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
v. 163. _shreud aray_]—_shreud_, i. e. evil, bad. “_Araye_ condicion or
case _poynt_.” Palsgrave’s _Lesclar. de la Lang. Fr._, 1530. fol. xviii.
(Table of Subst.); which, however, may not be the sense of _aray_ in the
present passage. We find:—“Soo with this rumoure came in syr launcelot
and fond them al at a grete _araye_.” _Morte d’Arthur_, B. xix. c. vi.
vol. ii. 374. ed. Southey; the next chapter beginning “What _araye_ is
this sayd sir Launcelot,” &c. “For al this foule _araye_, for al this
great frai.” _Mery Tales, Wittie Questions_, &c., 1567. p. 18, reprint.
See also our author’s sacred poem, _Wofully araid_, vol. i. 141, and note
on it.
v. 171. _draffe_] i. e. hog-wash—either the coarse liquor, or brewers’
grains, with which swine are fed.
v. 173. _swyllynge tubbe_] i. e. tub in which _swillings_ (hog-wash) are
preserved for swine.
v. 174.
_For, be there neuer so much prese,_
_These swyne go to the hye dese_]
—_prese_, i. e. press, throng: _dese_, or _dais_, a word of doubtful
etymology, generally means—a table of estate,—the upper table raised on
a platform more elevated than the others. See Tyrwhitt’s note on _Cant.
Tales_, v. 372; and Richardson’s _Dict._ in v. _Dais_. It sometimes
signifies a long bench (see Jamieson’s _Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang._ in v.
_Deis_); and such seems to be its meaning here, as in the fourth line
after this “the hye benche” is mentioned.—Roy in his satire against
Wolsey, _Rede me, and be nott wrothe_, &c., has imitated the present
passage of Skelton;
“_For, be there never so grett prease_,
They are set up at _the hy dease_.”
_Harl. Miscell._ ix. 51. ed. Park.
Page 101. v. 185.
_God gyue it yll preuynge,_
_Clenly as yuell cheuynge_]
—_preuynge_, i. e. proving.
“And prechest on thy benche, _with evil prefe_:”
(i. e. evil may it prove!)
Chaucer’s _Wif of Bathes Prol._ v. 5829. ed. Tyr.
—_yuell cheuynge_, i. e. evil ending, bad success.
“_God geve it yvell chevynge._”
Roy’s _Rede me_, &c., _Harl. Miscell._ ix. 79. ed. Park.
See also _Cocke Lorelles bote_, sig. B i., _Towneley Myst._ p. 108, and
Chaucer’s _Chanones Yemannes Tale_, v. 16693. ed. Tyr.
v. 189. _patch_] I know not how to explain.
v. 190. _ron_] i. e. run.
v. 192. _ioust_] i. e. joist.
v. 196. _bolle_] i. e. bowl.
v. 198. _skommeth_] i. e. skimmeth.
v. 199. _Whereas_] i. e. Where.
v. 201. _blennes_] i. e. blends.
Page 102. v. 212. _And ye may it broke_] i. e. If you may brook it.
v. 213. _loke_] i. e. look.
v. 218. _ble_] i. e. colour, complexion.
v. 219. _Ich am_] i. e. I am.
v. 222. _In lust and in lykyng_] See note, p. 98. v. 23.
v. 223. _whytyng_] So in our early dramas, _whiting-mop_ (young whiting)
is a cant term for a nice young woman, a tender creature: see Puttenham’s
_Arte of E. P_., 1589. p. 184., and note in my ed. of Webster’s _Works_,
in. 37.
v. 224. _mullyng_] This term of endearment occurs in the _Coventry
Mysteries_, applied by one of the shepherds to the infant Saviour;
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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