OF THE DEATH OF THE NOBLE PRINCE, KYNGE EDWARDE THE FORTH.
Page 1. “Indeed if he well weighed that Epitaph of King Edward the fourth, made by Skelton, which I find inserted amongst the vnprinted Workes of Lydgate, he would be more modest in this kinde.” Qvaternio, 1633, p. 239, by Nash, who cites a considerable portion of this poem from a MS.—Lydgate could not have been alive at the period of Edward’s decease: see Warton’s Hist. of E.P. ii. 51. ed. 4to. (note), Ritson’s Bibl. Poet., &c.
Edward the Fourth died April 9th, 1483, in the 41st year of his age and the 23d of his reign: see Sir H. Nicolas’s Chron. of Hist. pp. 325, 349, sec. ed. These lines were probably composed soon after the king’s death—per Skeltonidem laureatum having been subsequently added to the title.
v. 8. lykynge] i. e. joy, pleasure.
Page 2. v. 22. a chery fayre] If this is to be understood as cherry-fair (which I think doubtful), the line ought to be pointed,
“Not certayne, but as a chery fayre, full of wo.”
The first of the following parallel passages is cited by Richardson in his Dict. under Cherry (as also from the same work of Gower,
“And that endureth but a throwe,
Right as it were a cherie feste.”
B. vi. fol. cxxxiii. ed. 1554).
and Mr. Halliwell has obligingly forwarded to me a letter from one of his friends, who states that “cherry-wakes or cherry-fairs used not long since to be held in Worcestershire on Sunday-evenings after divine service, and that in his own village there were three in the season, one for the early cherries, and two others for those of later growth.”
“For all is but a cherie feire
This worldes good, so as thei tell.”
Gower’s Conf. Am., Prol. fol. 3. ed. 1554.
“This worlde ys but a chyrye feyre, whan ȝe be heyest ȝe mowe aslake.”
Lydgate’s verses entitled Make Amendes,—MS. Cott. Calig. A ii. fol. 67.
“Reuoluyng als this liif a chere fayre
To loke how sone she deyde the fayrist wight.”
Poems by C. Duke of Orleans,—MS. Harl. 682. fol. 42.
“Thys werld hyt turnys euyn as a whele,
All day be day hyt wyl enpayre,
And so, sone, thys worldys wele,
Hyt faryth but as a chery fare.”
How the wise man taught his son,—Pieces of An. Pop. Poetry, p. 90. ed. Ritson.
Page 2. v. 28. to contribute Fraunce] i. e. to take tribute of France. In 1475 Edward withdrew from France with his army on condition that Louis should pay him immediately 75 thousand crowns, settle on him an annuity for life of 50 thousand more, &c. See Lingard’s Hist. of Engl. v. 303. ed. 8vo.
v. 35. as who sayth] A not unfrequent expression in our early poetry, equivalent to—as one may say, as the saying is.
Page 3. v. 37. I se wyll, they leve that doble my ȝeris] i. e. I see well, that they live that double my years.
v. 38. This dealid this world] i. e. Thus dealed this world. Skelton elsewhere, like many of our old poets, uses this for thus; as in his Ware the Hauke;
“Where Christis precious blode
Dayly offred is,
To be poluted this.”
v. 179. vol. i. 161.
v. 40. Had I wyst] i. e. Had I known,—the exclamation of one who repents of a thing done unadvisedly. It is very common in our early poetry. In The Paradyse of daynty deuises, 1576, the second copy of verses is entitled Beware of had I wyst.
v. 52. occupy] i. e. possess,—or, rather, use: “Surgyons occupy oyntmentes, &c., Vulnarii medici vtuntur,” &c. Hormanni Vulgaria, sig. I. vi. ed. 1530.
v. 53. I made the Tower stronge] “Edward iv ... fortified the Tower, and made it strong.” Stow’s Survey, B. i. 79. ed. 1720.
v. 54. I purchased Tetersall] I have not found elsewhere any mention of Edward the Fourth having possessed Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire. “It does not appear into whose hands the Tattershall estate fell after the death of the Lord Treasurer Cromwell [in 1455], until the year 1487, when Henry VII. granted the manor to his mother Margaret Countess of Richmond,” &c. Hist. of the County of Lincoln, ii. 73.
v. 55. I amendid Douer] “K. Edw. iv., by the advice of Lord Cobham, expended 10,000l. in repairing and fortifying the several works, and beautifying the apartments in it [Dover Castle].” Hasted’s Hist. of Kent, iv. 63.
Page 3. v. 56. And London I prouoked to fortify the wall]—prouoked, i. e. incited, caused.—“In the Seventeenth of Edward iv., Ralph Josceline, Maior, caused part of the Wall about the City to be repaired, to wit, between Aldgate and Aldersgate,” &c. Stow’s Survey, B. I. 10. ed. 1720.
v. 57. I made Notingam a place full royall] Leland, describing Nottingham Castle, says; “But the moste bewtifullest Part and gallant Building for lodgyng is on the Northe side, wher Edward the 4. began a right sumptuus pece of Stone Work, of the which he clerely finichid one excellent goodly Toure of 3. Hightes yn Building, and brought up the other Part likewise from the Foundation with Stone and mervelus fair cumpacid Windoes to layyng of the first soyle for Chambers and ther lefte.” Itin. i. 107. ed. 1770.
v. 58. Wyndsore] “The present magnificent fabrick [St. George’s Chapel at Windsor], which exhibits one of the most beautiful specimens in this or any other kingdom, of that richly ornamented species of architecture, which prevailed towards the close of the fifteenth and the commencement of the 16th century, was begun by King Edward IV., who having found it necessary to take down the old chapel on account of its decayed state, resolved to build another on the same site, upon a larger scale, and committed the superintendence of the building to Richard Beauchamp, bishop of Salisbury. The work was not completed till the reign of King Henry VIII.,” &c. Lysons’s Berkshire, p. 424: see too p. 468 of the same volume.—An account of the manors, &c., granted by Edward to Windsor College, will be found in Pote’s Hist. of Wind. Castle, p. 107.
—— Eltam] “K. Edw. iv. repaired this house [Eltham Palace] with much cost, and inclosed Horne-Park,” &c. Hasted’s Hist. of Kent, i. 51.
Page 4. v. 64. solas] i. e. sport, amusement.
v. 66. Lady Bes] Edward married, May 1st, 1464, the Lady Elizabeth Grey, widow of Sir John Grey, and daughter of Wydevile Lord Rivers by Jacquetta (or Jacqueline) Duchess of Bedford.
v. 70. But Windsore alone, now I haue no mo]—mo, i. e. more.—“He [Edward IV.] lies buried at Windsor, in the new Chappel (whose Foundation himself had laid, being all the Works of Piety by him left) under a Monument of Steel, polish’d and gilt, [iron gilt—see Lysons’s Berkshire, p. 210.], representing a Pair of Gates, betwixt Two Towers, all of curious transparent Workmanship after the Gothick Manner, which is placed in the North-Arch, faced through with Touch-Stone, near to the High-Altar.” Sandford’s Geneal. Hist. p. 413. ed. 1707.
Page 4. v. 73.
Why should a man be proude or presume hye?
Sainct Bernard therof nobly doth trete,
Seyth a man is but a sacke of stercorry,
And shall returne vnto wormis mete.
Why, what cam of Alexander the greate?
Or els of stronge Sampson, who can tell?
Were not wormes ordeyned theyr flesh to frete?
And of Salomon, that was of wyt the well?
Absolon profferyd his heare for to sell,
Yet for al his bewte wormys ete him also]
—stercorry, i. e. dung: frete, i. e. eat, devour: heare, i. e. hair.—In cap. iii. of Meditationes piissimæ de cognitione humanæ conditionis, a piece attributed to Saint Bernard, we find, “Nihil aliud est homo, quam sperma fœtidum, saccus stercorum, cibus vermium.... Cur ergo superbis homo.... Quid superbis pulvis et cinis,” &c. Bernardi Opp. ii. 335-36. ed. 1719. In a Rythmus de contemptu mundi, attributed to the same saint, are these lines;
“Dic ubi Salomon, olim tam nobilis?
Vel ubi Samson est, dux invincibilis?
Vel pulcher Absalon, vultu mirabilis?
...
O esca vermium! O massa pulveris!
O roris vanitas, cur sic extolleris?”
Opp. ii. 913-14. ed. 1719.
(This Rythmus is printed by Mr. Wright among The Latin Poems attributed to Walter Mapes, p. 147.) So also Lydgate in a poem on the mutability of human affairs;
“And wher is Salomon moost soueryn of konnynge,
Richest of bildyng, of tresour incomparable?
Face of Absolon moost fair, moost amyable?
...
And wher is Alisaundir that conqueryd al?”
MS. Harl. 2255. fol. 4, 5.
—of wyt the well: so in Cæsar Augustus;
“Of witt art thou the welle.”—Townely Mysteries, p. 68.
v. 85. I haue played my pageyond] i. e. I have played my pageant,—my part on the stage of life. Compare
“Theyr pageandes are past
And ours wasteth fast
Nothynge dothe aye last
But the grace of God.”
Feylde’s Contrav. bytwene a louer and a Iaye, sig. B iii. n. d. 4to.
“Playis heir thair padyanis, syne gois to graif.”
Dunbar’s Poems, i. 213. ed. Laing.
“To playe this parte or padgeant.” Palsgrave’s Acolastus, 1540, sig. S.—The word pageant was originally applied to the temporary erections (sometimes placed upon wheels) on which miracle-plays were exhibited, afterwards to the exhibition itself. See Sharp’s Diss. on Coventry Pag. and Myst., p. 2; Collier’s Hist. of Engl. Dram. Poet., ii. 151.
Page 4. v. 86. yeld] i. e. eld, age.
Page 5. v. 87. This] i. e. Thus: see note on v. 38.
SKELTON LAUREATUS LIBELLUM SUUM, &c.
Page 6. v. 3. leonis] See note on v. 109 of next poem.