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

_Aspirate meis elegis, pia turma sororum,_
    _Et Margaretam collacrymate piam._
  _Hac sub mole latet regis celeberrima mater_
    _Henrici magni, quem locus iste fovet;_
  _Quem locus iste sacer celebri celebrat polyandro,_
    _Illius en genitrix hac tumulatur humo!_
  _Cui cedat Tanaquil (Titus hanc super astra reportet[748]),_
    _Cedat Penelope, carus Ulixis[749] amor:_
  _Huic[750] Abigail, velut Hester, erat pietate secunda:_
    _En tres jam proceres nobilitate pares!_                            10
  _Pro domina, precor, implora, pro principe tanta_
    _Flecte Deum precibus, qui legis hos apices._
  _Plura referre piget, calamus torpore rigescit,_
    _Dormit Mecænas, negligitur probitas;_
  _Nec juvat, aut modicum prodest, nunc ultima versu_
    _Fata[751] recensere (mortua mors reor est)._
  _Quæris quid decus est? decus est modo dicier hircus;[752]_
    _Cedit honos hirco, cedit honorque capro._
  _Falleris ipse Charon; iterum surrexit Abyron,_
    _Et Stygios remos despicit ille tuos._                              20
  _Vivitur ex voto: mentis præcordia tangunt_
    _Nulla sepulcra ducum, nec monumenta patrum;_
  _Non regum, non ulla hominum labentia fato_
    _Tempora, nec totiens[753] mortua turba ruens._
  _Hinc[754] statuo certe perituræ parcere chartæ,_
    _Ceu Juvenalis avet[755] eximius satirus._

_Distichon execrationis in phagolœdoros._

  _Qui lacerat, violatve rapit præsens epitoma,_
    _Hunc laceretque voret Cerberus absque mora!_

      _Calon,[756] agaton, cum areta. Re. in pa._
  _Hanc tecum statuas dominam, precor, O sator orbis,_
  _Quo regnas rutilans rex sine fine manens!_

[746] _Elegia, &c._] From Marshe’s ed. of Skelton’s _Workes_, 1568,
collated with the piece as given in _Reges, Reginæ, Nobiles, et alii in
Ecclesia Collegiata B. Petri Westmonasterii sepulti_, &c., 1603, 4to.

[747] _die_] Not in Marshe’s ed.

[748] _reportet_] So _Reges_, &c. Marshe’s ed. “reportat.”

[749] _Ulixis_] _Reges_, “Ulyssis.”

[750] _Huic_] Eds. “Hec” and “Hæc.”

[751] _Fata_] So _Reges_. Marshe’s ed. “Facta.”

[752] _hircus_] So _Reges_, &c. Marshe’s ed. “hircum.”

[753] _totiens_] _Reges_, &c. “toties.”

[754] _Hinc_] So _Reges_, &c. Marshe’s ed. “Hunc.”

[755] _avet_] Eds. “ouat.”

[756] _Calon, &c.... pa._] Placed after the next two lines in _Reges_,
&c.




Why were ye[757] _Calliope_ embrawdred with letters of golde?

SKELTON LAUREATE, ORATO. REG. MAKETH THIS AUNSWERE, &C.

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

Opening the text

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

_Aspirate meis elegis, pia turma sororum,_
    _Et Margaretam collacrymate piam._
  _Hac sub mole latet regis celeberrima mater_
    _Henrici magni, quem locus iste fovet;_
  _Quem locus iste sacer celebri celebrat polyandro,_
    _Illius en genitrix hac tumulatur humo!_
  _Cui cedat Tanaquil (Titus hanc super astra reportet[748]),_
    _Cedat Penelope, carus Ulixis[749] amor:_
  _Huic[750] Abigail, velut Hester, erat pietate secunda:_
    _En tres jam proceres nobilitate pares!_                            10
  _Pro domina, precor, implora, pro principe tanta_
    _Flecte Deum precibus, qui legis hos apices._
  _Plura referre piget, calamus torpore rigescit,_
    _Dormit Mecænas, negligitur probitas;_
  _Nec juvat, aut modicum prodest, nunc ultima versu_
    _Fata[751] recensere (mortua mors reor est)._
  _Quæris quid decus est? decus est modo dicier hircus;[752]_
    _Cedit honos hirco, cedit honorque capro._
  _Falleris ipse Charon; iterum surrexit Abyron,_
    _Et Stygios remos despicit ille tuos._                              20
  _Vivitur ex voto: mentis præcordia tangunt_
    _Nulla sepulcra ducum, nec monumenta patrum;_
  _Non regum, non ulla hominum labentia fato_
    _Tempora, nec totiens[753] mortua turba ruens._
  _Hinc[754] statuo certe perituræ parcere chartæ,_
    _Ceu Juvenalis avet[755] eximius satirus._

_Distichon execrationis in phagolœdoros._

  _Qui lacerat, violatve rapit præsens epitoma,_
    _Hunc laceretque voret Cerberus absque mora!_

      _Calon,[756] agaton, cum areta. Re. in pa._
  _Hanc tecum statuas dominam, precor, O sator orbis,_
  _Quo regnas rutilans rex sine fine manens!_

[746] _Elegia, &c._] From Marshe’s ed. of Skelton’s _Workes_, 1568,
collated with the piece as given in _Reges, Reginæ, Nobiles, et alii in
Ecclesia Collegiata B. Petri Westmonasterii sepulti_, &c., 1603, 4to.

[747] _die_] Not in Marshe’s ed.

[748] _reportet_] So _Reges_, &c. Marshe’s ed. “reportat.”

[749] _Ulixis_] _Reges_, “Ulyssis.”

[750] _Huic_] Eds. “Hec” and “Hæc.”

[751] _Fata_] So _Reges_. Marshe’s ed. “Facta.”

[752] _hircus_] So _Reges_, &c. Marshe’s ed. “hircum.”

[753] _totiens_] _Reges_, &c. “toties.”

[754] _Hinc_] So _Reges_, &c. Marshe’s ed. “Hunc.”

[755] _avet_] Eds. “ouat.”

[756] _Calon, &c.... pa._] Placed after the next two lines in _Reges_,
&c.




Why were ye[757] _Calliope_ embrawdred with letters of golde?

SKELTON LAUREATE, ORATO. REG. MAKETH THIS AUNSWERE, &C.

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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