Skelton Laureate agaynste a comely Coystrowne that curyowsly chawntyd And curryshly cowntted madly in hys Musyakys mokkyshly made / Agaynste the .ix. Musys of polytyke Poems & Poettys matryculat.
of all nacyons vnder the heuyn.
These frantyke foolys I hate most of all.
For though they stūble in the synnys seuyn.
In peuyshnes yet the snapper and fall.
which men the. viii. dedly syn call.
This peuysh proud thys prender gest.
when he is well yet can he not rest.
¶ A swete suger lofe & sowre bayardys bun
Ar[?] sumdele lyke in forme & shap.
The one for a duke the other for dun.
A maunchet for morell theron to snap.
Dys hart is to hy to haue any hap.
But for in his gam vt carp that he can.
Lo Iak wold be a Ientylman
¶ wyth hey troly loly lo whip here Iak.
Alumbek sodyldym syllorym ben.
Curyowsly he can both counter & knak
Of Martyn swart & all hys mery men.
Lord how perkyn is proud of hys Pohen.
But ask wher he fyndyth among hys monacordys.
An holy water clarke a ruler of lordys.
¶ He can not fynd it in rule nor in space.
He solfyth to haute hys Trybyll is to hy.
He braggyth of hys byrth that borne was full bace
Hys musyk withoute mesure to sharp is hys my.
he trymmyth in hys tenor to counter pyrdewy.
hys dyscant is besy it is withoute a mene.
To fat is hys fantsy hys wyt is to lene.
¶ He lumbryth on a lewde lewte
roty[?] bully Joy.
Rumbyll downe tumbyll downe hey go now now.
He fumblyth in hys fyngeryng an vgly good noyse.
It semyth the sobbyng of an old sow.
He wold be made moch of & he wyst how.
wele sped In spyndels and turnyug of tauellys,
A bungler a brawler a pyker of quarellys.
¶ Comely he clappyth a payre of clauycordys.
he whystelyth so swetely he makyth me to swete.
his descant is dasshed full of dyscordes
A red angry man but easy to intrete.
An vssher of the hall fayn wold I get.
To poynte this proude page a place and a rome
For Iak wold be a Ientylman that late was a grome
¶ Iak wold Iet and yet Iyll sayd nay.
he counteth in his countenaunce to checke with y
e best.
A malaperte medler that pryeth for his pray
In a dysh dare he rush at the rypest.
Dremyng in dumpys to wrangyll & to wrest.
he fyndeth a proporcyon in his prycke songe.
To drynk at a draught a larg & a long
¶ Nay iape not with hym he is no small fole
It is a solempne syre and a solayne.
For lordes and ladyes lerne at his scole
he techyth them so wysely to solf and to fayne
That neyther they synge wel prycke songe nor playne
Thys docter deuyas commensyd in a cart.
A master a mynstrell a fydler a a farte
¶ what though ye can cownter Custodinos.
As well it becomyth yow a parysh towne Clarke.
To syng Suspitati dedit Egros.
yet bere ye not to bold to braule ne to bark.
At me / that medeled nothyng with youre wark.
Correct fyrst thy self / walk & be nought.
Deme what thou lyst thou knowyst not my thought.
¶ A prouerbe of old say well or be styll.
ye are to vnhappy occasyons to fynde.
Vppon me to clater or els to say yll.
Now haue I shewyd you part of your proud mynde
Take thys in worth the best is behynde.
wryten at Croydon by Crowland in the Clay.
On Candelmas euyn the Kalendas of May.
finis.
¶ Contra aliū Cātitatē & Organisantē Asinum / qui impugnabat Skeltonida pietium[?]. Sarcasmos.
¶ Preponenda meis non sunt tua plectra camenis.
Nec quantum nostra fistula clara tua est.
Se ne licet liricos modularis arundina psalmos.
Et tremulos calamis concinis ipse modos.
Quamuis mille tuus digitus dat carmine plausus.
Nam tua
(quam) tua vox est mage docta manus.
Quamuis cuncta facis tumida sub mente
(superb)
superbus.
Gratior est Phebo fistula nostra tamen.
Ergo tuum studeas Animo deponere fastum.
Et violare sacrum-Desine /
Stulte[?] / virum.
Qd Skelton laureat.
¶ Skelton Laureat vppon a deed mans hed y t was sent to hym from an honorable Iētyll woman for a token Deuysyd this gostly medytacyon in Englysh Couenable in sentence Comēdable / Lamētable / Lacrymable / Profytable for the soule.
¶ youre vgly tokyn.
My mynd hath brokyn.
From worldly lust.
For I haue dyscust.
we ar but dust.
And dy we must.
¶ It is generall.
To be mortall.
I haue well espyde.
No man may hym hyde.
From deth holow eyed.
with synne ws wyderyd.
with bonys shyderyd.
with hys worme etyn maw.
And hys gastly Iaw.
Gaspyng asyde.
Nakyd of hyde.
Neyther flesh nor fell.
¶ Then by my councell.
Loke'that ye spell.
well thys gospell.
for wher so we dwell.
Deth wyll vs quell.
And with vs mell.
¶ For all oure pamꝑde paūchys.
[Page] Ther may no fraunchys.
Nor worldly blys.
Redeme vs from this.
Oure days be datyd.
To be chek matyd.
With drawttys of deth.
Stoppyng oure breth.
Oure eyen synkyng.
Oure bodys stynkyng.
Oure gummys grynnyng.
Oure soulys brynnyng.
To whom then shall we sew.
For to haue rescew.
But to swete Iesu.
On vs then for to rew.
¶ O goodly chyld.
Of Mary mylde.
Then be oure shylde.
That we be not exylyd.
To the dyne dale.
of boteles bale.
Nor to the lake.
of fendys blake.
¶ But graunt vs grac
[...]
To se thy face.
And to purchase
Thyne heuenly place.
And thy palace.
Full of solace.
Aboue the sky.
That is so hy.
[Page] Eternally.
To beholde and se.
The Trynyte.
Amen.
Myrres voꝰ y
WOmanhod wanton ye want.
youre medelyng mastres is manerles.
Plente of yll of goodnes skant
ye rayll at ryot recheles
To prayse youre porte it is nedeles.
For all your draffe yet and youre dreggys.
As well borne as ye full oft tyme beggys.
¶ why so koy and full of skorne.
Myne horse is sold I wene you say.
My new furryd gowne when it is worne.
Put vp youre purs ye shall non pay.
By Crede I trust to se the day.
As proud a pohen as ye sprede.
Of me and other ye may haue nede.
¶ Though angelyk be youre smylyng.
yet is youre tong an adders tayle.
Full lyke a Scorpyon styngyng.
All those by whom ye haue
auayle[?].
Good mastres Anne there ye do shayle.
what prate ye praty pyggys ny.
I truste to quyte you or I dy.
¶ youre key is mete for euery lok.
youre key is commen & hangyth owte.
youre key is redy we nede not knok.
Nor stand long wrestyng there aboute.
Of youre doregate ye haue no doute.
But one thyng is that ye be lewde.
Holde youre tong now all be shrewde.
¶ To mastres Anne that farly swete.
¶ That wonnes at the key in temmys strete.
Cum priuilegio