Top 15 John Skelton Quotes

Far may be sought
Erst that ye can find
So courteous, so kind,
As Merry Margaret,
This midsummer flower,
Gentle as falcon
Or hawk of the tower.

With solace and gladness,
Much mirth and no madness,
All good and no badness;
So joyously,
So maidenly,
So womanly,
Her demeaning.

For the soul of Philip Sparrow,
That was late slain at Carrow
Among the Nunnes Black,
For that sweet soul’s sake
And for all sparrows’ souls
Set in our bead-rolls,
Pater noster qui
With an Ave Mari.

She is the violet,
The daisy delectable,
The columbine commendable,
The jelofer amiable;
For this most goodly flower,
This blossom of fresh colour,
So Jupiter me succour,
She flourisheth new and new
In beauty and virtue.

If ye have reed de hyperdulia,
Than ye know what betokeneth dulia:
Than shall ye fynde it fyrme and stable,
And to our faithe moche agreable,
To worshyppe ymages of sayntes.

Ye cobble and ye clout
Holy scripture so about,
That people are in great dout
And feare leest they be out
Of all good Christen order.
Thus all thyng ye disorder
Thorowe out every border.

I saye, thou madde Marche hare,
I wondre howe ye dare
Open your janglyng jawes
To prech in any clawes,
Lyke pratynge poppyng dawes,
Agaynst her excellence,
Agaynst her reverence,
Agaynst her preemynence,
Agaynst her magnifycence,
That never dyde offence.

Thou hast to lytell myght
Agaynst Englande to fyght.

Twyt, Scot, go kepe thy den.
Mell nat with Englyshe men.
Thou dyd nothyng but barke
At the castell of Warke.

O ye wretched Scottes,
Ye puaunt pyspottes,
It shalbe your lottes
To be knytte up with knottes
Of halters and ropes
About your traytours throtes.

Englande the flowre
Of relucent honowre,
In olde commemoration
Most royall Englyssh nacion.

The kynges courte
Shulde have the excellence;
But Hampton Court
Hath the preemynence!

Why come ye nat to court?
To whyche court?
To the kynges courte?
Or to Hampton Court?

He ruleth all the roste.

The wolfe from the dore.