Not[1479] vnremembered it is vnto your grace, How you gaue me a ryall[1480] commaundement That in my courte Skelton shulde haue a place, Bycause that his tyme he[1481] studyously hath spent 60 In your seruyce; and, to the accomplysshement Of your request, regestred is his name With laureate tryumphe in the courte of Fame. But, good madame, the accustome and vsage Of auncient poetis, ye wote full wele, hath bene Them selfe to embesy[1482] with all there holl corage, So that there workis myght famously be sene, In figure wherof they were the[1483] laurell grene; But how it is, Skelton is wonder slake, And, as we dare, we fynde in hym grete lake:[1484] 70 For, ne were onely he hath your promocyon, Out of my bokis full sone I shulde hym rase; But sith he hath tastid of the sugred[1485] pocioun Of Elyconis[1486] well, refresshid with your grace, And wyll not[1487] endeuour hymselfe to purchase The fauour of ladys with wordis electe, It is sittynge that ye must hym correct. _Dame Pallas to the Quene of Fame._ The sum of your purpose, as we ar aduysid,[1488] Is that[1489] our seruaunt is sum what to dull; Wherin this answere for hym we haue comprisid, 80 How ryuers rin not[1490] tyll the spryng be full; Better[1491] a dum mouthe than a brainles scull; For if he gloryously pullishe[1492] his matter, Then men wyll say how he doth but flatter; And if so[1493] hym fortune to wryte true and plaine, As sumtyme he must vyces remorde, Then sum wyll say he hath but lyttill brayne, And how his wordes with reason wyll not[1494] accorde;[1495] Beware, for wrytyng remayneth of recorde; Displease not an hundreth[1496] for one mannes pleasure; 90 Who wryteth wysely hath a grete treasure. Also, to furnisshe better his excuse, Ouyde was bannisshed for suche a skyll, And many mo whome I cowde enduce; Iuuenall was thret parde for to kyll For certayne enuectyfys,[1497] yet wrote[1498] he none ill, Sauynge he rubbid sum vpon[1499] the gall; It was not[1500] for hym to abyde[1501] the tryall. In generrall wordes, I say not gretely nay, A poete somtyme may for his pleasure taunt, 100 Spekyng in parablis,[1502] how the fox, the grey, The gander, the gose, and the hudge oliphaunt, Went with the pecok ageyne[1503] the fesaunt; The lesarde came lepyng, and sayd that he must, With helpe of the ram, ley all in the dust. Yet dyuerse ther[1504] be, industryous of reason, Sum what wolde gadder in there coniecture[1505] Of suche an endarkid chapiter sum season; How be it, it were harde to construe this lecture; Sophisticatid craftely is many a confecture; 110 Another manes mynde diffuse is to expounde; Yet harde is to make but sum fawt be founde. _The Quene of Fame to Dame Pallas._