when he began to court my loue
& wth his sugred words me moue
his ffaynings false & fflattering Chere
to me yt time did not appeare

but now I see most cruellye

he cares neither for my babe nor mee
Balow la-low

Lye still my darling sleepe awhile
& when thou wakest thoule sweetly smile
but smile not as thy father did
to cozen maids nay god forbid
but yett I ffeare thou will goe neere
thy fathers hart & fface to beare
Balow la-low

I Cannott chuse but euer will
be louing to thy father still;
where ere he goes where ere he ryde
loue wth him doth still abyde
In weale or woe where ere he goe
my hart shall neere depart him ffroe
Balow la-low

my

But doe not doe not pretty mine
to ffaynings false thy hart incline
be loyall to thy lover true
& neuer Change her ffor a new
If good or faire of her haue Care
ffor womens baninge is wonderous sare
Balow la-low

Bearne by thy face I will beware
like Sirens words Ile not come neere
my babe & I together will liue

heele Comfort mee when Cares doe greeue

neere] ne'er.

bearne] bairn.

heele] he'll.

my babe & I right soft will lye
& neere respect mans crueltye
Balow la-low

ffarwell ffarwell the falsest youth
yt euer kist a womans mouth

I wish all maids be warned by mee
neere to trust mans curtesye

for if wee doe but chance to bowe
theyle use vs then they care not how
Balow la-low

JOHN SKELTON

1460-1529(?)

TO MISTRESS MARGARET HUSSEY

MIRRY Margarete,

As mydsomer flowre,
Jentill as fawcoun,

Or hawke of the towre;

With solace and gladnes,

Moche mirthe and no madnes,

All good and no badnes;

So ioyously,

So maidenly,

So womanly

Her demenyng

In every thynge,

Far, far passynge

That I can endyght,
Or suffyce to wryght

Jentill as fawcoun] gentle as falcon.

indite.

wryght] write.

endyght]

Of Mirry Margarete
As mydsomer flowre,
Jentyll as fawcoun,
Or hawke of the towre,
As pacient and as styll
And as full of good wyll
As fayre Isaphill,
Colyaunder,

Swete pomaunder,

Good Cassaunder;
Stedfast of thought,

Wele made, wele wrought,
Far may be sought,
Erst that ye can fynde
So corteise, so kynde,
As mirry Margarete,
This midsomer flowre,
Jentyll as fawcoun,

Or hawke of the towre.

THE TRAGEDY OF THE SPARROW AND
THE CURSING OF THE CAT

O CAT of carlyshe kynde
The fynde was in thy mynde
Whan thou my byrde untwynde
I wold thou haddest ben blynde
The leopardes sauage

The lyons in theyr rage
Myght catche ye in theyr pawes
And gnawe the in theyr iawes
These serpens of Lybany

carlyshe kynde] churlish nature. untwynde] tore to pieces.

fynde] fiend.

Myght stynge the venymously
The dragones with their tonges
Might poyson thy lyver and longes
The mantycors of ye montaynes
Myght fede them on thy braynes
Melanchates that hounde

That plucked Acteon to the grounde
Gaue hym his mortall wounde
Chaunged to a dere

The story doth appere

Was chaunged to an harte

So thou foule cat that thou arte

The selfe same hounde

Myght the confounde

That his owne Lorde bote
Myght byte asondre thy throte
Of Inde the gredy grypes
Myght tere out all thy trypes
Of Arcady the beares

Might plucke awaye thyne eares
The wylde wolfe Lycaon
Byte asondre thy backe bone
Of Ethna the brennynge hyll
That day and night brenneth styl
Set in thy tayle a blase

That all the world may gase

And wonder upon the

From Occyan the great se

Unto the Iles of Orchady

From Tyllbery fery

To the playne of Salysbery

So trayterously my byrde to kyll That never ought the euyll wyll. grypes] griffins.

bote] bit.

ought] owned.

TO MISTRESS MARGERY WENTWORTH

WITH margerain ientyll,

The flowre of goodly hede,
Enbrowdred the mantill
Is of your maydenhede.
Plainly I can not glose;
Ye be, as I diuyne,
The praty primrose,
The goodly columbyne.
With margerain iantill,

The flowre of goodly hede,
Enbrawderyd the mantyll
Is of yowre maydenhede.

Benygne, corteise, and meke,
With wordes well deuysid;
In you, who list to seke,

Be virtus well comprysid.
With margerain iantill

The flowre of goodly hede,
Enbrawderid the mantill
Is of yowr maydenhede.

margerain] marjoram.