The Poetical Works of John Skelton, Volume 2 (of 2)Skelton, John
General
The Poetical Works of John Skelton, Volume 2 (of 2)
Skelton, John
English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700
i. e. Having many goodly plates of gold shaped like lozenges
(quadrilateral figures of equal sides, but unequal angles).
—— _entachid with many a precyous stone_]—_entachid_ may be used in the
sense of—tacked on; but qy. is the right reading “_enhachid?_” as in v.
40 of the present poem, “_Enhachyde_ with perle,” &c., (and v. 1078 of
_Phyllyp Sparowe_,) see note, p. 302.
v. 472. _whalis bone_] In our early poetry “white as whales bone” is a
common simile; and there is reason to believe that some of our ancient
writers supposed the ivory then in use (which was made from the teeth of
the horse-whale, morse, or walrus) to be part of the bones of a whale.
Skelton, however, makes a distinction between “whalis bone” and the real
ivory (see v. 468). The latter was still scarce in the reign of Henry the
Eighth; but, before that period, Caxton had told his readers that “the
tooth of an olyfaunt is yuorye.” _Mirrour of the world_, 1480. sig. f i.
v. 474. _The carpettis within and tappettis of pall_]—_tappettis of
pall,_ i. e. coverings of rich or fine stuff (perhaps table-covers): that
_tappettis_ does not here mean tapestry, is proved by the next line; and
compare v. 787,
“With that the _tappettis_ and carpettis were layd,
Whereon theis ladys softly myght rest,
The saumpler to sow on,” &c.
Page 381. v. 475. _clothes of arace_] See note, p. 192. v. 78.
v. 476. _Enuawtyd ... vawte_] i. e. Envaulted ... vault.
v. 477. _pretory_] Lat. prætorium.
v. 478. _enbulyoned_] i. e. studded; see note on v. 1165.
—— _indy blew_] See note, p. 101. v. 17.
v. 480. _Iacinctis and smaragdis out of the florthe they
grew_]—_Iacinctis_, i. e. Jacinths: _smaragdis_, i. e. emeralds (but see
note, p. 102. v. 20): “_Vng planché_, a plancher or a _florthe_ that is
boorded.” Palsgrave’s _Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr._, 1530. fol. iii. (Thirde
Boke). “_Florthe_ of a house _astre_.”—“Gyst that gothe ouer the _florthe
soliue, giste._” _Id._ fols. xxxiiii. xxxvi. (Table of Subst.). “I
Plaster a wall or _florthe_ with plaster ... I wyl plaster the _florthe_
of my chambre to make a gernyer there, _Ie plastreray latre de ma chābre
pour en faire vng grenier_.” _Id._ fol. cccxviii. (Table of Verbes).
v. 483. _most rychely besene_] i. e. of a most rich appearance,—most
richly arrayed: see notes, p. 112. v. 283, p. 295. v. 957.
v. 484. _cloth of astate_] i. e. cloth of estate,—canopy.
v. 487. _ryally_] i. e. royally.
Page 381. v. 489. _enuyrowne_] i. e. in compass, about.
v. 490. _stode_] i. e. stood.
v. 492. _presid_] i. e. pressed.
v. 493. _Poyle ... Trace_] i. e. Apulia ... Thrace.
v. 499. _metely wele_] See note, p. 270. v. 2196.
Page 382. v. 502. _a kyby hele_] See note, p. 174. v. 493.
v. 503. _salfecundight_] i. e. safe-conduct.
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