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

Consent and agre                                                     500
  Agaynst the Churche to be,
  And the dygnyte
  Of the bysshoppes see.[1094]
    And eyther ye be to bad,
  Or els they ar mad
  Of this to reporte:
  But, vnder your supporte,
  Tyll my dyenge day
  I shall bothe wryte and say,
  And ye shall do the same,                                            510
  Howe they are to[1095] blame
  You thus to dyffame:
  For it maketh me sad
  Howe that the people[1096] are glad
  The Churche to depraue;
  And some there are that raue,
  Presumynge on theyr wyt,[1097]
  Whan there is neuer a whyt,
  To maynteyne argumentes
  Agaynst the sacramentes.                                             520
    Some make epylogacyon
  Of hyghe predestynacyon;[1098]
  And of resydeuacyon[1099]
  They make interpretacyon
  Of an aquarde facyon;
  And of the prescience
  Of dyuyne essence;[1100]
  And what ipostacis[1101]
  Of Christes manhode is.
  Suche logyke men wyll chop,                                          530
  And in theyr fury hop,
  When the good ale sop
  Dothe daunce in theyr fore top;
  Bothe women and men,
  Suche ye may well knowe and ken,
  That agaynst[1102] preesthode
  Theyr malyce sprede abrode,
  Raylynge haynously
  And dysdaynously
  Of preestly dygnytes,                                                540
  But theyr malygnytes.
    And some haue a smacke
  Of Luthers sacke,
  And a brennyng sparke
  Of Luthers warke,[1103]
  And are somewhat suspecte
  In Luthers secte;
  And some of them barke,[1104]
  Clatter and carpe
  Of that heresy arte,                                                 550
  Called Wicleuista,[1105]
  The deuelysshe dogmatista;
  And some be Hussyans,
  And some be Arryans,
  And some be Pollegians,
  And make moche varyans
  Bytwene the clergye
  And the temporaltye,
  Howe the Church[1106] hath to mykel,
  And they haue to lytell,                                             560
  And bryng in[1107] materialites[1108]
  And qualyfyed qualytes
  Of pluralytes,
  Of tryalytes,
  And of tot quottes,
  They commune lyke sottes,[1109]
  As commeth to theyr lottes;
  Of prebendaries and deanes,
  Howe some of them gleanes
  And gathereth[1110] vp the store                                     570
  For to catche more and more;
  Of persons and vycaryes
  They make many outcryes;
  They cannot kepe theyr wyues
  From them for theyr lyues;
  And thus the loselles stryues,
  And lewdely sayes by[1111] Christ
  Agaynst the sely preest.
  Alas, and well away,
  What ayles[1112] them thus to say?                                   580
  They mought[1113] be better aduysed[1114]
  Then to be so[1115] dysgysed:
  But they haue enterprysed,
  And shamfully surmysed,
  Howe prelacy[1116] is solde and bought,
  And come vp of nought;
  And where the[1117] prelates be
  Come[1118] of lowe degre,
  And set in[1119] maieste
  And spirituall dyngnyte,                                             590
  Farwell benygnyte,

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

Consent and agre                                                     500
  Agaynst the Churche to be,
  And the dygnyte
  Of the bysshoppes see.[1094]
    And eyther ye be to bad,
  Or els they ar mad
  Of this to reporte:
  But, vnder your supporte,
  Tyll my dyenge day
  I shall bothe wryte and say,
  And ye shall do the same,                                            510
  Howe they are to[1095] blame
  You thus to dyffame:
  For it maketh me sad
  Howe that the people[1096] are glad
  The Churche to depraue;
  And some there are that raue,
  Presumynge on theyr wyt,[1097]
  Whan there is neuer a whyt,
  To maynteyne argumentes
  Agaynst the sacramentes.                                             520
    Some make epylogacyon
  Of hyghe predestynacyon;[1098]
  And of resydeuacyon[1099]
  They make interpretacyon
  Of an aquarde facyon;
  And of the prescience
  Of dyuyne essence;[1100]
  And what ipostacis[1101]
  Of Christes manhode is.
  Suche logyke men wyll chop,                                          530
  And in theyr fury hop,
  When the good ale sop
  Dothe daunce in theyr fore top;
  Bothe women and men,
  Suche ye may well knowe and ken,
  That agaynst[1102] preesthode
  Theyr malyce sprede abrode,
  Raylynge haynously
  And dysdaynously
  Of preestly dygnytes,                                                540
  But theyr malygnytes.
    And some haue a smacke
  Of Luthers sacke,
  And a brennyng sparke
  Of Luthers warke,[1103]
  And are somewhat suspecte
  In Luthers secte;
  And some of them barke,[1104]
  Clatter and carpe
  Of that heresy arte,                                                 550
  Called Wicleuista,[1105]
  The deuelysshe dogmatista;
  And some be Hussyans,
  And some be Arryans,
  And some be Pollegians,
  And make moche varyans
  Bytwene the clergye
  And the temporaltye,
  Howe the Church[1106] hath to mykel,
  And they haue to lytell,                                             560
  And bryng in[1107] materialites[1108]
  And qualyfyed qualytes
  Of pluralytes,
  Of tryalytes,
  And of tot quottes,
  They commune lyke sottes,[1109]
  As commeth to theyr lottes;
  Of prebendaries and deanes,
  Howe some of them gleanes
  And gathereth[1110] vp the store                                     570
  For to catche more and more;
  Of persons and vycaryes
  They make many outcryes;
  They cannot kepe theyr wyues
  From them for theyr lyues;
  And thus the loselles stryues,
  And lewdely sayes by[1111] Christ
  Agaynst the sely preest.
  Alas, and well away,
  What ayles[1112] them thus to say?                                   580
  They mought[1113] be better aduysed[1114]
  Then to be so[1115] dysgysed:
  But they haue enterprysed,
  And shamfully surmysed,
  Howe prelacy[1116] is solde and bought,
  And come vp of nought;
  And where the[1117] prelates be
  Come[1118] of lowe degre,
  And set in[1119] maieste
  And spirituall dyngnyte,                                             590
  Farwell benygnyte,

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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