Soft, quod one, hyght[534] Sybbyll, And let me wyth you bybyll. 550 She sat downe in the place, With a sory face Wheywormed about; Garnyshed was her snout Wyth here and there a puscull, Lyke a scabbyd muscull. This ale, sayde she, is noppy; Let vs syppe and soppy, And not spyll a droppy, For so mote I hoppy, 560 It coleth well my croppy.[535] Dame Elynoure, sayde she, Haue here is for me, A cloute of London pynnes; And wyth that she begynnes The pot to her plucke, And dranke a good lucke; She swynged[536] vp a quarte At ones for her parte; Her paunche was so puffed, 570 And so wyth ale stuffed, Had she not hyed apace, She had defoyled the place. Than began the sporte Amonge that dronken sorte: Dame Eleynour, sayde they, Lende here a cocke of hey, To make all thynge cleane; Ye wote well what we meane. But, syr, among all 580 That sat in that hall, There was a pryckemedenty, Sat lyke a seynty, And began to paynty, As thoughe she would faynty; She made it as koy As a lege de moy;[537] She was not halfe so wyse As she was peuysshe nyse. She sayde neuer a worde, 590 But rose from the borde, And called for our dame, Elynour by name. We supposed, I wys, That she rose to pys; But the very grounde Was for to compounde Wyth Elynour in the spence, To pay for her expence: I haue no penny nor grote 600 To pay, sayde she, God wote, For washyng of my throte; But my bedes of amber Bere them to your chamber. Then Elynour dyd them hyde Wythin her beddes syde. But some than sat ryght sad That nothynge had There of theyr awne,[538] Neyther gelt nor pawne; 610 Suche were there menny That had not a penny, But, whan they should walke, Were fayne wyth a chalke To score on the balke, Or score on the tayle: God gyue it yll hayle! For my fyngers[539] ytche; I haue wrytten to mytche Of this mad mummynge 620 Of Elynour Rummynge. Thus endeth the gest Of this worthy fest. Quod Skelton, Laureat. LAUREATI SKELTONIDIS IN DESPECTU MALIGNANTIUM DISTICHON. _Quamvis insanis, quamvis marcescis inanis,_ _Invide,[540] cantamus: hæc loca plena jocis.[541]_ _Bien men souuient._ _Omnes fœminas, quæ vel nimis bibulæ sunt, vel quæ sordida labe squaloris, aut qua spurca[542] fœditatis macula, aut verbosa loquacitate notantur, poeta invitat ad audiendum hunc libellum, &c._