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
“the Popingay, that hath in commendacyoun
Ladyes and gentylwomen suche as deseruyd,
And suche as be counterfettis they be reseruyd.”
v. 1188. vol. i. 409.
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;
“Go, litell quayre, namyd the Popagay.”
Speke, Parrot, v. 280.
[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);
“Popyngayes froo paradys comyn al grene.”
MS. Harl. 2255. fol. 133.
“Than spake the popynge Jay of paradyse.”
Parlyament of Byrdes, sig. A ii. n. d.
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,—
“Pol is a fine bird! O fine lady Pol!
Almond for Parrot, Parrot’s a brave bird;”—
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;
“Tu poteras virides pennis hebetare smaragdos.”
Am. lib. ii. vi. 21.
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).
“I pray thee what hath ere the Parret got,
And yet they say he talkes in great mens bowers?
...
A good foole call’d with paine perhaps may be.”
Sidney’s Arcadia, lib. ii. p. 229. ed. 1613.
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
“After the scole of Stratford atte bowe,
For Frenche of Paris was to hire unknowe.”
Prol. to Cant. Tales, v. 125. ed. Tyr.
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;
“Mercatique solum, facti de nomine Byrsam,
Taurino quantum possent circumdare tergo.”
Æn. i. 367.
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.
“In Iudicum the storye ye may rede.”
Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, B. i. leaf xiv. ed. Wayland.
v. 122.
O Esebon, Esebon! to thé is cum agayne
Seon, the regent Amorræorum,
And Og, that fat hog of Basan, doth retayne,
The crafty coistronus Cananæorum]
—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
“all priuileged places
He brekes and defaces,” &c.
v. 1086. vol. ii. 60.
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;
“But, by goggis blod, were she come home
Unto this my house, by our lady of Crome,
I wolde bete her or that I drynke.”
p. 1. reprint.
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.
With porpose and graundepose he may fede hym fatte,
Thowghe he pampyr not hys paunche with the grete seall]
—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;
“I can playe at the chery pytte
And I can wystell you a fytte
Syres in a whylowe ryne.”
The Worlde and the Chylde, 1522. sig. A iii.
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.;
“Howe I haue made the knaues for to play cowch quaile.”
p. 42. Roxb. ed.
“And thou shalt make him couche as doth a quaille.”
The Clerkes Tale, v. 9082. ed. Tyr.
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.
“And soo outface hym with a carde of ten.”
v. 315. vol. i. 42.
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.
Grete reysons with resons be now reprobitante,
For reysons ar no resons, but resons currant]
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.
So bolde a braggyng bocher....
...
So mangye a mastyfe curre, the grete grey houndes pere]
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.;
“The mastif curre, bred in Ypswitch towne.
...
Wat. He commeth then of some noble stocke?
Jeff. His father coulde snatche a bullock,
A butcher by his occupacion.”
Harl. Miscell. ix. 3. 31. ed. Park.
and a poem Of the Cardnalle Wolse;
“To se a churle a Bochers curre
To rayne & rule in soche honour,” &c.
MS. Harl. 2252. fol. 156.
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
... “neuer confounde
The gentyll greyhownde.”
v. 775. vol. ii. 50.
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.;
“Wat. Doth he use then on mules to ryde?
Jeff. Ye; and that with so shamfull pryde
That to tell it is not possible:
More lyke a god celestiall
Then eny creature mortall,
With worldly pompe incredible.
Before him rydeth two prestes stronge,
And they beare two crosses ryght longe,
Gapynge in every mans face:
After theym folowe two laye-men secular,
And eache of theym holdynge a pillar
In their hondes, steade of a mace.
Then foloweth my lorde on his mule,
Trapped with golde under her cule,
In every poynt most curiously;
On each syde a pollaxe is borne,
Which in none wother use are worne,
Pretendynge some hid mistery.
Then hath he servauntes fyve or six score,
Some behynde and some before,
A marvelous great company:
Of which are lordes and gentlemen,
With many gromes and yemen,
And also knaves amonge.
Thus dayly he procedeth forthe,” &c.
Harl. Miscell., ix. 29. ed. Park.
“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.