The Poetical Works of John Skelton, Volume 2 (of 2)

Name: The Poetical Works of John Skelton, Volume 2 (of 2)
Author: Skelton, John

Skelton, John

English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700

Jasper Tudor, second son of Owen Tudor by Katherine widow of King Henry
the Fifth, was created Earl of Pembroke, in 1452, by his half-brother,
King Henry the Sixth. After that monarch had been driven from the throne
by Edward, Jasper was attainted, and his earldom conferred on another. He
was again restored to it, when Henry had recovered the crown; but being
taken prisoner at the battle of Barnet, he lost it a second time. After
the battle of Bosworth, Henry the Seventh not only reinstated Jasper (his
uncle) in the earldom of Pembroke, but also created him Duke of Bedford,
in 1485; subsequently appointed him Lieutenant of Ireland for one year,
and granted to him and his heirs male the office of Earl Marshal of
England with an annuity of twenty pounds. The duke married Katherine,
daughter of Richard Wydevile Earl Rivers, and widow of Henry Stafford
Duke of Buckingham. He died 21st Dec. 1495, and, according to his own
desire, expressed in his will, was buried in the abbey of Keynsham, where
he founded a chantry for four priests to sing mass for the souls of
his father, his mother, and his elder brother Edmond Earl of Richmond.
He left no children except a natural daughter. See Sandford’s _Geneal.
Hist._ p. 292. ed. 1707.




ELEGY ON KING HENRY THE SEVENTH.[277]


  ... orlde all wrapped in wretchydnes,
  ... hy pompes so gay and gloryous,
  ... easures and all thy ryches
  ... y be but transytoryous;
  ... to moche pyteous,
  ... e that eche man whylom dred,
  ... by naturall lyne and cours,
  ... s, alas, lyeth dede!

  ... ryall a kynge,
  ... ianer the prudent Salamon;
  ... sse and in euery thynge,
  ... 10 Crysten regyon,
  ... not longe agone,
  ... his name by fame spr[e]de;
  ... te nowe destytute alone,
  ... as, alas, lyeth dede!

  ... ater we wretchyd creatures,
  ... es and tryumphaunt maiestye,
  ... pastymes and pleasures,
  ... thouten remedye;
  ... o wyll the myserable bodye
  ... n heuy lede,
  ... lde but vanyte and all vanytye,
  ... h alas, alas, lyeth dede!

  ... is subgectes and make lamentacyon
  ... o noble a gouernoure;
  ... ayers make we exclamacyon,
  ... de to his supernall toure:
  ... dly rose floure,
  ... yally all aboute spred,
  ... iated where is his power?
  ... alas, alas, lyeth dede!

  Of this moost Crysten kynge in vs it lyeth not,
    His tyme passed honour suffycyent to prayse;
  But yet though that that thyng envalue we may not,
    Our prayers of suertye he shall haue alwayes;
    And though that Atropose hathe ended his dayes,
  His name and fame shall euer be dred
  As fer as Phebus spredes his golden rayes,
    Though Henry the Seuenth, alas, alas, lyeth dede!

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

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

Jasper Tudor, second son of Owen Tudor by Katherine widow of King Henry
the Fifth, was created Earl of Pembroke, in 1452, by his half-brother,
King Henry the Sixth. After that monarch had been driven from the throne
by Edward, Jasper was attainted, and his earldom conferred on another. He
was again restored to it, when Henry had recovered the crown; but being
taken prisoner at the battle of Barnet, he lost it a second time. After
the battle of Bosworth, Henry the Seventh not only reinstated Jasper (his
uncle) in the earldom of Pembroke, but also created him Duke of Bedford,
in 1485; subsequently appointed him Lieutenant of Ireland for one year,
and granted to him and his heirs male the office of Earl Marshal of
England with an annuity of twenty pounds. The duke married Katherine,
daughter of Richard Wydevile Earl Rivers, and widow of Henry Stafford
Duke of Buckingham. He died 21st Dec. 1495, and, according to his own
desire, expressed in his will, was buried in the abbey of Keynsham, where
he founded a chantry for four priests to sing mass for the souls of
his father, his mother, and his elder brother Edmond Earl of Richmond.
He left no children except a natural daughter. See Sandford’s _Geneal.
Hist._ p. 292. ed. 1707.




ELEGY ON KING HENRY THE SEVENTH.[277]


  ... orlde all wrapped in wretchydnes,
  ... hy pompes so gay and gloryous,
  ... easures and all thy ryches
  ... y be but transytoryous;
  ... to moche pyteous,
  ... e that eche man whylom dred,
  ... by naturall lyne and cours,
  ... s, alas, lyeth dede!

  ... ryall a kynge,
  ... ianer the prudent Salamon;
  ... sse and in euery thynge,
  ... 10 Crysten regyon,
  ... not longe agone,
  ... his name by fame spr[e]de;
  ... te nowe destytute alone,
  ... as, alas, lyeth dede!

  ... ater we wretchyd creatures,
  ... es and tryumphaunt maiestye,
  ... pastymes and pleasures,
  ... thouten remedye;
  ... o wyll the myserable bodye
  ... n heuy lede,
  ... lde but vanyte and all vanytye,
  ... h alas, alas, lyeth dede!

  ... is subgectes and make lamentacyon
  ... o noble a gouernoure;
  ... ayers make we exclamacyon,
  ... de to his supernall toure:
  ... dly rose floure,
  ... yally all aboute spred,
  ... iated where is his power?
  ... alas, alas, lyeth dede!

  Of this moost Crysten kynge in vs it lyeth not,
    His tyme passed honour suffycyent to prayse;
  But yet though that that thyng envalue we may not,
    Our prayers of suertye he shall haue alwayes;
    And though that Atropose hathe ended his dayes,
  His name and fame shall euer be dred
  As fer as Phebus spredes his golden rayes,
    Though Henry the Seuenth, alas, alas, lyeth dede!

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Poetical Works of John Skelton, Volume 2 (of 2)

The Poetical Works of John Skelton, Volume 2 (of 2)

No reviews yet