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

In comparyson of that whiche I ware:
    Sume praysed the perle, some the stones bryght;
  Wele was hym that therevpon myght stare;
    Of this warke[1758] they had so great delyght,                    1110
    The silke, the golde, the flowris fresshe to syght,
  They seyd my lawrell was the goodlyest
  That euer they saw, and wrought it was the best.

  In her astate there sat the noble Quene
    Of Fame: perceyuynge how that I was cum,
  She wonderyd me thought[1759] at my laurell grene;
    She loked hawtly, and gaue[1760] on me a glum:
    Thhere was amonge them no worde[1761] then but mum,
  For eche man herkynde what she wolde to me[1762] say;
  Wherof in substaunce I brought this away.                           1120

_The Quene of Fame to Skelton._

  My frende, sith ye ar before vs[1763] here present
    To answere vnto this noble audyence,
  Of that shalbe resonde you[1764] ye must be content;
    And for as moche as, by the hy[1765] pretence
    That ye haue now thorow[1766] preemynence
  Of laureat triumphe,[1767] your place is here reseruyd,
  We wyll vnderstande how ye haue it deseruyd.

_Skelton Poeta to the Quene of Fame._

  Ryght high[1768] and myghty princes of astate,
    In famous glory all other transcendyng,
  Of your bounte the accustomable[1769] rate                          1130
    Hath bene full often and yet is entendyng[1770]
    To all that to[1771] reason is condiscendyng,
  But if hastyue[1772] credence by mayntenance of myght
  Fortune to stande betwene you and the lyght:

  But suche euydence I thynke for to[1773] enduce,
    And so largely to lay for myne indempnite,
  That I trust[1774] to make myne excuse
    Of what charge soeuer ye lay ageinst[1775] me;
    For of my bokis parte ye shall se,
  Whiche in your recordes, I knowe well, be enrolde,                  1140
  And so Occupacyon, your regester, me tolde.

  Forthwith she commaundid I shulde take my place;
    Caliope poynted me where I shulde sit:
  With that, Occupacioun presid in a pace;
    Be mirry, she sayd, be not[1776] aferde a whit,
    Your discharge here vnder myne arme is it.
  So then commaundid she was vpon this
  To shew her boke; and she sayd, Here it is.

_The Quene of Fame to Occupacioun._

  Yowre boke[1777] of remembrauns we will now that ye rede;
    If ony[1778] recordis in noumbyr can be founde,                   1150
  What Skelton hath compilid and wryton in dede
    Rehersyng by ordre, and what is the grownde,
    Let se now for hym how ye can expounde;
  For in owr courte, ye wote wele, his name can not[1779] ryse
  But if he wryte oftenner than ones or twyse.

_Skelton Poeta._

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

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

In comparyson of that whiche I ware:
    Sume praysed the perle, some the stones bryght;
  Wele was hym that therevpon myght stare;
    Of this warke[1758] they had so great delyght,                    1110
    The silke, the golde, the flowris fresshe to syght,
  They seyd my lawrell was the goodlyest
  That euer they saw, and wrought it was the best.

  In her astate there sat the noble Quene
    Of Fame: perceyuynge how that I was cum,
  She wonderyd me thought[1759] at my laurell grene;
    She loked hawtly, and gaue[1760] on me a glum:
    Thhere was amonge them no worde[1761] then but mum,
  For eche man herkynde what she wolde to me[1762] say;
  Wherof in substaunce I brought this away.                           1120

_The Quene of Fame to Skelton._

  My frende, sith ye ar before vs[1763] here present
    To answere vnto this noble audyence,
  Of that shalbe resonde you[1764] ye must be content;
    And for as moche as, by the hy[1765] pretence
    That ye haue now thorow[1766] preemynence
  Of laureat triumphe,[1767] your place is here reseruyd,
  We wyll vnderstande how ye haue it deseruyd.

_Skelton Poeta to the Quene of Fame._

  Ryght high[1768] and myghty princes of astate,
    In famous glory all other transcendyng,
  Of your bounte the accustomable[1769] rate                          1130
    Hath bene full often and yet is entendyng[1770]
    To all that to[1771] reason is condiscendyng,
  But if hastyue[1772] credence by mayntenance of myght
  Fortune to stande betwene you and the lyght:

  But suche euydence I thynke for to[1773] enduce,
    And so largely to lay for myne indempnite,
  That I trust[1774] to make myne excuse
    Of what charge soeuer ye lay ageinst[1775] me;
    For of my bokis parte ye shall se,
  Whiche in your recordes, I knowe well, be enrolde,                  1140
  And so Occupacyon, your regester, me tolde.

  Forthwith she commaundid I shulde take my place;
    Caliope poynted me where I shulde sit:
  With that, Occupacioun presid in a pace;
    Be mirry, she sayd, be not[1776] aferde a whit,
    Your discharge here vnder myne arme is it.
  So then commaundid she was vpon this
  To shew her boke; and she sayd, Here it is.

_The Quene of Fame to Occupacioun._

  Yowre boke[1777] of remembrauns we will now that ye rede;
    If ony[1778] recordis in noumbyr can be founde,                   1150
  What Skelton hath compilid and wryton in dede
    Rehersyng by ordre, and what is the grownde,
    Let se now for hym how ye can expounde;
  For in owr courte, ye wote wele, his name can not[1779] ryse
  But if he wryte oftenner than ones or twyse.

_Skelton Poeta._

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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