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

My name is Parrot, a byrd of paradyse,
By nature deuysed of a wonderous kynde,
Dyentely dyeted with dyuers dylycate spyce,
Tyl Euphrates, that flode, dryueth me into Inde;

246

Where men of that countrey by fortune me fynd,
And send me to greate ladyes of estate;
Then Parot must haue an almon or a date:

A cage curyously caruen, with syluer pyn,
Properly paynted, to be my couertowre;
A myrrour of glasse, that I may toote therin;
These maidens ful mekely with many a diuers flowre
Freshly they dresse, and make swete my bowre,
With, Speke, Parrot, I pray you, full curtesly they say;
Parrot is a goodly byrd, a prety popagey:

With my becke bent my lyttyl wanton eye,
My fedders freshe as is the emrawde grene,
About my neck a cyrculet lyke the ryche rubye,
My lyttyll leggys, my feet both fete and clene,
I am a mynyon to wayt vppon a quene;
My proper Parrot, my lyttyl prety foole;
With ladyes I lerne, and go with them to scole.

Hagh, ha, ha, Parrot, ye can laugh pretyly!
Parrot hath not dyned of al this long day:

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Lyke your pus cate, Parrot can mute and cry
In Lattyn, in Ebrew, Araby, and Caldey;
In Greke tong Parrot can bothe speke and say,
As Percyus, that poet, doth reporte of me,
Quis expedivit psittaco suum chaire?

Dowse French of Parryse Parrot can lerne,
Pronounsynge my purpose after my properte,
With, Perliez byen, Parrot, ou perlez rien;
With Douch, with Spanysh, my tong can agre;
In Englysh to God Parrot can supple,
Cryst saue Kyng Henry the viii., our royall kyng,
The red rose in honour to florysh and sprynge!

With Kateryne incomparable, our ryall quene also,
That pereles pomegarnet, Chryst saue her noble grace!
Parrot, saves habler Castiliano,

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With fidasso de cosso in Turkey and in Trace;
Vis consilii expers, as techith me Horace,
Mole ruit sua, whose dictes ar pregnaunte,
Souentez foys, Parrot, en souenaunte.

My lady maystres, dame Philology,
Gaue me a gyfte in my nest whan I laye,
To lerne all language, and it to spake aptely:
Now pandez mory, wax frantycke, some men saye,
Phroneses for Freneses may not holde her way.
An almon now for Parrot, dilycatly drest;
In Salve festa dies, toto theyr doth best.

Moderata juvant, but toto doth excede;
Dyscressyon is moder of noble vertues all;
Myden agan in Greke tonge we rede;
But reason and wyt wantyth theyr prouyncyall
When wylfulnes is vycar generall.
Hæc res acu tangitur, Parrot, par ma foy:
Ticez vous, Parrot, tenez vous coye.

Besy, besy, besy, and besynes agayne!
Que pensez voz, Parrot? what meneth this besynes?

249

Vitulus in Oreb troubled Arons brayne,
Melchisedeck mercyfull made Moloc mercyles;
To wyse is no vertue, to medlyng, to restles;
In mesure is tresure, cum sensu maturato;
Ne tropo sanno, ne tropo mato.

Aram was fyred with Caldies fyer called Ur;
Iobab was brought vp in the lande of Hus;
The lynage of Lot toke supporte of Assur;
Iereboseth is Ebrue, who lyst the cause dyscus.
Peace, Parrot, ye prate, as ye were ebrius:
Howst thé, lyuer god van hemrik, ic seg;
In Popering grew peres, whan Parrot was an eg.

What is this to purpose? Ouer in a whynny meg!
Hop Lobyn of Lowdeon wald haue e byt of bred;
The iebet of Baldock was made for Jack Leg;
An arrow vnfethered and without an hed,
A bagpype without blowynge standeth in no sted:
Some run to far before, some run to far behynde,
Some be to churlysshe, and some be to kynde.

Ic dien serueth for the erstrych fether,
Ic dien is the language of the land of Beme;
In Affryc tongue byrsa is a thonge of lether;
In Palestina there is Ierusalem.
Colostrum now for Parot, whyte bred and swete creme!

250

Our Thomasen she doth trip, our Ienet she doth shayle:
Parrot hath a blacke beard and a fayre grene tayle.

Moryshe myne owne shelfe, the costermonger sayth;
Fate, fate, fate, ye Irysh water lag;
In flattryng fables men fynde but lyttyl fayth:
But moveatur terra, let the world wag;
Let syr Wrigwrag wrastell with syr Delarag;
Euery man after his maner of wayes,
Pawbe une aruer, so the Welche man sayes.

Suche shredis of sentence, strowed in the shop
Of auncyent Aristippus and such other mo,
I gader togyther and close in my crop,
Of my wanton conseyt, unde depromo
Dilemmata docta in pædagogio
Sacro vatum, whereof to you I breke:
I pray you, let Parot haue lyberte to speke.

But ware the cat, Parot, ware the fals cat!
With, Who is there? a mayd? nay, nay, I trow:
Ware ryat, Parrot, ware ryot, ware that!
Mete, mete for Parrot, mete, I say, how!
Thus dyuers of language by lernyng I grow:
With, Bas me, swete Parrot, bas me, swete swete;
To dwell amonge ladyes Parrot is mete.

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Parrot, Parrot, Parrot, praty popigay!
With my beke I can pyke my lyttel praty too
My delyght is solas, pleasure, dysporte, and pley;
Lyke a wanton, whan I wyll, I rele to and froo:
Parot can say, Cæsar, ave, also;
But Parrot hath no fauour to Esebon:
Aboue all other byrdis, set Parrot alone.

Ulula, Esebon, for Ieromy doth wepe!
Sion is in sadnes, Rachell ruly doth loke;
Madionita Ietro, our Moyses kepyth his shepe;
Gedeon is gon, that Zalmane vndertoke,
Oreb et Zeb, of Judicum rede the boke;
Now Geball, Amon, and Amaloch,—harke, harke!
Parrot pretendith to be a bybyll clarke.

O Esebon, Esebon! to thè is cum agayne
Seon, the regent Amorræorum,
And Og, that fat hog of Basan, doth retayne,
The crafty coistronus Cananæorum;
And asylum, whilom refugium miserorum,
Non fanum, sed profanum, standyth in lyttyll sted:
Ulula, Esebon, for Iepte is starke ded!

Esebon, Marybon, Wheston next Barnet;
A trym tram for an horse myll it were a nyse thyng;

252

Deyntes for dammoysels, chaffer far fet:
Bo ho doth bark wel, but Hough ho he rulyth the ring;
From Scarpary to Tartary renoun therin doth spryng,
With, He sayd, and we said, ich wot now what ich wot,
Quod magnus est dominus Judas Scarioth.

Tholomye and Haly were cunnyng and wyse
In the volvell, in the quadrant, and in the astroloby,
To pronostycate truly the chaunce of fortunys dyse;
Som trete of theyr tirykis, som of astrology,
Som pseudo-propheta with chiromancy:
Yf fortune be frendly, and grace be the guyde,
Honowre with renowne wyll ren on that syde.

Monon calon agaton,
Qoud Parato
In Græco.

Let Parrot, I pray you, haue lyberte to prate,
For aurea lingua Græca ought to be magnyfyed,
Yf it were cond perfytely, and after the rate,
As lingua Latina, in scole matter occupyed;
But our Grekis theyr Greke so well haue applyed,

253

That they cannot say in Greke, rydynge by the way,
How, hosteler, fetche my hors a botell of hay!

Neyther frame a silogisme in phrisesomorum,
Formaliter et Græce, cum medio termino:
Our Grekys ye walow in the washbol Argolicorum;
For though ye can tell in Greke what is phormio,
Yet ye seke out your Greke in Capricornio;
For they scrape out good scrypture, and set in a gall,
Ye go about to amende, and ye mare all.

Some argue secundum quid ad simpliciter,
And yet he wolde be rekenyd pro Areopagita;
And some make distinctions multipliciter,
Whether ita were before non, or non before ita,
Nether wise nor wel lernid, but like hermaphrodita:
Set sophia asyde, for euery Jack Raker
And euery mad medler must now be a maker.

In Academia Parrot dare no probleme kepe;
For Græce fari so occupyeth the chayre,
That Latinum fari may fall to rest and slepe,

254

And syllogisari was drowned at Sturbrydge fayre;
Tryuyals and quatryuyals so sore now they appayre,
That Parrot the popagay hath pytye to beholde
How the rest of good lernyng is roufled vp and trold.

Albertus de modo significandi,
And Donatus be dryuen out of scole;
Prisians hed broken now handy dandy,
And Inter didascolos is rekened for a fole;
Alexander, a gander of Menanders pole,
With Da Cansales, is cast out of the gate,
And Da Racionales dare not shew his pate.

Plauti in his comedies a chyld shall now reherse,
And medyll with Quintylyan in his Declamacyons,
That Pety Caton can scantly construe a verse,
With Aveto in Græco, and such solempne salutacyons,
Can skantly the tensis of his coniugacyons;
Settynge theyr myndys so moche of eloquens,
That of theyr scole maters lost is the hole sentens.

Now a nutmeg, a nutmeg, cum gariopholo,
For Parrot to pyke vpon, his brayne for to stable,

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Swete synamum styckis and pleris cum musco!
In Paradyce, that place of pleasure perdurable,
The progeny of Parrottis were fayre and fauorable;
Nowe in valle Ebron Parrot is fayne to fede:
Cristecrosse and saynt Nycholas, Parrot, be your good spede!

The myrrour that I tote in, quasi diaphanum,
Vel quasi speculum, in ænigmate,
Elencticum, or ells enthymematicum,
For logicions to loke on, somwhat sophistice:
Retoricyons and oratours in freshe humanyte,
Support Parrot, I pray you, with your suffrage ornate,
Of confuse tantum auoydynge the chekmate.

But of that supposicyon that callyd is arte
Confuse distributive, as Parrot hath deuysed,
Let euery man after his merit take his parte,
For in this processe Parrot nothing hath surmysed,
No matter pretendyd, nor nothyng enterprysed,
But that metaphora, allegoria with all,
Shall be his protectyon, his pauys, and his wall.

256

For Parot is no churlish chowgh, nor no flekyd pye,
Parrot is no pendugum, that men call a carlyng,
Parrot is no woodecocke, nor no butterfly,
Parrot is no stameryng stare, that men call a starlyng;
But Parot is my owne dere harte and my dere derling;
Melpomene, that fayre mayde, she burneshed his beke:
I pray you, let Parrot haue lyberte to speke.

Parrot is a fayre byrd for a lady;
God of his goodnes him framed and wrought;
When Parrot is ded, she dothe not putrefy:
Ye, all thyng mortall shall torne vnto nought,
Except mannes soule, that Chryst so dere bought;
That neuer may dye, nor neuer dye shall:
Make moche of Parrot, the popegay ryall.

For that pereles prynce that Parrot dyd create,
He made you of nothynge by his magistye:
Poynt well this probleme that Parrot doth prate,
And remembre amonge how Parrot and ye
Shall lepe from this lyfe, as mery as we be;
Pompe, pryde, honour, ryches, and worldly lust,
Parrot sayth playnly, shall tourne all to dust.

257

Thus Parrot dothe pray you
With hert most tender,
To rekyn with this recule now,
And it to remember.
Psittacus, ecce, cano, nec sunt mea carmina Phœbo
Digna scio, tamen est plena camena deo.

Secundum Skeltonida famigeratum, In Piereorum catalogo numeratum. Itaque consolamini invicem in verbis istis, &c. Candidi lectores, callide callete; vestrum fovete Psittacum, &c.

[Galathea.
Speke, Parrotte, I pray yow, for Maryes saake,
Whate mone he made when Pamphylus loste hys make.

Parrotte.

My propire Besse,
My praty Besse,
Turne ones agayne to me:
For slepyste thou, Besse,

258

Or wakeste thow, Besse,
Myne herte hyt ys with thé.

My deysy delectabyll,
My prymerose commendabyll,
My vyolet amyabyll,
My ioye inexplicabill,
Now torne agayne to me.

I wylbe ferme and stabyll,
And to yow seruyceabyll,
And also prophytabyll,
Yf ye be agreabyll
To turne agayne to me,
My propyr Besse.

Alas, I am dysdayned,
And as a man halfe maymed,
My harte is so sore payned!
I pray thé, Besse, vnfayned,
Yet com agayne to me!

Be loue I am constreyned
To be with yow retayned,
Hyt wyll not be refrayned:

259

I pray yow, be reclaymed,
And torne agayne to me,
My propyr Besse.

Quod Parot, the popagay royall.

Martialis cecinit carmen fit mihi scutum:— Est mihi lasciva pagina, vita proba.]

Galethea.
Now kus me, Parrot, kus me, kus, kus, kus:
Goddys blessyng lyght on thy swete lyttyll mus!

Vita et anima,
Zoe kai psyche.

Concumbunt Græce. Non est hic sermo pudicus.

Ergo

Attica dictamina
Sunt plumbi lamina,

260

Vel spuria vitulamina:
Avertat hæc Urania!

[Amen.]

Amen, Amen,
And set to a D,
And then it is, Amend
Our new found A, B, C.

Cum cæteris paribus.

[Lenuoy primere

Go, litell quayre, namyd the Popagay,
Home to resorte Jerobesethe perswade;
For the cliffes of Scaloppe they rore wellaway,
And the sandes of Cefas begyn to waste and fade,
For replicacion restles that he of late ther made;
Now Neptune and Eolus ar agreed of lyclyhode,
For Tytus at Dover abydythe in the rode;

Lucina she wadythe among the watry floddes,
And the cokkes begyn to crowe agayne the day;
Le tonsan de Jason is lodgid among the shrowdes,
Of Argus revengyd, recover when he may;
Lyacon of Libyk and Lydy hathe cawghte hys pray:
Goe, lytyll quayre, pray them that yow beholde,
In there remembraunce ye may be inrolde.

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Yet some folys say that ye arre ffurnysshyd with knakkes,
That hang togedyr as fethyrs in the wynde;
But lewdlye ar they lettyrd that your lernyng lackys,
Barkyng and whyning, lyke churlysshe currys of kynde,
For whoo lokythe wyselye in your warkys may fynde
Muche frutefull mater: but now, for your defence
Agayne all remordes arme yow with paciens.

Monostichon.

Ipse sagax æqui ceu verax nuntius ito. Morda puros mal desires. Portugues. Penultimo die Octobris, 33°.

Secunde Lenuoy.

Passe forthe, Parotte, towardes some passengere,
Require hym to convey yow ovyr the salte fome;
Addressyng your selfe, lyke a sadde messengere,
To ower soleyne seigneour Sadoke, desire hym to cum home,
Makyng hys pylgrimage by nostre dame de Crome;
For Jerico and Jerssey shall mete togethyr assone
As he to exployte the man owte of the mone.

With porpose and graundepose he may fede hym fatte,

262

Thowghe he pampyr not hys paunche with the grete seall:
We haue longyd and lokyd long tyme for that,
Whyche cawsythe pore suters haue many a hongry mele:
As presydent and regente he rulythe every deall.
Now pas furthe, good Parott, ower Lorde be your stede,
In this your journey to prospere and spede!

And thowe sum dysdayne yow, and sey how ye prate,
And howe your poemys arre barayne of polyshed eloquens,
There is none that your name woll abbrogate
Then nodypollys and gramatolys of smalle intellygens;
To rude ys there reason to reche to your sentence:
Suche malyncoly mastyvys and mangye curre dogges
Ar mete for a swyneherde to hunte after hogges.

Monostichon.

Psittace, perge volans, fatuorum tela retundas. Morda puros mall desers. Portugues. In diebus Novembris,

263

Le dereyn Lenveoy.

Prepayre yow, Parrot, breuely your passage to take,
Of Mercury vndyr the trynall aspecte,
And sadlye salute ower solen syre Sydrake,
And shewe hym that all the world dothe coniecte,
How the maters he mellis in com to small effecte;
For he wantythe of hys wyttes that all wold rule alone;
Hyt is no lytyll bordon to bere a grete mylle stone:

To bryng all the see into a cheryston pytte,
To nombyr all the sterrys in the fyrmament,
To rule ix realmes by one mannes wytte,
To suche thynges ympossybyll reason cannot consente:
Muche money, men sey, there madly he hathe spente:
Parrot, ye may prate thys vndyr protestacion,
Was neuyr suche a senatour syn Crystes incarnacion.

Wherfor he may now come agayne as he wente,
Non sine postica sanna, as I trowe,
From Calys to Dovyr, to Caunterbury in Kente,
To make reconyng in the resseyte how Robyn loste hys bowe,

264

To sowe corne in the see sande, ther wyll no crope growe.
Thow ye be tauntyd, Parotte, with tonges attayntyd,
Yet your problemes ar preignaunte, and with loyalte acquayntyd.

Monostichon.

I, properans, Parrot[e], malas sic corripe linguas. Morda puros mall desires. Portigues. 15 kalendis Decembris, 34.

Distichon miserabile.

Altior, heu, cedro, crudelior, heu, leopardo!
Heu, vitulus bubali fit dominus Priami!

Tetrastichon,—Unde species Priami est digna imperio.

Non annis licet et Priamus sed honore voceris:
Dum foveas vitulum, rex, regeris, Britonum;
Rex, regeris, non ipse regis: rex inclyte, calle;
Subde tibi vitulum, ne fatuet nimium.
God amend all,
That all amend may!
Amen, quod Parott,

265

The royall popagay.
Kalendis Decembris,
34.

Lenvoy royall.

Go, propyr Parotte, my popagay,
That lordes and ladies thys pamflett may behold,
With notable clerkes: supply to them, I pray,
Your rudenes to pardon, and also that they wolde
Vouchesafe to defend yow agayne the brawlyng scolde,
Callyd Detraxion, encankryd with envye,
Whose tong ys attayntyd with slaundrys obliqui.

For trowthe in parabyll ye wantonlye pronounce,
Langagys diuers, yet vndyr that dothe reste
Maters more precious then the ryche jacounce,
Diamounde, or rubye, or balas of the beste,
Or eyndye sapher with oryente perlys dreste:
Wherfor your remorde[r]s ar madde, or else starke blynde,
Yow to remorde erste or they know your mynde.

Distichon.

I, volitans, Parrote, tuam moderare Minervam:
Vix tua percipient, qui tua teque legent.

266

Hyperbato[n].

Psittacus hi notus seu Persius est puto notus,
Nec reor est nec erit licet est erit.

Maledite soyte bouche malheurewse!

Laucture de Parott.

O my Parrot, O unice dilecte, votorum meorum omnis lapis, lapis pretiosus operimentum tuum!

Parrott.

Sicut Aaron populumque, sic bubali vitulus, sic bubali vitulus, sic bubali vitulus.

Thus myche Parott hathe opynlye expreste:
Let se who dare make vp the reste.

Le Popagay sen va complayndre.

Helas! I lamente the dull abusyd brayne,
The enfatuate fantasies, the wytles wylfulnes
Of on and hothyr at me that haue dysdayne:
Som sey, they cannot my parables expresse;
Som sey, I rayle att ryott recheles;

267

Some say but lityll, and thynke more in there thowghte,
How thys prosses I prate of, hyt ys not all for nowghte.

O causeles cowardes, O hartles hardynes!
O manles manhod, enfayntyd all with fere!
O connyng clergye, where ys your redynes
To practise or postyll thys prosses here and there?
For drede ye darre not medyll with suche gere,
Or elles ye pynche curtesy, trulye as I trowe,
Whyche of yow fyrste dare boldlye plucke the crowe.

The skye is clowdy, the coste is nothyng clere;
Tytan hathe truste vp hys tressys of fyne golde;
Iupyter for Saturne darre make no royall chere;
Lyacon lawghyth there att, and berythe hym more bolde;
Racell, rulye ragged, she is like to cache colde;
Moloc, that mawmett, there darre no man withsay;
The reste of suche reconyng may make a fowle fraye.

Dixit, quod Parrott, the royall popagay.

Cest chose maleheure[u]se,
Que mall bouche.

268

Parrotte.
Jupiter ut nitido deus est veneratus Olympo;
Hic coliturque deus.
Sunt data thura Jovi, rutilo solio residenti;
Cum Jove thura capit.
Jupiter astrorum rector dominusque polorum;
Anglica sceptra regit.

Galathea.
I compas the conveyaunce vnto the capitall
Of ower clerke Cleros, whythyr, thydyr, and why not hethyr?
For passe a pase apase ys gon to cache a molle,
Over Scarpary mala vi, Monsyre cy and sliddyr:
Whate sequele shall folow when pendugims mete togethyr?
Speke, Parotte, my swete byrde, and ye shall haue a date,
Of frantycknes and folysshnes whyche ys the grett state?

Parotte.

Difficille hit ys to ansswere thys demaunde;
Yet, aftyr the sagacite of a popagay,—
Frantiknes dothe rule and all thyng commaunde;
Wylfulnes and braynles no[w] rule all the raye;
Agayne ffrentike frenesy there dar no man sey nay,

269

For ffrantiknes, and wylfulnes, and braynles ensembyll,
The nebbis of a lyon they make to trete and trembyll;

To jumbyll, to stombyll, to tumbyll down lyke folys,
To lowre, to droupe, to knele, to stowpe, and to play cowche quale,
To fysshe afore the nette, and to drawe polys;
He make[th] them to bere babylles, and to bere a lowe sayle;
He caryeth a kyng in hys sleve, yf all the worlde fayle;
He facithe owte at a fflusshe, with, shewe, take all!
Of Pope Julius cardys he ys chefe cardynall.

He tryhumfythe, he trumpythe, he turnythe all vp and downe,
With, skyregalyard, prowde palyard, vaunteperler, ye prate!
Hys woluys hede, wanne, bloo as lede, gapythe ouer the crowne:
Hyt ys to fere leste he wolde were the garland on hys pate,
Peregall with all prynces farre passyng his estate;

270

For of ower regente the regiment he hathe, ex qua vi,
Patet per versus, quod ex vi bolte harvi.

Now, Galathea, lett Parrot, I pray yow, haue hys date;
Yett dates now ar deynte, and wax verye scante,
For grocers were grugyd at and groynyd at but late;
Grete reysons with resons be now reprobitante,
For reysons ar no resons, but resons currant:
Ryn God, rynne Devyll! yet the date of ower Lord
And the date of the Devyll dothe shrewlye accord.
Dixit, quod Parrott, the popagay royall.

Galathea.
Nowe, Parott, my swete byrde, speke owte yet ons agayne,
Sette asyde all sophyms, and speke now trew and playne.

Parotte.

So many morall maters, and so lytell vsyd;
So myche newe makyng, and so madd tyme spente;
So myche translacion in to Englyshe confused;
So myche nobyll prechyng, and so lytell amendment;

271

So myche consultacion, almoste to none entente;
So myche provision, and so lytell wytte at nede;—
Syns Dewcalyons flodde there can no clerkes rede.

So lytyll dyscressyon, and so myche reasonyng;
So myche hardy dardy, and so lytell manlynes;
So prodigall expence, and so shamfull reconyng;
So gorgyous garmentes, and so myche wrechydnese;
So myche portlye pride, with pursys penyles;
So myche spente before, and so myche vnpayd behynde;—
Syns Dewcalyons flodde there can no clerkes fynde.

So myche forcastyng, and so farre an after dele;
So myche poletyke pratyng, and so lytell stondythe in stede;
So lytell secretnese, and so myche grete councell;
So manye bolde barons, there hertes as dull as lede;
So many nobyll bodyes vndyr on dawys hedd;
So royall a kyng as reynythe vppon vs all;—
Syns Dewcalions flodde was nevyr sene nor shall.

So many complayntes, and so smalle redresse;
So myche callyng on, and so smalle takyng hede;
So myche losse of merchaundyse, and so remedyles;

272

So lytell care for the comyn weall, and so myche nede;
So myche dowȝtfull daunger, and so lytell drede;
So myche pride of prelattes, so cruell and so kene;—
Syns Dewcalyons flodde, I trowe, was nevyr sene.

So many thevys hangyd, and thevys never the lesse;
So myche prisonment ffor matyrs not worthe an hawe;
So myche papers weryng for ryghte a smalle exesse;
So myche pelory pajauntes vndyr colower of good lawe;
So myche towrnyng on the cooke stole for euery guy gaw;
So myche mokkyshe makyng of statutes of array;—
Syns Dewcalyons flodde was nevyr, I dar sey.

So braynles caluys hedes, so many shepis taylys;
So bolde a braggyng bocher, and flesshe sold so dere;
So many plucte partryches, and so fatte quaylles;
So mangye a mastyfe curre, the grete grey houndes pere;

273

So bygge a bulke of brow auntlers cabagyd that yere;
So many swannes dede, and so small revell;—
Syns Dewcalyons flodde, I trow, no man can tell.

So many trusys takyn, and so lytyll perfyte trowthe;
So myche bely joye, and so wastefull banketyng;
So pynchyng and sparyng, and so lytell profyte growthe;
So many howgye howsys byldyng, and so small howseholding;
Suche statutes apon diettes, suche pyllyng and pollyng;
So ys all thyng wrowghte wylfully withowte reson and skylle;—
Syns Dewcalyons flodde the world was never so yll.

So many vacabondes, so many beggers bolde;
So myche decay of monesteries and of relygious places;
So hote hatered agaynste the Chyrche, and cheryte so colde;
So myche of my lordes grace, and in hym no grace ys;
So many holow hartes, and so dowbyll faces;

274

So myche sayntuary brekyng, and preuylegidde barrydd;—
Syns Dewcalyons flodde was nevyr sene nor lyerd.

So myche raggyd ryghte of a rammes horne;
So rygorous revelyng in a prelate specially;
So bold and so braggyng, and was so baselye borne;
So lordlye of hys lokes and so dysdayneslye;
So fatte a magott, bred of a flesshe flye;
Was nevyr suche a ffylty gorgon, nor suche an epycure,
Syn[s] Dewcalyons flodde, I make thé faste and sure.

So myche preuye wachyng in cold wynters nyghtes;
So myche serchyng of loselles, and ys hymselfe so lewde;
So myche coniuracions for elvyshe myday sprettes;
So many bullys of pardon puplysshyd and shewyd;
So myche crossyng and blyssyng, and hym all beshrewde;
Suche pollaxis and pyllers, suche mvlys trapte with gold;—
Sens Dewcalyons flodde in no cronycle ys told.

275

Dixit, quod Parrot.

Crescet in immensum me vivo Psittacus iste; Hinc mea dicetur Skeltonidis inclyta fama. Quod Skelton Lawryat, Orator Regius. 34.]