FROM THE BOWGE OF COURT.1

HARRY HAFTER, THE TOADY.

As I stood musing in my mind,

Harry Hafter came leaping, light as lind.2

Upon his breast he bare a versing box ; 3

His throat was clear and lustily could feign;
Methought his gownè was all furred with fox;

And ever he sang, “Sith I am nothing plain.”4
To keep him from picking, it was great pain.
He gazed upon me with his goatish beard;
When I looked on him, my purse was half afeard.

Harry Hafter. Sir, God you save! Why lookè ye so sad?
What thingè is that I may do for you?

A wonder thingè that ye wax not mad!

For, and I study should as ye do now,

My wit would wasten, I make God avow! 5
Tell me your mind; methink, ye make a verse;
I could it scan, and ye would it rehearse."

But to the pointè shortly to proceed :

Where hath your dwelling been ere ye came here? For, as I trow, I have seen you indeed

66

Ere this, when that ye made me royal cheer.
Hold up
the helm, look up, and let God steer!"
I would be merry what wind that ever blow:

"Heave, and ho, rombelow; row the boat, Norman, row!"7

"Princess of youthè" can ye sing by rote?

Or Shall I sail with you?"8 o' fellowship assay?

For on the book I cannot sing a note.

Would to God it would please you some day

A ballad-book before me for to lay,

1 Bowge is a corruption of bouche, Fr. "Bowge of Court " signified an allowance of food for the tables of the inferior officers and servants of the royal household. The expression is adopted by Skelton as the name of a ship, on which the incidents and dialogues of his poem are supposed to take place. The story is in the usual form of a dream-allegory. The poet, dreaming, sees the Bowge of Court cast anchor in Harwich Harbour. Merchants board her, and he goes with the crowd. The owner of the ship is "a lady of estate," whose merchandise is called Favour, and whose ship is steered by Fortune. The dreamer, with the merchants, takes sail in this ship, and the rest of the poem is devoted to descriptions of the crew (allegorical persons), among whom is Harry Hafter, the mean-hearted flatterer or toady. 2 Linden-tree. 6 Recite.

4 Honest.

5 I assure you.

3 Dice-box. 7 A very ancient song, the burden of which is quoted in many old ballads and 8 First lines of other songs. poems,

And learnen me to sing, “Re, mi, fa, sol”!
And, when I failè, bob me on the noll.1

Lo, what it is to you, a pleasure great

To have that cunning,2 and wayès that ye have! By Goddès soul, I wonder how ye get

So great pleasúre, or who to you it gave! Sir, pardon me, I am an homely knave,3 To be with you thus pertè1 and thus bold; But ye be welcome to our household.

And I dare say there is no man herein

But wouldè be glad of your company;
I wist 5 man never that so soon could win
The favour that ye have with my Lady;
I pray to God that it may never die :
It is your fortune for to have that grace;
As I be saved, it is a wonder case!

For, as for me, I served here many a day,
And yet unneth I can have my living ;
But I require you no word that I say;

8

For, and I knowè ony earthly thing

That is against you, ye shall have witting: And ye be welcome, sir, so God me save,

I hope hereafter a friend of you to have.

And sometimes white bread crumbs. And many times and oft

Within my breast soft

It would lie and rest.

Sometimes he would gasp

When he saw a wasp;
A fly or a gnat,
He would fly at that;

And prettily he would pant
When he saw an ant;

Lord, how he would pry

After the butterfly!
Lord, how he would hop

After the grass-hop

And when I said "Phip, Phip,"

Then he would leap and skip,
And take me by the lip. . .
Si in-i-qui-ta-tes,

Alas, I was evil at ease!
De pro-fun-dis cla-ma-vi,

When I saw my sparrow die!...

Vengeance I ask and cry, By way of exclamation,

On all the whole nation

Of cats, wild and tame;

God send them sorrow and shame!

That cat specially

That slew so cruelly

My little pretty sparrow

That I brought up at Carow.

O cat of churlish kind,

The Fiend was in thy mind
When thou my bird untwined!
I would thou hadst been blind!

L

The leopardès sauvage,
The lions in their rage,

May they catch thee in their paws,
And gnaw thee in their jaws!...
The dragons with their tongues
May they poison thy liver and lungs !
The manticors1 of the mountains,
May they feed them on thy brains! ...
Of Ind the greedy gripes,2

May they tear out all thy tripes!
Of Arcady the bears,

May they pluck away thine ears!
The wild wolf Lycaon,

Bite asunder thy back-bone!

Of Etna the burning Hill,

That day and night burneth still,

Set thy tail in a blaze;

That all the world may gaze,

And wonder upon thee,

From ocean, the great sea,

Unto the Isles of Orcady,

From Tilbury Ferry

To the plain of Salisbury!

So traitorously my bird to kill,
That never owed thee evil will! . . .

Farewell, Philip, adieu !

Our Lord thy soul rescue!
Farewell without restore,
Farewell for evermore ! ...
For Philip Sparow's soul,
Set in our bead-roll,

Let us now whisper

A Pater-noster!

FROM THE TUNNING OF ELINOUR RUMMING.3

1 A fabulous beast.

2 Griffins.

3 Elinour Rumming was the owner of a well-known roadside inn in the parish of Leatherhead, Surrey. "Tunning" means "brewing."

4 Skin.

5 Countenance.

1 Bloated.

Her face all bowsy,1
Comely crinkled,
Wondrously wrinkled,
Like a roast pig's ear,
Bristled with hair.

Her lewd lips twain
They slaver, men sayn,2
Like a ropy rain,

A gummy glair.3

She is ugly fair;

4

Her nose somedeal hooked,
And camously crookèd. . . .
Her skin loose and slack,
Grained like a sack,

With a crooked back.
Her eyen gowndy,"
Are full unsoundy,
For they are bleared;
And she grey-haired,
Jawed like a jetty.

6

A man would have pity
To see how she is gummed,
Fingered, and thumbed...
Her youth is far past;
Footed like a plane,
Legged like a crane;
And yet she will strut
Like a jolly slut,
In her furred flocket,"
And gay russet rocket.8
With simper-the-cocket,
Her huke 10 of Lincoln green,
It had been hers, I ween,
More than forty year;
And so it doth appear,
For the green bare threads
Look like sere weeds,
Withered like hay,
The wool worn away;
And yet I dare say
She thinketh herself gay
Upon the holiday :

2 Say.

4 Crooked like a stick, i.e. snub-nosed.
6 Projection on the exterior of a building.

7 Loose garment.

8 Over-cloak.

3 Viscous fluid.

5 Weak.

9 Probably a popular corruption of the words "simpering coquette."

10 Hooded mantle.