“And euery bosse of bridle and paitrell
That they had, was worth, as I would wene,
A thousand pound.”
Chaucer’s Floure and Leafe,—Workes, fol. 345. ed. 1602.
v. 1166. balassis] Tyrwhitt (Gloss, to Chaucer’s Cant. Tales) explains Bales to be “a sort of bastard Ruby.” Du Cange (Gloss.) has “Balascus, Carbunculus, cujus rubor et fulgor dilutiores sunt ... a Balascia Indiæ regione ... dicti ejusmodi lapides pretiosi.” Marco Polo tells us, “In this country [Balashan or Badakhshan] are found the precious stones called balass rubies, of fine quality and great value.” Travels, p. 129, translated by Marsden, who in his learned note on the passage (p. 132) observes that in the Latin version it is said expressly that these stones have their name from the country. See too Sir F. Madden’s note on Privy Purse Expenses of the Princess Mary, p. 209.
v. 1167. aurum musicum] i. e. aurum musaicum or musivum,—mosaic gold.
v. 1172. Boke of Honorous Astate] i. e. Book of Honourable Estate. Like many other of the pieces which Skelton proceeds to enumerate, it is not known to exist. When any of his still extant writings are mentioned in this catalogue, I shall refer to the places where they may be found in the present volumes.
Page 408. v. 1176. to lerne you to dye when ye wyll] A version probably of the same piece which was translated and published by Caxton under the title of A lityll treatise shorte and abredged spekynge of the arte and crafte to knowe well to dye, 1490, folio. Caxton translated it from the French: the original Latin was a work of great celebrity.
v. 1178. Rosiar] i. e. Rose-bush.
—— Prince Arturis Creacyoun] Arthur, the eldest son of King Henry the Seventh, was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, 1st Oct. 1489: see Sandford’s Geneal. Hist. p. 475. ed. 1707.