The Poetical Works of John Skelton principally according to the edition of the Rev. Alexander Dyce. In three volumes |
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Thus endeth the boke of Philip Sparow, and here
foloweth an adicyon made by maister Skelton.
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 | The Poetical Works of John Skelton |  |
Thus endeth the boke of Philip Sparow, and here foloweth an adicyon made by maister Skelton.
The gyse now a dayes
Of some ianglynge iayes
Is to discommende
That they cannot amend,
Though they wold spend
All the wyttes they haue.
Of some ianglynge iayes
Is to discommende
That they cannot amend,
Though they wold spend
All the wyttes they haue.
What ayle them to depraue
Phillip Sparowes graue?
His Dirige, her Commendacyon
Can be no derogacyon,
But myrth and consolacyon
Made by protestacyon,
No man to myscontent
With Phillyppes enterement.
Phillip Sparowes graue?
His Dirige, her Commendacyon
Can be no derogacyon,
But myrth and consolacyon
Made by protestacyon,
105
With Phillyppes enterement.
Alas, that goodly mayd,
Why shuld she be afrayde?
Why shuld she take shame
That her goodly name,
Honorably reported,
Sholde be set and sorted,
To be matriculate
With ladyes of estate?
Why shuld she be afrayde?
Why shuld she take shame
That her goodly name,
Honorably reported,
Sholde be set and sorted,
To be matriculate
With ladyes of estate?
I coniure thé, Phillip Sparow,
By Hercules that hell dyd harow,
And with a venemous arow
Slew of the Epidaures
One of the Centaures,
Or Onocentaures,
Or Hipocentaures;
By whose myght and mayne
An hart was slayne
With hornes twayne
Of glytteryng gold;
And the appels of gold
Of Hesperides withhold,
And with a dragon kept
That neuer more slept,
By marcyall strength
He wan at length;
And slew Gerion
With thre bodyes in one;
With myghty corage
Adauntid the rage
Of a lyon sauage;
Of Dyomedes stable
He brought out a rable
Of coursers and rounses
With leapes and bounses;
And with mighty luggyng,
Wrestlyng and tuggyng,
He plucked the bull
By the horned skull,
And offred to Cornucopia;
And so forth per cetera:
By Hercules that hell dyd harow,
And with a venemous arow
Slew of the Epidaures
One of the Centaures,
Or Onocentaures,
Or Hipocentaures;
By whose myght and mayne
An hart was slayne
With hornes twayne
Of glytteryng gold;
And the appels of gold
Of Hesperides withhold,
And with a dragon kept
That neuer more slept,
By marcyall strength
He wan at length;
And slew Gerion
With thre bodyes in one;
With myghty corage
106
Of a lyon sauage;
Of Dyomedes stable
He brought out a rable
Of coursers and rounses
With leapes and bounses;
And with mighty luggyng,
Wrestlyng and tuggyng,
He plucked the bull
By the horned skull,
And offred to Cornucopia;
And so forth per cetera:
Also by Ecates bower
In Plutos gastly tower;
In Plutos gastly tower;
By the vgly Eumenides,
That neuer haue rest nor ease;
That neuer haue rest nor ease;
By the venemous serpent,
That in hell is neuer brent,
In Lerna the Grekes fen,
That was engendred then;
That in hell is neuer brent,
In Lerna the Grekes fen,
That was engendred then;
By Chemeras flames,
And all the dedly names
Of infernall posty,
Where soules frye and rosty;
And all the dedly names
Of infernall posty,
Where soules frye and rosty;
By the Stygyall flood,
And the streames wood
Of Cocitus botumles well;
And the streames wood
Of Cocitus botumles well;
By the feryman of hell,
Caron with his beerd hore,
That roweth with a rude ore
And with his frownsid fore top
Gydeth his bote with a prop:
Caron with his beerd hore,
That roweth with a rude ore
107
Gydeth his bote with a prop:
I coniure Phylyp, and call
In the name of kyng Saul;
Primo Regum expresse,
He bad the Phitonesse
To wytchcraft her to dresse,
And by her abusyons,
And dampnable illusyons
Of marueylus conclusyons,
And by her supersticyons,
And wonderfull condityons,
She raysed vp in that stede
Samuell that was dede;
But whether it were so,
He were idem in numero,
The selfe same Samuell,
How be it to Saull dyd he tell
The Philistinis shuld hym ascry,
And the next day he shuld dye,
I wyll my selfe dyscharge
To lettred men at large:
In the name of kyng Saul;
Primo Regum expresse,
He bad the Phitonesse
To wytchcraft her to dresse,
And by her abusyons,
And dampnable illusyons
Of marueylus conclusyons,
And by her supersticyons,
And wonderfull condityons,
She raysed vp in that stede
Samuell that was dede;
But whether it were so,
He were idem in numero,
The selfe same Samuell,
How be it to Saull dyd he tell
The Philistinis shuld hym ascry,
And the next day he shuld dye,
I wyll my selfe dyscharge
To lettred men at large:
But, Phylyp, I coniure thee
Now by these names thre,
Diana in the woodes grene,
Luna that so bryght doth shene,
Procerpina in hell,
That thou shortly tell,
And shew now vnto me
What the cause may be
Of this perplexite!
Now by these names thre,
Diana in the woodes grene,
Luna that so bryght doth shene,
Procerpina in hell,
That thou shortly tell,
And shew now vnto me
What the cause may be
Of this perplexite!
108
Inferias, Philippe, tuas Scroupe pulchra Joanna
Instanter petiit: cur nostri carminis illam
Nunc pudet? est sero; minor est infamia vero.
Instanter petiit: cur nostri carminis illam
Nunc pudet? est sero; minor est infamia vero.
Than suche as haue disdayned
And of this worke complayned,
I pray God they be payned
No worse than is contayned
In verses two or thre
That folowe as ye may se.
And of this worke complayned,
I pray God they be payned
No worse than is contayned
In verses two or thre
That folowe as ye may se.
Luride, cur, livor, volucris pia funera damnas?
Talia te rapiant rapiunt quæ fata volucrem!
Est tamen invidia mors tibi continua.
Talia te rapiant rapiunt quæ fata volucrem!
Est tamen invidia mors tibi continua.
| The Poetical Works of John Skelton | |