fooneries in the pulpit, and his satirical ballads against the Mendicants, he was severely censured, and perhaps suspended by Nykke his diocesan, a rigid bishop of Norwich, from exercising the duties of the sacerdotal function. Wood says, he was also punished by the bishop for "having been guilty of certain crimes, as MOST POETS are"." But these persecutions only served to quicken his ludicrous disposition, and to exasperate the acrimony of his satire. As his sermons could be no longer a vehicle for his abuse, he vented his ridicule in rhyming libels. At length, daring to attack the dignity of cardinal Wolsey, he was closely pursued by the officers of that powerful minister; and, taking shelter in the sanctuary of Westminster The Peregrinacion of Mannes Lyfe, from the French, perhaps of Guillaume, prior of Chalis. [See supr. vol. ii. p. 427.] But it should be observed, that Pynson printed Peregrinatio humani generis, 1508. 4to. The triumphes of the redde rose, containing many stories long unremembered. Speculum principis, a manual written while he was creauncer, or tutor, to Henry the Eighth, when a boy. The Tunnyng of Elinour Rummyng. See p. 123. Colin Clout. See p. 179. John Yve. Joforth Jacke. Verses to maistres Anne. Epitaph of one Adam a knave. See p. 271. The balade of the mustarde tarte. The fate of Philip Sparrowe. See p. 215. The grounting of the swyne. The mourning of the mapely rote. A prayer to Moyse's hornes. The paiants [pageaunts] played in joyous garde, that is, in king Arthur's castle, so called in the romance of MORTE ARTHUR. The fenestrall [window] of castell Angel. The recule of Rosamundes boure. How dame Minerva first found the olive tre. The myller and his joly mate, or wife. Marime clarion. Of the Bonhoms of Ashrige near Berkhamstead, where is the sange royall of Christ's blode, that is, the real blood of Christ. He professes to have received many favours from this monastery. The nacion of foles. The boke of three fooles is printed in his Works, p. 260. Apollo that whirled up his chare. The mayden of Kent. Of lovers testaments. Of Jollas and Phillis. The boke of honorouse astate: Of royall demenaunce: How to fle synne: How to speke well. How to dye when ye will. A translation of Diodorus Siculus, oute of freshe Latin, that is, of Poggius Florentinus, containing six books. MS. C. C. C. Camb. viii. 5. Poggius's version was first printed at Venice, 1476. Caxton in his Preface to Virgil's ENEIDos, says that Skelton "translated diverse other workes out of Latyn into Englysh," beside Tully's Epistles, and Diodorus Siculus. Bale mentions his Invectiva on William Lily the grammarian. I know nothing more of this, than that it was answered by Lily in Apologia ad Joh. Scheltonum. Pr. "Siccine vipereo pergis me," &c. The piece of Skelton most frequently printed was, I believe, his ELINOUR RUMMYNG, or Rumpkin. The last of the old editions is in 1624. 4to. In the title page, is the picture of our genial hostess, a deformed old woman, holding a pot of ale, with this inscription. When Skelton wore the lawrel crown My ale put all the alewives down. See Davies's CRITICAL HISTORY OF PAMPHLETS, p. 28. 86. [Skelton's printed poems have been incorporated by Mr. A. Chalmers in his Collection of the British Poets, vol. 2d.-EDIT.] * See WORKS, p. 200. 202. &c. h ATH. OXON. i. 22. seq. [Fuller says it was for keeping a concubine, and Delafield (in Mr. Bliss's edition of Wood Ath. Oxon.) for being married. —EDIT.] abbey, was kindly entertained and protected by abbot Islip, to the day of his death. He died, and was buried in the neighbouring church of Saint Margaret, in the year 1529. Skelton was patronised by Henry Algernon Percy, the fifth earl of Northumberland, who deserves particular notice here; as he loved literature at a time when many of the nobility of England could hardly read or write their names, and was the general patron of such genius as his age produced. He encouraged Skelton, almost the only professed poet of the reign of Henry the Seventh, to write an elegy on the death of his father, which is yet extant. But still stronger proofs of his literary turn, especially of his singular passion for poetry, may be collected from a very splendid manuscript, which formerly belonged to this very distinguished peer, and is at present preserved in the British Museum. It contains a large collection of English poems, elegantly engrossed on vellum, and superbly illuminated, which had been thus sumptuously transcribed for his use. The pieces are chiefly those of Lydgate, after which follow the aforesaid Elegy of Skelton, and some smaller compositions. Among the latter are a metrical history of the family of Percy, presented to him by one of his own chaplains; and a prolix series of poetical inscriptions, which he caused to be written on the walls and ceilings of the principal apartments of his castles of Lekinfield and Wressil'. His cultivation of His Latin epitaph or elegy on the Death of Henry the Seventh, is addressed to Islip, A. D. 1512. p. 285. MSS. Reg. 18 D. 11. Who that outrageously makithe his dis pens, Causythe his goodes not long to endure,” &c. See supr. vol. ii. p. 438. And MSS. C.C.C. Cant. 168. Three of the apart-he gayfe to Alexander, kynge of Massy2. "The counsell of Aristotill, whiche ments in Wressill Castle, now destroyed, dony; whiche are wrytyn in the syde of were adorned with POETICAL INSCRIP the Utter Chamber above the house in TIONS. These are called in the manuscript the Garden at Wresyll." This is in above mentioned, "PROVERBES in the distichs of thirty-eight lines; beginning thus, LODGINGS in WRESSILL." 1. "The proverbes in the sydis of the innere chamber at Wressill." This is a poem of twenty-four stanzas, each containing seven lines: beginning thus, "When it is tyme of coste and greate expens, Beware of waste and spende by measure: the arts of external elegance appears, from the stately sepulchral monuments which he erected in the minster, or collegiate church, of Beverly in Yorkshire, to the memory of his father gardying at Wresyll." A poem of thirty Fyx not thy mynde on Fortune, that " The following apartments in Lekinfield had poetical inscriptions: as mentioned in the said manuscript. "PROVERBS in the LODGINGS at LEKINGFIELD. 1. "The proverbis of the garett over the Bayne at Lekyngfelde." This is a dialogue in 32 stanzas, of four lines, between "the Parte Sensatyve," and "the Part Intellectyve;" containing a poetical comparison between sensual and intellectual pleasures. 2. "The proverbis in the garet at the new lodge in the parke of Lekingfelde.' This is a poem of 32 stanzas, of four lines, being a discant on Harmony, as also on the manner of Singing, and playing on most of the instruments then used: i. e. the Harps, Claricordes, Lute, Virgynall, Clarisymballis, Clarion, Shawme, Orgayne, Recorder. The following stanza relates to the Shawme, and shews it to have been used for the Bass, as the RECORDER was for the Meane or Tenor. "A SHAWME makithe a sweete sounde for he tunithe BASSE, It mountithe not to hy, but kepithe rule and space. Yet yf it be blowne with a too vehement wynde, It makithe it to misgoverne out of his kynde." 3. "The proverbis in the rooffe of the hyest chawmbre in the gardinge at Lekingfelde." If we suppose this to be the room mentioned by Leland, where the Genealogy was kept; the following jingling reflections on the family motto (in thirty distichs) will not appear quite so misplaced; "Esperaunce en Dyeu, Truste in hym he is most trewe. Esperaunce in the worlde? nay; 4. "The proverbis in the roufe of my Lorde Percy closett at Lekyngfelde. A poetical dialogue, containing instructions for youth, in 142 lines. my 5. "The proverbis in the roufe of Twenty-three stanzas of four lines, from Lordis library at Lekyngefelde." which take the following specimen : "To every tale geve thou no credens. Prove the cause, or thou give sentens. Agayn the right make no dyffens, So hast thou a clene consciens." 6. "The counsell of Aristotell, whiche he gave to Alexander kinge of Macedony; in the syde of the garet of the gardynge in Lekynfelde. This consists of nine stanzas, of eight lines: Take the last stanza but one : "Punishe moderatly, and discretly If ye be moved with anger or hastynes, One This castle is also demolished. of the ornaments of the apartments of the old castles in France, was to write the walls all over with amorous SONNETS. and mother; which are executed in the richest style of the florid Gothic architecture, and remain to this day, the conspicuous and striking evidences of his taste and magnificence. In the year 1520, he founded an annual stipend of ten marcs for three years, for a preceptor, or professor, to teach grammar and philosophy in the monastery of Alnewick, contiguous to another of his magnificent castles". A further instance of his attention to letters and studious employments, occurs in his HOUSHOLD-BOOK, dated 1512, yet remaining; in which the LIBRARIES of this earl and of his lady are specified" and in the same curious monument of antient manners it is ordered, that one of his chaplains should be a MAKER OF Interludes. With so much boldness did this liberal nobleman abandon the example of his brother peers, whose principal occupations were hawking and tilting; and who despised learning, as an ignoble and petty accomplishment, fit only for the purposes of laborious and indigent ecclesiastics. Nor was he totally given up to the pursuits of leisure and peace: he was, in the year 1497, one of the leaders who commanded at the battle of Blackheath against lord Audley and his partisans; and was often engaged, from his early years, in other public services of trust and honour. But Skelton hardly deserved such a patronage". From the Receiver's accompts of the earl's estates in Com. Northumb. A. xv. Henr. VIII. A.D. 1527. "SoLUCIONES DENARIORUM per WARRANTUM DOMINI. Et in denariis per dominum receptorem doctori Makerell Abbati monasterii de Alnewyk solutis, de exitibus hujus anni, pro solucione vadii unius PEDAGOGI, sive Magistri, existentis infra Abbathiam predictam, et docentis ac legentis GRAMMATICAM et PHILOSOPHIAM canonicis et fratribus monasterii predicti, ad x marcas per annum pro termino iij annorum, virtute unius warranti, cujus data est apud Wressill xxmo die Septembris anno xij Regis predicti, signo manuali ipsius Comitis signati, et penes ipsum Abbatem remanentis, ultra vj lib. xiijs. iv d. sibi allocatas anno xiij Henr. viiji, et vj lib. xiijs. iiijd. similiter sibi allocatas in anno xiiij ejusdem Regis ut per ii acquietancias inde confectas, et penes Auditorem remanentes." From EVIDENCES of the PERCY FAMILY, at Sion-house. C. iii. Num. 5. 6. Communicated by doctor Percy. " Pag. 44. P. Cop. Pag. 378. I am indebted to the usual kindness of Dr. Percy for all the notices relating to this earl. See his Preface to the HOUSHOLD BOOк, pag. xxi. seq. I am informed by a manuscript note in one of Mr. Oldys's books, that Skelton also wrote a poem called TITUS AND GESIPPUS. This I believe to be a mistake: for I suppose he attributes to Skelton, William Walter's poem on this subject, mentioned above, p. 71. At the same time I take occasion to correct a mistake of my own, concerning that piece; which I have inadvertently called, It is in vain to apologise for the coarseness, obscenity, and scurrility of Skelton, by saying that his poetry is tinctured with the manners of his age. Skelton would have been a writer without decorum at any period. The manners of Chaucer's age were undoubtedly more rough and unpolished than those "a translation from a Latin romance concerning the siege of Jerusalem." ibid. Titus and Gesippus were famous for their friendship; and their history forms an interesting novel in Boccacio, the substance of which is this. Gesippus, falling into poverty, thought himself despised by Titus; and thence growing weary of life, gave out that he was guilty of a murther just committed. But Titus knowing the true state of the case, and desiring to save the life of his friend by losing his own, charged himself with the murther: at which the real murtherer, who stood among the croud at the trial, was so struck that he confessed the fact. All three are saved; and Titus, to repair the broken fortunes of Gesippus, gives him his sister in marriage, with an ample dower. Bocc. DECAM. Nov. viii. GIORN. X. This is a frequent example of consummate friendship in our old poets. In the FAERIE QUEENE, they are placed in the temple of Venus among the celebrated Platonic friends of antiquity, B. iv. c. x. st. 27. Boccacio by Fr. M. Bandello, and printed at Milan in 1509. An exceedingly scarce book. "Titi Romani et Hegesippi Atheniensis Historia in Latinum versa per Fr. Mattheum Bandellum Castronovensem. MEDIOLANI. Apud Gotard de Ponte, 1509. 4to." I take this opportunity of pointing out another source of Boccacio's TALES. Friar Philip's story of the Goose, or of the Young Man who had never seen a Woman, in the Prologue to the Fourth day of the DECAMERON, is taken from a spiritual romance, called the HISTORY OF BARLAAM AND JOSAPHAT. This fabulous narrative, in which Barlaam is a hermit and Josaphat a king of India, is supposed to have been originally written in Greek by Johannes Damascenus. The Greek is no uncommon manuscript. See MSS. LAUD. C. 72. It was from the old Latin translation, which is mentioned by Vincent of Beavais, that it became a favorite in the dark ages. The Latin, which is also a common manuscript, was printed so early as the year. Myld Titus and Gesippus without 1470. It has often appeared in French. pryde. A modern Latin version was published at Paris in 1577. The legendary historians, who believed every thing, and even Baronius, have placed Barlaam and Josaphat in their catalogues of confes sours. Saint Barlaam and saint Josaphat occur in the METRICAL LIVES OF THE SAINTS. MSS. BODL. 72. fol. 288. b. This history seems to have been composed by an oriental Christian: and, in, some manuscripts, is said to have been brought by a monk of saint Saba into the holy city from Ethiopia. Among the Baroccian manuscripts there is an OFFICE in Greek for these two supposed saints. Cod. xxi.-ADDITIONS.] ton's poems in the Cotton library: but There is a manuscript of some of Skelthe volume is so much damaged by fire, that they are almost illegible. [Brit. Mus.] VITELL. E. x. 28. |