v. 687. _twynklyng upon his harpe stringis_]—_twynklyng_, i. e. tinkling. So, at a much later period, Dekker; “Thou (most cleare throated singing man,) with thy Harpe, (to the _twinckling_ of which inferior Spirits skipt like Goates ouer the Welsh mountaines),” &c. _A Knights Coniuring_, 1607. sig. D 2. Page 389. v. 688. _And Iopas, &c._] Here, and in the next two stanzas, Skelton has an eye to Virgil; “Cithara crinitus Iopas Personat aurata, docuit quæ maxumus Atlas. Hic canit errantem lunam, solisque labores; Unde hominum genus, et pecudes; unde imber, et ignes; Arcturum, pluviasque Hyadas, geminosque Triones; Quid tantum Oceano properent se tinguere soles Hiberni, vel quæ tardis mora noctibus obstet.” _Æn._ i. 740. —— _auaunce_] i. e. advance. v. 691. _mone_] i. e. moon. v. 694. _spere_] i. e. sphere. v. 697. _prechid_] i. e. discoursed, told. —— _chere_] i. e. countenance, look. v. 699. _aspy_] i. e. espy. v. 705. _counteryng_] See note, p. 92. Page 389. v. 709. _pleasure, with lust and delyte_] One of our author’s pleonastic expressions. v. 712. _conuenable_] i. e. fitting. Page 390. v. 718. _wele were hym_] i. e. he were in good condition. v. 720. _maystres_] i. e. mistress. v. 725. _losyd ful sone_] i. e. loosed full soon. v. 731. _That I ne force what though it be discurid_] i. e. That I do not care although it be discovered, shewn. v. 733. _ladyn of liddyrnes with lumpis_]—_liddyrnes_, i. e. sluggishness, slothfulness (the construction is—ladyn with lumpis of liddyrness). v. 734. _dasid_] i. e. stupified. —— _dumpis_] See note on v. 15. p. 301: but here the word implies greater dulness of mind. v. 735. _coniect_] i. e. conjecture. v. 736. _Gog_] A corruption of the sacred name. Page 391. v. 737. _be_] i. e. by. v. 741. _fonde_] i. e. foolish. v. 742. _Tressis agasonis species prior, altera Davi_] “Hic Dama est non _tressis agaso_.” Persius, _Sat._ v. 76. _Davus_ is a slave’s name in Plautus, Terence, &c. v. 748. _tacita sudant præcordia culpa_] From Juvenal, _Sat._ i. 167. v. 751. _Labra movens tacitus_] “_Labra_ moves _tacitus_.” Persius, _Sat._ v. 184. —— _rumpantur ut ilia Codro_] From Virgil, _Ecl._ vii. 26. v. 753. _hight_] i. e. is called. v. 754. _and ye wist_] i. e. if ye knew. Page 392. v. 758. _hole reame_] i. e. whole realm. v. 762. _smerke_] i. e. smirk. v. 763. _leue warke whylis it is wele_] i. e. leave work while it is well. v. 764. _towchis_] i. e. touches, qualities. —— _to_] i. e. too. v. 768. _astate_] i. e. estate, state.