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
[Sidenote: Docibilem se pandit in omni idiomate. Polichronitudo Basileos.]
Dowse[15] French of Parryse Parrot can lerne,
Pronounsynge my purpose after my properte,
With, _Perliez byen_, Parrot, _ou perlez rien_;
With Douch, with Spanysh, my tong can agre;
In Englysh to God Parrot can supple,[16]
Cryst saue Kyng Henry[17] the viii., our royall kyng,
The red rose in honour to florysh and sprynge!
[Sidenote: Katerina universalis vitii ruina, Græcum est. Fidasso de
cosso, i. habeto fidem in temet ipso. Auctoritate[m] inconsultam taxat
hic. Lege Flaccum, et observa plantatum diabolum.]
With Kateryne incomparable, our ryall[18] quene also,
That pereles pomegarnet, Chryst saue her noble grace!
Parrot, _saves[19] habler Castiliano_, 40
With _fidasso de cosso_[20] in Turkey and in Trace;
_Vis consilii expers_,[21] as techith me Horace,
_Mole ruit sua_, whose dictes ar[22] pregnaunte,
_Souentez foys_,[23] Parrot, _en souenaunte_.
[Sidenote: Sæpenumero hæc pensitans psittacus ego pronuntio.[24]
Aphorismo, quia paronomasia certe incomprehensibilis.]
My lady maystres,[25] dame Philology,
Gaue me a gyfte in my nest whan I[26] laye,
To lerne all language, and it to spake aptely:
Now _pandez mory_,[27] wax frantycke, some men[28] saye;
Phroneses for[29] Freneses may not holde her way.
An almon now for Parrot, dilycatly drest; 50
In _Salve festa dies, toto_ theyr doth[30] best.
[Sidenote: Aptius hic loquitur animus quam lingua. Notum adagium et
exasperans.]
_Moderata juvant_, but _toto_ doth excede;
Dyscressyon is moder of noble vertues all;
_Myden[31] agan_ in Greke[32] tonge we rede;
But reason and wyt wantyth theyr prouyncyall
When wylfulnes is vycar generall.
_Hæc res acu tangitur_, Parrot, _par ma foy_:
_Ticez vous_, Parrot, _tenez vous coye_.
Besy, besy,[33] besy, and besynes agayne!
_Que pensez voz_, Parrot? what meneth this besynes? 60
_Vitulus_ in Oreb troubled Arons brayne,
Melchisedeck mercyfull made Moloc mercyles;
To wyse is no vertue, to medlyng, to restles;
In mesure is tresure, _cum sensu maturato_;[34]
_Ne tropo sanno,[35] ne tropo mato_.
Aram was fyred with Caldies fyer called Ur;
Iobab[36] was brought vp in the lande of Hus;[37]
The lynage of Lot toke supporte of Assur;
Iereboseth is Ebrue, who lyst the cause[38] dyscus.
Peace, Parrot, ye prate, as ye were _ebrius_: 70
Howst thé, _lyuer god van hemrik, ic seg_;
In Popering[39] grew peres, whan Parrot was an eg.
What is this to purpose? Ouer in a whynnymeg![40]
Hop Lobyn of Lowdeon wald haue e[41] byt of bred;
The iebet of Baldock was made for Jack Leg;
An arrow vnfethered and without an hed,
A bagpype[42] without blowynge standeth in no sted:
Some run to far before, some run to far behynde,
Some be to churlysshe, and some be to kynde.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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