Page 6. v. 70. But Windsore alone, now I have no mo]-mo, i. e. more." He [Edward IV.] lies buried at Windsor, in the new Chappel (whose Foundation himself had laid, being all the Works of Piety by him left) under a Monument of Steel, polish'd and gilt, [iron gilt-see Lysons's Berkshire, p. 210.], representing a Pair of Gates, betwixt Two Towers, all of curious transparent Workmanship after the Gothick Manner, which is placed in the North-Arch, faced through with Touch-Stone, near to the High-Altar.” Sandford's Geneal. Hist. p. 413. ed. 1707. v. 73. Why should a man be proude or presume hye? Yet for al his bewte wormys ete him also] stercorry, i. e. dung: frete, i. e. eat, devour: heare, i. e. hair. In cap. iii. of Meditationes piissimæ de cognitione humanæ conditionis, a piece attributed to Saint Bernard, we find," Nihil aliud est homo, quam sperma fœtidum, saccus stercorum, cibus vermium . . . . Cur ergo superbis homo Quid superbis pulvis et cinis," &c. Bernardi Opp. ii. 335-36. ed. 1719. In a Rythmus de contemptu mundi, attributed to the same saint, are these lines; "Die ubi Salomon, olim tam nobilis ? Vel ubi Samson est, dux invincibilis ? hmus is printed by Mr. Wright among The nems attributed to Walter Mapes, p. 147.) So Lydgate in a poem on the mutability of human And cher is Salomon moost soueryn of konnynge, And wher is Alisaundir that conqueryd al ?” MS. Harl. 2255. fol. 4, 5. Page 7. v. 85. 1 haue played my pageyond] i. e. I have played my pageant,-my part on the stage of life. Compare Theyr pageandes are past, And ours wasteth fast, Nothynge dothe aye last But the grace of God." Feylde's Contrav. bytwene a louer and a laye, sig. B iii. n. d. 4to. The word pageant was originally applied to the temporary erections (sometimes placed upon wheels) on which miracle-plays were exhibited, afterwards to the exhibition itself. See Sharp's Diss. on Coventry Pag. and Myst. p. 2; Collier's Hist. of Engl. Dram. Poet ü. 151. v. 86. yeld] i. e. eld, age. v. 87. This] i. e. Thus: see note on v. 38. * SKELTON LAUREATUS LIBELLUM SUUM, &c Page 8. v. 3. leonis] Alluding to his crest and supporters. See v. 109 of the poem following. VPON THE DOULOUR[U]S DETHE AND MUCHE LA MENTABLE CHAUNCE OF THE MOST HONORABLE ERLE OF NORTHUMBerlande. This elegy must have been written soon after the earl's murder: see v. 162.-"The subject of this poem. . . is the death of Henry Percy, fourth earl of Northumberland, who fell a victim to the avarice of Henry vii. In 1489, the parliament had granted the king a subsidy for carrying on the war in Bretagne. This tax was found so heavy in the North, that the whole country was in a flame. The E. of Northumberland, then lord lieutenant for Yorkshire, wrote to inform the king of the discontent, and praying an abatement. But nothing is so unrelenting as avarice: the king wrote back that not a penny should be abated. This message being delivered by the earl with too little caution, the populace rose, and, supposing him to be the promoter of their calamity, broke into his house, and murdered him, with several of his attendants, who yet are charged by Skelton with being backward in their duty on this occasion. This melancholy event happened at the earl's seat at Cocklodge, near Thirske, in Yorkshire, April 28, 1489. See Lord Bacon, &c. If the reader does not find much poetical merit in this old poem (which yet is one of Skelton's best [?]), he will see a striking picture of the state and magnificence kept up by our ancient nobility during the feudal times. This great earl is described here as having, among his menial servants, KNIGHTS, SQUIRES, and even BARONS: see v. 32, 183, &c., which, however different from modern manners, was formerly not unusual with our greater Barons, whose castles had all the splendour and offices of a royal court, before the Laws against Retainers abridged and limited the number of their attendants." PERCY. Page 8. v. 4. Of the bloud royall descending nobelly] "The mother of Henry, first Earl of Northumberland, was Mary daughter to Henry E. of Lancaster, whose father Edmond was second son of K. Henry iii. The mother and wife of the second Earl of Northumberland were both lineal descendants of K. Edward iii. The Percys also were lineally descended from the Emperour Charlemagne and the ancient Kings of France, by his ancestor Josceline de Lovain (son of Godfrey Duke of Brabant), who took the name of Percy on marrying the heiress of that house in the reign of Hen. ii. Vid. Camdeni Britan., Edmondson, &c." PERCY. Page 9. v. 6. again] i. c. against. *v. 24. hastarddis] “i. e. perhaps, hasty, rash fellows." PERCY.-Jamieson gives "Hastard. Irascible. But compare haskardis, rough, rude fellows, p. 319, v. 607. tene] i. e. wrath. v. 26. Confetered] i. e. Confederated. v. 27. slee] i. e. slay. v. 30. ken] i. e. know. Page 10. v. 34. karlis of kind] i. e. churls by nature. v. 35. slo] i. e. slay. v. 40. bode] i. e. abode. v. 43. redouted] i. e. dreaded. v. 45. great estates] i. e. persons of great estate or rank. lowted] i. e. bowed, made obeisance. v. 46. mayny] i. e. train, company, set. v. 48. paues] i. e. shield (properly a large shield covering the body). v. 49. mot] i. e. may. Page 11. v. 51. fyll] i. e. fell. v. 53. agayne] i. e. against. v. 59. worshyp] i. e. honour, respectability. Page 12. v. 71 fals packing] i. e. false dealing (packing is iniquitous combination, collusion, for evil purposes, for deceiving, &c.). v. 73. occupied] i. e. used: see note p. 3. v. 52. shilde] i. e. shield. v. 78. renyed] i. e. refused. v. 81. buskt them] "i. e. prepared themselves, made themselves ready." PERCY. Rather, hied. v. 81. bushment] i. e. ambushment. baile] i. e. sorrow, trouble. v. 82. wring] "i. e. contend with violence." PERCY. v. 84. forsed] i. e. regarded. v. 87. Presed] i. e. Pressed. v. 88. faught them agagne] i. e. fought against them Page 13. v. 96. whose] i. e. whoso. v. 98. sort] i. e. set, band. v. 100. wode] i. e. frantic, wild. v. 102. gode] i. e. good. v. 106. spylt] i. e. destroyed. |