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
_Tristia Melpomenes cogor modo plectra sonare;_
_Hos elegos foveat Cynthius ille meos._
_Si quas fata movent lacrymas, lacrymare videtur[687]_
_Jam bene maturum, si bene mente sapis._
_Flos Britonum, regum speculum, Salomonis imago,_
_Septimus Henricus mole sub hac tegitur._
_Punica, dum regnat, redolens rosa digna vocari,_
_Jam jam marcescit, ceu levis umbra fugit._
_Multa novercantis fortunæ, multa faventis_
_Passus, et infractus tempus utrumque tulit._ 10
_Nobilis Anchises, armis metuendus Atrides,_
_Hic erat; hunc Scottus rex timuit Jacobus._
_Spiramenta animæ vegetans dum vescitur aura,_
_Francorum populus conticuit pavidus._
_Immensas sibi divitias cumulasse quid horres?_
_Ni cumulasset opes, forte, Britanne,[688] luas._
_Urgentes casus tacita si mente volutes,_
_Vix tibi sufficeret aurea ripa Tagi._
_Ni sua te probitas consulta mente laborans_
_Rexisset satius, vix tibi tuta salus._ 20
_Sed quid plura cano? meditans quid plura voluto?_
_Quisque vigil sibi sit: mors sine lege rapit._
_Ad Dominum, qui cuncta regit, pro principe tanto_
_Funde preces quisquis carmina nostra legis._
_Vel mage,[689] si placeat, hunc[690] timuit Jacobus,_
_Scottorum dominus, qui sua fata luit;_
_Quem Leo Candidior Rubeum necat ense Leonem,_
_Et jacet usque modo non tumulatus humo._
_Refrigerii sedem, quietis beatitudinem, luminis habeat
claritatem. Amen._
[682] _Orator, &c._] This and the next piece from Marshe’s ed. of
Skelton’s _Workes_, 1568, collated with the poems as given in _Reges,
Reginæ, Nobiles, et alii in Ecclesia Collegiata B. Petri Westmonasterii
sepulti_, &c., 1603, 4to.
[683] _Skeltonis_] _Reges_, &c. “Skeltonus;” but see _ante_ and _post_.
[684] _Islippæ_] So _Reges_, &c. Marshe’s ed. “Islip.”
[685] _Westmonasteriensis_] So _Reges_, &c. Marshe’s ed.
“Westmonastericii.”
[686] _divi_] So _Reges_, &c. Marshe’s ed. “domini.”
[687] _videtur_] So _Reges_, &c. Marshe’s ed. “videt.”
[688] _Britanne_] So _Reges_, &c. Marshe’s ed. “Britainie.”
EULOGIUM PRO SUORUM TEMPORUM CONDITIONE, TANTIS PRINCIPIBUS NON INDIGNUM,
PER SKELTONIDA LAUREATUM, ORATOREM REGIUM.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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