The Poetical Works of John Skelton, Volume 1 (of 2)

Name: The Poetical Works of John Skelton, Volume 1 (of 2)
Author: Skelton, John

Skelton, John

English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700

Of no tyrande I rede,                                                190
  That so farre dyd excede;
  Neyther yet Dioclesyan,
  Nor yet Domisian,
  Nor yet[620] croked Cacus,
  Nor yet dronken Bacus;[621]
  Nother Olibrius,
  Nor Dionisyus;
  Nother Phalary,
  Rehersed in Valery;
  Nor Sardanapall,                                                     200
  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;                                             210
  I haue red them poll by poll;
  The story of Arystobell,
  And of Constantinopell,[622]
  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,                                               220
  That I kepe in store.

PENSITATE.

  Then in a tabull playne
  I 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.                                            230
  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.

    _Sicculo lutueris est colo būraarā[623]_
  _Nixphedras uisarum caniuter tuntantes[624]_
  _Raterplas Natābrian[625] umsudus itnugenus._
  _18. 10. 2. 11. 19. 4. 13. 3. 3. 1. tēualet.[626]_
  _Chartula stet, precor, hæc nullo[627] temeranda petulco:_
  _Hos rapiet numeros non homo, sed mala bos._
  _Ex parte rem chartæ adverte aperte, pone Musam Arethusam hanc._

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

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The Poetical Works of John Skelton, Volume 1 (of 2)Skelton, John

General

The Poetical Works of John Skelton, Volume 1 (of 2)

Skelton, John

English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700

Of no tyrande I rede,                                                190
  That so farre dyd excede;
  Neyther yet Dioclesyan,
  Nor yet Domisian,
  Nor yet[620] croked Cacus,
  Nor yet dronken Bacus;[621]
  Nother Olibrius,
  Nor Dionisyus;
  Nother Phalary,
  Rehersed in Valery;
  Nor Sardanapall,                                                     200
  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;                                             210
  I haue red them poll by poll;
  The story of Arystobell,
  And of Constantinopell,[622]
  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,                                               220
  That I kepe in store.

PENSITATE.

  Then in a tabull playne
  I 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.                                            230
  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.

    _Sicculo lutueris est colo būraarā[623]_
  _Nixphedras uisarum caniuter tuntantes[624]_
  _Raterplas Natābrian[625] umsudus itnugenus._
  _18. 10. 2. 11. 19. 4. 13. 3. 3. 1. tēualet.[626]_
  _Chartula stet, precor, hæc nullo[627] temeranda petulco:_
  _Hos rapiet numeros non homo, sed mala bos._
  _Ex parte rem chartæ adverte aperte, pone Musam Arethusam hanc._

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Poetical Works of John Skelton, Volume 1 (of 2)

The Poetical Works of John Skelton, Volume 1 (of 2)

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