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

The topas rych and precyouse in vertew;
    Your ruddys wyth ruddy rubys may compare;
  Saphyre of sadnes, enuayned wyth indy blew;
    The pullyshed perle youre whytenes doth declare;
    Dyamand poyntyd to rase oute hartly care;
  Geyne surfetous suspecte the emeraud comendable;                      20
  Relucent smaragd, obiecte imcomperable;

  Encleryd myrroure and perspectyue most bryght,
    Illumynyd wyth feturys far passyng my reporte;
  Radyent Esperus, star of the clowdy nyght,
    Lode star to lyght these louers to theyr porte,
    Gayne dangerous stormys theyr anker of supporte,
  Theyr sayll of solace most comfortably clad,
  Whych to behold makyth heuy hartys glad:

  Remorse haue I of youre most goodlyhod,
    Of youre behauoure curtes and benynge,                              30
  Of your bownte and of youre womanhod,
    Which makyth my hart oft to lepe and sprynge,
    And to remember many a praty thynge;
  But absens, alas, wyth tremelyng fere and drede
  Abashyth me, albeit I haue no nede.

  You I assure, absens is my fo,
    My dedely wo, my paynfull heuynes;
  And if ye lyst to know the cause why so,
    Open myne hart, beholde my mynde expres:
    I wold ye coud! then shuld ye se, mastres,                          40
  How there nys thynge that I couet so fayne
  As to enbrace you in myne armys twayne.

  Nothynge yerthly to me more desyrous
    Than to beholde youre bewteouse countenaunce:
  But, hatefull absens, to me so enuyous,
    Though thou withdraw me from her by long dystaunce,
    Yet shall she neuer oute of remembraunce;
  For I haue grauyd her wythin the secret wall
  Of my trew hart, to loue her best of all!

  Qd Skelton, laureat.

       *       *       *       *       *

  _Cuncta licet cecidisse putas discrimina rerum,_
    _Et prius incerta nunc tibi certa manent,_
  _Consiliis usure meis tamen aspice caute,_
    _Subdola non fallat te dea fraude sua:_
  _Sæpe solet placido mortales fallere vultu,_
    _Et cute sub placida tabida sæpe dolent;_
  _Ut quando secura putas et cuncta serena,[229]_
    _Anguis sub viridi gramine sæpe latet._
  Though ye suppose all jeperdys ar paste,
    And all is done that ye lokyd for before,                           10
  Ware yet, I rede you, of Fortunes dowble cast,
    For one fals poynt she is wont to kepe in store,
    And vnder the fell oft festerd is the sore:
  That when ye thynke all daunger for to pas,
  Ware of the lesard lyeth lurkyng in the gras.

  Qd Skelton, laureat.

       *       *       *       *       *

  Go, pytyous hart, rasyd with dedly wo,
    Persyd with payn, bleding with wondes smart,
  Bewayle thy fortune, with vaynys wan and blo.
    O Fortune vnfrendly, Fortune vnkynde thow art,
    To be so cruell and so ouerthwart,
  To suffer me so carefull to endure,
  That wher I loue best I dare not dyscure!

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

The topas rych and precyouse in vertew;
    Your ruddys wyth ruddy rubys may compare;
  Saphyre of sadnes, enuayned wyth indy blew;
    The pullyshed perle youre whytenes doth declare;
    Dyamand poyntyd to rase oute hartly care;
  Geyne surfetous suspecte the emeraud comendable;                      20
  Relucent smaragd, obiecte imcomperable;

  Encleryd myrroure and perspectyue most bryght,
    Illumynyd wyth feturys far passyng my reporte;
  Radyent Esperus, star of the clowdy nyght,
    Lode star to lyght these louers to theyr porte,
    Gayne dangerous stormys theyr anker of supporte,
  Theyr sayll of solace most comfortably clad,
  Whych to behold makyth heuy hartys glad:

  Remorse haue I of youre most goodlyhod,
    Of youre behauoure curtes and benynge,                              30
  Of your bownte and of youre womanhod,
    Which makyth my hart oft to lepe and sprynge,
    And to remember many a praty thynge;
  But absens, alas, wyth tremelyng fere and drede
  Abashyth me, albeit I haue no nede.

  You I assure, absens is my fo,
    My dedely wo, my paynfull heuynes;
  And if ye lyst to know the cause why so,
    Open myne hart, beholde my mynde expres:
    I wold ye coud! then shuld ye se, mastres,                          40
  How there nys thynge that I couet so fayne
  As to enbrace you in myne armys twayne.

  Nothynge yerthly to me more desyrous
    Than to beholde youre bewteouse countenaunce:
  But, hatefull absens, to me so enuyous,
    Though thou withdraw me from her by long dystaunce,
    Yet shall she neuer oute of remembraunce;
  For I haue grauyd her wythin the secret wall
  Of my trew hart, to loue her best of all!

  Qd Skelton, laureat.

       *       *       *       *       *

  _Cuncta licet cecidisse putas discrimina rerum,_
    _Et prius incerta nunc tibi certa manent,_
  _Consiliis usure meis tamen aspice caute,_
    _Subdola non fallat te dea fraude sua:_
  _Sæpe solet placido mortales fallere vultu,_
    _Et cute sub placida tabida sæpe dolent;_
  _Ut quando secura putas et cuncta serena,[229]_
    _Anguis sub viridi gramine sæpe latet._
  Though ye suppose all jeperdys ar paste,
    And all is done that ye lokyd for before,                           10
  Ware yet, I rede you, of Fortunes dowble cast,
    For one fals poynt she is wont to kepe in store,
    And vnder the fell oft festerd is the sore:
  That when ye thynke all daunger for to pas,
  Ware of the lesard lyeth lurkyng in the gras.

  Qd Skelton, laureat.

       *       *       *       *       *

  Go, pytyous hart, rasyd with dedly wo,
    Persyd with payn, bleding with wondes smart,
  Bewayle thy fortune, with vaynys wan and blo.
    O Fortune vnfrendly, Fortune vnkynde thow art,
    To be so cruell and so ouerthwart,
  To suffer me so carefull to endure,
  That wher I loue best I dare not dyscure!

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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