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
_Fan._ Mary, as for that, thou shalte sone here myne:
_Est snavi[817] snago_ with a shrewde face _vilis imago_.
_Fol._ Grimbaldus gredy, snatche a puddyng tyl the rost be redy. 1170
_Fan._ By the harte of God, well done!
_Fol._ Ye, so redely and so sone!
_Here cometh in CRAFTY CONUEYAUNCE._
_Cr. Con._ What, Fansy! Let me se who is the tother.
_Fan._ By God, syr, Foly, myne owne sworne brother.
_Cr. Con._ Cockys bonys, it is a farle freke:
Can he play well at the hoddypeke?
_Fan._ Tell by thy trouth what sport can thou make.
_Fol._ A, holde thy peas; I haue the tothe ake.
_Cr. Con._ The tothe ake! lo, a torde ye haue.
_Fol._ Ye, thou haste the four quarters of a knaue. 1180
_Cr. Con._ Wotyst thou, I say, to whom thou spekys?
_Fan._ Nay, by Cockys harte, he ne reckys,
For he wyll speke to Magnyfycence thus.
_Cr. Con._ Cockys armys, a mete man for vs.
_Fol._ What, wolde ye haue mo folys, and are so many?
_Fan._ Nay, offer hym a counter in stede of a peny.
_Cr. Con._ Why, thynkys thou he can no better skyll?
_Fol._ In fayth, I can make you bothe folys, and I wyll.
_Cr. Con._ What haste thou on thy fyst? a kesteryll?[818]
_Fol._ Nay, I wys, fole, it is a doteryll. 1190
_Cr. Con._ In a cote thou can play well the dyser.
_Fol._ Ye, but thou can play the fole without a vyser.
_Fan._ Howe rode he by you? howe put he to you?[819]
_Cr. Con._ Mary, as thou sayst, he gaue me a blurre.
But where gatte thou that mangey curre?
_Fan._ Mary, it was his, and nowe it is myne.
_Cr. Con._ And was it his, and nowe it is thyne?
Thou must haue thy fansy and thy wyll,
But yet thou shalt holde me a fole styll.
_Fol._ Why, wenyst thou that I cannot make thé play the fon? 1200
_Fan._ Yes, by my faythe, good Syr Johnn.
_Cr. Con._ For you bothe it were inough.
_Fol._ Why, wenyst thou that I were as moche a fole as thou?
_Fan._ Nay, nay, thou shalte fynde hym another maner of man.
_Fol._ In faythe, I can do mastryes, so I can.
_Cr. Con._ What canest thou do but play cocke wat?
_Fan._ Yes,[820] yes, he wyll make thé ete a gnat.
_Fol._ Yes, yes, by my trouth, I holde thé a grote,
That I shall laughe thé out of thy cote.
_Cr. Con._ Than wyll I say that thou haste no pere. 1210
_Fan._ Nowe, by the rode, and he wyll go nere.
_Fol._ Hem, Fansy! _regardes, voyes_.
_Here FOLY maketh semblaunt to take a lowse from CRAFTY CONUEYAUNCE
showlder._
_Fan._ What hast thou founde there?
_Fol._ By God, a lowse.
_Cr. Con._ By Cockes harte, I trowe thou lyste.
_Fol._ By the masse, a Spaynysshe moght with a gray lyste.
_Fan._ Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
_Cr. Con._ Cockes armes, it is not so, I trowe.
_Here CRAFTY CONU[EY]AUNCE putteth of his gowne._
_Fol._ Put on thy gowne agayne, for nowe thou hast lost.[821]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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