The Poetical Works of John Skelton :: :: University of Virginia Library

So haue ye me far passynge my meretis extollyd,
Mayster Lidgate, of your accustomable
Bownte, and so gloryously ye haue enrollyd
My name, I know well, beyonde that I am able,
That but if my warkes therto be agreable,
I am elles rebukyd of that I intende,
Which glad am to please, and lothe to offende.

So finally, when they had shewyd there deuyse,
Vnder the forme as I sayd tofore,
I made it straunge, and drew bak ones or twyse,
And euer they presed on me more and more,
Tyll at the last they forcyd me so sore,
That with them I went where they wolde me brynge,
Vnto the pauylyon where Pallas was syttyng.

190

Dame Pallas commaundid that they shold me conuay
Into the ryche palace of the Quene of Fame;
There shal he here what she wyl to hym say
When he is callid to answere to his name:
A cry anone forthwith she made proclame,
All orators and poetis shulde thider go before,
With all the prese that there was, lesse and more.

Forthwith, I say, thus wandrynge in my thought,
How it was, or elles within what howris,
I can not tell you, but that I was brought
Into a palace with turrettis and towris,
Engolerid goodly with hallis and bowris,
So curiously, so craftely, so connyngly wrowght,
That all the worlde, I trowe, and it were sought,

Suche an other there coude no man fynde;
Wherof partely I purpose to expounde,
Whyles it remanyth fresshe in my mynde.
With turkis and grossolitis enpauyd was the grounde;
Of birrall enbosid wer the pyllers rownde;
Of elephantis tethe were the palace gatis,
Enlosenged with many goodly platis

Of golde, entachid with many a precyous stone;
An hundred steppis mountyng to the halle,
One of iasper, another of whalis bone;

191

Of dyamauntis pointed was the rokky wall;
The carpettis within and tappettis of pall;
The chambres hangid with clothes of arace;
Enuawtyd with rubies the vawte was of this place.

Thus passid we forth, walkynge vnto the pretory,
Where the postis wer enbulyoned with saphiris indy blew,
Englasid glittering with many a clere story;
Iacinctis and smaragdis out of the florthe they grew:
Vnto this place all poetis there did sue,
Wherin was set of Fame the noble Quene,
All other transcendynge, most rychely besene,

Vnder a gloryous cloth of astate,
Fret all with orient perlys of Garnate,
Encrownyd as empresse of all this worldly fate,
So ryally, so rychely, so passyngly ornate,
It was excedyng byyonde the commowne rate:
This hous enuyrowne was a myle about;
If xii were let in, xii hundreth stode without.

Then to this lady and souerayne of this palace
Of purseuantis ther presid in with many a dyuerse tale;
Some were of Poyle, and sum were of Trace,
Of Lymerik, of Loreine, of Spayne, of Portyngale,

192

Frome Napuls, from Nauern, and from Rounceuall,
Some from Flaunders, sum fro the se coste,
Some from the mayne lande, some fro the Frensche hoste:

With, How doth the north? what tydyngis in the sowth?
The west is wyndy, the est is metely wele;
It is harde to tell of euery mannes mouthe;
A slipper holde the taile is of an ele,
And he haltith often that hath a kyby hele;
Some shewid his salfecundight, some shewid his charter,
Some lokyd full smothely, and had a fals quarter;

With, Sir, I pray you, a lytyll tyne stande backe,
And lette me come in to delyuer my lettre;
Another tolde how shyppes wente to wrak;
There were many wordes smaller and gretter,
With, I as good as thou, Ifayth and no better;
Some came to tell treuth, some came to lye,
Some came to flater, some came to spye:

There were, I say, of all maner of sortis,
Of Dertmouth, of Plummouth, of Portismouth also;
The burgeis and the ballyuis of the v portis,
With, Now let me come, and now let me go:
And all tyme wandred I thus to and fro,

193

Tyll at the last theis noble poetis thre
Vnto me sayd, Lo, syr, now ye may se

Of this high courte the dayly besines;
From you most we, but not longe to tary;
Lo, hither commyth a goodly maystres,
Occupacyon, Famys regestary,
Whiche shall be to you a sufferayne accessary,
With syngular pleasurs to dryue away the tyme,
And we shall se you ageyne or it be pryme.

When they were past and wente forth on there way,
This gentilwoman, that callyd was by name
Occupacyon, in ryght goodly aray,
Came towarde me, and smylid halfe in game;
I sawe hir smyle, and I then did the same;
With that on me she kest her goodly loke;
Vnder her arme, me thought, she hade a boke.