A thanke to haue, ye haue well deseruyd, Your mynde that can maynteyne so apparently; 170 But a grete parte yet[1529] ye haue reseruyd Of that most folow then conseqently, Or els ye demeane you inordinatly; For if ye laude hym whome honour hath opprest, Then he that doth worste is as good as the best. But whome that ye fauoure, I se well, hath a name, Be he neuer so lytell of substaunce, And whome ye loue not[1530] ye wyll[1531] put to shame; Ye counterwey not euynly your balaunce; As wele foly as wysdome oft ye do[1532] avaunce: 180 For[1533] reporte ryseth many deuerse wayes: Sume be moche spokyn of for makynge of frays; Some haue a name for thefte and brybery; Some be called crafty, that can pyke[1534] a purse; Some men be made of for their[1535] mokery; Some carefull cokwoldes, some haue theyr wyues curs; Some famous wetewoldis, and they be moche wurs; Some lidderons,[1536] some losels, some noughty packis; Some facers, some bracers, some[1537] make great crackis; Some dronken dastardis with their dry soules; 190 Some sluggyssh slouyns, that slepe day and nyght; Ryot and Reuell be in your courte rowlis; Maintenaunce and Mischefe, theis be men of myght; Extorcyon is counted with you for a knyght; Theis people by me haue none assignement, Yet they ryde and rinne[1538] from Carlyll to Kente. But lytell or nothynge ye shall[1539] here tell Of them that haue vertue by reason of cunnyng, Whiche souerenly in honoure shulde excell; Men of suche maters make but a[1540] mummynge, 200 For wysdome and sadnesse be set out[1541] a sunnyng; And suche of my seruauntes as I haue promotyd, One faute or other in them shalbe notyd: Eyther they wyll[1542] say he is to wyse, Or elles he can nought bot whan he is at scole; Proue his wytt, sayth he, at cardes or dyce, And ye shall well fynde[1543] he is a very fole; Twyshe,[1544] set hym a chare, or reche hym a stole,[1545] To syt hym[1546] vpon, and rede Iacke a thrummis bybille, For truly it were pyte that he sat ydle. 210 _The Quene of Fame to Dame Pallas._ To make repungnaunce agayne that ye haue sayde, Of very dwte it may not[1547] well accorde, But your benynge sufferaunce for my discharge I laid, For that I wolde not with you fall at discorde; But yet I beseche[1548] your grace that good[1549] recorde May be brought forth, suche as can be founde, With laureat tryumphe why Skelton sholde be crownde; For elles it were to great a derogacyon Vnto your palas, our noble courte of Fame, That any man vnder supportacyon 220 Withoute deseruynge shulde haue the best game: If he to the ample encrease of his name Can lay any werkis that he hath compylyd, I am contente that he be not[1550] exylide