The Poetical Works of John Skelton, Volume 2 (of 2)Skelton, John
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The Poetical Works of John Skelton, Volume 2 (of 2)
Skelton, John
English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700
My propire Besse, 240
My praty Besse,
Turne ones agayne to me:
For slepyste thou, Besse,
Or wakeste thow, Besse,
Myne herte hyt ys with thé.
[Sidenote: Quid quæritis tot capita, tot census?]
My deysy delectabyll,
My prymerose commendabyll,
My vyolet amyabyll,
My ioye inexplicabill,
Nowe torne agayne to me. 250
I wylbe ferme and stabyll,
And to yow seruyceabyll,
And also prophytabyll,
Yf ye be agreabyll
To turne agayne to me,
My propyr Besse.
[Sidenote: Maro: Malo me Galatea petit, lasciva puella, Et fugit ad
salices, &c.]
Alas, I am dysdayned,
And as a man halfe maymed,
My harte is so sore payned!
I pray thé, Besse, vnfayned, 260
Yet com agayne to me!
Be loue I am constreyned
To be with yow retayned,
Hyt wyll not be refrayned:
I pray yow, be reclaymed,
And torne agayne to me,
My propyr Besse.
Quod[80] Parot, the popagay royall.
_Martialis cecinit carmen fit mihi scutum:—_
_Est mihi lasciva pagina, vita proba.[81]_
_Galethea._
[Sidenote: Zoe kai psyche.[82] Non omnes capiunt verbum istud, sed quibus
datum est desuper.]
Now kus me, Parrot, kus me, kus, kus, kus:[83]
Goddys blessyng lyght on thy swete lyttyll[84] mus! 270
_Vita et anima,_
_Zoe kai psyche._[85]
[Sidenote: Aquinates.[86]]
_Concumbunt[87] Græce. Non est hic sermo pudicus._
[Sidenote: Sua consequentia[88] magni æstimatur momenti Attica sane
eloquentia.]
_Ergo_[89] _Attica[90] dictamina_
_Sunt[91] plumbi lamina,_
_Vel[92] spuria vitulamina:_
_Avertat hæc[93] Urania!_[94]
[_Amen._]
_Amen, Amen_,[95]
And set to[96] a D,
And then it is, Amend
Our new found A, B, C.
_Cum cæteris paribus._[97]
[_Lenuoy primere._
Go, litell quayre, namyd the Popagay, 280
Home to resorte Jerobesethe perswade;
For the cliffes of Scaloppe they rore wellaway,
And the sandes of Cefas begyn to waste and fade,
For replicacion restles that he of late ther made;
Now Neptune and Eolus ar agreed of lyclyhode,
For Tytus at Dover abydythe in the rode;
Lucina she wadythe among the watry floddes,
And the cokkes begyn to crowe agayne the day;
_Le tonsan de Jason_ is lodgid among the shrowdes,
Of Argus revengyd, recover when he may; 290
Lyacon of Libyk and Lydy hathe cawghte hys pray:
Goe, lytyll quayre, pray them that yow beholde,
In there remembraunce ye may be inrolde.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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