v. 1381. Moyses hornis] So Lydgate;
“Moyses
With golden hornes liche phebus beames bright.”
Process. of Corpus Christi,—MS. Harl. 2251. fol. 251.
“Cumque descenderet Moyses de monte Sinai ... ignorabat quod cornuta esset facies sua ex consortio sermonis Domini.” Vulgate,—Exod. xxxiv. 29.
v. 1382. merely, medelyd] i. e. merrily, mingled.
v. 1383. Of paiauntis that were played in Ioyows Garde] Bale, in his enumeration of Skelton’s writings, alluding to this line (as is evident from his arrangement of the pieces), gives “Theatrales ludos.” Script. Illust. Bryt. p. 652. ed. 1557: and Mr. J. P. Collier states that “one of Skelton’s earlier works had been a series of pageants, ‘played in Joyous Garde,’ or Arthur’s Castle.” Hist. of Engl. Dram. Poet. ii. 142. But, assuredly, in the present line, paiauntis, i. e. pageants, means nothing of a dramatic nature. The expression to “play a pageant” has occurred several times already in our author’s poems; “I haue played my pageyond” (my part on the stage of life), see note, p. 88. v. 85; “Suche pollyng paiaunttis ye pley” (such thievish pranks), see note, p. 189. v. 190: and though it may be doubted whether the paiauntis that were played in Ioyows Garde,—i. e. in the Castle of Sir Launcelot, according to the romances,—are to be understood as connected with feats of arms, I cite the following passage in further illustration of the expression; “The fyrste that was redy to Juste was sir Palomydes and sir Kaynus le straunge a knyghte of the table round. And soo they two encountred to gyders, but sire Palomydes smote sir Kaynus soo hard that he smote hym quyte ouer his hors croupe, and forth with alle sir Palomydes smote doune another knyght and brake thenne his spere & pulled oute his swerd and did wonderly wel. And thenne the noyse beganne gretely vpon sir palomydes. Ioo said Kynge Arthur yonder palomydes begynneth to play his pagent. So god me help said Arthur he is a passynge good knyght. And ryght as they stood talkyng thus, in came sir Tristram as thonder, and he encountred with syre Kay the Seneschall, and there he smote hym doune quyte from his hors, and with that same spere sir Tristram smote doune thre knyghtes moo, and thenne he pulled oute his swerd and dyd merueyllously. Thenne the noyse and crye chaunged from syr Palomydes and torned to sir Tristram and alle the peple cryed O Tristram, O Tristram. And thenne was sir Palomydes clene forgeten. How now said Launcelot vnto Arthur, yonder rydeth a knyght that playeth his pagents.” Morte d’Arthur, B. x. cap. lxxix. vol. ii. 140. ed. Southey.
Page 416. v. 1384. wrate] i. e. wrote.
—— muse] See note, p. 234. v. 212.
v. 1385. do] i. e. doe.