NOTES TO VOLUME II.

SPEKE, PARROT.

That the extant portions of this very obscure production were written at intervals, is not to be doubted; and that we do not possess all that Skelton composed under the title of Speke, Parrot is proved by the following passage of the Garlande of Laurell, where, enumerating his various works, he mentions

a description which, as it answers to no part of the existing poem (or poems), must apply to some portion which has perished, and which, I apprehend, was of an earlier date. “The Popingay” is assuredly only another name for Speke, Parrot;

Page 1. v. 3. Parrot, a byrd of paradyse] So Lydgate (in a poem, entitled in the Catalogue, Advices for people to keep a guard over their tongues);

v. 5. Dyentely] i. e. Daintily.

v. 6. flode] i. e. flood.

Page 2. v. 8. estate] i. e. state, rank.

v. 9. Then Parot must haue an almon] In Jonson’s Magnetic Lady, act v. sc. 5, we find,—

and Gifford, citing the present line (he ought rather to have cited v. 50), observes that Jonson was indebted to Skelton for “most of this jargon.” Works, vi. 109.

v. 11. couertowre] i. e. shelter.

Page 2. v. 12. toote] i. e. peep.

v. 16. popagey] i. e. parrot.

v. 17. becke] i. e. beak.

v. 18. My fedders freshe as is the emrawde grene]—emrawde, i. e. emerald. So Ovid in his charming verses on Corinna’s parrot;

v. 20. fete] i. e. well made, neat.

v. 22. My proper Parrot, my lytyll prety foole]—proper, i. e. pretty, handsome (elsewhere Skelton uses “proper” and “prety” as synonymes: see note, p. 125. v. 127).

v. 23. scole] i. e. school.

v. 26. mute] i. e. mew: see note ad l.

v. 30. Quis expedivit psittaco suum chaire]—chaire—ΧΑΙΡΕ. From Persius, Prol. 8.

Page 3. v. 31. Dowse French of Parryse] Dowse, i. e. sweet, soft. Chaucer’s Prioress spoke French

v. 35. supple] i. e. supplicate, pray.

v. 38. ryall] i. e. royal. In the marginal note on this line, “Katerina universalis vitii ruina, Græcum est” is an allusion to the Greek καθαρίζω or καθαρός.

v. 39. pomegarnet] i. e. pomegranate.

v. 40. Parrot, saves habler Castiliano] See note ad l. “Parrot, can you speak Castilian?” is a question which Spanish boys at the present day frequently address to that bird.

v. 41. With fidasso de cosso in Turkey and in Trace]—fidasso de cosso is perhaps lingua franca,—some corruption (see marginal note on the line) of the Italian fidarsi di se stesso: Trace, i. e. Thrace.

v. 42. Vis consilii expers ...] }

v. 43. Mole ruit sua] }

From Horace, Carm. iii. iv. 65 (where “consilî”).

—— dictes] i. e. sayings.

v. 45. maystres] i. e. mistress.

Page 4. v. 50. An almon now for Parrot] I know not if these words occur in any writer anterior to the time of Skelton; but they afterwards became a sort of proverbial expression.

Page 4. v. 51. In Salve festa dies, toto theyr doth best]—theyr, i. e. there. Skelton has two copies of verses, which begin “Salve, festa dies, toto,” &c.: see vol. i. pp. 190, 191.

v. 54. Myden agan] i. e. Μηδὲν ἄγαν.

v. 59. Besy] i. e. Busy.

v. 63. To] i. e. Too.

v. 67. Iobab was brought vp in the lande of Hus] “Verisimile est Jobum eumdem esse cum Jobabo, qui quartus est ab Esaü ... Duces in ista opinione sequimur omnes fere antiquos Patres quos persuasit, ut ita sentirent, additamentum in exemplaribus Græcis, Arabicis et in antiqua Vulgata Latina appositum: ‘Job vero habitabat in terra Hus, inter terminos Edom et Arabiæ, et antea vocabatur Jobab,’” &c. Concordantiæ Bibl. Sacr. Vulg. Ed. by Dutripon, in v. Job. ii.

Page 5. v. 71. Howst thé, lyuer god van hemrik, ic seg]—Howst thé is (I suppose) Hist thee: what follows is German,—lieber Got von Himmelsreich, ich sage—Dear God of heaven’s kingdom, I say,—spoken by way of oath.

v. 72. In Popering grew peres] From Popering, a parish in the Marches of Calais (see Tyrwhitt’s note on Chaucer’s Cant. Tales, v. 13650), the poprin, poperin, or popperin pear, frequently mentioned in our early dramas, was introduced into this country.

v. 73. Ouer in a whynny meg] The initial words of a ballad or song. Laneham (or Langham) in his strange Letter concerning the entertainment to Queen Elizabeth at Kenilworth Castle in 1575, mentions it as extant in the collection of Captain Cox, who figured in the shows on that occasion: “What shoold I rehearz heer what a bunch of Ballets and songs all auncient: Az Broom broom on hill, So wo iz me begon, troly lo, Over a whinny Meg,” &c. See Collier’s Bridgewater-House Catalogue, p. 164.

v. 74. Hop Lobyn of Lowdeon] See note, p. 217. v. 59.

v. 75. The iebet of Baldock] Is mentioned again in our author’s Why come ye nat to Courte, v. 953. vol. ii. 56. “And in Caldee the chief Cytee is Baldak.” Voiage and Travaile of Sir J. Maundevile, p. 51. ed. 1725.

v. 78. to] i. e. too.

v. 80. erstrych fether] i. e. ostrich-feather.

v. 81. Beme] i. e. Bohemia.

v. 82. byrsa] An allusion to Virgil;

Perhaps too Skelton recollected a passage in Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, B. ii. leaf xlviii. ed. Wayland.

Page 5. v. 84. Colostrum] i. e. the biesting,—the first milk after the birth given by a cow (or other milch animal). This form of the word occurs in the title of an epigram by Martial, lib. xiii. 38, and in Servius’s commentary on Virgil, Ecl. ii. 22.

v. 85. shayle] See note, p, 97. v. 19.

v. 87. Moryshe myne owne shelfe, the costermonger sayth] From the next line it would seem that “Moryshe” is meant for the Irish corruption of some English word; but of what word I know not.

v. 88. Fate, fate, fate, ye Irysh waterlag] Mr. Crofton Croker obligingly observes to me that he has no doubt of “fate” being intended for the Irish pronunciation of the word water.—“There is rysen a fray amonge the water laggers. Coorta est rixa inter amphorarios.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. q vi. ed. 1530.

Page 6. v. 91. Let syr Wrigwrag wrastell with syr Delarag] See note, p. 189. v. 186. p. 194. v. 149.

v. 93. Pawbe une aruer] Either Paub un arver, Every one his manner, or Paub yn ei arver, Every one in his manner.

v. 95. mo] i. e. more.

v. 97. conseyt] i. e. conceit.

v. 104. how] i. e. ho!

v. 106. Bas] i. e. Kiss.

v. 108. praty popigay] i. e. pretty parrot.

v. 109. pyke ... too] i. e. pick ... toe.

v. 110. solas, pleasure, dysporte, and pley] One of Skelton’s pleonasms.

v. 112. Parot can say, Cæsar, ave, also] “Ut plurimum docebantur hæ aves salutationis verba ... interdum etiam plurium vocum versus aut sententias docebantur: ut illi corvi, qui admirationi fuerunt Augusto ex Actiaca victoria revertenti, quorum alter institutus fuerat dicere, Ave, Cæsar,” &c. Casaubonus ad Persii Prol. v. 8.

v. 116. ruly doth loke] i. e. ruefully doth look.

Page 7. v. 118. vndertoke] i. e. undertook.

v. 119. of Judicum rede the boke] i. e. read the Book of Judges.

v. 122.

—coistronus is a Latinised form of coistroun, see note on title of poem, p. 92. Though in an earlier part of Speke, Parrot we find “Cryst saue Kyng Henry the viii, our royall kyng,” &c. v. 36, yet it would almost seem that he is alluded to here under the name of Seon. Og must mean Wolsey. This portion of the poem is not found in MS. Harl. (see note on v. 59 ad l.); and there can be no doubt that Speke, Parrot is made up of pieces composed at various times. After Skelton’s anger had been kindled against Wolsey, perhaps the monarch came in for a share of his indignation.

Page 7. v. 126. asylum, whilom refugium miserorum, &c.]—whilom, i. e. once, formerly. So afterwards in this piece, v. 496, among the evils which Skelton attributes to Wolsey, mention is made of “myche sayntuary brekyng,” i. e. much sanctuary-breaking; and in Why come ye nat to Courte he says of the Cardinal that

v. 130. trym tram] See note, p. 161. v. 76.

v. 131. chaffer far fet] i. e. merchandise far fetched.

v. 133. Scarpary] In Tuscany. So afterwards, “Over Scarpary,” v. 408; and in The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy, “Mont Scarpry.” Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 82. ed. Laing.

v. 134. ich wot] i. e. I know.

v. 136. Tholomye and Haly] See notes, p. 133. vv. 503, 505.

v. 137. volvell] }

v. 139. tirykis] }

See note, p. 335, v. 1517.

v. 142. ren] i. e. run.

Page 8. v. 143. Monon calon agaton] i. e. Μόνον καλὸν ἀγαθόν.

v. 144. Quod Parato] i. e. Quoth Parrot.

v. 149. in scole matter occupyed] i. e. used in school-matter: see note, p. 86. v. 52.

v. 152. How] i. e. Ho!

v. 153. a silogisme in phrisesomorum] “Sic [indirecte] in prima figura concludunt quinque illi modi, qui ab interpretibus fere omnibus (excepto Zabarella) pro legitimis agnoscuntur, quique hoc versu comprehendi solent, Celantes, Baralip, Dabilis, Fapesmo, Frisesom.” Crakanthorp’s Logicæ Libri Quinque, 1622. p. 275. Aldrich gives “Bramantip, Camenes, Dimaris, Fesapo, Fresison.” Artis Logicæ Compend., 1691. p. 19.

v. 165. Jack Raker] See note, p. 186. v. 108.

v. 106. maker] i. e. composer.

Page 9. v. 170. Sturbrydge fayre] The fair kept annually in the neighbourhood of Cambridge, and so named from the rivulet Stour and bridge.

Page 9. v. 171. Tryuyals and quatryuyals] The trivials were the first three sciences taught in the schools, viz. Grammar, Rhetoric, and Logic; the quatrivials were the higher set, viz. Astrology (or Astronomy), Geometry, Arithmetic, and Music. See Du Cange’s Gloss. in vv. Trivium, Quadrivium; and Hallam’s Introd. to the Lit. of Europe, i. 4.

—— appayre] i. e. impair, are impaired, come to decay.

v. 174. Albertus de modo significandi] “Albertus,” says Warton, after citing this stanza, “is the author of the Margarita Poetica, a collection of Flores from the classics and other writers, printed at Nurenberg, 1472, fol.” Hist. of E. P., ii. 347 (note), ed. 4to. The work mentioned here by Skelton is stated to have been first printed in 1480. The title of an edition by Wynkyn de Worde, dated 1515, is as follows; Modi significādi Alberti sine quibus grammaticæ notitia haberi nullo pacto potest: there is said to be another edition n. d. by the same printer: see Typ. Ant., ii. 208. ed. Dibdin.

v. 175. Donatus] i. e. the work attributed to Ælius Donatus, the Roman grammarian: see the Bibliog. Dictionary of Dr. Clarke (iii. 144), who observes; “It has been printed with several titles, such as Donatus; Donatus Minor; Donatus pro puerulis, Donati Ars, &c., but the work is the same, viz. Elements of the Latin Language for the Use of Children.” See too Warton’s Hist. of E. P., i. 281 (note), ed. 4to.

—— scole] i. e. school.

v. 177. Inter didascolos] “Interdidascolos is the name of an old grammar.” Warton’s Hist. of E. P., ii. 347 (note), ed. 4to. Warton may be right: but I have never met with any grammar that bears such a title.

—— fole] i. e. fool.

v. 178. Alexander] i. e. Alexander de Villa Dei, “author of the Doctrinale Puerorum, which for some centuries continued to be the most favourite manual of grammar used in schools, and was first printed at Venice in the year 1473 [at Treviso, in 1472: see Typ. Ant., ii. 116. ed. Dibdin]. It is compiled from Priscian, and in Leonine verse. See Henr. Gandav. Scriptor. Eccles. cap. lix. This admired system has been loaded with glosses and lucubrations; but, on the authority of an ecclesiastical synod, it was superseded by the Commentarii Grammatici of Despauterius, in 1512. It was printed in England as early as the year 1503 by W. de Worde. [The existence of this ed. has been questioned. The work was printed by Pynson in 1505, 1513, 1516: see Typ. Ant., ii. 116, 426, 427, ed. Dibdin, and Lowndes’s Bibliog. Man., i. 27]. Barklay, in the Ship of Fooles, mentions Alexander’s book, which he calls ‘The olde Doctrinall with his diffuse and vnperfite breuitie.’ fol. 53. b [ed. 1570].” Warton’s Hist. of E. P., ii. 347 (note), ed. 4to.

Page 9. v. 178. Menanders pole] See note, p. 130. v. 434: pole, i. e. pool.

v. 179. Da Cansales] “He perhaps means Concilia, or the canon law.” Warton’s Hist. of E. P., ii. 347 (note), ed. 4to.

v. 180. Da Rationales] “He seems to intend Logic.” Id. ibid.

v. 183. Pety Caton] Cato Parvus (a sort of supplement to Cato Magnus, i. e. Dionysii Catonis Disticha de Moribus) was written by Daniel Churche, or Ecclesiensis, a domestic in the court of Henry the Second: see Warton’s Hist. of E. P., ii. 170, and Dibdin’s ed. of Typ. Ant., i. 120.

v. 187. scole maters] i. e. school-matters.

—— hole sentens] i. e. whole meaning.

v. 188. gariopholo] So, I believe, Skelton wrote, though the classical form of the word is garyophyllo.

v. 189. pyke] i. e. pick.

v. 190. synamum styckis] i. e. cinnamon-sticks.

v. 191. perdurable] i. e. everlasting.

v. 192. fauorable] i. e. well-favoured, beautiful.

Page 10. v. 195. tote] i. e. peep.

v. 198. loke] i. e. look.

v. 199. freshe humanyte] i. e. elegant literature: see notes, p. 302. v. 39. p. 319. v. 817.

v. 201. chekmate] In allusion to the king’s being put in check at the game of chess.

v. 205. processe] i. e. discourse; see notes, p. 143. v. 735. p. 230 (first note on prose), p. 276. v. 2506, &c.

v. 207. with all] i. e. withal.

v. 208. pauys] See note, p. 90. v. 48.

v. 209. flekyd pye] i. e. spotted, variegated magpie.

v. 210. pendugum, that men call a carlyng]—“pendugum,” says the Rev. J. Mitford, “is penguin;” and he supposes that carlyng has some connexion with the term gair-fowl, which is another name for the penguin.

Page 11. v. 219. Ye ... torne] i. e. Yea ... turn.

v. 222. moche ... popegay ryall] i. e. much ... parrot royal.

v. 226. amonge] i. e. together, at the same time.

v. 228. worldly lust] i. e. worldly pleasure.

v. 232. recule] See note, p. 327. v. 1187.

—— Itaque consolamini invicem in verbis istis] From the Vulgate, 1 Thess. iv. 17.

Page 12. v. 239. when Pamphylus loste hys make]—make, i. e. mate. As the heading “Galathea” precedes this couplet, there is an allusion to a once popular poem concerning the loves of Pamphilus and Galathea,—Pamphili Mauriliani Pamphilus, sive De Arte Amandi Elegiæ. It is of considerable length, and though written in barbarous Latin, was by some attributed to Ovid. It may be found in a little volume edited by Goldastus, Ovidii Nasonis Pelignensis Erotica et Amatoria Opuscula, &c. 1610. See too the lines cited in note, p. 324. v. 1048.

Page 12. v. 240. propire] i. e. handsome, pretty.

v. 241. praty] i. e. pretty.

v. 245. herte hyt ys] i. e. heart it is.

Page 13. v. 262. Be] i. e. By.

v. 265. reclaymed] See note, p. 148. v. 1125.

v. 269. kus] i. e. kiss: see note, p. 128. v. 361.

v. 270. mus] i. e. muzzle, mouth.

—— Zoe kai psyche] i. e. Ζωή καὶ ψυχή.

Page 14. v. 274. spuria vitulamina] From the Vulgate, “Spuria vitulamina non dabunt radices altas.” Sap. iv. 3.

v. 280. quayre] i. e. quire,—pamphlet, book.—From this Lenuoy primere inclusive to the end of Speke, Parrot, with the exception of a few stanzas, the satire is directed wholly against Wolsey. The very obscure allusions to the Cardinal’s being employed in some negotiation abroad are to be referred probably to his mission in 1521. That Speke, Parrot consists of pieces written at various periods has been already noticed: and “Pope Julius,” v. 425, means, I apprehend, (not Julius ii., for he died in 1513, but) Clement vii., Julius de Medici, who was elected Pope in 1523. With respect to the dates which occur after the present Lenuoy,—“Penultimo die Octobris, 33ᵒ,” “In diebus Novembris, 34,” &c., if “33ᵒ” and “34” stand for 1533 and 1534 (when both Skelton and the Cardinal were dead), they must have been added by the transcriber; and yet in the volume from which these portions of Speke, Parrot are now printed (MS. Harl. 2252) we find, only a few pages before, the name “John Colyn mercer of London,” with the date “1517.”

v. 285. lyclyhode] i. e. likelihood.

v. 288. agayne] i. e. against.

v. 289. tonsan] i. e. toison.

v. 291. Lyacon] Occurs again in v. 393: is it—Lycaon?

v. 294. folys] i. e. fools.

—— knakkes] “Knacke or toye friuolle.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xliii. (Table of Subst.).

v. 295. hang togedyr as fethyrs in the wynde] See note, p. 265. v. 1842.

Page 15. v. 296. lewdlye ar they lettyrd that your lernyng lackys] i. e. badly, meanly, are they lettered that find fault with your learning.

v. 297. currys of kynde] i. e. curs by nature.

v. 298. lohythe ... warkys] i. e. looketh ... works.

v. 300. Agayne all remordes] i. e. Against all blamings, censures, carpings: see note, p. 193. v. 101: but as in v. 368, where MS. has “remordes,” the sense absolutely requires “remorders,” there is perhaps the same error here.

—— Morda puros mal desires] This strange gibberish (which occurs twice afterwards) seems to mean,—To bite the pure, is an evil desire.

v. 304. sadde] See note, p. 264. v. 1711.

v. 305. ower soleyne seigneour Sadoke]—soleyne, i. e. sullen: in applying the name Sadoke to Wolsey, Skelton alludes to the high-priest of Scripture, not to the knight of the Round Table.

v. 306. nostre dame de Crome] So in A Mery Play between Johan the Husbande, Tyb his Wyfe, and Syr Jhan the Preest, 1533, attributed to Heywood;

v. 307. assone] i. e. as soon.

v. 308. to exployte the man owte of the mone] i. e. to achieve the feat of driving the man out of the moon.

v. 309.

—porpose and graundepose, i. e. porpoise and grampus. The pun in the second line is sufficiently plain.

v. 311. lokyd] i. e. looked.

v. 313. every deall] i. e. every part.

Page 16. v. 319. nodypollys] i. e. silly-heads.

—— gramatolys] i. e. smatterers.

v. 320. To ... sentence] i. e. Too ... meaning.

v. 326. sadlye] See note, p. 267. v. 1966.

—— Sydrake] So Wolsey is termed here in allusion to a romance (characterised by Warton as “rather a romance of Arabian philosophy than of chivalry,” Hist. of E. P., i. 143. ed. 4to), which was translated from the French by Hugh of Caumpeden, and printed in 1510, under the title of The Historie of King Boccus and Sydracke, &c.

v. 327. coniecte] i. e. conjecture.

v. 328. mellis] i. e. meddles.

Page 16. v. 330. Hyt] i. e. It.

v. 331. a cheryston pytte] An allusion to a game played with cherry-stones;

v. 332. sterrys] i. e. stars.

v. 337. syn] i. e. since.

v. 339. Non sine postica sanna] “—— posticæ occurrite sannæ.” Persius, Sat. i. 65.

Page 17. v. 354. quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 355. popagay] i. e. parrot.

Page 18. v. 356. propyr] i. e. pretty, handsome.

v. 358. supply] i. e. supplicate.

v. 360. agayne] i. e. against.

v. 362. slaundrys obliqui] i. e. slanderous obloquy.

v. 365. jacounce] i. e. jacinth.

v. 366. balas] See note, p. 326. v. 1166.

v. 367. eyndye sapher] See note, p. 101. v. 17.

v. 368. remorde[r]s] i. e. blamers, censurers: see note, p. 193. v. 101.

Page 19.—— votorum meorum omnis lapis, lapis pretiosus operimentum tuum] From the Vulgate, “Omnis lapis pretiosus operimentum tuum.” Ezech. xxviii. 13.

v. 374. myche] i. e. much.

v. 378. on and hothyr] i. e. one and other.

v. 380. recheles] i. e. reckless.

v. 382. prosses] Equivalent here to—matter: see p. 230 (first note on prose).

v. 383. cowardes] i. e. cowardice.

v. 385. connyng] i. e. knowing, learned.

v. 386. postyll] See note, p. 289. v. 755.

Page 20. v. 393. Lyacon] See note on v. 291. p. 345.

v. 394. Racell, rulye] i. e. Rachel, ruefully; compare v. 116.

v. 395. mawmett] See note, p. 188. v. 170.

—— quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 407. For passe a pase apase ys gon to cache a molle] Qy. is there an allusion here to Secretary Pace?

v. 408. Scarpary] See note on v. 133. p. 342.

—— sliddyr] i. e. slippery.

v. 409. pendugims] See note on v. 210. p. 344.

Page 21. v. 412. Difficille hit ys] i. e. Difficult it is.

v. 415. raye] i. e. array.

v. 416. Agayne] i. e. Against.

v. 417. ensembyll] i. e. together. (Fr.)

v. 418. The nebbis of a lyon they make to trete and trembyll]—nebbis, i. e. neb, nib, nose: to trete, i. e. (I suppose) to become tractable.

v. 419. folys] i. e. fools.

v. 420. to play cowche quale] So in Thersytes, n. d.;

v. 421. polys] i. e. pools.

v. 422. babylles] i. e. (fools’) bawbles.

v. 424. He facithe owte at a fflusshe] Compare The Bowge of Courte, v. 315.

fflusshe, i. e. a hand of cards all of a sort.

v. 425. cardys] i. e. cards.

v. 427. skyregalyard] See note, p. 218. v. 101.

—— prowde palyard] So, afterwards, the Duke of Albany is termed by Skelton in his tirade against that nobleman, v. 170. vol. ii. 73. “Paillard. A lecher, wencher, whoremunger, whorehunter; also, a knave, rascall, varlet, scoundrell, filthy fellow.” Cotgrave’s Dict.

—— vaunteperler] “Avant-parleur. A forespeaker; or one that is too forward to speak.” Cotgrave’s Dict. “Whiche bee the vauntperlers and heddes of thair faction.” Letter of Bedyll to Crumwell,—State Papers (1830), i. 424.

v. 428. woluys hede] i. e. wolf’s head.

—— bloo] i. e. livid: see note, p. 103. v. 3.

v. 429. Hyt ys to fere] i. e. It is to fear,—be feared.

v. 430. Peregall] i. e. Equal (thoroughly equal).

v. 431. regiment] i. e. rule.

v. 432. quod ex vi bolte harvi]—quod, i. e. quoth: of the rest, the reader may make what he can.

v. 435. groynyd at] i. e. grumbled at.

Page 22. v. 436.

Perhaps this is the earliest instance of a quibble between raisins and reasons. The same pun is used by Shakespeare in Much ado about Nothing, act v. sc. 1, and (though Steevens thinks not) in Troilus and Cressida, act ii. sc. 2: compare also Dekker; “Raisons will be much askt for, especially in an action of iniury.” The Owles Almanache 1618. p. 36.

Page 22. v. 438. Ryn] i. e. Run.

v. 439. the date of the Devyll] See note, p. 116. v. 375.

—— shrewlye] i. e. shrewdly, badly.

—— quod] i. e. quoth.

v. 442. So many morall maters, &c.] There is a considerable resemblance between this concluding portion of Speke, Parrot, and a piece attributed to Dunbar, entitled A General Satyre; see his Poems, ii, 24. ed. Laing.

v. 443. So myche newe makyng] i. e. So much new composing.

v. 457. stondythe] i. e. standeth.

Page 23. v. 460. on dawys hedd] i. e. one daw’s head: see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 467. dowȝtfull daunger] i. e. doubtful danger,—danger that ought to cause dread.

v. 471. not worthe an hawe] See note, p. 269. v. 2115.

v. 472. So myche papers weryng for ryghte a smalle exesse]—exesse, i. e. excess, offence. “And for a truthe he [the Cardinal] so punyshed periurye with open punyshment & open papers werynge, that in his tyme it was lesse vsed.” Hall’s Chron. (Hen. viii.), fol. lix. ed. 1548.

v. 473. pelory pajauntes] i. e. pillory-pageants.

v. 474. the cooke stole] See note, p. 183. v. 38.

—— guy gaw] i. e. gewgaw, trifle.

v. 478.

Again, in his Why come ye nat to Courte, Skelton alludes to the report that Wolsey was the son of a butcher, vv. 295. 491. vol. ii. 36. 42. Compare too Roy’s satire against Wolsey, Rede me, and be nott wrothe, &c.;

and a poem Of the Cardnalle Wolse;

Cavendish says that Wolsey “was an honest poor man’s son;” and the will of his father (printed by Fiddes) shews that he possessed some property; but, as Mr. Sharon Turner observes, that Wolsey was the son of a butcher “was reported and believed while he lived.” Hist, of Reign of Hen. the Eighth, i. 167. ed. 8vo.

With the second line of the present passage compare our author’s Why come ye nat to Courte, where he wishes that “that mastyfe” Wolsey, may

By the greyhound seems to be meant Henry viii., in allusion to the royal arms.

Page 23. v. 481. So bygge a bulke of brow auntlers cabagyd that yere] “Cabusser. To cabbidge; to grow to a head,” &c.—“The Cabbage of the Deeres head. Meule de cerf.” Cotgrave’s Dict. “I Kabage a deere, Ie cabaiche ... I wyll kabage my dere and go with you: Ie cabacheray,” &c. Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cclxx. (Table of Verbes).

v. 485. banketyng] i. e. banqueting.

Page 24. v. 487. howgye] i. e. hugy, huge.

v. 488. apon] i. e. upon.

—— suche pyllyng and pollyng] i. e. such stripping and plundering (exactions of various kinds).

v. 489. reson and skylle] See note, p. 238, v. 106.

v. 496. So myche sayntuary brekyng] See note on v. 126. p. 342.

v. 497. lyerd] i. e. learned.

v. 498. ryghte of a rammes horne] See note, p. 298. v. 1201.

v. 501. lokes ... dysdayneslye] i. e. looks ... disdainfully.

v. 503. ffylty gorgon] i. e. filthy Gorgon. See note ad loc.

v. 506. loselles ... lewde] i. e. worthless fellows, scoundrels ... bad, evil, (or perhaps, lascivious).

v. 507. myday sprettes] i. e. mid-day sprites.

Page 25. v. 508. puplysshyd] i. e. published.

v. 509. all beshrewde] i. e. altogether cursed.

v. 510. Suche pollaxis and pyllers, suche mvlys trapte with gold]—mvlys, i. e. mules. So Roy in his satire against Wolsey, Rede me, and be nott wrothe, &c.;

“Then,” says Cavendish, “had he two great crosses of silver, whereof one of them was for his Archbishoprick, and the other for his Legacy, borne always before him whither soever he went or rode, by two of the most tallest and comeliest priests that he could get within all this realm.” Life of Wolsey, 94. ed. 1827. “And as soon as he was entered into his chamber of presence, where there was attending his coming to await upon him to Westminster Hall, as well noblemen and other worthy gentlemen, as noblemen and gentlemen of his own family; thus passing forth with two great crosses of silver borne before him; with also two great pillars of silver, and his pursuivant at arms with a great mace of silver gilt: Then his gentlemen ushers cried, and said, ‘On, my lords and masters, on before; make way for my Lord’s Grace!’ Thus passed he down from his chamber through the hall; and when he came to the hall door, there was attendant for him his mule, trapped all together [altogether] in crimson velvet, and gilt stirrups. When he was mounted, with his cross bearers, and pillar bearers, also upon great horses trapped with [fine] scarlet: Then marched he forward, with his train and furniture in manner as I have declared, having about him four footmen, with gilt pollaxes in their hands; and thus he went until he came to Westminster Hall door.” Id. 106. See also Cavendish’s Metrical Legend of Wolsey, p. 533. ibid. The pillars implied that the person before whom they were carried was a pillar of the church. That the Cardinal had a right to the “ensigns and ornaments” which he used, is shewn by Anstis in a letter to Fiddes,—Appendix to Fiddes’s Life of Wolsey.

Page 25.—quod] i. e. quoth.

WHY COME YE NAT TO COURTE?

This poem appears to have been produced (at intervals perhaps) during 1522 and part of the following year.

—— sadly] See note, p. 267. v. 1966: loke, i. e. look.

Page 26. v. 3. To] i. e. Too (as in the next seven lines).

v. 5. scarce] i. e. sparing.

v. 6. large] i. e. liberal.

v. 8. haute] i. e. haughty.

Page 27. v. 23. appall] i. e. make pale, make to decay.

v. 33. rage] i. e. toy wantonly (see Tyrwhitt’s Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales).

v. 34. basse] i. e. kiss.

v. 37. corage] i. e. desire, inclination.

Page 28. v. 39. ouerage] Seems here to be—over-age (excessive age); while, again, in our author’s poem Howe the douty duke of Albany, &c., it appears to be—over-rage (excessive rage);

v. 43. a graunt domage] Meant for French perhaps.

v. 44. set by] i. e. valued, regarded.

v. 46. rynne] i. e. run.

v. 50. boskage] i. e. thicket, wood.

v. 56. defaute] i. e. default, want.

v. 58. theyr hedes mew] i. e. hide their heads; see note on v. 219.

v. 62. to] i. e. too.

v. 63. In faythe, dycken, thou krew] See note, p. 115. v. 360.

Page 29. v. 68. banketynge] i. e. banqueting.

v. 69. rechelesse] i. e. reckless.

v. 70. gambaudynge] i. e. gambolling.

v. 74. The countrynge at Cales]—countrynge does not, I apprehend, mean—encountering, but is a musical term (see note on heading of poem, p. 92) used here metaphorically, as in other parts of Skelton’s works. The allusion seems to be to the meeting between Henry the Eighth and Francis in 1520, when (as perhaps few readers need be informed) Henry went over to Calais, proceeded thence to Guisnes, and met Francis in the fields between the latter town and Ardres. If “Cales” is to be understood as—Cadiz (see note, p. 195. last v.) I know not any occurrence there of sufficient consequence to suit the present passage.

Page 29. v. 75. Wrang vs on the males] See note, p. 142. v. 700.

v. 77. grouchyng] i. e. grudging.

v. 79. talwod] “Tallwodde pacte wodde to make byllettes of taillee.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxix. (Table of Subst.). “Talshide or Talwood (Taliatura) is Fire-wood, cleft and cut into Billets of a certain Length.... This was anciently written Talghwode.” Cowel’s Law Dictionary, &c. ed. 1727.

—— brent] i. e. burned.

v. 81. We may blowe at the cole] See note, p. 313. v. 610.

v. 83. Mocke hath lost her sho] See note, p. 331. v. 1396.

v. 87. As ryght as a rammes horne] See note, p. 298. v. 1201.

v. 90. all to-torne] See note, p. 100. v. 32.

v. 92. Fauell] See note, p. 107. v. 134.

v. 93, Iauell] See note, p. 271. v. 2218.

v. 94. Hauell] Which occurs again in v. 604, is a term of reproach found less frequently than javel in our early writers: whether it be connected with haveril,—one who havers (see the Gloss. to The Towneley Myst. in v. Hawvelle) I cannot pretend to determine.

—— Haruy Hafter] See note, p. 107. v. 138.

v. 97. pollynge and shauynge]—pollynge, i. e. shearing, clipping,—plundering.

v. 99. reuynge] i. e. reaving.

Page 30. v. 101. vayleth] i. e. availeth.

v. 105. reason and ... skyll] See note, p. 238. v. 106.

v. 106. garlycke pyll] i. e. peel garlic.

v. 108. shyll] i. e. shell.

v. 109. rost a stone] So Heywood;

v. 110. no man but one] i. e. Wolsey.

v. 114. cammocke] See note, p. 179. v. 30.

v. 115. This byll well ouer loked] i. e. This writing being well overlooked, examined.

v. 117. There went the hare away] A proverbial expression:

Page 30. v. 118. the gray] i. e. the badger: see note, p. 303. v. 101.

v. 119. the buck] Qy. does Skelton, under these names of animals, allude to certain persons? If he does, “the buck” must mean Edward Duke of Buckingham, who, according to the popular belief, was impeached and brought to the block by Wolsey’s means in 1521: so in an unprinted poem against the Cardinal;

v. 123. Ge hame] Scottice for—Go home.

v. 125. tot quot] See note, p. 287. v. 565.

v. 127. lome] i. e. loom.

v. 128. lylse wulse] i. e. linsey-woolsey,—an evident play on the Cardinal’s name.

v. 130. cule] i. e. fundament.

v. 132. warse] i. e. worse.

Page 31. v. 136. Bothombar] I know not what place is meant here.

v. 139. gup, leuell suse]—gup has occurred frequently before: see note, p. 99. v. 17; the rest of this slang I do not comprehend.

v. 145. nat worth a flye] See note, p. 219. v. 104.

v. 150.

This nobleman (before mentioned, see note, p. 317. v. 769), Thomas Howard (afterwards third Duke of Norfolk), commanded, in 1522, the English force which was sent against France, when Henry the Eighth and the Emperor Charles had united in an attack on that kingdom. In Stow’s Annales, p. 517. ed. 1615, the marginal note “Earle of Surrey brent Morles in Brytaine. I. Skelton,” evidently alludes to the present passage of our poem. Both Turner and Lingard in their Histories of Engl. mistake this nobleman for his father.

Page 31. v. 158. mated] i. e. confounded (I may just observe that Palsgrave, besides “I Mate at the chesses, Ie matte,” gives “I Mate or ouercome, Ie amatte.”) Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccxcix. (Table of Verbes).

v. 163. vrcheons] i. e. hedge-hogs.

Page 32. v. 166. ouer shote] i. e. over-shoot.

v. 167. scutus] “Scutum, Moneta Regum Francorum, ita appellata quod in ea descripta essent Franciæ insignia in scuto.” Du Cange’s Gloss. (Ital. scudo, Fr. écu).

v. 170. wonders warke] i. e. work of wonder.

v. 175. They shote at him with crownes, &c.] On the immense gifts and annuities which Wolsey received from foreign powers, see Turner’s Hist. of Reign of Hen. the Eighth, i. 236. ed. 8vo.

v. 178. his eyen so dased]—dased, i. e. dazzled, or, according to Skelton’s distinction—dulled; for in his Garlande of Laurell we find “eyn dasild and dasid.” v. 1389. vol. i. 416.

v. 179. ne se can] i. e. can not see.

v. 185. the Chambre of Starres] i. e. the Star-Chamber.

v. 190. renayenge] i. e. contradicting.

v. 194. Good euyn, good Robyn Hood] “Good even, good Robin Hood,” was, as Ritson observes, a proverbial expression; “the allusion is to civility extorted by fear.” Robin Hood, i. lxxxvii. Warton mistook the meaning of this line, as is proved by his mode of pointing it: see Hist. of E. P., ii. 346. ed. 4to.

Page 33. v. 197. thwartyng ouer thom] i. e. overthwarting them, perversely controlling them.

v. 202. With, trompe vp, alleluya] i. e., says Warton, “the pomp in which he celebrates divine service.” Hist. of E. P., ii. 346 (note), ed. 4to. Compare Wager’s Mary Magdalene, 1567;

v. 203. Philargerya] i. e. Φιλαργυρία, argenti amor, pecuniæ cupiditas. She was one of the characters in Skelton’s lost drama, The Nigramansir.

v. 204. herte] i. e. heart.

v. 206. Asmodeus] The name of the evil spirit in the Book of Tobit.

v. 208. Dalyda] i. e. Dalilah.

See too Gower’s Conf. Am., Lib. viii. fol. clxxxix. ed. 1554, and Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, B. i. leaf xxxiii. ed. Wayland.

Page 33. v. 208. mell] i. e. meddle (in sensu obsc.).

v. 212. Simonia] i. e. Simony.

v. 213. Castrimergia] “The true reading is Castrimargia, or Gulæ concupiscentia, Gluttony. From the Greek, Γαστριμαργία, ingluvies, helluatio. Not an uncommon word in the monkish latinity. Du Cange cites an old Litany of the tenth century, ‘A spiritu Castrimargiæ Libera nos, domine!’ Lat. Gloss. i. p. 398. Carpentier adds, among other examples, from the statutes of the Cistercian order, 1375 [1357], ‘Item, cum propter detestabile Castrimargiæ vitium in labyrinthum vitiorum descendutur, &c.’ Suppl. tom. i. p. 862.’” Warton’s Hist. of E. P., ii. 346 (note), ed. 4to.

v. 215. ypocras] See note, p. 285. v. 458.

v. 217. In Lent for a repast, &c.] So Roy in his satire against Wolsey, Rede me, and be nott wrothe, &c.;

v. 219. partriche mewed]—mewed, i. e. cooped up. “I kepe partryches in a mewe agaynst your comyng.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. e ii. ed. 1530.

v. 222. ne] i. e. nor.

v. 223. a postels lyfe] i. e. an apostle’s life.

v. 224. herte] i. e. heart.

Page 34. v. 232. kues] See note, p. 236. v. 36.

v. 235. The sygne of the Cardynall Hat] “These allowed Stew-houses [in Southwark] had Signs on their Fronts, towards the Thames, not hanged out, but painted on the Walls, as a Boar’s-Head, the Cross Keys, the Gun, the Castle, the Crane, the Cardinal’s Hat,” &c. Stow’s Survey, B. iv. 7. ed. 1720.

v. 236. shyt] i. e. shut.

v. 237. gup] }

...

v. 239. iast] }

See note, p. 99. v. 17.

v. 240. Wyll ye bere no coles] Steevens, in his note on the opening of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, cites the present line among the examples which he gives of the expression to bear or carry coals, i. e. to bear insults, to submit to degradation. In the royal residences and great houses the lowest drudges appear to have been selected to carry coals to the kitchens, halls, &c.; see note on Jonson’s Works, ii. 169, by Gifford, who afterwards (p. 179) observes, “From the mean nature of this occupation it seems to have been somewhat hastily concluded, that a man who would carry coals would submit to any indignity.”

Page 34. v. 241. A mayny of marefoles] i. e. (as appears from the expressions applied to horses four lines above) a set of mare-foals, fillies.

Page 35. v. 257. next] i. e. nearest.

v. 261. Poppynge folysshe dawes] See note, p. 231. v. 39.

v. 262. pyll strawes]—pyll, i. e. peel.

v. 264. Huntley bankes] See note, p. 221. v. 149.

v. 269. Lorde Dakers] Thomas Lord Dacre (of Gillesland, or of the North) was warden of the West Marches. The accusation here thrown out against him (because, perhaps, he was on the best terms with Wolsey) of “agreeing too well with the Scots” is altogether unfounded. He was for many years the able and active agent of Henry in corrupting by gold and intrigues the nobles of Scotland, and in exciting ceaseless commotions in that kingdom, to the destruction of its tranquillity and good government. He died in 1525. And see notes on vv. 283, 353.

v. 270. Jacke Rakers] See note, p. 186. v. 108.

v. 271. crakers] i. e. vaunters, big-talkers.

v. 273. Stronge herted] i. e. Strong-hearted.

v. 275. To] i. e. Too.

v. 278. the red hat] i. e. Wolsey.

v. 280. lure] See note, p. 147. v. 1100.

v. 281. cure] i. e. care.

v. 283. Lorde Rose] i. e. Thomas Manners, Lord Roos. In 14 Henry viii. he was constituted warden of the East Marches towards Scotland; and by letters patent in 17 Henry viii. he was created Earl of Rutland. He died in 1543. See Collins’s Peerage, i. 465. sqq. ed. Brydges. Hall makes the following mention of him: “In this sommer [xiiii yere of Henry the VIII] the lorde Rosse and the lorde Dacres of the North whiche were appointed to kepe the borders against Scotland did so valiantly that they burned the good toune of Kelsy and lxxx. villages and ouerthrew xviii. towers of stone with all their Barnkyns or Bulwerkes.” Chron. fol. ci. ed. 1548.

v. 285. a cockly fose] A term which I do not understand.

Page 35. v. 286. Their hertes be in thyr hose] See note, p. 233. v. 107,—where, however, I neglected to observe that we find in Prima Pastorum,

Page 36. v. 287. The Erle of Northumberlande, &c.] i. e. Henry Algernon Percy, fifth Earl of Northumberland. In 14 Henry viii. he was made warden of the whole Marches, a charge which for some reason or other he soon after resigned: vide Collins’s Peerage, ii. 305. ed. Brydges. That he found himself obliged to pay great deference to the Cardinal, is evident from Cavendish’s Life of Wolsey, where (pp. 120-128. ed. 1827) see the account of his being summoned from the north, &c. when his son Lord Percy, (who was then, according to the custom of the age, a “servitor” in Wolsey’s house) had become enamoured of Anne Boleyn. This nobleman, who encouraged literature, and appears to have patronised our poet (see Account of Skelton, &c.), died in 1527.

v. 291. Rynne] i. e. Run.

v. 292. mayny of shepe] i. e. flock of sheep.

v. 293. loke ... dur] i. e. look ... door.

v. 294. mastyue cur] }

v. 295. bochers dogge] }

i. e. Wolsey: see note, p. 349. v. 478.

v. 296. wyrry] i. e. worry.

v. 297. gnar] i. e. snarl, growl.

v. 300. blode] i. e. blood.

v. 301. hode] i. e. hood.

v. 308. astate] i. e. estate, state, rank, dignity.

v. 312. foles and dawes] i. e. fools and simpletons; see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 313. eke] i. e. also.

v. 315. pletynge] i. e. pleading.

v. 316. Commune Place] i. e. Common Pleas.

Page 37. v. 326. huddypeke] See note, p. 255. v. 1176.

v. 327. Thy lernynge is to lewde]—to lewde, i. e. too bad, too mean. So in our author’s Speke, Parrot we find “lewdlye ar they lettyrd.” v. 296. vol. ii. 15.

v. 328. well thewde] i. e. well mannered.

v. 338. rowte] See note, p. 298. v. 1223.

v. 343. the Scottysh kynge] i. e. James the Fifth.

v. 346. stalworthy] i. e. strong, stout.

v. 347. whipling] Perhaps the same as—pipling: see note on l. 26 (prose), p. 229.

Page 38. v. 352. calstocke] “Calstoke. Maguderis.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. “Calstocke pie de chov.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xxii. (Table of Subst.).

v. 353.

This passage relates to the various rumours which were afloat concerning the Scottish affairs in 1522, during the regency of John Duke of Albany. (The last and disastrous expedition of Albany against England in 1523 had not yet taken place: its failure called forth from Skelton a long and furious invective against the Duke; see vol. ii. 68.) In 1522, when Albany with an army eighty thousand strong had advanced to Carlisle, Lord Dacre by a course of able negotiations prevailed on him to agree to a truce for a month and to disband his forces: see Hist. of Scot., v. 156 sqq. by Tytler,—who defends the conduct of Albany on this occasion from the charge of cowardice and weakness.

v. 356. quycke] i. e. alive.

v. 358. The mountenaunce of two houres] “Mowntenaunce. Quantitas. Estimata mensura.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

“Racynge and foynynge to the mountenaunce of an houre.” Morte d’Arthur, B. vii. cap. iiii. vol. i. 191. ed. Southey.

v. 359. sayne] i. e. say.

v. 367. Burgonyons] i. e. Burgundians.

v. 373.

—Mutrell is Montreuil; and the allusion must be to some attack intended or actual on that town, of which I can find no account agreeing with the date of the present poem. To suppose that the reference is to the siege of Montreuil in 1544, would be equivalent to pronouncing that the passage is an interpolation by some writer posterior to the time of Skelton.

v. 375. mell] i. e. meddle.

v. 380.

i. e. For dread that the Cardinal, Wolsey, take offence.

Page 38. v. 383. Of by the harde arse] Compare the Interlude of the iiii Elementes, n. d.;

v. 384. trauarse] i. e. thwarting contrivance.

Page 39. v. 386. makys our syre to glum] i. e. makes our lord (Wolsey) have a gloomy or sour look.

v. 391. go or ryde] See note, p. 125. v. 186.

v. 397. frayne] i. e. ask, inquire.

v. 401. Hampton Court] The palace of Wolsey; which he afterwards, with all its magnificent furniture, presented to the King.

v. 407. Yorkes Place] The palace of Wolsey, as Archbishop of York, which he had furnished in the most sumptuous manner: after his disgrace, it became a royal residence under the name of Whitehall.

v. 409.

—Embassades, i. e. Embassies. “All ambassadors of foreign potentates were always dispatched by his discretion, to whom they had always access for their dispatch. His house was also always resorted and furnished with noblemen, gentlemen, and other persons, with going and coming in and out, feasting and banqueting all ambassadors diverse times, and other strangers right nobly.” Cavendish’s Life of Wolsey, p. 112. ed. 1827.

Page 40. v. 417. tancrete] “Tancrit: Transcrit, copié.” Roquefort’s Gloss. de la Lang. Rom.

v. 418. obstract] i. e. abstract.

v. 425. Whan him lyst] i. e. When it pleases him.

v. 434. vndermynde] i. e. undermine.

v. 435. sleyghtes] i. e. artful contrivances.

v. 438. coarted] i. e. coarcted, confined.

v. 440. nutshales] i. e. nutshells.

v. 444. taken in gre] i. e. taken kindly, in good part: see note, p. 95. v. 68.

v. 449.

—bereth on hand, i. e. leads on to a belief, persuades.

“He is my countre man: as he bereth me an hande,—vti mihi vult persuasum.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. X viii. ed. 1530. The expression occurs in a somewhat different sense in our author’s Magnyfycence, see note, p. 241. v. 357: pyll, i. e. strip, spoil.

Page 41. v. 463. a cæciam] “Cæcia, σκοτοδινία [a vertigo with loss of sight].” Du Cange’s Gloss. See note ad loc. Qy. is “accidiam” the right reading (“Acedia, Accidia ... tædium ... tristitia, molestia, anxietas,” &c. (Gr. ἀκηδία): see Du Cange)?

v. 476. a Mamelek] i. e. a Mameluke. Compare The Image of Ipocrisy, (a poem in imitation of Skelton, which is appended to the present edition);

v. 478. potshordes] i. e. potsherds.

Page 42. v. 483. God to recorde] i. e. God to witness.

v. 485. reason or skyll] See note, p. 238. v. 106.

v. 486.

—primordyall, i. e. first beginning.

v. 490. sank] i. e. blood.

v. 491. bochers] i. e. butcher’s: see note, p. 349. v. 478.

v. 495. rowme] i. e. room, place, office.

v. 505. parde] i. e. par dieu, verily.

v. 508. saw] i. e. saying,—branch of learning. So in our author’s Colyn Cloute;

v. 511. quatriuials] }

v. 512. triuials] }

See note, p. 343. v. 171. This depreciation of Wolsey’s acquirements is very unjust: his learning, there is reason to believe, was far from contemptible.

Page 43. v. 517. worth a fly] See note, p. 219. v. 104.

v. 518. Haly] }

v. 519. Ptholomy] }

v. 520. Albumasar] }

See notes, p. 133. vv. 501. 503. 505.

v. 522. mobyll] i. e. moveable.

v. 526. humanyte] i. e. humaniores literæ, polite literature.

v. 533. our processe for to stable]—processe, i. e. story, account; see notes, p. 143. v. 735. p. 146. v. 969, &c. and compare our author’s Fourth Poem Against Garnesche, “But now my proces for to saue,” v. 157. vol. i. 131.

v. 538. conceyght] i. e. conceit,—good opinion, favour.

v. 540. exemplyfyenge] i. e. following the example of.

Page 44. v. 550. A wretched poore man, &c.] i. e. Abdalonimus (or Abdolonimus) whom Alexander made king of Sidon: see Justin, xi. 10. Cowley touches on the story at the commencement of Plant. Lib. iv.; and in his English version of that commencement, under the title of The Country Life, he has greatly improved the passage.

v. 557. occupyed a showell] i. e. used a shovel: see note, p. 86. v. 52.

v. 566. renowme] i. e. renown.

v. 569. with lewde condicyons cotyd] i. e. quoted, noted, marked, with evil qualities: see note, p. 183. v. 12.

v. 570. ben] i. e. be.

v. 573. Couetys] i. e. Covetise, covetousness.

v. 575. wode] i. e. mad.

v. 576. mode] i. e. mood, passion.

v. 577. swerde] i. e. sword.

v. 579. sone] i. e. soon.

Page 45. v. 583. trone] i. e. throne.

v. 584. a great astate] i. e. a person of great estate, or rank.

v. 585. play checke mate] In allusion to the king’s being put in check at the game of chess.

v. 586. ryall] i. e. royal.

v. 591. fynd] i. e. fiend.

v. 594. Lyke Mahounde in a play] In none of the early miracle-plays which have come down to us is Mahound (Mahomet) a character, though he is mentioned and sworn by.

v. 601. rebads] i. e. ribalds.

v. 602. beggers reiagged] i. e. beggars all-tattered.

v. 603. recrayed] i. e. recreant.

v. 604. hauell] See note on v. 94. p. 353.

v. 605. Rynne] i. e. Run.

—— iauell] See note, p. 271. v. 2218.

v. 606. peuysshe pye] i. e. silly magpie.

v. 607. losell] i. e. good-for-nothing fellow, scoundrel.

v. 613. Iacke breche] i. e. Jack-ass (-arse).

Page 46. v. 618. shrewdly] i. e. badly.

v. 621. kayser] See note, p. 247. v. 796.

v. 622.

—layser, i. e. leisure: a stounde, i. e. a time, a while. Compare A Character of the insolent behaviour of Cardinal Wolsey as given by Thomas Allen Priest and Chaplain to the Earl of Shrewsbury in a Letter to his Lordshyp about Apr. 1517, among Kennett’s Collections,—MS. Lansd. 978. fol. 213. “Pleseth your Lordshyp to understande upon Monday was sennight last past I delivered your Letter with the examinacyon to my Lord Cardynall at Guilford, whence he commanded me to wait on him to the Court. I followed him and there gave attendance and could have no Answer. Upon ffriday last he came from thence to Hampton Court, where he lyeth. The morrow after I besought his Grace I might know his plesure; I could have no Answer. Upon Mondaye last as he walked in the parke at Hampton Court, I besought his Grace I might knowe if he wolde command me anye servyce. He was not content with me that I spoke to hym. So that who shall be a Suitour to him may have no other busynesse but give attendance upon his plesure. He that shall so doe, it is needfull shuld be a wyser man then I am. I sawe no remedy, but came without Answere, except I wolde have done as my Lord Dacre’s Servaunt doth, who came with Letters for the Kynges servyce five moneths since and yet hath no Answere. And another Servaunt of the Deputy of Calais likewyse who came before the other to Walsyngham, I heard, when he aunswered them, ‘If ye be not contente to tary my leysure, departe when ye wille.’ This is truthe, I had rather your Lordshyp commaunded me to Rome then deliver him Letters, and bring Aunswers to the same. When he walketh in the Parke he will suffer no Servaunt to come nyghe him, but commands them awaye as farre as one might shoote an arrowe.”

Page 46. v. 631. flyt] i. e. remove.

v. 635. neuer the nere]—nere, i. e. nearer.

v. 636. daungerous dowsypere] “He hath a daungerous loke. Atollit supercilium, adducit, contrahit supercilia.”—“I can not away with suche daungorous felowes. Ferre non possum horum supercilium, vel superciliosos, arrogantes, fastuosos, vel arrogantiam, aut fastum talium.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sigs. L i, P iiii. ed. 1530:—dowsypere, i. e. lord, noble (properly, one of the Douze-Pairs of France);

See too Spenser’s F. Queene, iii. x. 31.

v. 642. With a poore knyght] “He [Wolsey] fell in acquaintance with one Sir John Nanphant, a very grave and ancient knight, who had a great room in Calais under King Henry the Seventh. This knight he served, and behaved him so discreetly and justly, that he obtained the especial favour of his said master; insomuch that for his wit, gravity, and just behaviour, he committed all the charge of his office unto his chaplain. And, as I understand, the office was the treasurership of Calais, who was, in consideration of his great age, discharged of his chargeable room, and returned again into England, intending to live more at quiet. And through his instant labour and especial favour his chaplain was promoted to the king’s service, and made his chaplain.” Cavendish’s Life of Wolsey, p. 70. ed. 1827. According to Nash, it was Sir Richard Nanfan (father of Sir John) who was “captain of Calais, made a knight, and esquire of the body to Henry vii.” Hist. of Worcestershire, i. 85.

Page 46. v. 643. hyght] i. e. be called.

v. 646. mell] i. e. meddle.

v. 649. doddypatis] i. e. thick-heads.

Page 47. v. 651. iack napis] i. e. jackanapes, ape, monkey.

v. 652. bedleme] i. e. bedlamite.

v. 653. reame] i. e. realm.

v. 661. loselry] i. e. wickedness, evil practice.

v. 664. hart rote] i. e. heart-root.

v. 665. kote] i. e. coot (water-fowl).

v. 668. he wyll tere it asonder] So Roy, in his satire against Wolsey, Rede me, and be nott wrothe, &c.;

v. 670. hoddypoule] i. e. dunder-head.

v. 674. settys nat by it a myte] i. e. values it not at a mite, cares not a mite for it.

v. 679. demensy] i. e. madness.

Page 48. v. 682. mell] i. e. meddle.

v. 683. wele] i. e. well.

v. 684. How Frauncis Petrarke, &c.] “Vidi Aquensem Caroli sedem, & in templo marmoreo verendum barbaris gentibus illius principis sepulchrum, vbi fabellam audiui, non inamœnam cognitu, a quibusdam templi sacerdotibus, quam scriptam mihi ostenderunt, & postea apud modernos scriptores accuratius etiam tractatam legi, quam tibi quoque ut referam incidit animus: ita tamen, ut rei fides non apud me quæratur, sed (vt aiunt) penes auctores maneat. Carolum Regem quem Magni nomine [ed. Bas. cognomine] æquare Pompeio & Alexandro audent, mulierculam quandam perdite & efflictim amasse memorant, eius blanditiis eneruatum, neglecta fama (cui plurimum inseruire consueuerat) & posthabitis regni curis, aliarum rerum omnium & postremo suiipsius oblitum, diu nulla prorsus in re nisi illius amplexibus acquieuisse, summa cum indignatione suorum ac dolore. Tandem cum iam spei nihil superesset (quoniam aures regias salutaribus consiliis insanus amor obstruxerat), fœminam ipsam malorum causam insperata mors abstulit, cuius rei ingens primum in regia sed latens gaudium fuit: deinde dolore tantum priore grauiore, quantum fœdiori morbo correptum regis animum videbant, cuius nec morte lenitus furor, sed in ipsum obscœnum cadauer & exangue translatus est, quod balsamo & aromatibus conditum, onustum gemmis, & velatum purpura, diebus ac noctibus tam miserabili quam cupido fouebat amplexu. Dici nequit quam discors & quam male se compassura conditio est amantis ac regis: nunquam profecto contraria sine lite iunguntur. Quid est autem regnum, nisi iusta & gloriosa dominatio? Contra quid est amor, nisi fœda seruitus & iniusta? Itaque cum certatim ad amantem (seu rectius ad amentem) Regem, pro summis regni negotiis legationes gentium, præfectique & prouinciarum præsides conuenirent, is in lectulo suo miser, omnibus exclusis & obseratis foribus, amato corpusculo cohærebat, amicam suam crebro, velut spirantem responsuramque compellans, illi curas laboresque suos narrabat, illi blandum murmur & nocturna suspiria, illi semper amoris comites lachrymas instillabat, horrendum miseriæ solamen, sed quod vnum ex omnibus Rex alioquin (vt aiunt) sapientissimus elegisset. Addunt fabulæ quod ego nec fieri potuisse nec narrari debere arbitror. Erat ea tempestate in aula Coloniensis Antistes, vir, vt memorant, sanctitate & sapientia clarus, necnon comis, et consilii Regii prima vox, qui domini sui statum miseratus, vbi animaduertit humanis remediis nihil agi, ad Deum versus, ilium assidue precari, in illo spem reponere, ab eo finem mali poscere multo cum gemitu: quod cum diu fecisset, nec desiturus videretur, die quodam illustri miraculo recreatus est: siquidem ex more sacrificanti, & post deuotissimas preces pectus & aram lachrymis implenti, de cœlo vox insonuit, Sub extinctæ mulieris lingua furoris Regii causam latere. Quo lætior, mox peracto sacrificio, ad locum vbi corpus erat se proripuit, & iure notissimæ familiaritatis regiæ introgressus, os digito clam scrutatus, gemmam perexiguo annulo inclusam sub gelida rigentique lingua repertam festinabundus auexit. Nec multo post rediens Carolus, & ex consuetudine ad optatum mortuæ congressum properans, repente aridi cadaueris spectaculo concussus, obriguit, exhorruitque contactum, auferri eam quantocius ac sepeliri iubens. Inde totus in Antistitem conuersus, illum amare, illum colere, illum indies arctius amplecti. Denique nihil nisi ex sententia illius agere, ab illo nec diebus nec noctibus auelli. Quod vbi sensit vir iustus ac prudens, optabilem forte multis sed onerosam sibi sarcinam abiicere statuit, veritusque ne si vel ad manus alterius perueniret, vel flammis consumeretur, domino suo aliquid periculi afferret, annulum in vicinæ paludis præaltam voraginem demersit. Aquis forte tum rex cum proceribus suis habitabat, ex eoque tempore cunctis ciuitatibus sedes illa prælata est, in ea nil sibi palude gratius, ibi assidere & illis aquis mira cum voluptate, illius odore velut suauissimo delectari. Postremo illuc regiam suam transtulit, & in medio palustris limi, immenso sumptu, iactis molibus, palatium templumque construxit, vt nihil diuinæ vel humanæ rei eum inde abstraheret. Postremo ibi vitæ suæ reliquum egit, ibique sepultus est: cauto prius vt successores sui primam inde coronam & prima imperii auspicia capescerent, quod hodie quoque seruatur, seruabiturque quam din Romani frena imperii Theutonica manus aget.” Petrarchæ Fam. Epist., lib. i. Ep. iii. p. 10, et seq., ed. 1601.—On this story, which he found in a French author, Mr. Southey has composed a ballad: see his Minor Poems.

Page 48. v. 694. carectes] i. e. characters, magical inscriptions.

v. 703. Acon] i. e. Aix la Chapelle: “Acon in Almayne whyche is a moche fayr cytee, where as kyng charles had made his paleys moche fayr & ryche and a ryght deuoute chapel in thonour of our lady, wherin hymself is buryed.” Caxton’s History and Lyf of Charles the Grete, &c. 1485. sig. b 7.

v. 709. obsolute] i. e. absolute, absolved.

v. 710. practyue] i. e. practise.

—— abolete] i. e. antiquated, abolished.

Page 49. v. 713.

—isagogicall colation seems to be equivalent here to—comparison introduced, or discourse introduced for the sake of comparison.

v. 715. How maister Gaguine, &c.] Concerning Gaguin see the Account of Skelton’s Life, &c. The passage here alluded to, will be found in Roberti Gaguini ordinis sanctæ trinitatis ministri generalis de origine et gestis francorum perquamutile compendium, lib. x. fol. cxiiii. (where the marginal note is “Balluæ cardinalis iniquitas”), ed. 1497. Cardinal Balue (whom the reader will probably recollect as a character in Sir W. Scott’s Quentin Durward) was confined by order of Louis xi. in an iron cage at the Castle of Loches, in which durance he remained for eleven years. But there is no truth in Skelton’s assertion that he “was hedyd, drawen, and quarterd,” v. 737; for though he appears to have deserved that punishment, he terminated his days prosperously in Italy.

Page 49. v. 720. a great astate] i. e. a person of great estate, or rank.

v. 728. so wele apayd] i. e. so well satisfied, pleased.

v. 731. him lyst] i. e. pleased him.

v. 732. cheked at the fyst] Seems to be equivalent here to—attacked, turned against the hand which fed him. “Check is when Crowes, Rooks, Pyes, or other birds comming in the view of the Hawk, she forsaketh her naturall flight to fly at them.” Latham’s Faulconry (Explan. of Words of Art), 1658.

v. 733. agayne] i. e. against.

Page 50. v. 748. dyscust] See note, p. 321. v. 881.

v. 752. rote] i. e. root.

v. 753.

This proverbial saying occurs in a poem attributed to Lydgate;

And so Heywood;

v. 766. sad] See note, p. 264. v. 1711.

v. 768. heale] i. e. health.

v. 774.

See note, p. 349. v. 478.

Page 51. v. 782. borde] i. e. jest.

v. 783. stede] i. e. place.

v. 784. maister Mewtas] John Meautis was secretary for the French language to Henry the Seventh and Henry the Eighth. It appears from Rymer’s Fœdera that he was allowed, in consideration of his services, to import Gascon wine and to dispose of it to the best advantage, T. v. P. iv. p. 78 (anno 1494), T. vi. P. i. p. 146 (anno 1518), ed. Hagæ; and that he was occasionally employed on business with foreign powers, T. v. P. iv. pp. 110, 113 (anno 1497). Among some, says Ashmole, who became Poor Knights of Windsor “probably out of devotion, rather than cause of poverty,” was “John Mewtes Secretary of the French Tongue (Pat. 18. H. 7. p. 1).” Order of the Garter, p. 161. Several unimportant entries concerning this person occur in the unpublished Books of Payments preserved in the Chapter House, Westminster.

Page 51. v. 795. a bull vnder lead]—lead, i. e. a leaden seal.

v. 798. Dymingis Dale] So in Thersytes, n. d.;

v. 799. Portyngale] i. e. Portugal.

v. 806. calodemonyall] i. e. consisting of good angels.

v. 807. cacodemonyall] i. e. consisting of evil angels.

v. 808. puruey] i. e. provide.

Page 52. v. 831. euerychone] i. e. every one.

v. 838. rewth] i. e. pity.

v. 845. recorde] i. e. witness, evidence.

Page 53. v. 856. set by] i. e. valued, regarded.

v. 867. askrye] i. e. a shout. The verb has occurred several times before: see notes, p. 145. v. 903. p. 152. v. 1358. p. 191. v. 66.

v. 877. haute ... base] i. e. high ... low.

v. 880.

See the latter part of note, p. 205. v. 62. “Marquez bien cette chasse. Heed well that passage, marke well the point, whereof I have informed you.” Cotgrave’s Dict. in v. Chasse.

Page 54. v. 883. a tall man] “Tall or semely.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

v. 885. Hay, the gye and the gan] In one of his copies of verses Against Venemous Tongues, Skelton has,

where there seems to be some allusion to the dance called heydeguies. In the present passage probably there is a play on words: gye may mean—goose; and gan gander.

v. 886. gose] i. e. goose.

v. 887. The waters wax wan] Horne Tooke in his Div. of Purley, Part ii. p. 179. ed. 1805, citing this line from the ed. of Skelton’s Works, 1736, thus,

considers “wan” as the past participle of the verb “wane,”—wand, decreased; and he is followed by Richardson, Dict. in v. Wan. But “were” is merely a misprint of ed. 1736; and that “wan” is here an adjective expressing the colour of the water, is not to be doubted. So Skelton elsewhere;

So too in Henry’s Wallace;

Page 54. v. 888. ban] i. e. curse.

v. 891. warke] i. e. work.

v. 896. Sem ... Cam] i. e. Shem ... Ham.

v. 898. cupbord] “Cupborde of plate or to sette plate vpon buffet.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xxviii. (Table of Subst.). It had a succession of “desks” or stages, on which the plate was displayed: see the description of a magnificent entertainment in Cavendish’s Life of Wolsey, p. 195. ed. 1827, and the editor’s note.

v. 904. alcumyn] i. e. a sort of mixed metal.

v. 905. A goldsmyth your mayre] “A.D. 1522 ... Maior, Sir John Mundy, Goldsmith, Son to William Mundy of Wycombe in Buckinghamshire.” Stow’s Survey, B. v. 129. ed. 1720.

v. 908. trotters] “Trotters shepes fete.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxxi. (Table of Subst.).

v. 909. potshordis] i. e. potsherds.

v. 910. shrewdly] i. e. badly.

Page 55. v. 914. syr Trestram] See note, p. 137. v. 634. The name is, of course, used here for a person of rank generally.

v. 916. Cane] i. e. Caen, in Normandy.

v. 917. wane] i. e. decreased.

v. 918. royals] }

v. 919. nobles] }

The coins so called.

v. 920. Burgonyons] i. e. Burgundians.

v. 928. With, laughe and lay downe] A punning allusion to the game at cards so called.

v. 930. Sprynge of Lanam]—Lanam, i. e. Langham in Essex. In the Expenses of Sir John Howard, first Duke of Norfolk, we find, under the year 1463, “Item, Apylton and Sprynge off Lanam owyth my mastyr, as James Hoberd and yonge Apylton knowyth wele [a blank left for the sum].” Manners and Household Expenses of England, &c. p. 180. ed. Roxb. It seems probable, however, from the early date, that the person mentioned in the entry just cited was the father (or some near relative) of the Spring noticed by Skelton. But Stow certainly alludes to the clothier of our text, where he records that, during the disturbances which followed the attempt to levy money for the king’s use in 1525, when the Duke of Norfolk inquired of the rebellious party in Suffolk “what was the cause of their disquiet, and who was their captaine?... one Iohn Greene a man of fiftie yeeres olde answered, that pouertie was both cause and captaine. For the rich clothiers Spring of Lanam and other had giuen ouer occupying, whereby they were put from their ordinarie worke and liuing.” Annales, p. 525. ed. 1615. Neither Hall nor Holinshed, when relating the same circumstance, make any mention of Spring.

Page 55. v. 935. He must tax for his wull] i. e. He must pay tax for his wool.

Page 56. v. 952. the streytes of Marock] i. e. the straits of Morocco.

v. 953. the gybbet of Baldock] See note, p. 340. v. 75.

v. 958. mellys] i. e. meddles.

v. 972. fendys blake] i. e. fiends black.

v. 974. crake] i. e. vaunt, talk bigly.

v. 975.

So Roy in his satire against Wolsey, Rede me, and be nott wrothe, &c.;

v. 978. fyer drake] i. e. fiery dragon.

v. 979. a cole rake] “Colerake ratissover.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xxv. (Table of Subst.).

Page 57. v. 980. Brose them on a brake]—Brose, i. e. bruise, break: brake (which has occurred before in a different sense, see note, p. 168. v. 324) means here an engine of torture: “I Brake on a brake or payne bauke as men do mysdoers to confesse the trouthe.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. clxxi. (Table of Verbes). In the Tower was a celebrated brake known by the nick-name of the Duke of Exeter’s Daughter: see the woodcut in Steevens’s note on Measure for Measure,—Shakespeare (by Malone and Boswell), ix. 44.

Page 57. v. 984. a grym syer]—syer, i. e. sire, lord.

v. 985. potestolate] Equivalent, I suppose, to—legate.

v. 986. potestate] “Potestat. A Potestat, principall Officer, chiefe Magistrate.” Cotgrave’s Dict.

v. 989. echone] i. e. each one.

v. 990. trone] i. e. throne.

v. 996. Folam peason] i. e. Fulham pease.

v. 997. geson] i. e. scarce, rare.

v. 1000. herbers] See note, p. 101. v. 13.

v. 1001. bryght and shene] Are synonymous: yet Spenser also has;

Page 58. v. 1014. The deuyll spede whitte] See note, p. 252. v. 1018.

v. 1016. rechelesse] i. e. reckless.

v. 1019. bended] i. e. banded. “A knotte or a bende of felowes.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. Z viii. ed. 1530.

v. 1020. condyscended] See note, p. 237. v. 39.

Page 59. v. 1055. Remordynge] See note, p. 193. v. 101.

v. 1056. flytynge] i. e. scolding, rating.

v. 1058. dawis] i. e. simpletons: see note, p. 113. v. 301.

v. 1059. sawis] i. e. sayings, texts.

v. 1060. gygawis] i. e. gewgaws, trifles.

v. 1066. let] i. e. hinder, obstruct.

v. 1067. maumet] See note, p. 188. v. 170.

v. 1070. crakynge] i. e. vaunting, talking bigly.

Page 60. v. 1077. him lykys] i. e. pleases him.

v. 1086. For all priuileged places, &c..] See note, p. 342. v. 126.

v. 1094. Saint Albons to recorde, &c..] Wolsey, at that time Archbishop of York and Cardinal, was appointed to hold the abbacy of St. Alban’s in commendam; and is supposed to have applied its revenues to the expensive public works in which he was then engaged, the building of his colleges at Oxford and Ipswich, &c.,—a great infraction, as it was considered, of the canon law.

Page 60. v. 1100. legacy] i. e. legatine power.

v. 1104. ben] i. e. be.

v. 1105. take] i. e. took.

Page 61. v. 1113. He is periured himselfe, &c.] “And York [Wolsey] perceiving the obedience that Canterbury [Warham] claimed to have of York, intended to provide some such means that he would rather be superior in dignity to Canterbury than to be either obedient or equal to him. Wherefore he obtained first to be made Priest Cardinal, and Legatus de Latere; unto whom the Pope sent a Cardinal’s hat, with certain bulls for his authority in that behalf.” ... “Obtaining this dignity, [he] thought himself meet to encounter with Canterbury in his high jurisdiction before expressed; and that also he was as meet to bear authority among the temporal powers, as among the spiritual jurisdictions. Wherefore remembering as well the taunts and checks before sustained of Canterbury, which he intended to redress, having a respect to the advancement of worldly honour, promotion, and great benefits, [he] found the means with the king, that he was made Chancellor of England; and Canterbury thereof dismissed, who had continued in that honourable room and office, since long before the death of King Henry the Seventh.” Cavendish’s Life of Wolsey, pp. 90, 92. ed. 1827. It appears, however, from the contemporary testimonies of Sir Thomas More and Ammonius, that this statement was founded on false information, and that Wolsey did not employ any unfair means to supersede Warham. The latter had often requested permission to give up the chancellorship before the king would receive his resignation. When the seals were tendered to the Cardinal, either from affected modesty, or because he thought the office incompatible with his other duties, he declined the offer, and only accepted it after the king’s repeated solicitations. See Singer’s note on Cavendish, ubi supra, and Lingard’s Hist. of Engl. vi. 57. ed. 8vo.

v. 1127.

i. e. he values not a bit, regards not a bit, his former oath.

v. 1130. pretens] i. e. pretension, claim.

v. 1131. equipolens] i. e. equality of power.

v. 1137. pore] i. e. poor.

Page 62. v. 1151.

—fange, i. e. catch, lay hold of. Compare Sir D. Lyndsay’s Satyre of the Three Estaitis, Part ii.;

Page 62. v. 1163. Naman Sirus] i. e. Naaman the Syrian.

v. 1167. pocky] So Roy in his satire against Wolsey, Rede me, and be nott wrothe, &c.;

This was one of the charges afterwards brought against Wolsey in parliament.

Page 63. v. 1178. ouerthwart] i. e. cross, perverse.

v. 1181. Balthasor] “Balthasar de Guercis was Chirurgeon to Queen Catharine of Arragon, and received letters of naturalization, dated 16 March, 13 Hen. 8. [1521-2]. See Rymer’s Collect. ined. MS. Add. Brit. Mus. 4621. 10.” Sir F. Madden’s additional note on Privy Purse Expenses of the Princess Mary, p. 281. He is mentioned in the following letter (now for the first time printed) from Wolsey’s physician, Dr. Augustine (Augustinus de Augustinis, a Venetian), to Cromwell, requiring medical assistance for the Cardinal: “Honᵈᵒ Mr Crumweƚƚ, dopo le debite raccomadatione, ui mādo el prȩsente messo a posta, qual è un mio seruitore, per pregarui si da ꝑte de Monsʳ Rᵐᵒ si da parte mia instantemēte cħ ad ogni modo uogliati operar cħ mᵒ buths [Dr. Butts] & mᵒ Walter [Cromer] siano qui auāti nocte, se nō ambidoi almeno uno de loro, & l’altro potra uenir dimane, ꝑcħ res multū urget; prudēti & amico pauca. Item uorria uolontieri parlasti a mᵒ Balthasar, cħ trouasse o facesse trouare (se ꝑho in Londra nō ce ne fusse) di bona sorte di sanguisuge seu hyrudine, accio bisognādo per Monsʳ Rᵐᵒ antedetto fusseno preste & preparate, i. famelice etc & se ꝑ caso mᵒ Balthasar nō potesse o nō uolesse trouare ditte sanguisuge, & qui uenir ad administrarle (se bisognera) ui piaccia parlar a mᵒ Nicolas genero de mᵒ Marcellus, alquale ho fatto ne li tempi passati administrarle, si cħ cū l’uno o l’altro fati le cose siano in ordine, accio poi nō si perda tempo: q̃a periculū est in mora. Aspetto ur̃a risposta per el pñte almeno in inglese ma uoi medemo dimane Monsʳ Rᵐᵒ ad ogni modo ui aspetta. ditte prȩterea a li prȩfati doctori cħ portino seco qualche electó uomitiuo de piu sorte cioe debile, mediocre, & forte, accio, bisognādo, se ueggia el meglio, et nō si p̃di tempo in mādar a Londra. per el mio seruitore etiā o uero p̃ un de prȩfati doctori mādati la manna da bonuisi o da qualcħ un’ altro doue meglio se atrovera. Xp̃o da mal ui guardi. in Asher. 1529. ad. 19. gennaio. mādati etiā qualche granati & arācij

a ūri cōmādi Aug.ᵒ augⁱ.”

MS. Cott. Tit. B i. fol. 365.

Page 63. v. 1182. wheled] i. e. whealed, wealed, or waled.

v. 1185. It was nat heled alderbest]—alderbest, i. e. best of all,—thoroughly.

v. 1187. Domyngo Lomelyn, &c.] In The Privy Purse Expenses of King Henry the Eighth are several entries, relating to payments of money won by this Lombard from the King at cards and dice, amounting, in less than three years, to above 620 l.: see pp. 17, 32, 33, 37, 190, 204, 205, 267, 270 of that work, edited by Sir H. Nicolas, who observes (p. 316) that Domingo “was, like Palmer and others, one of Henry’s ‘diverting vagabonds,’ and seems to have accompanied His Majesty wherever he went, for we find that he was with him at Calais in October, 1532.”

v. 1192. puskylde pocky pose]—puskylde, i. e. pustuled: pose, i. e. defluxion.

v. 1197. neder] i. e. nether, lower.

v. 1201. toke ... warke] i. e. took ... work.

Page 64. v. 1209. To wryght of this glorious gest, &c.] If the text be right, gest must mean—guest: so in Magnyfycence; “thou art a fonde gest.” v. 1109. vol. i. 261. But perhaps the true reading of the passage is,

in which case, gest would signify—story: see note, p. 177. v. 622.

v. 1210. best] i. e. beast.

v. 1213. Quia difficile est, &c.] From Juvenal, Sat. i. 30.

v. 1221. ouerse] i. e. overlook.

v. 1224. Omne animi vitium, &c.] From Juvenal, Sat. viii. 140.

v. 1226. defaute] i. e. default, defect.

v. 1227. a great astate] i. e. a person of great estate, or rank.

v. 1233. fonde] i. e. foolish.

v. 1234. can] i. e. know.

v. 1235. conuenyent] i. e. fitting.

Page 64. v. 1238. sadnesse] See note, p. 259. v. 1382.

Page 65. v. 1239. lack] i. e. fault, blame.

v. 1246. it shall nat skyl] See note, p. 262. v. 1615.

v. 1247. byl] i. e. writing.

v. 1248. daucock] See note, p. 113. v. 301.

EPITOMA, &c.

—— Polyphemo] In allusion to what Skelton has before said,—that the cardinal had the use of only one eye.

v. 2. Pandulphum] So he terms Wolsey, because Pandulph was legate from the Pope in the time of King John.

Page 66. v. 27. Mauri] i. e. Terentianus Maurus.

DECASTICHON, &c.

v. 1. maris lupus] A wretched play on words,—sea-wolf—wolf-sea—Wolsey.

v. 8. mulus] See note, p. 350. v. 510.

HOWE THE DOUTY DUKE OF ALBANY, LYKE A COWARDE KNYGHT, RAN AWAYE SHAMFULLY, &c.

Page 68.—— tratlande] i. e. prattling, idle-talking.

John duke of Albany (son of Alexander duke of Albany, the brother of James the Third) was regent of Scotland during the minority of James the Fifth; and this poem relates to his invasion of the borders in 1523; an expedition, which, according to Pinkerton, “in its commencement only displays the regent’s imprudence, and in its termination his total deficiency in military talents, and even in common valour.” Hist. of Scot., ii. 230. Mr. Tytler, however, views the character and conduct of Albany in a very different light; and his account of the expedition (Hist. of Scot., v. 166 sqq.) may be thus abridged. Albany’s army amounted in effective numbers to about forty thousand men, not including a large body of camp-followers. With this force,—his march impeded by heavy roads, the nobles corrupted by the gold and intrigues of England, they and their soldiers jealous of the foreign auxiliaries, and symptoms of disorganisation early appearing,—the regent advanced as far as Melrose. Having vainly endeavoured to persuade his discontented army to cross the Tweed, he encamped on its left bank, and laid siege to Wark Castle with his foreign troops and artillery. There the Frenchmen manifested their wonted courage; but the assaulting party, receiving no assistance from the Scots, and fearing that the river flooded by rain and snow would cut off their retreat, were obliged to raise the siege, and join the main body. The Earl of Surrey (see notes, p. 317. v. 769. p. 354. v. 150), who had in the mean while concentrated his troops, hearing of the attack on Wark Castle, now advanced against the enemy. At the news of his approach, the Scottish nobles being fixed in their resolution not to risk a battle, Albany retreated to Eccles, (a monastery six miles distant from Wark,) with his foreign auxiliaries and artillery; and the rest of his forces dispersed, rather with flight than retreat, amidst a tempest of snow. From Eccles Albany retired to Edinburgh, and, soon after, finally withdrew to France. His army had been assembled on the Burrow-Muir near Edinburgh towards the end of October; and its dispersion took place at the commencement of the following month.

Page 68. v. 19. Huntley banke] See note, p. 221. v. 149.

v. 20. Lowdyan] See note, p. 217. v. 59.

v. 21. Locryan] See note, p. 217. v. 61.

v. 22. the ragged ray]—ray seems here to be merely—array; but Skelton in his Replycacion, &c., has,

and see note, p. 194. v. 170.

v. 24. Dunbar, Dunde] See note, p. 219. v. 121.

Page 69. v. 37. With, hey, dogge, hay] This line has occurred before, in Elynour Rummyng, v. 168. vol. i. 100.

v. 38. For Sir William Lyle, &c.] “And the seid mondaye at iij a clok at aftir none, the water of Twede being soo high that it could not be riden, the Duke sente ouer ij mˡ Frenchemen in bootis [boats] to gif assaulte to the place, who with force entred the bas courte, and by Sir William Lizle captain of the castell with c with hym were right manfully defended by the space of one houre and an half withoute suffring theym tentre the inner warde; but fynally the seid Frenchemen entred the inner warde, whiche perceiued by the seid Sir William and his company frely set vpon theym, and not onely drove theym oute of the inner warde, but alsoo oute of the vttir warde, and slewe of the seid Frenchemen x personys. And so the seid Frenchemen wente ouer the water,” &c. Letter from Surrey to Henry the Eighth,—MS. Cott. Calig. B. vi. fol. 304. Mr. Tytler says that the assaulting party left “three hundred slain, of which the greater number were Frenchmen.” Hist. of Scot., v. 169.

v. 45. lacke] i. e. blame, reproach.

Page 69. v. 52. reculed] i. e. recoiled, retreated.

v. 55. That my lorde amrell, &c.]—amrell, i. e. admiral,—Surrey.

Page 70. v. 63. With sainct Cutberdes banner] An earlier passage of the letter just cited is as follows. “At whiche tyme I being at Holy Island, vij myles from Berwike, was aduertised of the same [Albany’s attack on Wark Castle] at v a clok at night the seid sondaye; and incontynente sente lettres to my lord cardynallis company, my lord of Northumbreland, my lord of Westmereland at Sainte Cutbertes baner lying at Anwike and thereaboutes, and in likewise to my lord Dacre and other lordes and gentilmen lying abrode in the contre too mete me at Barmer woode v myles from Werk on mondaye, whoo soo dede.”

v. 68. crake] i. e. vaunt.

v. 73. ascry] i. e. call out against, raise a shout against—assail; see notes, p. 145. v. 903. p. 152. v. 1358, &c.

v. 78. stoutty] i. e. stout.

v. 91. But ye meane a thyng, &c.] That Albany aimed at the destruction of James v. was a popular rumour, but, according to Mr. Tytler, entirely without foundation.

Page 71. v. 101. cast] i. e. contrivance, stratagem.

v. 110. beyght] i. e., perhaps, (not bait, but) noose. Beight, bight, or bought, is any thing bent, folded: in Markham’s Masterpiece (as Stevenson observes, Additions to Boucher’s Gloss. in v.) it is used both to express a noose formed of a rope, and the bent or arched part of a horse’s neck. In Hormanni Vulgaria we find “Boughtes.... Chartæ complicatæ.” Sig. Q iii. ed. 1530.

v. 115. recrayd] i. e. recreant.

v. 120. puaunt] i. e. stinking.

v. 126. Vnhaply vred] See note, p. 232. v. 95.

v. 128. discured] i. e. discovered.

Page 72. v. 132. echone] i. e. each one.

v. 135. flery] i. e. fleer.

v. 146. Mell nat] i. e. Meddle not.

v. 152. byrne] i. e. burn.

v. 155. at ylke mannes hecke] i. e. at each man’s hatch, door.

v. 156. fynde] i. e. fiend.

v. 159. shake thy dogge, hay] See note, p. 226. v. 28.

v. 161.

i. e. We value not at a fly, care not a fly for.

v. 163. prane] i. e. prawn.

Page 72. v. 164. dronken drane] See note, p. 222. v. 172.

Page 73. v. 165. We set nat a myght] So Chaucer;

v. 167. proude palyarde] See note, p. 348. v. 427.

v. 168. skyrgaliarde] See note, p. 218. v. 101.

v. 171. coystrowne] See note on title of poem, p. 92.

v. 172. dagswayne] See note, p. 270. v. 2195. I know not if the word was ever used as a term of reproach by any writer except Skelton.

v. 182. mell] i. e. meddle.

v. 189.

—inconuenyently, i. e. unsuitably, unbecomingly: your worshyp depraue, i. e. debase, degrade, lower your dignity. “I am also aduertised that he [Albany] is so passionate that and he bee aparte amongis his familiers and doth here any thing contrarius to his myende and pleasure, his accustumed maner is too take his bonet sodenly of his hed and to throwe it in the fire, and no man dare take it oute but let it to bee brent. My lord Dacre doth affirme that at his last being in Scotland he ded borne aboue a dosyn bonettes aftir that maner.” Letter from Lord Surrey to Wolsey,—MS. Cott., Calig. B vi. fol. 316.

v. 192. Duke Hamylcar] }

v. 195. Duke Hasdruball] }

—Duke, i. e. leader, lord. So Lydgate;

v. 198. condicions] See note, p. 183. v. 12.

Page 74. v. 209. Howe ye wyll beres bynde]—beres, i. e. bears. Compare;

Page 74. v. 210. the deuill downe dynge] See note, p. 270. v. 2210.

v. 227. entrusar] i. e. intruder.

v. 230. to] i. e. too.

Page 75. v. 237. lorde amrell] i. e. lord admiral (Surrey).

v. 240. marciall shoure] See note, p. 219. v. 133.

v. 243. derayne] i. e. contest.

v. 248. keteryng] See note, p. 218. v. 83.

v. 250. hert] i. e. heart.

v. 251. The fynde of hell mot sterue the] i. e. May the fiend of hell cause thee to die, destroy thee. (To sterue in our old writers is common in the sense of—die, perish.)

v. 255. Caried in a cage, &c.] In no historian can I find any allusion to the strange vehicle here mentioned.

v. 257. mawment] See note, p. 188. v. 170.

Page 76. v. 268. warke] i. e. work.

v. 270.

Compare;

“Nulla in tam, magno est corpore mica salis, There is not one crum or droppe of good fashion in al that great royls bodye. For Catullus ther speaketh of a certaine mayden that was called Quintia,” &c. Udall’s Flowers, or Eloquent Phrases of the Latine speach, &c. sig. G 5. ed. 1581. Grose gives “Roil or royle, a big ungainly slamakin, a great awkward blowze or hoyden.” Prov. Gloss.:—Sir Dunkan is a Scottish name used here at random by Skelton, as he elsewhere uses other Scottish names, see note, p. 219. v. 121: dared, see note, p. 258. v. 1358; and compare; “Daren or preuyly ben hyd. Latito.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.

Page 76. v. 274. sely] i. e. silly, simple, harmless.

v. 282. It made no great fors] i. e. It was no great matter, it mattered not greatly.

v. 285. a gon stone] See note, p. 314. v. 629.

v. 287. sir Topias] See note, p. 180. v. 40.

v. 288. Bas] The Bass is an island, or rather rock, of immense height in the Firth of Forth, about a mile distant from the south shore.

v. 290. [l]as] I may just notice, in support of this reading, that “a lusty lasse” occurs in our author’s Magnyfycence, v. 1577. vol. i. 276.

v. 292. I shrewe] i. e. I beshrew, curse.

—— lugges] i. e. ears.

v. 293. munpynnys] Compare;

(a passage which the writer of the Gloss. altogether misunderstands), and;

Munpynnys is, I apprehend, mouth-pins, teeth. Ray gives “The Munne, the Mouth.” Coll. of Engl. Words, &c.—Preface, p. x. ed. 1768: and Jamieson has “Munds. The mouth.”—“Muns. The hollow behind the jaw-bone.” Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. and Suppl.