness, soberness, discreetness.

Page 240. v. 475. not worth a flye] See note, p. 219. v. 104.

v. 477. occupy] i. e. use; see note, p. 86. v. 52.

v. 478. worshyp] i. e. honour, dignity.

Page 241. v. 482. tehe wehe] See note, p. 232. v. 75.

v. 485. knokylbonyarde] Compare Palsgrave’s Acolastus, 1540; “Do I raygne here on this facion, being a swynherde amongest swyne of Boeatia. i. amongest a meyny of iacke holde my staues, or knockyldeboynyardes, beinge but of late a kynge,” &c. Sig. Y iiii.; and Heywood’s Dialogue, &c.,—

v. 486. to] i. e. too.

v. 488. warke] i. e. work, business, matter.

v. 489. yarke] i. e. strike, lash.

v. 490. custrell] “Coustrell that wayteth on a speare covsteillier.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xxvii. (Table of Subst.). “Coustillier: An Esquire of the body; an Armour-bearer unto a Knight; the servant of a man at Armes; also, a groom of a stable, a horse-keeper.” Cotgrave’s Dict.

v. 492. this] i. e. thus; see note, p. 86. v. 38 (and so in the next line).

—— freers] i. e. friars.

—— famine] “Famen, sermo, verbum.” Du Cange’s Gloss.

v. 506. By God, I haue bene about a praty pronge]—praty, i. e. pretty: in the present line at least, pronge seems to mean—prank (Dutch pronk), whatever be its signification in the following passage of our author’s Colyn Cloute;

Page 242. v. 510. pagent] i. e. part: see notes, p. 88. v. 85; p. 189. v. 190.

v. 512. by lakyn] See note on v. 341. p. 240.

v. 513. heyre parent] i. e. heir apparent.

v. 514. rome] i. e. room, place.

v. 516. to] i. e. too.

v. 518. Cockys harte] i. e. God’s heart (Cock, a corruption of God).

v. 521. thee] i. e. thrive.

v. 526. hyght] i. e. am called.

v. 529. large] A play on the meanings of the word,—big, and liberal.

Page 242. v. 533. cofer kay] i. e. coffer-key.

v. 535. auowe] i. e. vow: see note, p. 109. v. 199.

Page 243. v. 539. alowde] i. e. approved.

v. 554. in same] i. e. in the same place (a pleonasm,—since “togyder” precedes).

v. 561. Can] i. e. Know.

v. 562. spedde] i. e. versed.

v. 564. iapes] i. e. jests, jokes.

v. 568. ouerwharte] i. e. overthwart—cross, perverse, wrangling.

v. 569. beshrowe] i. e. curse.

v. 571. iangle] i. e. babble, chatter.

Page 244. v. 573. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 575. my botes and my spores] i. e. my boots and my spurs.

v. 578. Cockes woundes] i. e. God’s wounds; see note on v. 518, preceding page.

v. 580. loketh] i. e. looketh.

v. 585. iurde hayte] Words (French perhaps) which I do not understand.

v. 591. quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 592. a leysshe of ratches to renne an hare] i. e. a leash of—three—hounds to run a hare.

v. 597. prece] i. e. press.

Page 245. v. 609. to] i. e. too.

v. 625. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

v. 628. do togyder] i. e. put it together.

v. 629. ony] i. e. any.

v. 633. wonne] i. e. dwell.

v. 635. a captyuyte] Is rather, I suspect, a misprint for, than used in the sense of—in: compare v. 2543.

Page 246. v. 639. the playnesse] i. e. the plain fact.

v. 644. thee] i. e. thrive.

v. 658. a pystell of a postyke]—pystell, i. e. epistle, letter; but I do not understand the expression.

v. 659. fonnysshe] i. e. foolish.

v. 666. freke] i. e. fellow: see notes, p. 109. v. 187; p. 178. v. 15.

v. 667. peke] “I Peke or prie.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cccxvii. [—xv.] (Table of Verbes).

Page 247. v. 672. rome] i. e. room, place.

v. 679. hyght] i. e. be called.

v. 681. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 685. By the armes of Calys] See note, p. 118. v. 398.

v. 687. slyght] i. e. trick, artful contrivance.

v. 688. fonde consayte] i. e. foolish conceit,—fantasies.

Page 247. v. 690. sadnesse] See note on v. 473. p. 242.

v. 692. Cockys body] i. e. God’s body: see note on v. 518. p. 243.

v. 695. whylyst] i. e. until.

v. 698. quyte] i. e. acquit.

—— praty] i. e. pretty.

Page 248. v. 707. haftynge] See note, p. 107. v. 138.

v. 713. geste] i. e. guest.

v. 719. hynder] “Hyndringe or harmynge. Dampnificacio.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. “I Hynder I hurte, Ie porte dommage.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cclxii. (Table of Verbes).

v. 720. hode] i. e. hood.

v. 722. fole] i. e. fool.

v. 730. lacke] i. e. blame.

v. 732. sped] i. e. versed.

v. 733. lytherly] i. e. wickedly.

v. 734. Paynte] See note, p. 176. v. 583.

Page 249. v. 737. fauell] See note, p. 107. v. 134.

—— tyned] i. e. pointed, pronged.

v. 745. shrewdenes] i. e. wickedness, evil.

v. 746. grete estates] i. e. persons of great estate, or rank.

v. 748. flery] i. e. fleer.

—— pretence] i. e. intent.

v. 751. bronde] i. e. brand.

v. 752. mase] i. e. bewilder, confound.

—— fonde] i. e. foolish.

v. 754. bale] i. e. sorrow, trouble.

v. 755. Huffa, huffa] See note, p. 181. v. 16.

v. 756. a] i. e. he.

v. 757. Rutty bully] See note, p. 94. v. 29.

—— ioly rutterkyn, heyda] Occurs in a song preserved in the Fairfax MS. which once belonged to Ralph Thoresby, and is now among the Additional MSS. in the British Museum (5465, fol. 114):

Sir John Hawkins printed the above song (with the music) and tells us that it “is supposed to be a satire on those drunken Flemings who came into England with the princess Anne of Cleve, upon her marriage with king Hen. viii.” Hist. of Music, iii. 2. But if it be the very song quoted in our text, it must allude to “rutterkyns” of a considerably earlier period; and, as the Fairfax MS. contains two other pieces which are certainly known to be from Skelton’s pen, there is a probability that this also was composed by him.

Court. Ab. in his next speech but one says, “am not I a ioly rutter?” and (v. 846)

Rutter, which properly means—a rider, a trooper (Germ. reiter, reuter), came to be employed, like its diminutive rutterkin, as a cant term, and with various significations, (see Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. q iii. ed. 1530; Drant’s Horace His Arte of Poetrie, pistles, &c. sig. D ii. ed. 1567). When Court. Ab. asks “am not I a ioly rutter?” he evidently uses the word in the sense of—dashing fellow, gallant, alluding to his dress, on which he afterwards enlarges in a soliloquy. In v. 805 Cr. Con. terms him “this ioly ietter.” Compare the following passage of Medwall’s Interlude of Nature, n. d.;

Page 249. v. 759. Decke your hofte, &c..]—hofte, i. e. head. If I rightly understand the passage, Court. Ab. desires Cl. Col. to put on his hat, or cap: see note below the text.

v. 760. Say vous, &c.] i. e. Savez vous, &c.: the last three words of the line seem to be the beginning of some French song.

Page 249. v. 761. Wyda] i. e. Oui da!

v. 763. rome] i. e. room, place.

—— stonde vtter] i. e. stand out, back.

v. 765. a betell or a batowe, or a buskyn lacyd] In Ortus Vocab. fol. ed. W. de Worde, n. d., besides “Feritorium. anglice a battynge staffe a batyll dur or a betyll,” we find “Porticulus. anglice a lytell handstaff or a betyll.” For “batowe” I have proposed in a note below the text “batone” (baton), a conjecture which is somewhat supported by the preceding word; but it seems more probable that the right reading is “botowe,” i. e. boot, for the work above cited has “Ocree ... anglice botis or botwes [ed. 1514—botowes],” and Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499 gives “Botewe. Coturnus.”

Page 250. v. 768. Jacke Hare] See note, p. 211. v. 270.

—— loke thou be not rusty] i. e. look that thou be not cankered, uncivil.

v. 769. nother] i. e. neither.

v. 770. lusty] See note, p. 183, heading of poem.

v. 773. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

v. 775. swap] i. e. swop: see Richardson’s Dict. in v. “I Swappe I stryke.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccclxxxi. (Table of Verbes).

—— fotys] i. e. foots, footest.

v. 776. Ye] i. e. Yea.

—— gere] i. e. apparel.

v. 780. mo] i. e. more.

v. 782. a bole of newe ale in cornys] i. e. a bowl, &c.: see note, p. 171. v. 378.

v. 784. auysed] i. e. purposed on consideration.

v. 786. rome] i. e. room, place, office.

Page 251. v. 789. Cockys harte] i. e. God’s heart: see note on v. 518. p. 243.

v. 790. for the armys of the dyce] Some cant exclamation.

v. 793. fayne] i. e. glad.

v. 795. rynne] i. e. run.

v. 796. cayser] i. e. Cæsar, or, as it is generally explained, emperor: in the Coventry Mysteries, however, a distinction is made between these terms;

v. 798. quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 799. tende] i. e. attend.

v. 805. ietter] i. e. strutter,—gallant: see note, p. 94. v. 43, and note on v. 757. p. 246.

Page 251. v. 806. supplye] i. e. supplicate.

v. 810. I ne tell can] i. e. I cannot tell.

Page 252. v. 818. gyse] i. e. guise, fashion.

v. 819. we wyll be aduysed twyse] i. e. we will consider of it twice.

v. 821. crake] i. e. speak vauntingly.

v. 827. bende] i. e. band.

v. 830. tawle] i. e. brave, bold.

v. 832. defaute] i. e. default, defect.

v. 833. hawte] i. e. haughty.

v. 834. pose] i. e. rheum in the head.

v. 839. loketh] i. e. looketh.

Page 253. v. 843. gere] i. e. apparel.

v. 844. My heyre bussheth]—heyre, i. e. hair. So Barclay, alluding to the “newe fassions and disguised garmentes” of the time;

v. 847. ruttyngly] i. e. dashingly, gallantly: see note on v. 757. p. 246.

v. 850. To daunce delyght] So afterwards, Magnyfycence, exulting in his prosperity, says, “I dawnce all in delyte,” v. 1510.

v. 852. poynte deuyse] i. e. perfectly exact: see Gifford’s note on B. Jonson’s Works, iv. 169.

v. 855. gyse] i. e. guise, fashion.

v. 857. route] i. e. crowd, assembly.

v. 859. My sleue is wyde] So Barclay describes the young gallants of the time with “Their sleues blasing like to a Cranes winges.” The Ship of Fooles, fol. 8. ed. 1570. Wide sleeves are also mentioned in the following curious passage of Medwall’s Interlude of Nature, n. d. (written before the year 1500); the speaker is Pride:

Page 253. v. 861. hose] i. e. breeches.

v. 866. hyght] i. e. am called.

v. 871. thee] i. e. thrive.

v. 872. fon] i. e. fool.

Page 254. v. 878. pore] i. e. poor.

v. 881. to to] So in v. 2121;

Compare M. Harry Whobals mon to M. Camel, &c. (folio broadside among the “flytings” of Churchyard and Camell);

Ray gives “Too too will in two. Chesh.” Proverbs, p. 163. ed. 1768.

v. 884. crake] i. e. vaunt.

Page 254. v. 885. I befoule his pate] i. e. I befool, &c. (not befoul), as it would seem from v. 1057, “I befole thy face;” and v. 1829, “I befole thy brayne pan.”

v. 886. fonne iet] i. e. foolish fashion (see note on v. 458. p. 242).

v. 887. From out of Fraunce] So Barclay;

Borde, in his Boke of knowledge, introduces a Frenchman saying,

v. 889. purueaunce] i. e. provision.

v. 907. carlys] i. e. churl’s.

v. 909. wonne] i. e. dwell.

Page 255. v. 915. slyue] i. e. sleeve.

v. 918. preue] i. e. prove.

v. 919. A Tyborne checke] i. e. a rope.

—— craynge, Stow, stow]—craynge, i. e. crying. See note, p. 206. v. 73.

v. 921. out of harre] i. e. out of hinge, out of order: see Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. and Suppl. in v. Har. The expression occurs again in v. 2121; and is found in the Towneley Myst. and G. Douglas’s Virgil’s Æn.

v. 923. warre] i. e. worse.

v. 932. farly] i. e. strange.

v. 933. lokys] i. e. looks.

v. 934. an hawke of the towre] So again our author in the Garlande of Laurell;

i. e., says Warton, “in the king’s mews in the Tower,” Hist. of E.P. ii. 355. ed. 4to: and the following lines occur in a poem called Armony of Byrdes, n. d. (attributed without authority to Skelton), reprinted entire in Typograph. Antiq. iv. 380. ed. Dibdin;

But I apprehend that by a hawke of the towre Skelton means—a hawk that towers aloft, takes a station high in the air, and thence swoops upon her prey. Juliana Berners mentions certain hawks which “ben hawkes of the toure.” Book of St. Albans, sig. c. v.: and Turbervile says; “Shee [the hobby] is of the number of those Hawkes that are hie flying and towre Hawks.” Booke of Falconrie, p. 53. ed. 1611.

Page 255. v. 935. the malarde] i. e. the wild-drake.

v. 936. becked] i. e. beaked.

v. 938. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

Page 256. v. 940. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 947. spere] i. e. spire, shoot,—stripling. So in our author’s third poem Against Garnesche, “But a slendyr spere.” v. 41. vol. i. 121.

v. 953. mo] i. e. more.

v. 954. in the dyuyls date] See note, p. 116. v. 375.

v. 956. he playeth the state] i. e. he playeth the person of consequence.

v. 957. pyke out of the gate] “I Pycke me forth out of a place or I pycke me hence, Ie me tyre auant.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cccxvi. (Table of Verbes).

v. 962. out of consayte] i. e. out of good opinion, favour.

v. 964. a praty slyght] i. e. a pretty trick, contrivance.

v. 971. Cockes harte] i. e. God’s heart: see note on v. 518. p. 243.

v. 973. poynted after my consayte] i. e. appointed, equipped according to my fancy.

v. 974. thou iettes it of hyght] i. e. thou struttest it in high style: see note, p. 94. v. 43.

Page 257. v. 975. let vs be wyse] Equivalent to—let us understand.

v. 977. come of, it were done] The expression “come of” has occurred before; see note on v. 103. p. 238. Compare Mary Magdalene;

Magnus Herodes;

Still’s Gammer Gurtons Nedle;

See too our author’s Garlande of Laurell, v. 243. vol. i. 371.

Page 257. v. 979. sone] i. e. soon.

v. 980. Stowe] See note, p. 206. v. 73.

v. 982. There is many euyll faueryd, and thou be foule] i. e. There is many a one ill-looking, if thou be ugly: see note, p. 130. v. 442.

v. 985. I wys] i. e. truly, certainly (i-wis, adv.).

v. 987. Jesse] i. e. Jesus.

v. 992. bent] i. e. arched; see note, p. 146. v. 1014.

v. 993. glent] i. e. glancing, bright.

v. 1000. Barbyd lyke a nonne]—nonne, i. e. nun. “The feders vnder the becke [of a hawk] ben callyd the Barbe feders.” Book of Saint Albans, sig. a 5. Barbe is explained by Tyrwhitt to mean a hood or muffler, which covered the lower part of the face and the shoulders; Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales: and he refers to Du Cange in v. Barbuta. According to Strutt, it was a piece of white plaited linen, and belonged properly to mourning: in an edict concerning “The order and manner of apparell for greate estates of weomen in tyme of mourninge,” made by the mother of Henry vii. in the 8th year of his reign, we find “Everye one not beinge vnder the degree of a Baronesse to weare a barbe aboue [Strutt prints by mistake—”about“] the chinne. And all other: as knightes wyfes, to weare yt vnder theire throtes, and other gentleweomen beneath the throte goyll.” MS. Harl. 1354. fol. 12. See Dress and Habits, pp. 323, 325, 326, 368, and plate cxxxv.

v. 1002. donne] i. e. dun.

v. 1003. Well faueryd bonne] So in our author’s Elynour Rummyng, v. 227, “my prety bonny;” see note, p. 166.

v. 1005. rowte] i. e. crowd, assembly.

Page 258. v. 1008. prese] i. e. press, throng.

v. 1009. a hole mese] i. e. a whole mess, set.

v. 1011. I rede, we sease] i. e. I advise that we cease.

v. 1012. farly ... lokys] i. e. strangely ... looks.

v. 1013. becke ... crokys] i. e. beak ... crooks.

v. 1014. tenter hokys] i. e. tenter-hooks.

v. 1015. wokys] i. e. weeks.

v. 1018. The deuyll spede whyt] So again in our author’s Why come ye nat to Courte;

Page 258. v. 1020. to] i. e. too (as in the next two lines).

v. 1023. solempne] i. e. solemn.

v. 1027. a pere] i. e. a pear,—used frequently by our early writers for a thing of no value. “Vayne glory of the world, the whiche is not worth a pere.” Morte d’Arthur, B. xv. cap. vi. vol. ii. 254. ed. Southey.

v. 1028. lese] i. e. lose.

v. 1030. And I may tende] i. e. If I may attend.

v. 1032. halfe] i. e. side.

v. 1035. Fansy seruyce] i. e. Fancy-service.

—— hyght] i. e. am called.

v. 1038. theke] i. e. thatch.

v. 1040. Make a wyndmyll of a mat] Compare v. 2 of our author’s third set of verses Against venemous Tongues, vol. i. 132.

v. 1041. and I wyst] i. e. if I knew.

Page 259. v. 1049. blunder] See note on v. 405. p. 241.

—— blother] i. e. gabble; as in our author’s Colyn Cloute, v. 66. vol. i. 313.

v. 1054. this] i. e. thus: see note, p. 86. v. 38.

v. 1055. euerychone] i. e. every one.

v. 1057. fonnysshe] i. e. foolish.

—— I befole thy face] See note on v. 885. p. 250.

v. 1058. a foles case] i. e. a fool’s habit.

v. 1059. glede] i. e. kite. Nares, Gloss. in v., observes that in the common version of the Bible, Deut. xiv. 13, the glede and kite are erroneously mentioned together as two distinct birds.

v. 1061. thy lyppes hange in thyne eye] So in Thenterlude of Youth, n. d.;

See too Heywood’s Dialogue, &c. sig. F 4,—Workes, ed. 1598.

v. 1066. pylde] i. e. bald—mangy: see note, p. 184. v. 68.

v. 1068. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 1069. Mackemurre] A proper name, though not printed as such in the old copy:

v. 1070. budge furre] “Budge or Lambes furre.” Minsheu’s Guide into Tongues. In an order respecting the scholastic habit in the University of Cambridge, dated 1414, (quoted by Todd from Farmer’s papers, in a note on Milton’s Comus, v. 707,) mention is made of “furruris buggeis aut agninis.”

Page 260. v. 1073. thou wylte coughe me a dawe]—dawe, i. e. simpleton; see note, p. 113. v. 301. So in the fourth line after this, “ye shall coughe me a fole:” and in Lilly’s Mother Bombie, 1594; “I know hee will cough for anger that I yeeld not, but he shall cough mee a foole for his labour.” Sig. B 2.

v. 1074. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

v. 1079. can] i. e. know.

v. 1081. broder] i. e. brother.

v. 1082. so hye fro me doth sprynge] i. e. doth (dost) grow so much taller than I.

v. 1088. gere] i. e. apparel.

v. 1089. folysshe] i e. foolish.

v. 1093. flete] i. e. float, flow, abound.

v. 1095. by] i. e. buy.

v. 1096. Cockys harte] i. e. God’s heart: see note on v. 518. p. 243.

v. 1103. syke] i. e. such.

v. 1104. a fole the tone] i. e. a fool the one.

Page 261. v. 1107. warke] i. e. work, business.

v. 1108. donnyshe] i. e. dunnish.

v. 1109. a fonde gest] i. e. a foolish guest.

v. 1111. so folysshe and so fonde] i. e. so foolish and so silly (one of Skelton’s pleonasms).

v. 1118. beshrowe] i. e. curse.

v. 1119. do] i. e. done.

v. 1120. Here is nothynge but the bockyll of a sho] Compare The Bowge of Courte, v. 397. vol. i. 45.

v. 1121. marke] i. e. marks,—the coins so named.

v. 1123. hyght] i. e. is called.

v. 1124. fole] i. e. fool.

v. 1126. a botchment] “Botchement. Additamentum.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

v. 1127. forfende] i. e. prohibit, forbid.

v. 1128. For Goddes cope] So we find as an oath, “By gods blew hood.” Tom Tyler and his Wife, p. 5. ed. 1661.

v. 1131. be tyme] i. e. by time.

v. 1134. praty] i. e. pretty.

v. 1136. Aungey] Does it mean Angers, or Anjou?

Page 262. v. 1142. gate] i. e. got.

v. 1143. puddynges] See note, p. 173. v. 443.

—— wortes] Is here, I suppose, equivalent to—cabbages.

v. 1147. marmosete] A kind of ape, or monkey.

v. 1148. iapes] i. e. jests, jokes.

Page 262. v. 1150. pultre] i. e. poultry, fowl.

—— catell] i. e. beast.

v. 1154. rode] i. e. rood, cross: see note, p. 206. v. 69.

v. 1157. nyfyls] A word sufficiently explained by the context, and of frequent occurrence. So in A Mery Play between Johan the Husbande, Tyb his Wyfe, and Syr Jhan the Preest, 1533, attributed to Heywood;

v. 1158. canest] i. e. knowest.

v. 1159. mased] i. e. bewildered, confounded.

v. 1165. It forseth not] i. e. It matters not.

v. 1168. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

—— sone] i. e. soon.

Page 263. v. 1172. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 1175. a farle freke] i. e. a strange fellow: see notes, p. 109. v. 187; p. 178. v. 15.

v. 1176. play well at the hoddypeke]—hoddypeke is a common term of contempt or reproach (as in our author’s Why come ye nat to Courte, v. 326. vol. ii. 37), and is generally equivalent to—fool. The original meaning of the word is altogether uncertain. Steevens (note on Gammer Gurtons Nedle) explains it—hodmandod (shell-snail); and Nares (Gloss. in v.) is inclined to agree with him. In a passage of Dunbar’s Dance of the Sevin Deidly Synnis (Poems, i. 51. ed. Laing), “hud-pykis” has been explained (on account of the context)—misers. In Cotgrave’s Dict. is “Noddy peke.”

v. 1182. ne reckys] i. e. recks not.

v. 1185. mo folys] i. e. more fools.

v. 1189. kesteryll] A sort of base-bred hawk.

v. 1190. I wys] i. e. truly, certainly (i-wis, adv.).

—— doteryll] See note, p. 129. v. 409.

v. 1191. In a cote thou can play well the dyser] “Dysoure. Bomolochus. Nugaculus.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. “Dissar a scoffar saigefol.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xxix. (Table of Subst.). “He can play the desarde with a contrefet face properly. Morionem scite representat.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. bb iiii. ed. 1530. “One that were skylled in the crafte of dysours or skoffyng fellowes.” Palsgrave’s Acolastus, 1540. sig. H ii.

v. 1195. gatte] i. e. got.

v. 1200. fon] i. e. fool.

Page 264. v. 1205. do mastryes] See note on v. 151. p. 238.

v. 1206. cocke wat] See note, p. 108. v. 173.

v. 1211. rode] i. e. rood, cross: see note, p. 206. v. 69.

—— semblaunt] i. e. semblance.

v. 1215. lyste] i. e. liest.

v. 1216. moght ... lyste] i. e. moth ... list.

v. 1220. Johnn a Bonam] One of the persons who figure in the old metrical tale, The Hunttyng of the Hare, is called “Jac of Bonam:” see Weber’s Met. Rom. iii. 279.

v. 1223. Shyt] i. e. Shut.

—— dawe] i. e. simpleton; see note, p. 113. v. 301.

Page 265. v. 1230. cayser] See note on v. 796. p. 247.

v. 1232. scoles] i. e. schools,—teaching.

v. 1234. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 1241. renneth] i. e. runneth.

v. 1242. thefte and bryboury]—bryboury, i. e. pilfering. “Brybery or bribe. Manticulum.”—“Briboure. Manticulus.”—“Bryben. Latricino. Manticulo.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. “I Bribe I pull I pyll, Ie bribe. Romant, ie derobbe, ... and ie emble ... He bribeth and he polleth and he gothe to worke: Il bribe,” &c. Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. clxxiiii. (Table of Verbes). “Bribors, Cometh of the French Bribeur, i. e. Mendicus: It seemeth in a legal Signification one that pilfereth other Mens Goods, as Cloaths out of a Window, or the like. Anno 28 Ed. 2. Stat. 1. cap. unico.” Cowel’s Law Dictionary, or The Interpreter, &c. augmented and improved, &c. ed. 1727. So again our author;

So too in The Hye Way to the Spyttell Hous, by Copland, n. d.;

and in Gentylnes and Nobylyte, n. d. (attributed without reason to Heywood);

Other passages might be cited from various poets. And see Tyrwhitt’s Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales, and Richardson’s Dict.

v. 1244. a nysot] In Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499 is “Anysot or a folt. Stolidus. Baburrus. Insons.” But in the present passage nysot seems, from the context, to be equivalent to—lazy jade: and in the work just cited we find “Nyce. Iners.”—“Nycehede or nycete. Inercia.”

Page 265. v. 1246. warke] i. e. work.

v. 1247. lyther] i. e. wicked, evil.

v. 1249. Bytwene the tappet and the wall]—tappet, i. e. tapestry. This line has occurred before, in our author’s fourth poem Against Garnesche, v. 75. vol. i. 128.

v. 1252. ony] i. e. any.

v. 1254. sorte] i. e. set, company,—people.

v. 1257. ferre] i. e. far.

Page 266. v. 1258. dawys] i. e. simpletons: see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 1261.

—fyersly and brymly are nearly synonymous: make it koy means here—affect (not merely reserve, but) haughtiness;—and so in our author’s Bowge of Courte,—

v. 1265. besy] i. e. busy.

v. 1270. quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 1275. lese moche] i. e. lose much.

v. 1278. mo] i. e. more.

v. 1280. scolys] i. e. schools.

v. 1281. folys] i. e. fools.

v. 1282. lyther] i. e. wicked,—rascals (as in the next line but one—“these lythers”).

v. 1283. Symkyn Tytyuell] See note on Colyn Cloute, v. 418.

v. 1284. lere] i. e. learn.

v. 1289. mykyll] i. e. much.

Page 267. v. 1291. dell] i. e. part.

v. 1293. shroudly] i. e. shrewdly.

v. 1297. fonde] i. e. foolish.

v. 1299. auowe] i. e. vow: see note, p. 109. v. 199.

v. 1301. kynde] i. e. nature.

v. 1303. rutters] See note on v. 757. p. 245.

v. 1308. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

—— boke] i. e. book.

v. 1309. Ye] i. e. Yea.

—— loke] i. e. look.

v. 1312. howe] i. e. ho! stop!

Page 267. v. 1314. scrat] i. e. scratch.

v. 1315. So how] i. e. So ho.

v. 1317. gadde] Does it mean—gadding?

v. 1318. brayne seke] i. e. brain-sick.

v. 1319. to shyre shakynge nought] i. e. to sheer nothing. So in our author’s Elynour Rummyng, (v. 466. vol. i. 110), that lady pronounces a couple of stunted goslings to be “shyre shakyng nought,” i. e. sheer worthless.

v. 1323. perde] i. e. par dieu, verily.

—— ryde or go] See note, p. 125. v. 186.

Page 268. v. 1324. slyght] i. e. contrivance.

v. 1325. hyght] i. e. be called.

v. 1327. wonne] i. e. dwell.

v. 1334. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 1338. Cockes armes] i. e. God’s arms: see note on v. 518. p. 243.

v. 1339. whylest] i. e. till.

v. 1341. slee] i. e. slay.

v. 1342. away the mare] See note, p. 162. v. 110.

v. 1345. a rome ... in euery route] i. e. a place in every crowd, assembly.

v. 1347. face and brace] See note, p. 216. v. 33.

v. 1348. fotyth] i. e. footeth.

Page 269. v. 1353. poyntmentys] i. e. appointments.

v. 1356. mykyll praty] i. e. much pretty.

v. 1358. an hoby can make larkys to dare]—to dare, i. e. to be terrified, to tremble,—(it also means—to lurk, lie hid; see note on the poem Howe the douty Duke of Albany, &c. v. 271). To dare larks was an expression applied to the catching of larks by terrifying them; and there were several modes of daring them. When the hobby (a small hawk, see note, p. 135. v. 567) was employed for that purpose, the larks lay still in terror till a net was thrown over them.

v. 1360. almesse] i. e. alms.

v. 1363. howe] i. e. ho.

v. 1365. loke] i. e. look.

v. 1368. hardely] i. e. assuredly.

v. 1370. pety brybery] See note on v. 1242. p. 256.

v. 1373. be] i. e. by.

Page 269. v. 1376. trew] i. e. honest.

v. 1378. checke] i. e. taunt: see note on v. 300. p. 240.

v. 1379. weltyth] To welt means—to border: but qy. is weltyth here used for weldyth, i. e. wieldeth, directeth?

v. 1382. sadnesse] i. e. gravity, seriousness, soberness, discreetness.

Page 270. v. 1389. sorte] i. e. set, company.

v. 1390. hokes vnhappy]—hokes, i. e. hooks, a word frequently applied to persons as a term of reproach. “Vnhappy of maners maluays.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xcviii. (Table of Adiect.). So in Jacke Jugelar, n. d.;

and in Heywood’s Dialogue, &c.;

v. 1395. dawe] i. e. simpleton; see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 1396. occupyed] i. e. used, employed; see note, p. 86. v. 52.

v. 1397. reason and skyll] See note on v. 106. p. 238.

v. 1401. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

v. 1405. largesse] i. e. liberality.

v. 1411. Had I wyst] See note, p. 86. v. 40.

Page 271. v. 1416. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 1421. Ye haue eten sauce] Compare our author’s Bowge of Courte, v. 72. vol. i. 33.

v. 1422. to] i. e. too.

v. 1425. worshyp] i. e. honour, dignity.

v. 1436. repryuable] i. e. reprovable.

Page 272. v. 1441. menys of to moche] i. e. means of too much.

v. 1442. What, can ye agree thus and appose?]—and appose, i. e. and yet keep questioning, disputing: see note on Colyn Cloute, v. 267.

v. 1443. faute] i. e. fault.

v. 1444. Ye] i. e. Yea.

—— Jacke a thrommys bybyll] See note, p. 189. v. 204.

—— glose] i. e. gloss.

v. 1446. loke you vnder kay] i. e. lock you under key.

v. 1456. Take it in worthe] See note, p. 95. v. 68.

v. 1458. largesse] i. e. liberality.

—— kynde] i. e. nature.

v. 1467. stonde] i. e. stand.

Page 273. v. 1473. fonde] i. e. foolish.

Page 273. v. 1474. loke that ye occupye] i. e. look that ye use; see note, p. 86. v. 52.

v. 1475. For nowe, syrs, I am lyke as a prynce sholde be, &c.] This speech of Magnyfycence is very much in the style of Herod in the old miracle-plays: see, for instance, the Coventry Mysteries, MS. Cott. Vesp. D. viii. fol. 92. sqq.

v. 1477. abandune] i. e. subject.

v. 1481. mene] See note on v. 138. p. 238.

v. 1491. syar] i. e. sire, lord.

v. 1493. ryall trone] i. e. royal throne.

v. 1496. spyll] i. e. destroy.

Page 274. v. 1502. loke] i. e. look.

v. 1504. dynt] i. e. blow.

v. 1505. the cane] Does it mean—the khan?

v. 1507. I set not by] i. e. I value not, regard not.

—— prane] i. e. prawn.

v. 1508. Ne] i. e. Nor.

—— rehersse] i. e. mention.

v. 1513. cache] i. e. couch.

v. 1515. mell] i. e. meddle.

v. 1518. to lowte man be sene] i. e. (if the text be right; see foot-note ad l.) must be seen to bow, pay obeisance.

v. 1520. brymme] i. e. fierce, rugged, bristly.

v. 1521. Basyan the bolde, for all his brybaunce] Basyan is, I suppose, Antoninus Bassianus Caracalla (he is called “Basian” in Robert of Gloucester’s Chron. p. 76. sqq.): brybaunce would seem to mean—plundering (properly, pilfering); see note on v. 1242. p. 256.

v. 1522. Alerycus] i. e. Alaric.

—— the Gothyaunce] i. e. the Goths.

—— swerd] i. e. sword.

v. 1524. maysyd] i. e. bewildered, confounded—stupid.

v. 1525. fole] i. e. fool.

v. 1526. Galba, whom his galantys garde for agaspe] i. e. (I suppose) Galba, whom his gallants (soldiers) made to gasp:—they assassinated him:—see gar in v. 1532.

v. 1527. nother set by] i. e. neither valued, regarded.

v. 1528. Vaspasyan, that bare in his nose a waspe] This passage is explained by the following lines of a poem never printed, entitled The Sege of Jerusalem:

Page 274. v. 1529. agayne] i. e. against.

Page 275. v. 1531. crake] i. e. vaunt, talk bigly.

v. 1532. I shall frounce them on the foretop] To frounce is—to wrinkle, ruffle up, &c. In our author’s Phyllyp Sparowe, v. 1340. vol. i. 92, Charon is described as having a “frownsid fore top;” and in his Colyn Cloute, v. 533. vol. i. 331, “foretop” means simply—head, pate.

—— gar] i. e. make, cause.

v. 1538. auaunce] i. e. advance.

v. 1539. take it in degre] Seems equivalent here to—“take it in gre” (which occurs in v. 2005), i. e. take it kindly: see note, p. 95. v. 68.

v. 1544. ferre] i. e. far.

v. 1547. supprysed] i. e. overpowered, smitten.

v. 1549. Pullyshyd] i. e. Polished.

—— ornacy] i. e. ornate diction.

v. 1551. electe vtteraunce] i. e. choice expression.

v. 1554. feffyd and seasyd] i. e. enfeoffed and seised,—law-terms.

v. 1556. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

v. 1557. comon] i. e. communing, discourse.

v. 1558. Poynt deuyse] See note on v. 852. p. 248.

Page 276. v. 1561. pore] i. e. poor.

v. 1564. semynge] i. e. beseeming, fitting.

v. 1568. maystresse] i. e. mistress.

v. 1569. That quyckly is enuyued with rudyes of the rose] i. e. That is lively envived with hues, or complexion, of the rose. This somewhat pleonastic expression is found again in our author’s Garlande of Laurell;

v. 1570. Inpurtured] i. e. Portrayed, pictured,—adorned.

v. 1571. The streynes of her vaynes] i. e. The strains, runnings of her veins.

Page 276. v. 1571. as asure inde blewe] See note, p. 101. v. 17.

v. 1573. loke] i. e. look.

—— leyre] i. e. complexion, skin.

v. 1576. lusty] i. e. pleasant, desirable.

v. 1578. to brace and to basse] i. e. to embrace and to kiss.

v. 1579. by hym that hell dyd harowe] i. e. by our Saviour: see note, p. 150. v. 1291.

v. 1580. a Phylyp sparowe] See note, p. 121. v. 7.

v. 1581. whylest my hede dyd warke] i. e. until my head did work, ache. “Hedwerke sekenesse. Cephalia.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. “Wark, to ache.” Hunter’s Hallam. Gloss. “But I may not stonde, myn hede werches soo.” Morte d’Arthur, B. xxi. c. v. vol. ii. 440. ed. Southey.

v. 1582. hobby for suche a lusty larke] See note on v. 1358. p. 258. The same metaphorical use of this expression occurs in our author’s Colyn Cloute, v. 194. vol. i. 318.

v. 1584. my flesshe wolde be wroken]—wroken, i. e. wreaked, satiated.

v. 1585. consayte] i. e. conceit, fancy.

v. 1586. weryed I wolde be on] i. e. I would worry, eagerly devour: compare our author’s Phyllyp Sparowe, v. 29. vol. i. 52.

v. 1587. Cockes armes] i. e. God’s arms: see note on v. 518. p. 243.

v. 1588. ony] i. e. any.

v. 1589. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 1590. to be sped] i. e. to be made successful.

Page 277. v. 1592. make suche one to the call] A metaphor from falconry.

v. 1600. a sawte] i. e. an assault.

v. 1601. prece] i. e. press.

v. 1603. sone] i. e. soon.

v. 1604. intreted] i. e. prevailed on by solicitation.

v. 1606. broken] Seems to mean here—tame, assuage.

v. 1610. consayte] i. e. conceit, conception.

v. 1615. it shall not gretely skyll] i. e. it shall not make much difference, it shall not much signify.

Page 278. v. 1620. face it] See note, p. 216. v. 33.

v. 1621. Frete] i. e. Gnaw, fret.

v. 1626. lust and lykynge] See note, p. 98, v. 23.

Page 278. v. 1633. your gorge] i. e. what you have swallowed, the contents of your stomach: see note, p. 207. v. 87.

v. 1636. wambleth] “I Wamble as ones stomake dothe Ie allecte.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cccc. (Table of Verbes). “Nauseo ... to wamble.” Ortus Vocab. fol. ed. W. de Worde, n. d.

v. 1638. wonder] i. e. wondrous.

v. 1640. harte seke] i. e. heart-sick.

—— me lyst] i. e. it pleases me.

v. 1641. coryed] i. e. curried, drubbed.

—— blyst] i. e. wounded,—thumped.

v. 1642. loute] i. e. bow, pay obeisance.

Page 279. v. 1652. at the contemplacyon] See note, p. 214, heading of Epitaph.

v. 1653. pore] i. e. poor.

v. 1657. sone] i. e. soon.

v. 1664. rowne] i. e. whisper: see note, p. 120. v. 513.

v. 1671. dyssayued] i. e. deceived.

v. 1673. wete] i. e. know.

v. 1677. I wyll haue hym rehayted and dyspysed] Our early poets frequently use rehete in the sense of—revive, cheer; a meaning foreign to the present passage. In the Towneley Mysteries, we find “rehett” and “rehete,” pp. 143, 198, which the Gloss. explains “to threaten;” qy. if rightly? In some copies of Chaucer’s Troilus and Creseide, B. iii. 350, is “reheting;” of which, says Tyrwhitt (Gloss. to Cant. Tales), “I can make no sense.” In G. Douglas’s Virgil’s Æneidos, B. xiii. p. 467. l. 53. ed. Rudd., and in the Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy, Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 74, 80. ed. Laing, is “rehatoure,” which has been referred to the French rehair: and perhaps rehayted in our text is—re-hated (Skelton afterwards in this piece, v. 2458, has the uncommon word inhateth).

v. 1679. rest] i. e. remain.

Page 280. v. 1682. supplyed] i. e. supplicated.

v. 1687. But for all that he is lyke to haue a glent] Glent is frequently found in the sense of—glance; but its meaning here, as would seem from the context, is—slip, fall: and in our author’s Garlande of Laurell we find,

Page 280. v. 1688. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 1692. What force ye] i. e. What care ye.

v. 1695. loke] i. e. look.

v. 1698. haftynge] See note, p. 107. v. 138.

v. 1702. woke] i. e. week.

v. 1703. sone] i. e. soon.

v. 1706. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

v. 1709. comonynge] i. e. communing, conversing.

v. 1711. sad] i. e. grave, serious, sober, discreet.

Page 281. v. 1713. doute] i. e. fear.

v. 1715. ony] i. e. any.

v. 1718. be lykelyhod] i. e. by likelihood,—as it appeared.

v. 1719. to fode] i. e. to feed with words,—deceive. So in our author’s Bowge of Courte;

v. 1723. reserued] i. e. retained.

v. 1725. set a gnat By] i. e. value at a gnat, care a gnat for.

v. 1738. suche maystryes gan make]—suche maystryes, i. e. such disturbances from the consequence which you assumed: and see note on v. 151. p. 238.

Page 282. v. 1745. lurden] See note on v. 423. p. 242.

v. 1748. haynyarde] A term of reproach which I do not understand: but in our author’s Bowge of Courte, v. 327. vol. i. 42, hayne seems to mean—hind, slave, peasant.

v. 1749. cast] i. e. throw up.

v. 1751. bolle] i. e. bowl.

—— Goddes brede] i. e. God’s bread.

v. 1754. praty] i. e. pretty.

v. 1758. Cockes armes] i. e. God’s arms: see note on v. 518. p. 243.

v. 1759. Ye] i. e. Yea.

v. 1766. ony] i. e. any.

Page 283. v. 1772. Where as] i. e. Where.

v. 1775. No force] i. e. No matter.

v. 1776. pollynge] i. e. plundering.

v. 1778. parde] i. e. par dieu, verily.

—— largesse] i. e. liberality.

v. 1779. vergesse] i. e. verjuice.

v. 1782. gyse] i. e. guise, fashion.

v. 1786. taken] i. e. committed, consigned.

v. 1802. lowte] i. e. bow, pay obeisance.

Page 284. v. 1813. syth] i. e. since.

v. 1817. acquyte] i. e. requite.

v. 1820. solace] i. e. pleasure.

v. 1821. dyntes] i. e. blows.

v. 1822. Well were] i. e. In good condition were.

v. 1824. halse] }

v. 1825. clepe] }

Both words signify—embrace; with this distinction, that the former means properly—to throw the arms round the neck.

v. 1829. I befole thy brayne pan] i. e. I befool thy skull, head: see note, p. 100. v. 31.

Page 285. v. 1830. By our lakyn] See note on v. 341. p. 240.

v. 1831. My hawke is rammysshe] “Ramage is when a Hawk is wilde, coy, or disdainfull to the man, and contrary to be reclamed.” Latham’s Faulconry (Explan. of Words of Art), 1658.

v. 1833. warne] i. e. prevent.

v. 1835. ronner] i. e. runner.

—— fole] i. e. fool.

v. 1836. iarfawcon] See note, p. 134. v. 557.

v. 1838. ydder] i. e. udder.

v. 1840. slydder] i. e. slippery.

v. 1841. for God auowe] So presently, v. 1851, “I make God auowe:” see note, p. 109. v. 199.

—— chiydder] i. e. shiver.

v. 1842. Thy wordes hange togyder as fethers in the wynde] An expression which occurs again in our author’s Speke, Parrot, v. 295. vol. ii. 14. So too in a comedy (before quoted), The longer thou liuest, the more foole thou art, &c. Newly compiled by W. Wager, n. d.;

v. 1844. carle] i. e. churl.

v. 1848. a losell lede a lurden] i. e. one good-for-nothing fellow lead another: see note, p. 209. v. 138, and note on v. 423 of the present poem, p. 242.

v. 1849. sowter] i. e. shoemaker, cobbler.

v. 1850. Cockes harte] i. e. God’s heart: see note on v. 518. p. 243.

v. 1853. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.

v. 1854. I shall gyue you a gaude of a goslynge that I gaue] Gaud is found in the sense of—jest, trick, toy, &c.: but the line (perhaps corrupted) is beyond my comprehension.

v. 1856. reue] i. e. steward, bailiff.

v. 1858. syke] i. e. such.

Page 285. v. 1859. Sadylgose] i. e. Saddle-goose.

—— Dawcocke] See note, p. 113. v. 301.

Page 286. v. 1860. garre] i. e. make, cause.

v. 1862. bytter] i. e. bittern.

v. 1864. to grame] i. e. to be angry,—or perhaps to grieve; the word being found in both senses.

v. 1865. snyte] i. e. snipe.

v. 1868. loke] i. e. look.

v. 1871. Ye] i. e. Yea.

—— iapes] i. e. jests, jokes.

v. 1876. sone] i. e. soon.

v. 1882. mo] i. e. more.

v. 1886. payntyd] See note, p. 176. v. 583.

v. 1887. demenour] i. e. director: see note, p. 134. v. 553.

Page 287. v. 1891. largesse] i. e. liberality.

v. 1892. fondnesse] i. e. folly.

v. 1896. rode] i. e. rood, cross: see note, p. 206. v. 69.

v. 1898. broder] i. e. brother.

v. 1899. lokys] i. e. looks.

v. 1900. clokys] i. e. claws—clutches; see Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. in v. Cleuck.

v. 1903. quyte] i. e. requite.

v. 1904. velyarde] i. e. old man, dotard.

—— dynt] i. e. blow.

v. 1906. losell] See note, p. 209. v. 138.

v. 1908. hyght] i. e. am called.

v. 1910. rughly] i. e. roughly.

v. 1912. lust] i. e. pleasure, liking.

v. 1913. lurden] See note on v. 423. p. 242.

v. 1915. set by hym a flye] i. e. value him at a fly, care a fly for him.

v. 1916. brace] See note, p. 216. v. 33.

v. 1917. loke] i. e. look.

v. 1918. to] i. e. too.

Page 288. v. 1928. carbuckyls] i. e. carbuncles.

v. 1930. lyppers] i. e. lepers.

v. 1932. Some with the marmoll to halte I them make]—marmoll, i. e. old sore, ulcer, gangrene. “Marmoll a sore lovp.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xlvii. (Table of Subst.). Skelton recollected Chaucer;

on which passage see Tyrwhitt’s note.

Page 288. v. 1934. brennynge] i. e. burning.

v. 1936. walter] i. e. tumble, roll. “I Walter I tumble, Ie me voystre.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cccc. (Table of Verbes).

v. 1939. sle] i. e. slay.

v. 1945. Lydderyns] i. e. Lydder, wicked, persons: so in our author’s Garlande of Laurell, “Some lidderons, some losels,” &c. v. 188. vol. i., 369.

—— set by] i. e. value, regard.

Page 289. v. 1958. franesy] i. e. frensy.

v. 1960. worshyp] i. e. honour, dignity.

v. 1961. fole] i. e. fool.

v. 1962. loke] i. e. look.

v. 1966. sadly] i. e. gravely, seriously, soberly, discreetly.

v. 1967. preposytour] i. e. a scholar appointed by the master to overlook the rest. “I am preposyter of my boke. Duco classem.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. R viii. ed. 1530.

v. 1968. theyr wanton vagys]—vagys, i. e. vagaries, strayings. Richardson in his Dict. gives an example of this substantive (vagues) from Holinshed.

v. 1977. mo] i. e. more.

v. 1979. Howe] i. e. Ho.

v. 1980. lore] i. e. teaching.

v. 1984. vnlykynge] i. e. in poor condition of body. “The strength and lustinesse, or well lykyng of my body.” Palsgrave’s Acolastus, 1540. sig. U iiii. “I am withered,” says Falstaff, “like an old apple-John. Well, I’ll repent, and that suddenly, while I am in some liking.” Shakespeare’s Henry IV. Part i. act iii. sc. 3.

Page 290. v. 1989. enuy] i. e. ill-will, grudge.

v. 1993. golde and fe] See note, p. 234. v. 267.

v. 1995. thought] See note, p. 101. v. 10.

v. 2004. syth] i. e. since.

—— no nother] A not unfrequent form in our early writers,—i. e. none other.

v. 2005. take it in gre] i. e. take it kindly: see note, p. 95, v. 68.

v. 2006. a noble estate] i. e. a person of noble estate or rank.

v. 2014. Ye] i. e. Yea.

Page 291. v. 2026. loke] i. e. look.

v. 2034. cawdels] According to the custom of great persons. So in the ballad of Glasgerion;

Page 291. v. 2035. mamockes] “Mammocks, leavings, wasted fragments.” Forby’s Vocab. of East Anglia.

v. 2037. fayne] i. e. glad.

v. 2038. pomped] In our text at least is equivalent to—pampered.

v. 2040. to be drawe] i. e. to be drawn over, covered.

v. 2042. shertes of Raynes] i. e. shirts made of the delicate species of linen manufactured at Rennes in Brittany.

v. 2044. happed] i. e. covered.

Page 292. v. 2054. sykernesse] i. e. security, sureness.

v. 2061. plete] i. e. plead.

v. 2064. lyther] i. e. bad,—inactive.

v. 2066. leuer] i. e. more willingly.

v. 2070. they rynne to in manus tuas queche]—rynne, i. e. run,—they quickly come to be hanged, when they say In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum.

v. 2072. mary] i. e. by the Virgin Mary.

—— mote] i. e. may.

v. 2073. too] i. e. toe.

v. 2077. rydlesse] In v. 2445 is “redlesse,” which properly means—devoid of counsel: but Skelton seems to use both forms in the sense of—unavailing.

v. 2080. bloo] i. e. livid: see note, p. 103. v. 3.

Page 293. v. 2093. I garde her gaspe, I garde her gle]—garde, i. e. made, caused: gle, i. e., perhaps, squint; see Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. in v. Gley.

v. 2094. daunce on the le] A fragment, it would seem, of some song: le, i. e. lea.

v. 2095. bassed] i. e. kissed.

v. 2096. the bote of all my bale] i. e. the remedy or help of all my evil or sorrow.

v. 2097. farre fet] i. e. far-fetched.

v. 2098. louesome] i. e. lovely one.

Page 293. v. 2098. let] i. e. leave, desist.

v. 2100. patlet]—or partlet,—i. e. a sort of ruff, or rather neck-kerchief: see Strutt’s Dress and Habits, &c. ii. 368.

v. 2104. lust and lykynge] See note, p. 98. v. 23.

v. 2106. me lyst] i. e. pleases me.

Page 294. v. 2113. hardely] i. e. assuredly.

v. 2114. to moche] i. e. too much.

v. 2115. not worth an hawe] A common expression in our early poetry;

v. 2116. to free of the dawe] Equivalent, I suppose, to—too much fooling: see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 2117. sad] See note on v. 1966. p. 267.

v. 2121. to to out of harre] See notes on v. 881. p. 249, and v. 921. p. 250.

v. 2123. iettynge] i. e. strutting: see note, p. 94. v. 43.

—— iapes] i. e. jests, jokes.

v. 2124. mowynge] i. e. making mouths, grimacing.

—— iackenapes] i. e. monkey.

v. 2132. brothell] Was formerly applied as a term of reproach to the worthless of either sex:

v. 2135. Cockes armes] i. e. God’s arms: see note on v. 518, p. 243.

v. 2138. lurden] See note on v. 423. p. 242.

v. 2141. largesse] i. e. liberality.

v. 2143. conuenyent] i. e. fit, suitable.

Page 295. v. 2148. poddynge prycke] i. e. skewer that fastens the pudding-bag.

v. 2150. pot sharde] i. e. potsherd.

v. 2151. the spence of a noble] i. e. the expense or spending of a noble,—the gold coin so called.