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

For it is impossible                                                 390
  For you to bring about,
  Our kyng for to dryue out
  Of this his realme royall
  And lande imperiall;
  So noble a prince as he
  In all actyuite
  Of hardy merciall actes,
  Fortunate in all his faytes.[265]
    And nowe I wyll me dresse
  His valiaunce to expresse,                                           400
  Though insufficient am I
  His grace to magnify
  And laude equiualently;
  Howe be it, loyally,
  After myne allegyaunce,
  My pen I will auaunce
  To extoll his noble grace,
  In spyght of thy cowardes face,
  In spyght of Kyng Fraunces,
  Deuoyde of all nobles,                                               410
  Deuoyde of good corage,
  Deuoyde of wysdome sage,
  Mad, frantyke, and sauage;
  Thus he dothe disparage
  His blode with fonde dotage.
  A prince to play the page
  It is a rechelesse rage,
  And a lunatyke ouerage.
  What though my stile be rude?
  With trouthe it is ennewde:                                          420
  Trouth ought to be rescude,
  Trouthe should nat be subdude.
    But nowe will I expounde
  What noblenesse dothe abounde,
  And what honour is founde,
  And what vertues be resydent
  In our royall regent,
  Our perelesse president,
  Our kyng most excellent:
    In merciall prowes                                                 430
  Lyke vnto Hercules;
  In prudence and wysdom
  Lyke vnto Salamon;
  In his goodly person
  Lyke vnto Absolon;
  In loyalte and foy
  Lyke to Ector of Troy;
  And his glory to incres,
  Lyke to Scipiades;
  In royal mageste                                                     440
  Lyke unto Ptholome,
  Lyke to Duke Iosue,
  And the valiaunt Machube;
  That if I wolde reporte
  All the roiall sorte
  Of his nobilyte,
  His magnanymyte,
  His animosite,
  His frugalite,[266]
  His lyberalite,                                                      450
  His affabilite,
  His humanyte,
  His stabilite,
  His humilite,
  His benignite,
  His royall dignyte,
  My lernyng is to small
  For to recount them all.
    What losels than are ye,
  Lyke cowardes as ye be,                                              460
  To rayle on his astate,
  With wordes inordinate!
    He rules his cominalte
  With all benignite;
  His noble baronage,
  He putteth them in corage
  To exployte dedes of armys,
  To the domage and harmys
  Of suche as be his foos;
  Where euer he rydes or goos,                                         470
  His subiectes he dothe supporte,
  Maintayne them with comforte
  Of his moste princely porte,
  As all men can reporte.
    Than ye be a knappishe sorte,
  _Et faitez a luy grant torte_,
  With your enbosed iawes
  To rayle on hym lyke dawes;
  The fende scrache out your mawes!
    All his subiectes and he                                           480
  Moost louyngly agre
  With hole hart and true mynde,
  They fynde his grace so kynde;
  Wherwith he dothe them bynde

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

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