[468] The Image of Ipocrysy] Is now printed from MS. Lansdown 794. The original has very considerable alterations and additions by a different hand: the first page is here and there illegible, partly from the paleness of the ink, and partly from the notes which Peter Le Neve (the possessor of the MS. in 1724) has unmercifully scribbled over it. I give the title here as it stands at the end of the First Part.
Hearne and others have attributed this remarkable production to Skelton. The poem, however, contains decisive evidence that he was not its author: to say nothing of other passages,—the mention of certain writings of Sir Thomas More and of “the mayde of Kent” (Elizabeth Barton), which occurs in the Third Part, would alone be sufficient to prove that it was the composition of some writer posterior to his time.
[469] Vp to the clowdy skye] Originally “Vp into the skye.”
[470] Our parsons and curates] This line (now pasted over in the MS.) has been obtained from a transcript of the poem made by Thomas Martin of Palgrave.
[471] Glottons] Originally “Prelates.”
[472] And] Substituted for “To,” when the preceding line was added.
[473] him] Originally “vs.”
[474] Take] Originally “haue.”
[475] Dothe] Originally “Or.”
[476] Doo] Originally “That.”
[477] seem] Is the substitution of a somewhat later hand, the original word being faded: qy. “self?”
[478] runne in att the rove] Originally “runnynge at the masse.”
[479] prove] Originally “presse.”
[480] Wher they may be sure] Followed by a deleted line, now partly illegible,—
[481] To fyshe for any gayne] Followed by a deleted line which seems to have been,—
[482] Shall pryck, &c.] The position of this line, and of the next but one, was originally different.
[483] Chafyng] Which seems to be the reading intended, was originally preceded by “Wyll.”
[484] And then] Originally “At lenghe.”
[485] Thoughe] MS. “Throughe”
[486] Which] Qy. “With?”
[487] bowes] Qy. “vowes?”
[488] of ther] Qy. “other?”
[489] backe] Something wanting here.
[490] No man wyll they spare] Originally,—
[491] Your] Originally “For.”
[492] In] Originally “And.”
[493] Youre] Originally “And.”
[494] Wher God his gyfte or grace] Originally,
[495] And all his kingdom, whan] Originally,
[496] Ye] Originally “That.”
[497] Lordely, &c.] On the outer margin of the MS., opposite this verse, are the following lines, partly cut off by the binder;
[498] And worldly welth to haue] Originally “And possession to haue.”
[499] chippe] Qy. “clippe?”
[500] When masse and all is done] Followed by a deleted line;
[501] as] Originally “that.”
[502] All] Originally “All ys.”
[503] For lust fyndes no lett] Occupies the place of the following three deleted lines;
[504] or] MS. “as.”
[505] Or owgly] Over this is the deleted word “blobcheked.”
[506] pretens] Originally “the bande.”
[507] not I] Originally “for why.”
[508] Lest here you] Originally “Here lest youe.”
[509] with vs] Originally “your.”
[510] treuth] Originally “the treuth.”
[511] That all the falt doth lye] Originally “But all the falt do lye.”
[512] oure] Qy. “youre?” but compare 6th line of next column. In the following line, “sanguinolently” should perhaps be printed as Latin,—“sanguinolenti.”
[513] cokold foles] Originally “loutes and knaves.”
[514] We wer an oxes fether] Originally “And in oure hoode a fether.”
[515] Oure hedes for to gnob] Followed by two deleted lines;
[516] For your] Originally “With.”
[517] Through] Originally “With.”
This passage is substituted for two deleted lines;
This passage is substituted for three deleted lines;
[520] yowe] Originally “them.”
[521] that] Originally “an.”
[522] be] Originally “to be.”
[523] For you on] Originally “For on.”
[524] Can suffre or abyde] Originally “Ye cane here abide.”
[525] vehement] Originally “diligent.”
[526] So] Originally “That.”
[527] We] Originally “And.”
[528] And be thus] Originally “That we be.”
[529] We know not] Originally “Not knowing.”—After this line is one cut off by the binder.
[530] That when he eat] Originally “When he shall eat.”
[531] Slepe, awake] Originally “Slepe or wake.”
[532] Doth styll] Originally “He must.”
[533] Kepe] Before this word stood originally “And,” afterwards altered to “To,” which is also deleted.
[534] Be made vnto his heste] Originally,
for which, was first substituted,
[535] To governe] Originally “Wisely to.”
[536] evyll] Originally “ill.”
[537] Lyke Lucyfer, the devyll] Originally,
[538] And so] Originally “For.”
[539] That thei fall not vnware] Originally,
[540] Into] Originally “Fall in.”
These three lines substituted for two deleted lines;
[542] sylver] Originally “mony.”
[543] The craft, &c.] Originally,
[544] Antychryst] Originally “the courte.”
[545] For thens, &c.] Originally,
[546] geate] Followed by a deleted line;
[547] Which at his] Originally “That his.”
[548] May ech man, &c.] Originally,
[549] As he lyste] Originally “At will to.”
[550] And at his, &c.] Originally,
[551] wyse] Originally “true.”
[552] shall] Originally “must.”
[553] above or hell] Originally “or in hell.”
[554] Then] Originally “But.”
[555] Thou gettest true remyssion] Originally,
[556] That never, &c.] Originally “That haue hadd no regarde.”
[557] palia ... Bacchanalia] It would seem from the context that the right reading is “Palilia.” The MS. has “Bacchanallia.”
[558] after] Originally “afterwarde.”
[559] Colde] Originally “Olde.”
[560] Sustentations] MS. “Sustentions,” and originally “Substentions.”
[561] Excusations] Substituted for a word now illegible.
[562] his] Originally “oure.”
[563] pylde] Originally “pylde and.”
[564] a] Originally “the.”
[565] yf] Originally “leste.”
[566] curse] Originally “course.”
[567] inamœna] MS. “In amena” the latter word being substituted for one now illegible.
[568] no] Originally “out.”
[569]Iscarioth] Originally “Scarioth.”
[570] galefull] Originally “gale.”
[571] bogorian] Originally “bogorane.”
[572] A privye] Originally “And a.”
[573] That] Originally “And.”
[574] As hogges, &c.] Originally,
[575] With confytes, &c.] Originally,
[576] They robbe, &c.] Originally “Wher they take pillage.”
[577] them] Originally “that.”
[578] Of] Originally “By.”
[579] aspyre] Followed by a deleted line (inserted above with a slight variation);
[580] Performe] Originally “We do,” the preceding line being an addition.
[581] Hys] Originally “Ther.”
[582] That dare ons be] Originally “No man dare be,” the preceding line being an addition.
[583] Nor] Originally “For.”
[584] soch men] Originally “them.” This line is followed by three deleted lines (inserted above,—the first two slightly altered);
[585] For] Originally “And.”
[586] And in, &c.] Originally,
[587] Of no, &c.] Originally “Of no prince nor of duke.”
[588] wonder] Originally “wonderfull.”
[589] agast] Followed by a deleted line;
[590] vpp stoores] Originally “vpp ther stoores.”
[591] hym] Originally “them.”
[592] or advayle] Originally “or for avayle.”
[593] And] Originally “Their.”
[594] But who so] Originally “But who euer.”
[595] conquer] Originally “subdue.”
[596] grene wode] Is obviously the right reading. MS. has merely “grenes.”
[597] Though, &c.] This line is added by a comparatively modern hand.
[598] Menander] See note, p, 130.
[599] Malepardus] The abode of Reynard according to the famous old romance: “reynart had many a dwellyng place, but the castel of maleperduys was the beste and the fastest burgh that he had, ther laye he inne whan he had nede and was in ony drede or fere.” Sig. a 8. ed. 1481.
[600] Occanist] So written, it would seem, for the rhyme; properly “Occamist.”
[601] a knighte] i. e. Sir Thomas More.
[602] his Debellation] i. e. Sir Thomas More’s Debellacyon of Salem vnd Byzance.
[603] ages] i. e. age is.
[604] the mayde of Kent] i. e. Elizabeth Barton.
[605] by] i. e. buy,—acquire, earn.
[606] tymes] MS. “tynes.”
[607] cœli] MS. “cely.”
[608] place] Should perhaps be “plite”—or there may be some omission in the MS. after this line.
[609] predagoges] Qy. “pædagoges?”
[610] And many] Originally “Some be.”
[611] Nycticorax] MS. “Necticorax.”
[612] Fœdi] MS. “Fedi.”
[613] cacati] MS. “caccati.”
[614] merdati] MS. “mardati.”
[615] Larvi larvati] MS. “Lerui leruati.” The line ought properly to be “Larvæ larvatæ.”
[616] cathaphi] Qy. “cataphagi” (voraces)?
[617] incubiones] Properly “incubones.”
[618] balatrones] MS. “ballatrones.”
[619] thrasones] MS. “thrassones.”
[620] cacodæmones] MS. “cacademones.”
[622] Of many sycophantes] Perhaps “many” should be “mony.” MS. “sicophantes:” the proper form is “sycophantæ.”
[623] dremes] I suspect the author wrote “sweuens,” and that “dremes,” a gloss on the word, crept by mistake into the text.
[624] cœli] MS. “cely.”
[625] incubi] MS. “incuby.”
[626] Ye] MS. “We.”
[627] fullatus] Qy. “fulcratus?”
[628] paralyticus] MS. “paraliticus.”
[629] contagious] MS. “contragious.”
[630] seyne] Originally “sey.”
Page 22. v. 13.
Dele the foot-note “Qy. pay?”—pray (as I have mentioned in note, vol. ii. 98) being doubtless the right reading.
—— v. 15.
The proper punctuation seems to be,