The Poetical Works of John Skelton principally according to the edition of the Rev. Alexander Dyce. In three volumes |
I. |
HERE AFTER FOLOWETH THE BOKE ENTYTULED WARE THE HAUKE, PER SKELTON, LAUREAT. |
II. |
The Poetical Works of John Skelton | ||
173
HERE AFTER FOLOWETH THE BOKE ENTYTULED WARE THE HAUKE, PER SKELTON, LAUREAT.
PROLOGUS SKELTONIDIS LAUREATI SUPER WARE THE HAWKE.
This worke deuysed is
For such as do amys;
And specyally to controule
Such as haue cure of soule,
That be so farre abused,
They cannot be excused
By reason nor by law;
But that they play the daw,
To hawke, or els to hunt
From the aulter to the funte,
With cry vnreuerent,
Before the sacrament,
Within the holy church bowndis,
That of our faith the grounde is.
That pryest that hawkys so,
All grace is farre him fro;
He semeth a sysmatyke,
Or els an heretyke,
For fayth in him is faynte.
Therefore to make complaynte
Of such mysaduysed
Parsons and dysgysed,
This boke we haue deuysed,
Compendiously comprysed,
No good priest to offende,
But suche dawes to amende,
In hope that no man shall
Be myscontent withall.
For such as do amys;
And specyally to controule
Such as haue cure of soule,
That be so farre abused,
They cannot be excused
By reason nor by law;
But that they play the daw,
To hawke, or els to hunt
From the aulter to the funte,
With cry vnreuerent,
Before the sacrament,
Within the holy church bowndis,
That of our faith the grounde is.
That pryest that hawkys so,
All grace is farre him fro;
174
Or els an heretyke,
For fayth in him is faynte.
Therefore to make complaynte
Of such mysaduysed
Parsons and dysgysed,
This boke we haue deuysed,
Compendiously comprysed,
No good priest to offende,
But suche dawes to amende,
In hope that no man shall
Be myscontent withall.
I shall you make relacion,
By waye of apostrofacion,
Vnder supportacion
Of youre pacyent tolleracion,
How I, Skelton Laureat,
Deuysed and also wrate
Vpon a lewde curate,
A parson benyfyced,
But nothing well aduysed:
He shall be as now nameles,
But he shall not be blameles,
Nor he shal not be shameles;
For sure he wrought amys,
To hawke in my church of Dis.
This fonde frantyke fauconer,
With his polutid pawtenar,
As priest vnreuerent;
Streyght to the sacrament
He made his hawke to fly,
With hogeous showte and cry.
The hye auter he strypt naked;
There on he stode, and craked;
He shoke downe all the clothis,
And sware horrible othes
Before the face of God,
By Moyses and Arons rod,
Or that he thens yede,
His hawke shoulde pray and fede
Vpon a pigeons maw.
The bloude ran downe raw
Vpon the auter stone;
The hawke tyrid on a bonne;
And in the holy place
She mutid there a chase
Vpon my corporas face.
Such sacrificium laudis
He made with suche gambawdis.
By waye of apostrofacion,
Vnder supportacion
Of youre pacyent tolleracion,
How I, Skelton Laureat,
Deuysed and also wrate
Vpon a lewde curate,
A parson benyfyced,
But nothing well aduysed:
He shall be as now nameles,
But he shall not be blameles,
Nor he shal not be shameles;
For sure he wrought amys,
To hawke in my church of Dis.
This fonde frantyke fauconer,
With his polutid pawtenar,
As priest vnreuerent;
Streyght to the sacrament
175
With hogeous showte and cry.
The hye auter he strypt naked;
There on he stode, and craked;
He shoke downe all the clothis,
And sware horrible othes
Before the face of God,
By Moyses and Arons rod,
Or that he thens yede,
His hawke shoulde pray and fede
Vpon a pigeons maw.
The bloude ran downe raw
Vpon the auter stone;
The hawke tyrid on a bonne;
And in the holy place
She mutid there a chase
Vpon my corporas face.
Such sacrificium laudis
He made with suche gambawdis.
OBSERVATE.
His seconde hawke wexid gery,And was with flying wery;
She had flowin so oft,
That on the rode loft
She perkyd her to rest.
The fauconer then was prest,
Came runnyng with a dow,
And cryed, Stow, stow, stow!
But she would not bow.
176
Callid her with a lure.
Her mete was very crude,
She had not wel endude;
She was not clene ensaymed,
She was not well reclaymed:
But the fawconer vnfayned
Was much more febler brayned.
The hawke had no lyst
To come to hys fyst;
She loked as she had the frounce;
With that he gaue her a bounce
Full vpon the gorge:
I wyll not fayne nor forge;
The hawke with that clap
Fell downe with euyll hap.
The church dores were sparred,
Fast boltyd and barryd,
Yet wyth a prety gyn
I fortuned to come in,
This rebell to beholde,
Wherof I hym controlde;
But he sayde that he woulde,
Agaynst my mynde and wyll,
In my churche hawke styll.
CONSIDERATE.
On Sainct John decollacionHe hawked on this facion,
Tempore vesperarum,
Sed non secundum Sarum,
177
His braynes were so parum.
He sayde he would not let
His houndis for to fet,
To hunte there by lyberte
In the dyspyte of me,
And to halow there the fox:
Downe went my offerynge box,
Boke, bell, and candyll,
All that he myght handyll:
Cros, staffe, lectryne, and banner,
Fell downe on this manner.
DELIBERATE.
With, troll, cytrace, and trouy,They ranged, hankin bouy,
My churche all aboute.
This fawconer then gan showte,
These be my gospellers,
These be my pystillers,
These be my querysters,
To helpe me to synge,
My hawkes to mattens rynge.
In this priestly gydynge
His hawke then flew vppon
The rode with Mary and John.
Delt he not lyke a fon?
Delt he not lyke a daw?
Or els is this Goddes law,
Decrees or decretals,
178
Or els prouincials,
Thus within the wals
Of holy church to deale,
Thus to rynge a peale
With his hawkis bels?
Dowtles such losels
Make the churche to be
In smale auctoryte:
A curate in speciall
To snappar and to fall
Into this open cryme;
To loke on this were tyme.
VIGILATE.
But who so that lokysIn the officiallis bokis,
Ther he may se and reed
That this is matter indeed.
How be it, mayden Meed
Made theym to be agreed,
And so the Scrybe was feed,
And the Pharasay
Than durst nothing say,
But let the matter slyp,
And made truth to trip;
And of the spiritual law
They made but a gewgaw,
And toke it out in drynke,
And this the cause doth shrynke:
179
Reproched and pollutyd:
Correccion hath no place,
And all for lacke of grace.
DEPLORATE.
Loke now in Exodi,And de arca Domini,
With Regum by and by;
The Bybyll wyll not ly;
How the Temple was kept,
How the Temple was swept,
Where sanguis taurorum,
Aut sanguis vitulorum,
Was offryd within the wallis,
After ceremoniallis;
When it was poluted,
Sentence was executed,
By wey of expiacion,
For reconciliacion.
DIVINITATE.
Then muche more, by the rode,Where Christis precious blode
Dayly offred is,
To be poluted this;
And that he wyshed withall
That the dowues donge downe might fal
180
When consecrated was
The blessed sacrament:
O prieest vnreuerent!
He sayde that he woulde hunt
From the aulter to the funt.
REFORMATE.
Of no tyrande I rede,That so farre dyd excede;
Neyther yet Dioclesyan,
Nor yet Domisian,
Nor yet croked Cacus,
Nor yet dronken Bacus;
Nother Olibrius,
Nor Dionisyus;
Nother Phalary,
Rehersed in Valery;
Nor Sardanapall,
Vnhappiest of all;
Nor Nero the worst,
Nor Clawdius the curst;
Nor yet Egeas,
Nor yet Syr Pherumbras;
Nother Zorobabell,
Nor cruel Jesabell;
Nor yet Tarquinius,
Whom Tytus Liuius
In wrytynge doth enroll;
I haue red them poll by poll;
181
And of Constantinopell,
Whiche citye miscreantys wan,
And slew many a Christen man;
Yet the Sowden, nor the Turke,
Wrought neuer suche a worke,
For to let theyr hawkes fly
In the Church of Saint Sophy;
With much matter more,
That I kepe in store.
PENSITATE.
Then in a tabull playneI wroute a verse or twayne,
Whereat he made dysdayne:
The pekysh parsons brayne
Cowde not rech nor attayne
What the sentence ment;
He sayde, for a crokid intent
The wordes were paruerted:
And this he ouerthwarted.
Of the which proces
Ye may know more expres,
If it please you to loke
In the resydew of this boke.
Here after followeth the tabull.
Loke on this tabull,
Whether thou art abull
To rede or to spell
What these verses tell.
Whether thou art abull
182
What these verses tell.
Sicculo lutueris est colo būraarā
Nixphedras uisarum caniuter tuntantes
Raterplas Natābrian umsudus itnugenus.
18 . 10 . 2 . 11 . 19 . 4 . 13 . 3 . 3 . 1 . tēualet.
Chartula stet, precor, hæc nullo temeranda petulco:
Hos rapiet numeros non homo, sed mala bos.
Ex parte rem chartæ adverte aperte, pone Musam
Arethusam hanc.
Nixphedras uisarum caniuter tuntantes
Raterplas Natābrian umsudus itnugenus.
18 . 10 . 2 . 11 . 19 . 4 . 13 . 3 . 3 . 1 . tēualet.
Chartula stet, precor, hæc nullo temeranda petulco:
Hos rapiet numeros non homo, sed mala bos.
Ex parte rem chartæ adverte aperte, pone Musam
Arethusam hanc.
Whereto should I rehers
The sentence of my vers?
In them be no scholys
For braynsycke frantycke folys:
Construas hoc,
Domine Dawcocke!
Ware the hawke!
The sentence of my vers?
In them be no scholys
For braynsycke frantycke folys:
Construas hoc,
Domine Dawcocke!
Ware the hawke!
Maister sophista,
Ye simplex syllogista,
Ye deuelysh dogmatista,
Your hawke on your fista,
To hawke when you lista
In ecclesia ista,
Domine concupisti,
With thy hawke on thy fisty?
Nunquid sic dixisti?
Nunquid sic fecisti?
Sed ubi hoc legisti
Aut unde hoc,
Doctor Dawcocke?
Ware the hawke!
Ye simplex syllogista,
Ye deuelysh dogmatista,
Your hawke on your fista,
183
In ecclesia ista,
Domine concupisti,
With thy hawke on thy fisty?
Nunquid sic dixisti?
Nunquid sic fecisti?
Sed ubi hoc legisti
Aut unde hoc,
Doctor Dawcocke?
Ware the hawke!
Doctor Dialetica,
Where fynde you in Hypothetica,
Or in Categoria,
Latina sive Dorica,
To vse your hawkys forica
In propitiatorio,
Tanquam diversorio?
Unde hoc,
Domine Dawcocke?
Ware the hawke!
Where fynde you in Hypothetica,
Or in Categoria,
Latina sive Dorica,
To vse your hawkys forica
In propitiatorio,
Tanquam diversorio?
Unde hoc,
Domine Dawcocke?
Ware the hawke!
Saye to me, Jacke Harys,
Quare aucuparis
Ad sacramentum altaris?
For no reuerens thou sparys
To shake my pygeons federis
Super arcam fœderis:
Unde hoc,
Doctor Dawcocke?
Ware the hawke!
Quare aucuparis
Ad sacramentum altaris?
For no reuerens thou sparys
To shake my pygeons federis
Super arcam fœderis:
Unde hoc,
Doctor Dawcocke?
Ware the hawke!
184
Sir Dominus vobiscum,
Per aucupium
Ye made your hawke to cum
Desuper candelabrum
Christi crucifixi
To fede vpon your fisty:
Dic, inimice crucis Christi,
Ubi didicisti
Facere hoc,
Domine Dawcocke?
Ware the hawke!
Per aucupium
Ye made your hawke to cum
Desuper candelabrum
Christi crucifixi
To fede vpon your fisty:
Dic, inimice crucis Christi,
Ubi didicisti
Facere hoc,
Domine Dawcocke?
Ware the hawke!
Apostata Julianus,
Nor yet Nestorianus,
Thou shalt no where rede
That they dyd suche a dede,
To let theyr hawkys fly
Ad ostium tabernaculi,
In quo est corpus Domini:
Cave hoc,
Doctor Dawcocke!
Ware the hawke!
Nor yet Nestorianus,
Thou shalt no where rede
That they dyd suche a dede,
To let theyr hawkys fly
Ad ostium tabernaculi,
In quo est corpus Domini:
Cave hoc,
Doctor Dawcocke!
Ware the hawke!
This dowtles ye rauyd,
Dys church ye thus deprauyd;
Wherfore, as I be sauyd,
Ye are therefore beknauyd:
Quare? quia Evangelia,
Concha et conchylia,
Accipiter et sonalia,
Et bruta animalia,
Cætera quoque talia
Tibi sunt æqualia:
Unde hoc,
Domine Dawcocke?
Ware the hawke!
Dys church ye thus deprauyd;
Wherfore, as I be sauyd,
Ye are therefore beknauyd:
Quare? quia Evangelia,
Concha et conchylia,
Accipiter et sonalia,
Et bruta animalia,
Cætera quoque talia
185
Unde hoc,
Domine Dawcocke?
Ware the hawke!
Et relis et ralis,
Et reliqualis,
From Granado to Galis,
From Wynchelsee to Walys,
Non est braynsycke talis,
Nec minus rationalis,
Nec magis bestialis,
That synggys with a chalys:
Construas hoc,
Doctor Dawcocke!
Ware the hawke!
Et reliqualis,
From Granado to Galis,
From Wynchelsee to Walys,
Non est braynsycke talis,
Nec minus rationalis,
Nec magis bestialis,
That synggys with a chalys:
Construas hoc,
Doctor Dawcocke!
Ware the hawke!
Masyd, wytles, smery smyth,
Hampar with your hammer vpon thy styth,
And make hereof a syckyll or a saw,
For thoughe ye lyue a c. yere, ye shall dy a daw.
Vos valete,
Doctor indiscrete!
Hampar with your hammer vpon thy styth,
And make hereof a syckyll or a saw,
For thoughe ye lyue a c. yere, ye shall dy a daw.
Vos valete,
Doctor indiscrete!
The Poetical Works of John Skelton | ||