a lunarie; and thus most ghe governe ghou ther ynne. First take the grettist cercle that is maad in the leef, for that schewith the 24 houris of the day naturel, that is of the nyght and day, of the whiche the firste houre is at noon bitwene 12 and oon. Thanne above him is another cercle, that hathe write in hem the 12 monthis withe here dayes, and 12 signes with here degrees; and with ynne that, ther is writen a rewle to knowe whanne the sunne ariseth and the mone bothe; if ghe biholde weel these noumbris writen in reed, 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. +. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.' The rule proceeds to shew that there is another row of the same figures in black, and that the red cross stands in the place of Cancer, the black at Capricorn: the red figures were used to shew the rising of the sun and moon, the black for their setting. Over this is another cercle that hath a tunge,' (tongue, or projecting angle to point with,) the figure of the sun on it, and 29 days figured, for the age of the moon. Upon this is the least circle, which hath a tunge with the figure of the moon on it, and with ynne it is an hole, the whiche sche with bi symylitude howe the moone wexith and wansith.' It was used by setting the tunge of the moone' to the moon's age, and the tunge of the sunne' to the day of the month, then moving the circle of months and signs to bring the hour of the day to the last named 'tunge,' whereby might be found in what signe he' (the moon, masculine in Anglo-Saxon) 'sittith and the sunne also, and in what tyme of the day thei arisen, eny of hem, either goone downe, and what it is of the watir, whether it be flood or eb.' The rule concludes by observing that the wind sometimes alters the time of the tide 'at Londone brigge.” VOL. III. 6 23 duction were written at intervals, is not to be doubted; and that we do not possess all that Skelton composed under the title of Speke, Parrot, is proved by the following passage of the Garlande of Laurell, where, enumerating his various works, he mentions "the Popingay, that hath in commendacyoun Ladyes and gentyl women suche as deseruyd, And suche as be counterfettis they be reseruyd." v. 1188. vol. ii. 222. a description which, as it answers to no part of the existing poem (or poems), must apply to some portion which has perished, and which, I apprehend, was of an earlier date. "The Popingay" is assuredly only another name for Speke, Parrot ; 66 Go, litell quayre, namyd the Popagay." Speke, Parrot, v. 280. Page 245. v. 3. Parrot, a byrd of paradyse] So Lydgate (in a poem, entitled in the Catalogue, Advices for people to keep a guard over their tongues); "Popyngayes froo paradys comyn al grene." MS. Harl. 2255. fol. 133. "Than spake the popynge Jay of paradyse.” Parlyament of Byrdes, sig. A ii. n. d. v. 5. Dyentely] i. e. Daintily.. Page 246. v. 8. estate] i. e. state, rank. v. 9. Then Parot must have an almon] In Jonson's Magnetic Lady, act v. sc. 5, we find,— "Pol is a fine bird! O fine lady Pol! Almond for Parrot, Parrot's a brave bird ;”and Gifford, citing the last line (he ought rather to have cited v. 50), observes that Jonson was indebted to Skelton for "most of this jargon.” Works, vi. 109. Page 246. v. 11. couertowre] i. e. shelter. v. 12. toote] i. e. peep. v. 17. becke] i. e. beak. v. 18. My fedders freshe as is the emrawde grene]-emrawde, i. e. emerald. So Ovid in his charming verses on Corinna's parrot; "Tu poteras virides pennis hebetare smaragdos." v. 20. fete] i. e. well made, neat. Am. lib. ii. vi. 21. v. 22. My proper Parrot, my lytyll prety foole]— proper, i. c. pretty, handsome (elsewhere Skelton uses "proper" and "prety” as synonymes: see note, p. 51. v. 127). "I pray thee what hath ere the Parret got, And yet they say he talkes in great mens bowers? A good foole call'd with paine perhaps may be." Page 247. v. 26. mute] i. e. mew. v. 30. Quis expedivit psittaco suum chaire]—chaire XAIPE. From Persius, Prol. 8. v. 31. Dowse French of Parryse] Dowse, i. e. sweet, soft. Chaucer's Prioress spoke French "After the scole of Stratford atte bowe, For Frenche of Paris was to hire unknowe." Prol. to Cant. Tales, v. 125. ed. Tyr. v. 35. supple] i. e. supplicate, pray. v. 38. ryall] i. e. royal. In the marginal note on this line, "Katerina universalis vitii ruina, Græcum " is an allusion to the Greek καθαρίζω or καθαρός. v. 39. pomegarnet] i. e. pomegranate. est v. 40. Parrot, saves habler Castiliano] See note ad l. |