The Poetical Works of John Skelton (Vol. 1&2). John Skelton
illusyons
Of marueylus conclusyons,
And by her supersticyons, 1350
And wonderfull condityons,
She raysed vp in that stede
Samuell that was dede;
But whether it were so,
He were idem in numero,
The selfe same Samuell,
How be it to Saull dyd he tell
The Philistinis shuld hym ascry,
And the next day he shuld dye,
I wyll my selfe dyscharge 1360
To lettred men at large:
But, Phylyp, I coniure thee
Now by these names thre,
Diana in the woodes grene,
Luna that so bryght doth shene,[467]
Procerpina in hell,
That thou shortly tell,
And shew now vnto me
What the cause may be
Of this perplexite! 1370
Inferias,[468] Philippe, tuas[469] Scroupe pulchra Joanna
Instanter petiit:[470] cur nostri carminis illam
Nunc pudet?[471] est sero; minor est infamia vero.
Than suche as haue disdayned
And of this worke complayned,
I pray God they be payned
No worse than is contayned
In verses two or thre
That folowe as you[472] may se.
Luride, cur, livor, volucris pia funera damnas? 1380
Talia te rapiant rapiunt quæ fata volucrem! [473]
Est tamen invidia mors tibi continua.
[335] Here after, &c.] From the ed. by Kele, n. d., collated with that by Kitson, n. d. (which in some copies is said to be printed by Weale), and with Marshe’s ed. of Skelton’s Workes, 1568.
[336] had] Not in other eds.
[337] For] Other eds. “From.”
[338] From] Eds. “For.”
[339] montes] Marshe’s ed. “montis.”
[340] Zenophontes] Other eds. “Zenophontis.”
[341] Andromach] Marshe’s ed. “Andromaca.”
[342] syt] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “set;” but see fifth line after.
[343] Sulpicia] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “Sulspicia.”
[344] that] Not in Marshe’s ed.
[345] eloquently] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “eloquenly.”
[346] fly] Other eds. “fle.”
[347] fethers] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “fether.”
[348] though] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “thought.”
[349] in] Not in other eds.
[350] Attalus] Eds. “Artalus.”
[351] ofsprynge] Other eds. “sprynge.”
[352] opened] Marshe’s ed. “open.”
[353] waxed] Marshe’s ed. “ware.”
[354] birdes] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “bordes,” which, perhaps, is the right reading. See notes.
[355] haue yet] Other eds. “yet haue.”
[356] carlyshe] Other eds. “churlyshe.”
[357] The] Eds. “These.”
[358] serpentes] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “serpens.”
[359] were] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “where.”
And go in at my spayre,
And crepe in at my gore
Kitson’s ed.;
“And often at my spayre
And gape in at my gore.”
[361] his] So other eds. Kele’s ed. “this.”
[362] on] Marshe’s ed. “an.”
[363] a] Not in Marshe’s ed.
[364] Softly] Marshe’s ed. “Loftly.”
[365] bitter]