Produced by Jonathan Ingram and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Transcriber’s Note: Volume I is available as PG ebook #59997. THE POETICAL WORKS OF SKELTON. LONDON: PRINTED BY LEVEY, ROBSON, AND FRANKLYN, Great New Street, Fetter Lane. THE POETICAL WORKS OF JOHN SKELTON: WITH NOTES, AND SOME ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHOR AND HIS WRITINGS, BY THE REV. ALEXANDER DYCE. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON: THOMAS RODD, GREAT NEWPORT STREET. MDCCCXLIII. THE POETICAL WORKS OF JOHN SKELTON. SPEKE, PARROT.[1] THE BOKE[2] COMPILED BY MAISTER SKELTON, POET LAUREAT, CALLED SPEAKE, PARROT. [_Lectoribus auctor recipit[3] opusculi hujus auxesim._ _Crescet in immensum me vivo pagina præsens;_ _Hinc mea dicetur Skeltonidis aurea fama._ _Parot._] [Sidenote: Lucanus.[4] Tigris et Euphrates uno se fonte resolvunt.] My name is Parrot, a byrd of paradyse, By nature deuysed of a wonderous[5] kynde, Dyentely dyeted with dyuers dylycate spyce, Tyl Euphrates, that flode, dryueth me into Inde; Where men of that countrey by fortune me fynd, And send me to greate ladyes[6] of estate: Then Parot must haue an almon or a date; [Sidenote: Topographia, quam habet hæc avicula in deliciis.] A cage curyously caruen, with syluer pyn, 10 Properly paynted, to be my couertowre; A myrrour of glasse, that I may toote therin; These maidens ful mekely with many a diuers[7] flowre Freshly they dresse, and make swete my bowre, With, Speke, Parrot, I pray you, full curtesly they say; Parrot is a goodly byrd, a[8] prety popagey: [Sidenote: Delectatur in factura sua, tamen res est forma fugax.] With my becke bent, my[9] lyttyl wanton eye, My fedders freshe as is the emrawde grene, About my neck a cyrculet lyke the ryche rubye, My lyttyll leggys, my feet both fete and clene, 20 I am a mynyon to wayt vppon a[10] quene; My proper Parrot, my lyttyl prety foole; With ladyes I lerne, and go with them to scole. [Sidenote: Psittacus a vobis aliorum nomina disco: Hoc per me didici dicere,[11] Cæsar, ave.] Hagh, ha, ha, Parrot, ye can laugh pretyly! Parrot hath not dyned of al this[12] long day: Lyke your[13] pus cate, Parrot can mute and cry In Lattyn, in Ebrew, Araby, and Caldey;[14] In Greke tong Parrot can bothe speke and say, As Percyus, that poet, doth reporte of me, _Quis expedivit psittaco suum chaire?_ 30