MANERLY MARGERY MYLK AND ALE.
Skelton mentions this piece among his works, in the Garlande of Laurell, v. 1198. vol. i. 409. Sir John Hawkins, who printed it together with the music, says that it “appears to have been set by William Cornish of the Chapel Royal in the reign of Henry vii.” Hist. of Music, iii. 2.
Page 28. v. 1. besherewe yow] i. e. curse you,—confound you!
—— be my fay] i. e. by my faith.
v. 2. This wanton clarkes be nyse all way] i. e. These wanton scholars be always foolish, inclined to folly, to toyish tricks: compare our author’s Phyllyp Sparowe;
“Phyllyp, though he were nyse,
In him it was no vyse,” &c.
v. 173. vol. i. 56.
Page 28. v. 3. Avent] i. e. Avaunt.
—— popagay] i. e. parrot.
v. 5. Tully valy] Or Tilly vally—an exclamation of contempt, the origin of which is doubtful.
v. 6. Gup] See note, p. 99. v. 17.
—— Cristian Clowte] Compare our author’s Colyn Cloute;
“He coud not syng himselfe therout
But by the helpe of Christyan Clout.”
v. 880. vol. i. 345.
—— Jak of the vale] So our author in his Magnyfycence; “some iangelynge Jacke of the vale,” v. 260. vol. i. 234. Compare two pieces of a much later date;
“I am not now to tell a tale
Of George a Greene, or Jacke a Vale.”
The Odcombian Banquet, 1611. sig. C 3.
“And they had leauer printen Jacke a vale
Or Clim o Clough,” &c.
J. Davies,—Other Eglogues annexed to The Shepheards Pipe, 1614. sig. G 4.
v. 8. Be] i. e. By.
—— praty pode]—praty, i. e. pretty: pode, i. e., perhaps, toad. Compare Roy’s satire, Rede me, and be nott wrothe, &c.;
“A littell, pratye, foolysshe poade.”
Harl. Miscell. ix. 19. ed. Park.
v. 10. Strawe, Jamys foder, ye play the fode] The meaning of Jamys foder,—and whether “fode” is used here in the sense of—deceiver, one who feeds another with words (compare our author’s Magnyfycence, v. 1719. vol. i. 281.),—I must leave the reader to determine.
v. 12. bole] i. e. (I suppose) bull.
v. 15. I wiss] i. e. truly, certainly (i-wis, adv.).
v. 17. piggesnye] See note, p. 97. v. 20.
v. 19. Be] i. e. By.
—— hardely] i. e. assuredly.
v. 20. japed bodely] See Palsgrave’s Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr., 1530. fol. cclxv. (Table of Verbes); Puttenham’s Arte of English Poesie, B. iii. c. xxii. p. 212. ed. 1589; and the Prologue to the anonymous old play, Grim the Collier of Croydon.
Page 29. v. 27. thought] i. e. sadness, grief: see note, p. 101. v. 10.