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
“Macrobius that did trete
Of Scipions dreme what was the treu probate.”
v. 367. vol. i. 376.
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.
Somwhat I coulde enferre,
Your consayte to debarre]
i. e. I could bring in somewhat to hinder, contravene, your conception of the subject. So again in our author’s Garlande of Laurell;
“Madame, your apposelle is wele inferrid,
And at your auauntage quikly it is
Towchid, and hard for to be debarrid.”
v. 141. vol. i. 367.
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.
To you I arecte it, and cast
Therof the reformacyon]
So Skelton again;
“Syth vnto me formest this processe is erectyd.”
v. 2507 of the present drama.
“Arrectinge vnto your wyse examinacion
How all that I do is vnder refformation.”
Garlande of Laurell, v. 410. vol. i. 378.
He has also,
“Arectyng my syght towarde the zodyake.”
Id. v. 1. p. 361.
“My supplycacyon to you I arrect.”
Id. v. 55. p. 363.
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;
“—— let see, come off, and say.”
Court of Loue,—Workes, fol. 331. ed. 1602.
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.
“So me helpe God! queth Beues tho,
Hit were no meistri me to slo,
For this is the ferthe dai agon
Mete ne drinke ne bot I non.”
Sir Beues of Hamtoun, p. 68. Maitl. ed.
“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;
“Him recketh neuer whether she flete or sinke.”
Annel. and Ar.,—Workes, fol. 244. ed. 1602.
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;
“Come chat at home, all is well, Jack shall haue Gill.”
Dialogue, sig. F 3.—Workes, ed. 1598.
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.
“This false knight, that hath this treson wrought,
Bereth hire in hond that she hath don this thing.”
Chaucer’s Man of Lawes Tale, v. 5039. ed. Tyr.
“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,—
“He bereth the kyng on hand,
That he must pyll his lande,” &c.
v. 449. vol. ii. 40.
v. 362.
And wolde haue made me Freer Tucke,
To preche out of the pylery hole]
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.).
“Yit a poynte of the new gett to telle wille I not blyn.”
Juditium,—Towneley Mysteries, p. 312.
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.,—
“He is a knuckilbonyard very meete
To match a minion neither fayre nor sweete.”
Sig. D 4.,—Workes, ed. 1598.
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;
“And howe at a pronge
We tourne ryght into wronge.”
v. 1196. vol. i. 357.
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).
“Lest the reporte in hinderyng of his name,” &c.
Lydgate’s Warres of Troy, B. iii. sig. Q ii. ed. 1555.
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):
“Hoyda joly rutterkyn hoyda
Lyke a rutterkyn hoyda.
Rutterkyn is com vnto oure towne
In a cloke withoute cote or gowne
Save a raggid hode to kouer his crowne
Like a rutter hoyda.
Rutterkyn can speke no englissh
His tonge rennyth all on buttyrd fyssh
Besmerde with grece abowte his disshe
Like a rutter hoyda.
Rutterkyn shall bryng you all good luk
A stoup of bere vp at a pluk
Till his brayne be as wise as a duk
Like a rutter hoyda.
When rutterkyn from borde will ryse
He will piss a galon pott full at twise
And the ouerplus vndir the table of the newe gyse
Like a rutter hoyda.”
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)
“My robe russheth
So ruttyngly.”
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.;
“And whan he is in suche aray
There goth a rutter men wyll say
a rutter huf a galand.”
Sig. d ii.
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;
“Bothe kynge and caysere and grett empere.”
MS. Cott. Vesp. D viii. fol. 113.
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;
“To Ship, galants, come nere I say agayne,
With your set bushes curling as men of Inde.”
The Ship of Fooles, fol. 8. ed. 1570.
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:
“Behold the bonet vppon my hed
a staryng colour of scarlet red
I promyse you a fyne threde
and a soft wull
It cost me a noble at one pyche
The scald capper sware sythyche
That yt cost hym euen as myche
But there Pryde had a pull.
I loue yt well to haue syde here
Halfe a wote byneth myne ere
For euer more I stande in fere
That myne nek shold take cold
I knyt yt vp all the nyght
and the day tyme kemb yt down ryght
And then yt cryspeth and shyneth as bryght
as any pyrled gold.
My doublet ys on laced byfore
A stomacher of saten and no more
Rayn yt snow yt neuer so sore
Me thynketh I am to hote
Than haue I suche a short gown
Wyth wyde sleues that hang a down
They wold make some lad in thys town
a doublet and a cote.
Som men wold thynk that this were pryde
But yt ys not so, ho ho abyde
I haue a dagger by my syde
yet therof spake not I
I bought thys dagger at the marte
A sharp poynt and a tarte
He that had yt in hys hart
Were as good to dye.
Than haue I a sworde or twayn
To bere theym my selfe yt were a payne
They ar so heuy that I am fayne
to puruey suche a lad
Though I say yt a praty boy
It ys halfe my lyues ioy
He maketh me laugh wyth many a toy
The vrchyn ys so mad.”
Sig. c ii.
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;
“To flatterynge, to smatterynge, to to out of harre.”
Compare M. Harry Whobals mon to M. Camel, &c. (folio broadside among the “flytings” of Churchyard and Camell);
“My master Harry Whoball, sur, is to to shamefull wrothe.
...
... for drinke is to to nappye.”
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;
“Reduce courtiers clerely vnto your remembraunce,
From whence this disguising was brought wherin ye go,
As I remember it was brought out of France.”
The Ship of Fooles, fol. 9. ed. 1570.
Borde, in his Boke of knowledge, introduces a Frenchman saying,
“I am ful of new inuencions
And dayly I do make new toyes and fashions
Al necions of me example do take
Whan any garment they go about to make.”
Sig. T. reprint.
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;
“Ientill as fawcoun
Or hawke of the towre.”
v. 1006. vol. i. 402.
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;
“The Haukes dyd syng
Their belles dyd ryng
Thei said they came frō the tower.
We hold with the kyng
And wyll for him syng
To God, day, nyght, and hower.”
p. 383.
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;
“Cum of ȝe harlotts that yt wer don.”
An. Mysteries from the Digby MSS. p. 97. ed. Abbotsf.
Magnus Herodes;
“Hens now go youre way that ye were thore.”
Towneley Mysteries, p. 147.
Still’s Gammer Gurtons Nedle;
“Sir knaue make hast diccon were here.”
Sig. E 3. ed. 1575.
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;
“For as for wytte,
The deuyll spede whitte!”
v. 1013. vol. ii. 58.
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.;
“Faine of him I wolde haue a sight
But my lyppes hange in my lyght.”
Sig. A iiii.
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:
“The great Onele, and Makmurre also,
And al the lordes and kynges of Ireland.”
Hardyng’s Chronicle, fol. cxlix. ed. 1543.
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;
“By God, I wolde ye had harde the tryfyls,
The toys, the mokkes, the fables, and the nyfyls,
That I made thy husbande to beleve and thynke.”
p. 21. reprint.
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;
“Thefte also and pety brybery.”
v. 1370 of the present drama.
“Some haue a name for thefte and brybery.”
Garlande of Laurell, v. 183. vol. i. 369.
So too in The Hye Way to the Spyttell Hous, by Copland, n. d.;
“Brybe, and conuey, fro mayster and maystres.”
Utterson’s Early Pop. Poet. ii. 37.
and in Gentylnes and Nobylyte, n. d. (attributed without reason to Heywood);
“For brybe and stele euery thyng they wyll
If they may secretly come theruntyll.”
Sig. B iii.
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.
He frownyth fyersly, brymly browde,
The knaue wolde make it koy, and he cowde]
—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,—
“He bote the lyppe, he loked passynge coye.”
v. 288. vol. i. 41.
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!
“Ye shall haue ay quhill you cry ho.”
Philotvs, sig. B. ed. 1612.
“Greit God defend I suld be one of tho
Quhilk of thair feid and malice neuer ho.”
G. Douglas’s Palice of Honour, p. 30. Bann. ed.
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.;
“Loo yender cumithe that vnhappye hooke.”
p. 26. Roxb. ed.
and in Heywood’s Dialogue, &c.;
“Since thou art crosse sailde, auale vnhappie hooke.”
Sig. E,—Workes, ed. 1598.
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.
“For abandonit will he noght be to berne that is borne.”
Golagros and Gawane, p. 142,—Syr Gawayne, &c.
“Till all to yow abandownyt be.”
Barbour’s Bruce, B. iii. v. 883. ed. Jam.
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:
“His fader Vaspasiane ferly bytydde
A byke of waspes bredde in his nose
Hyved vp in his hedde he hadde hem of thoght
And Vaspasiane is called by cause of his waspes.”
MS. Cott. Calig. A. ii. fol. 109.
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;
“Enuyuid picturis well touchid and quikly.”
v. 1161. vol. i. 408.
v. 1570. Inpurtured] i. e. Portrayed, pictured,—adorned.
v. 1571. The streynes of her vaynes] i. e. The strains, runnings of her veins.
“Rills rising out of euery banck,
In wilde meanders strayne.”
Drayton’s Muses Elizium, p. 2. ed. 1630.
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.
“Whyles thou art yonge ...
Wreke the with wiueryng, if thou wilt be excused.”
Pierce Plowman, sig. M iii. ed. 1561.
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.
“Your lasy bones I pretende so to blisse,
That you shall haue small luste to prate any more.”
The Triall of Treasure, 1567. sig. A iiii.
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,
“Go softly, she sayd, the stones be full glint [i. e. slippery].”
v. 572. vol. i. 384.
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;
“Than Fauell gan wyth fayre speche me to fede.”
v. 147. vol. i. 36.
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.;
“A song much like thauthour of the same,
It hangeth together like fethers in the winde.”
Sig. D ii.
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;
“But gret harm was it, as it thoughte me,
That on his shinne a mormal hadde he.”
Prol. to Cant. Tales, v. 387.
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;
“He harped in the kinges chambere,
Where cuppe and caudle stoode.”
Percy’s Rel. of A. E. P., iii. 43. ed. 1794.
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.
“The pomped clerkes with foles [fodes] delicous
Erth often fedeth,” &c.
Hawes’s Pastime of Pleasure, sig. B b iiii. ed. 1555.
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.
“God send every good man bote of his bale.”
Chaucer’s Chanones Yemannes Tale, v. 16949. ed. Tyr.
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;
“Your wo appease which is not worth an haw.”
Lydgate’s Warres of Troy, B. ii. sig. I iiii. ed. 1555.
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:
“Of this daye gladde was many a brothell
That myght haue an ore with Cocke Lorell.”
Cocke Lorelles bote, n. d. sig. C ii.
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.
v. 2152. c. s. i. e. a hundred shillings.
v. 2155. occupyed] Though our author, according to his occasionally pleonastic style, has in the next line but one, “occupyed and vsyd,” the words are synonymous: see note, p. 86. v. 52.
v. 2156. Ye] i. e. Yea.
v. 2159. retchlesse] i. e. reckless.
Page 285. v. 2162. rynne] i. e. run.
v. 2164. it shall not gretly skyll] See note on v. 1615. p. 262.
v. 2165. spyll] i. e. destroy.
v. 2166. some fall prechynge at the Toure Hyll] So in Thenterlude of Youth, n. d.;
“By our Lady he dyd promote the
To make the preche at the galowe tre.”
Sig. B i.
v. 2168. nother they set by] i. e. neither they value, regard.
v. 2171. lusty to loke on] i. e. pleasant to look on.
v. 2172. nonnes] i. e. nuns.
—— ryn] i. e. run.
v. 2173. Freers] i. e. Friars.
—— fayne] i. e. glad, joyful.
v. 2177. rechate] See note, p. 234. v. 215.
Page 296. v. 2186. brast] i. e. burst.
v. 2187. spewe and cast] One of Skelton’s pleonasms.
v. 2188. gotted ... to thy share]—gotted, i. e. gotten.
v. 2193. ye] i. e. yea.
v. 2194. to wed] i. e. for a pawn, pledge.
v. 2195. a daggeswane] i. e. a rough sort of coverlet. “Dagswayne. Lodex.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. “My bedde is couered with a daggeswayne and a quylte ... gausape ...”—“Some daggeswaynes haue longe thrummes & iagges on bothe sydes: some but on one.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. g iii. ed. 1530.
—— ony] i. e. any.
v. 2196. metely well] “Metely: Moyennement. Assez,” &c. Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccccxliii. (Table of Aduerbes). “He is metely lerned. Mediocriter doctus est.” Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. R viii. ed. 1530.
v. 2197. dele] i. e. part, bit.
v. 2198. in the deuyls date] See note, p. 116. v. 375.
v. 2201. the messe] i. e. the Mass.
Page 297. v. 2204. hose] i. e. breeches.
v. 2207. skelpe] i. e. slap, strike: see Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang.
v. 2208. loke] i. e. look.
v. 2209. Cockes bones] i. e. God’s bones: see note on v. 518. p. 243.
—— blysse] See note on v. 1641. p. 263.
v. 2210. dynge the deuyll]—dynge, i. e. strike, knock. So again in our author’s poem Howe the douty Duke of Albany, &c.;
“And the deuill downe dynge.”
v. 210. vol. ii. 74.
Compare The Droichis Part of the Play, attributed to Dunbar;
“That dang the devill, and gart him yowle.”
Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 38. ed. Laing.
Page 297. v. 2210. holde] i. e. holden, held.
v. 2211. rede] i. e. advice.
v. 2214. wrynge thy be in a brake] Some cant expression: brake, see note, p. 168. v. 324, and note on Why come ye nat to Courte, v. 980.
v. 2215. dawe] i. e. simpleton: see note, p. 113. v. 301.
v. 2216. fawchyn] i. e. cut.
v. 2217. cauell] “Kevil, Kephyl, A horse, contemptuously applied to a person, ‘thou girt kevil.’” The Dialect of Craven, &c. Compare Lydgate’s verses, entitled in the Catalogue, Advices for people to keep a guard over their tongues;
“I saugh a kevell corpulent of stature,
Lyk a materas redlyd was his coote,” &c.
MS. Harl. 2255. fol. 132.
v. 2218. iauell] “Iauell. Ioppus.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499. Of this common term of contempt (which Skelton uses in other passages) the meaning and etymology are uncertain. Todd (Johnson’s Dict. in v.) explains it “A wandering or dirty fellow;” shews that it is sometimes written jabel; and would derive it from the verb, javel, jable, or jarble, to bemire, to bedew. Nares (Gloss. in v.) refers it to the French javelle, which sometimes means “a faggot of brush-wood or other worthless materials.” The compiler of the Gloss. to The Towneley Mysteries (under Hawvelle) considers it equivalent to—jabberer.
Page 298. v. 2223. iche] i. e. I.
v. 2224. Mary] i. e. By the Virgin Mary.
v. 2229. all one] i. e. all agreed.
v. 2233. rode] i. e. road, cross: see note, p. 206. v. 69.
v. 2234. blode] i. e. blood.
v. 2235. By our lakyn] See note on v. 341. p. 240.
v. 2242. acomberyd] i. e. encumbered, troubled.
v. 2243. Goddys fote] i. e. God’s foot.
v. 2244. facyd] See note, p. 216. v. 33.
v. 2246. condycyons] See note, p. 183. v. 12.
Page 299. v. 2248. bracyd] See note, p. 216. v. 33.
v. 2249. defaute] i. e. default, defect.
v. 2250. to haute] i. e. too haughty.
v. 2252. pratyer] i. e. prettier.
v. 2258. gardeuyaunce] In a note on Dunbar’s Freir of Tungland, Lord Hailes observes that gardyvians is “literally garde de viande, or cupboard; but there it implies his cabinet;” and Mr. D. Laing adds, “rather, a portable cabinet.” Dunbar’s Poems, ii. 243. Skelton appears to use the word in the sense of—trunk: and Palsgrave has “Gardeuyans bahus.” Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xxxv. (Table of Subst.)
Page 299. v. 2259. bowget] i. e. budget.
v. 2260. male] i. e. bag, wallet.
v. 2262. Your trymynge and tramynge by me must be tangyd] The reader will hardly expect that I should attempt any precise explanation of this line.
v. 2264. When we with Magnyfycence goodys made cheuysaunce]—cheuysaunce, i. e. booty: see note, p. 107. v. 100. Compare Gower;
“Right as a thefe maketh his cheuesance,
And robbeth mens gooddes aboute,” &c.
Conf. Am. B. v. fol. cxvi. ed. 1554.
v. 2265. wengaunce] i. e. vengeance.
v. 2266. banne and wary] “I warrye, I banne or curse, Ie mauldis.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cccci. (Table of Verbes). Barclay is even more pleonastic than Skelton;
“And your vnkindnes weray, ban and curse.”
The Ship of Fooles, fol. 22. ed. 1570.
v. 2268. Cockys bonys] i. e. God’s bones; see note on v. 518. p. 243.
v. 2270. Ye] i. e. Yea.
v. 2275. gaure] i. e. stare: see Tyrwhitt’s Gloss. to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales. Yet Palsgrave has “I Gaure I krye, Ie hue. Howe he gaureth after his hauke: Cōment il heue apres son oyseau.” Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. ccxliiii. (Table of Verbes).
Page 300. v. 2276. yll hayle] See note, p. 176. v. 617.
v. 2283. the gowte and the gyn] If gyn means (as the context seems to prove) some bodily ailment, I know not what it is.
v. 2287. murre] i. e. severe cold with hoarseness.
—— pose] i. e. rheum in the head.
v. 2288. requiem æternam groweth forth of his nose] Heywood has a similar expression;
“Hunger droppeth euen out of both their noses.”
Dialogue, &c. sig. D 4.—Workes, ed. 1598.
And Cotgrave; “Chishe-face ... one out of whose nose hunger drops.” Dict.
v. 2291. the halfe strete] On the Bank-side, Southwark,—where the stews were: it is mentioned in the following curious passage of Cocke Lorelles bote, n. d. (where the “wynde fro wynchester” alludes to the temporary suppression of the Southwark stews at the intercession of the Bishop of Winchester);
“Syr this pardon is newe founde
By syde London brydge in a holy grounde
Late called the stewes banke
Ye knowe well all that there was
Some relygyous women in that place
To whome men offred many a franke
And bycause they were so kynde and lyberall
A merueylous auenture there is be fall
Yf ye lyst to here how
There came suche a wynde fro wynchester
That blewe these women ouer the ryuer
In wherye as I wyll you tell
Some at saynt Kateryns stroke a grounde
And many in holborne were founde
Some at saynt Gyles I trowe
Also in aue maria aly and at westmenster
And some in shordyche drewe theder
With grete lamentacyon
And by cause they haue lost that fayre place
They wyll bylde at colman hedge in space
Another noble mansyon
Fayrer and euer the halfe strete was
For euery house newe paued is with gras
Shall be full of fayre floures
The walles shall be of hauthorne I wote well
And hanged wᵗ whyte motly yᵗ swete doth smell
Grene shall be the coloures
And as for this olde place these wenches holy
They wyll not haue it called the stewys for foly
But maketh it strabery banke.”
Sig. B iv.
Page 300. v. 2293. motton] Long after Skelton’s time, as the readers of our early dramatists will recollect, mutton was a favourite cant term for a prostitute.
v. 2294. Ye ... to] i. e. Yea ... too.
v. 2295. queysy mete] “Quaisy as meate or drike is, dangereux.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. xciii. (Table of Adiect.). Compare Jyl of Braintfords Testament, n. d.;
“I pray you fil you not to much of the mutton
I promise you that it is very queisy.”
Sig. A.
Page 300. v. 2297. In fay] i. e. In faith.
—— froty] Is frequently, as here, used by our early writers for—forty.
v. 2303. at all assayes] See note on v. 433. p. 242.
Page 301. v. 2311. sleeth] i. e. slayeth.
v. 2315. bronde] i. e. brand.
v. 2316. stonde] i. e. stand.
v. 2319. lewdly] i. e. vilely, basely (but here it seems to be used as an adjective).
v. 2320. to] i. e. too.
v. 2322. fer] i. e. far.
v. 2324. loke] i. e. look.
v. 2330. agayne] i. e. against.
Page 302. v. 2332. wyte] i. e. blame.
v. 2333. rede] i. e. counsel.
v. 2335. Ye] i. e. Yea.
—— ryd thy selfe] i. e. set free thyself,—despatch thyself.
v. 2336. to] i. e. too.
v. 2340. honge] i. e. hang.
v. 2342. tonge] i. e. thong.
v. 2343. throte bole] i. e. throat-bowl,—protuberance of the throat. “Throte gole or throte bole, neu de la gorge, gosier.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxx. (Table of Subst.). In Ortus Vocab. fol. ed. W. de Worde, n. d. is “Epiglotum, a throte bolle.”—“It is not impossible,” says Warton, alluding to this passage, “that Despare [Myschefe] offering the knife and the halter, might give a distant hint to Spenser.” Hist. of E. P. (Em. and Ad. to p. 363 of vol. ii.) ed. 4to. See The Faerie Queene, i. ix. 50.
—— slee] i. e. slay.
v. 2351. to] i. e. too.
v. 2352. Out, harowe]—harowe (variously spelt) is common in our early poetry as an exclamation of alarm or sudden distress, or an outcry for help. “Interiectyons of outkrye: Haro. as Haro alarme trahy trahy.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530, last folio. On the origin of the word see Du Cange’s Gloss. in vv. Haro, Haroep; Tyrwhitt’s note on v. 3286 of Chaucer’s Cant. Tales; Jamieson’s Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang. in v. Harro; and Roquefort’s Gloss. to La Lang. Rom. in v. Harau.
—— hyll] i. e. hell.
v. 2353. combred] i. e. encumbered, troubled.
v. 2354. sloo] i. e. slay.
—— nature and kynde] A pleonastic expression.
Page 303. v. 2357. sautes] i. e. assaults.
v. 2361. soner] i. e. sooner.
v. 2362. luge] i. e. (I suppose) lodge, abode.
v. 2365. wanhope] i. e. want of hope,—despair. “Desperatio. wanhope.” Ortus Vocab. fol. ed. W. de Worde, n. d. “Wanhope desespoir.” Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. lxxiii. (Table of Subst.). In some of our early writers, however, we find a distinction made between wanhope and despair.
v. 2370. dysease] i. e. uneasiness, pain.
v. 2373. ony] i. e. any.
v. 2375. ne] i. e. nor.
v. 2383. lectuary] i. e. electuary.
v. 2387. gommes goostly] i. e. gums ghostly, spiritual.
—— herte] i. e. heart.
v. 2388. To thanke God of his sonde]—his sonde, i. e. his sending,—his providential dispensation.
Page 304. v. 2392. fote] i. e. foot.
v. 2394. mode] i. e. mood.
v. 2398. dyscryue] Signifies—describe; but in the present passage it would seem to mean—discover, search, try.
v. 2406. Ye] i. e. Yea.
v. 2411. sone] i. e. soon.
Page 305. v. 2430. apayed] i. e. satisfied, pleased.
v. 2433. abylyment] i. e. habiliment.
v. 2434. aduysement] i. e. consideration, heed.
v. 2435. confyrmable] i. e. conformable.
v. 2444. to] i. e. too.
v. 2445. redlesse] See note on v. 2077. p. 268.
v. 2449. to accompte you the contynewe of my consayte] i. e. to tell you the continuation, the rest, of my conceit, conception.
Page 306. v. 2455. sad] See note on v. 1711. p. 264.
v. 2457. that is no nay] i. e. that is not to be denied.
v. 2458. inhateth] Skelton’s fondness for compound words has been already noticed (see note, p. 105. v. 31); and here most probably inhateth was not intended to convey a stronger meaning than—hateth.
—— rennynge] i. e. running.
v. 2460. ne can] i. e. can not.
v. 2465. largesse] i. e. liberality.
v. 2467. thorowly ingrosed] i. e. (as the context would seem to shew) fully written out.
v. 2468. Pountes] i. e. Pontoise.
Page 306. v. 2469. hyght] i. e. is called.
v. 2474. to] i. e. too.
Page 307. v. 2479. ouerthrow] i. e. overthrown.
v. 2481. Ye] i. e. Yea.
v. 2485. hafters] See note, p. 107. v. 138.
—— forfende] i. e. forbid, prohibit.
v. 2493. sentence] i. e. meaning.
v. 2494. corage] i. e. heart, affection.
—— flyt] i. e. remove.
v. 2499. worshyp] i. e. honour, dignity.
v. 2500. sadnesse] See note on v. 1382. p. 259.
Page 308. v. 2503. I wyll refrayne you ferther, or we flyt] i. e. I will question you farther before we remove (refrayne being here, it would seem, according to Skelton’s use of such compounds, equivalent to the simple, and not uncommon word,—frayne).
v. 2506. processe] i. e. relation, discourse: see notes, p. 143. v. 735. p. 146. v. 969. p. 194. v. 157, &c.
v. 2507. Syth] i. e. Since.
—— erectyd] See note on v. 95. p. 237.
v. 2508. aforse me] i. e. exert myself, do my endeavour.
v. 2510. warkys] i. e. works.
v. 2513. largesse] i. e. liberality.
—— to] i. e. too.
v. 2517. the nygarde nor the chyncherde] Synonymous terms. “Chynche or chynchare. Preparcus.” Prompt. Parv. ed. 1499.
v. 2518. negarship] i. e. niggardship.
v. 2522. fumously adresse you with magnanymyte] i. e. hotly, vigorously provide, furnish yourself with, &c.
v. 2525. affyaunce] i. e. trust.
v. 2534. this processe] i. e. this drama of Magnyfycence: (so presently, “this interlude” v. 2548, “this treatyse” v. 2562, “this mater” v. 2576:) see note on v. 2506, above.
Page 309. v. 2539. seke[r]nesse] i. e. security, sureness.
v. 2541. lawe] i. e. low; as in v. 190.
v. 2544. leue] i. e. willing.
v. 2550. auaunsyd] i. e. advanced.
v. 2557. lacke] i. e. fault, blame.
v. 2563. comberyd] i. e. encumbered, troubled.
Page 310. v. 2573. maysterfest] i. e. master-fast.
v. 2577. Precely purposyd vnder pretence of play]—Precely, i. e. Pressly, seems to mean here—seriously (rather than—expressly).
Page 310. v. 2583. the terestre rechery] If “rechery” be the right reading, I know not what it means. Qy. “trechery?” as before, v. 2046,
“Fye on this worlde, full of trechery.”
—— flode] i. e. flood.
v. 2585. Ensordyd] Could only, I presume, mean—defiled: but qy., as the context seems to require, “Ensorbyd,” i. e. sucked in, swallowed?
—— wawys] i. e. waves.
—— wode] i. e. mad, raging.
v. 2586. brast] i. e. burst,—break.
v. 2588. hym] Must be an error of the press for “hymselfe;” compare v. 2581.
v. 2590. syttynge] i. e. proper, becoming.
v. 2591. ryalte] i. e. royalty.
v. 2593. indeuer] i. e. endure, continue, dwell.