v. 9. _Then Parot must haue an almon_] In Jonson’s _Magnetic Lady_, act v. sc. 5, we find,— “Pol is a fine bird! O fine lady Pol! _Almond for Parrot_, Parrot’s a brave bird;”— and Gifford, citing the present line (he ought rather to have cited v. 50), observes that Jonson was indebted to Skelton for “most of this jargon.” _Works_, vi. 109. v. 11. _couertowre_] i. e. shelter. Page 2. v. 12. _toote_] i. e. peep. v. 16. _popagey_] i. e. parrot. v. 17. _becke_] i. e. beak. v. 18. _My fedders freshe as is the emrawde grene_]—_emrawde,_ i. e. emerald. So Ovid in his charming verses on Corinna’s parrot; “Tu poteras virides pennis hebetare smaragdos.” _Am._ lib. ii. vi. 21. v. 20. _fete_] i. e. well made, neat. v. 22. _My proper Parrot, my lytyll prety foole_]—_proper_, i. e. pretty, handsome (elsewhere Skelton uses “proper” and “prety” as synonymes: see note, p. 125. v. 127). “I pray thee what hath ere the Parret got, And yet they say he talkes in great mens bowers? ... A good _foole_ call’d with paine perhaps may be.” Sidney’s _Arcadia_, lib. ii. p. 229. ed. 1613. v. 23. _scole_] i. e. school. v. 26. _mute_] i. e. mew: see note _ad l._ v. 30. _Quis expedivit psittaco suum chaire_]—_chaire_—ΧΑΙΡΕ. From Persius, _Prol._ 8. Page 3. v. 31. _Dowse French of Parryse_] _Dowse_, i. e. sweet, soft. Chaucer’s Prioress spoke French “After the scole of Stratford atte bowe, For _Frenche of Paris_ was to hire unknowe.” _Prol. to Cant. Tales_, v. 125. ed. Tyr. v. 35. _supple_] i. e. supplicate, pray. v. 38. _ryall_] i. e. royal. In the marginal note on this line, “Katerina universalis vitii ruina, Græcum est” is an allusion to the Greek καθαρίζω or καθαρός. v. 39. _pomegarnet_] i. e. pomegranate. v. 40. _Parrot, saves habler Castiliano_] See note _ad l._ “Parrot, can you speak Castilian?” is a question which Spanish boys at the present day frequently address to that bird. v. 41. _With fidasso de cosso in Turkey and in Trace_]—_fidasso de cosso_ is perhaps lingua franca,—some corruption (see marginal note on the line) of the Italian _fidarsi di se stesso_: _Trace_, i. e. Thrace. v. 42. _Vis consilii expers ..._] } v. 43. _Mole ruit sua_] } From Horace, _Carm._ iii. iv. 65 (where “consilî”). —— _dictes_] i. e. sayings. v. 45. _maystres_] i. e. mistress. Page 4. v. 50. _An almon now for Parrot_] I know not if these words occur in any writer anterior to the time of Skelton; but they afterwards became a sort of proverbial expression. Page 4. v. 51. _In Salve festa dies, toto theyr doth best_]—_theyr_, i. e. there. Skelton has two copies of verses, which begin “Salve, festa dies, toto,” &c.: see vol. i. pp. 190, 191. v. 54. _Myden agan_] i. e. Μηδὲν ἄγαν. v. 59. _Besy_] i. e. Busy. v. 63. _To_] i. e. Too.