Dyvers Balettys and Dyties Solacyous

Skelton, John

TextBaseEarlyTudorEnglish
JSBal1-5:22604
2008
STC 22604 (=R)
Ringler 22604 and TP 478, 1009, 1154, 1676 and 1976. Ed. Dyce 1.22-7; ed. Kinsman, pp. 1-8; ed. Scattergood, pp. 41-46. UMI microfilm reel 860. JSBal1 [=Ringler TP 1154, Brown and Robbins 2231.5] JSBal2 [=Ringler TP 1676] JSBal3 [=Ringler TP 1009] JSBal4 [=Ringler TP 1976, Brown and Robbins 3707.5] JSBal5 [=Ringler TP 478] Page nos. of the following reference ed. are entered: _John Skelton: The Complete English Poems_, ed. John Scattergood (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1983), pp. 41-46 (no. IV)

Here folowythe dyuers balettys and dyties solacyous
London: [J. Rastell],1528?.



Composition Date: 1495-1500.

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	HEre Folowythe dyuers Balettys and dyties solacyous deuysyd by Master Skelton Laureat.
sig: [A1v]
	JSBal1
	¶With lullay lullay lyke a chylde.
	Thou slepyst to long thou art begylde.
	My darlyng dere my daysy-floure.
	Let me quod he ly in your lap.
	Ly styll quod she my paramoure.
	Ly styll hardely and take a nap.
5	Hys hed was heuy such was his hap.
	All drowsy dremyng dround in slepe.
	That of hys loue he toke no kepe.
	With hey lullay .etc.
ref.ed: 42
	¶With ba ba ba and bas bas bas.
	She cheryshed hym both cheke and chyn.
10	That he wyst neuer where he was.
	He had forgoten all dedely syn.
	He wantyd wyt her loue to wyn.
	He trusted her payment and lost all hys pray.
	She left hym slepyng and stale away.
	With hey lullay .etc.
15	¶The ryuers rowth the waters wan.
	She sparyd not to wete her fete.
	She wadyd ouer she found a man.
	That halsyd her hartely and kyst her swete.
	Thus after her cold she cought a hete.
20	My lefe she sayd rowtyth in hys bed.
	I ####ab#### wys he hath an heuy hed.
	Wyth hey lullay .etc.
sig: [A2]
	¶What dremyst thou drunchard drousy-pate.
	Thy lust and lykyng is from the gone.
	Thou blynkerd blowboll tho[u] wakyst to late.
25	Behold thou lyeste luggard alone.
	Well may thou sygh well may thou grone.
	To dele wyth her so cowardly.
	I ####ab#### wys powle-hachet she bleryd thyne I.
	Quod skelton Laureate.
sig: [A2v]
	JSBal2
	THe auncient acquaintance madam betwen vs twayn
	The famylyaryte the formar dalyau[n]ce.
	Causyth me that I can not my-self refrayne.
	B[u]t that I must wryte for my plesaunt pastaunce.
5	Remembryng your passyng goodly countenaunce.
	Your goodly port your bewteous visage.
	Ye may be countyd comfort of all corage.
	¶Of all your feturs fauorable to make tru discripcion
	I am insuffycyent to make such enterpryse.
10	For thus dare I say without tradiccyon.
	That dame menolope was neuer half so wyse.
	Yet so it is that a rumer begynnyth for to ryse.
	How in good horsmen ye set your hole delyght.
	And haue forgoten your old trew louyng knyght.
ref.ed: 43
15	¶Wyth bound and rebound bounsyngly take vp.
	Hys Ientyll curtoy[l] / and set nowght by small naggys. curtoyl] curtoyt R
	Spur vp at the hynder-gyrth with gup morell gup.
	With Iayst ye Ienet of spayne for your tayll waggys
	Ye cast all your corage vppon such courtly haggys.
20	Haue in sergeaunt-ferrour myne horse behynde is bare.
	He rydyth well the horse but he rydyth better the mare.
	¶Ware ware the mare wynsyth wyth her wanton hele.
	She kykyth with her kalkyns and keylyth with a clench.
	She goyth wyde behynde and hewyth neuer a dele.
25	Ware gallyng in the widders ware of that wrenche.
	It is perlous for a horseman to dyg in the trenche.
	Thys greuyth your husband that ryght Ientyll knyght.
	And so with youre seruantys he fersly doth fyght.
sig: [A3]
	¶So fersly he fytyth hys mynde is so fell.
30	Yt he dryuyth them doune with dyntys on ther day-wach.
	He bresyth theyr braynpannys and makyth them to swell.
	Theyre browys all to ####ab#### brokyn such clappys they cach.
	Whose Ialawsy malycyous makyth them to lepe the hach.
	By theyr conusaunce knowing how they serue a wily py
35	Ask all your neybours whether that I ly.
	¶It can be no counsell that is cryed at the cros /
	For your Ientyll husband sorowfull am I.
	How-be-i[t] he is not furst hath had a los. How be it] How be is R
	Aduertysyng you madame to warke more secretly.
40	Let not all the world make an owt-cry.
	Play fayre-play madame and loke ye play clene.
	Or ells with gret shame your game wylbe sene.
	Quod Skelton Laureat.
sig: [A3v]
	JSBal3
	Knolege Aquayntance resort fauour with grace 'K' of 'Knolege' is guide letter in space set for large capital
	Delyte / desyre / respyte / wyth lyberte.
	Corage wyth lust conuenient tyme and space.
	Dysdayns / dystres / exylyd cruelte.
5	Wordys well set with good habylyte.
	Demure demenaunce womanly of porte.
	Transendyng plesure surmountyng all dysporte.
ref.ed: 44
	¶Allectuary arrectyd to redres.
	These feuerous axys the dedely wo and payne.
10	Of thoughtfull hertys plungyd in dystres.
	Refresshyng myndys the aprell shoure of rayne.
	Condute of comforte and well most souerayne.
	Herber enverduryd contynuall fressh and grene.
	Of lusty somer the passyng goodly quene.
15	¶The Topas rych and precyouse in vertew.
	Your ruddys wyth ruddy rubys may compare.
	Saphyre of sadnes enuayned wyth Indy-blew.
	The pullyshed perle youre whytenes doth declare.
	Dyamand poyntyd to rase oute hartly care.
20	Geyne surfetous suspecte the Emeraud comendable.
	Relucent Smaragd Obiecte I[n]comperable. Incomperable] Imcomperable R
	¶Encleryd myrroure and perspectyue most bryght.
	Illumynyd wyth feturys far passyng my reporte.
	Radyent Esperus star of the clowdy nyght.
25	Lode-star to lyght these louers to theyr porte.
	Gayne dangerous stormys theyr anker of supporte.
	Theyr sayll of solace most comfortably clad.
	Whych to behold makyth heuy hartys glad.
sig: [A4]
	¶Remorse haue I of youre most goodlyhod
30	Of youre behauoure curtes and benynge.
	Of your bownte and of youre womanhod.
	Which makyth my hart oft to lepe and sprynge.
	And to remember many a praty thynge.
	But absens alas wyth tremelyng fere and drede.
35	Abashyth me albe-it I haue no nede.
	¶You I assure absens is my fo.
	My dedely wo my paynfull heuynes.
	And if ye lyst to know the cause why so.
	Open myne hart beholde my mynde expres.
40	I wold you coud / then shuld ye se mastres
	How there nys thynge that I couet so fayne.
	As to enbrace you in myne armys twayne.
	¶Nothynge yerthly to me more desyrous.
	Than to beholde youre bewteouse countenaunce.
ref.ed: 45
45	But hatefull Absens to me so enuyous.
	Though thou withdraw me from her by long dystaunce.
	Yet shall she neuer oute of remembraunce.
	For I haue grauyd her wythin the secret wall.
	Of my trew hart to loue her best of all.
	Quod Skelton. Laureat.
	JSBal4
	Cuncta licet cecidisse putas discrimina rerum
	Et prius incerta nunc tibi certa manent.
sig: [A4v]
	Consiliis vsure meis tamen aspice caute
	Subdola non fallat te dea fraude sua.
5	Sepe solet placido mortales fallere vultu.
	Et cute sub placida tabida sepe dolent.
	Ut quando secura putas et cuncta serena. serena] serenas R
	Anguis sub viridi gramine sepe latet.
	¶Though ye suppose all Ieperdys ar paste.
	And all is done that ye lokyd for before.
	Ware yet I rede you of fortunes dowble cast.
	For one fals poynt she is wont to kepe in store.
5	And vnder the fell oft festerd is the sore
	That when ye thynke all daunger for to pas.
	Ware of the lesard lyeth lurkyng in the gras.
	Quod Skelton laureat.
	JSBal5
	GO pytyous hart rasyd with dedly wo. 'G' of 'Go' is guide letter in space set for large capital
	Persyd with payn bleding with wondes smart
	Bewayle thy fortune with vaynys wan and blo.
	O fortune vnfrendly fortune vnkynde thow art.
5	To be so cruell and so ouerthwart.
	To suffer me so carefull to endure.
	That wher I loue best I dare not dyscure.
	¶One ther is and euer one shalbe.
	For whose sake my hart is sore dyseasyd.
10	For whose loue welcom dysease to me.
	I am content so all partys be pleasyd.
	Yet and God wold I wold my payne were easyd.
ref.ed: 46
	But fortune enforsyth me so carefully to endure.
	That where I loue best I dare not dyscure
	¶Skelton laureat at the instance of a nobyll Lady.
	Cum priuilegio.