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
_Court. Ab._ So as ye be a prynce of great myght,
It is semynge your pleasure ye delyte,
And to aqueynte you with carnall delectacyon,
And to fall in aquayntaunce with euery newe facyon;
And quyckely your appetytes to sharpe and adresse,
To fasten your fansy vpon a fayre maystresse,
That quyckly is enuyued with rudyes of the rose,
Inpurtured with fetures after your purpose, 1570
The streynes of her vaynes as asure inde blewe,
Enbudded with beautye and colour fresshe of hewe,
As lyly whyte to loke vpon her leyre,[837]
Her eyen relucent as carbuncle so clere,
Her mouthe enbawmed, dylectable and mery,
Her lusty lyppes ruddy as the chery:
Howe lyke you? ye lacke, syr, suche a lusty lasse.
_Magn._ A, that were a baby to brace and to basse!
I wolde I had, by hym that hell dyd harowe,
With me in kepynge suche a Phylyp sparowe! 1580
I wolde hauke whylest my hede dyd warke,
So I myght hobby for suche a lusty larke.
These wordes in myne eyre they be so lustely spoken,
That on suche a female my flesshe wolde be wroken;
They towche me so thorowly, and tykyll my consayte,
That weryed I wolde be on suche a bayte:
A, Cockes armes, where myght suche one be founde?
_Court. Ab._ Wyll ye spende ony money?
_Magn._ Ye, a thousande pounde.
_Court. Ab._ Nay, nay, for lesse I waraunt you to be sped, 1590
And brought home, and layde in your bed.
_Magn._ Wolde money, trowest thou, make suche one to the call?
_Court. Ab._ Money maketh marchauntes, I tell you, over all.
_Magn._ Why, wyl a maystres be wonne for money and for golde?
_Court. Ab._ Why, was not for money Troy bothe bought and solde?
Full many a stronge cyte and towne hath ben wonne
By the meanes of money without ony gonne.
A maystres, I tell you, is but a small thynge;
A goodly rybon, or a golde rynge,
May wynne with a sawte the fortresse of the holde; 1600
But one thynge I warne you, prece forth and be bolde.
_Magn._ Ye, but some be full koy and passynge harde harted.
_Court. Ab._ But, blessyd be our Lorde, they wyll be sone conuerted.
_Magn._ Why, wyll they then be intreted, the most and the lest?
_Court. Ab._ Ye, for _omnis mulier meretrix, si celari potest_.
_Magn._ A, I haue spyed ye can moche broken sorowe.
_Court. Ab._ I coude holde you with suche talke hens tyll to morowe;
But yf it lyke your grace, more at large
Me to permyt my mynde to dyscharge,
I wolde yet shewe you further of my consayte. 1610
_Magn._ Let se what ye say, shewe it strayte.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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