John Skelton Poems

Cuncta licet cecidisse putas discrimina rerum,
Et prius incerta nunc tibi certa manent,
Consiliis usure meis tamen aspice caute,
Subdola non fallat te dea fraude sua:
...

MERRY Margaret
   As midsummer flower,
   Gentle as falcon
   Or hawk of the tower:
...

Tell you I chyll,
If that ye wyll
A whyle be styll,
Of a comely gyll
...

With lullay, lullay, like a child,
Thou sleepest too long, thou art beguiled!
"My darling dear, my daisy flower,
Let me," quoth he, "lie in your lap."
...

Kynge Jamy, Jomy your joye is all go.
Ye summoned our kynge. Why dyde ye so?
To you no thyng it dyde accorde
To sommom our kynge your soverayne lorde.
...

Pla ce bo,
Who is there, who?
Di le xi,
Dame Margery;
...

[a laude and prayse made for our souereigne lord the kyng.]

The Rose both white and Rede
In one rose now dothe grow:
...

WITH margerain gentle,
   The flower of goodlihead,
Embroidered the mantle
   Is of your maidenhead.
...

The auncient acquaintance, madam, betwen vs twayn,
The famylyaryte, the formal dalyaunce,
Causyth me that I can not myself refrayne
But that I must wryte for my plesaunt pastaunce:
...

Womanhod wanton ye want.
Youre medelyng mastres is manerles.
Plente of yll of goodnes skant.
Ye rayll at ryot recheles.
...