Produced by Jonathan Ingram and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Transcriber’s Note: Volume I is available as PG ebook #59997.
LONDON: PRINTED BY LEVEY, ROBSON, AND FRANKLYN, Great New Street, Fetter Lane.
WITH NOTES, AND SOME ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHOR AND HIS WRITINGS,
LONDON: THOMAS RODD, GREAT NEWPORT STREET. MDCCCXLIII.
THE BOKE[2] COMPILED BY MAISTER SKELTON, POET LAUREAT, CALLED SPEAKE, PARROT.
[_Lectoribus auctor recipit[3] opusculi hujus auxesim._
_Crescet in immensum me vivo pagina præsens;_ _Hinc mea dicetur Skeltonidis aurea fama._
[Sidenote: Lucanus.[4] Tigris et Euphrates uno se fonte resolvunt.]
My name is Parrot, a byrd of paradyse, By nature deuysed of a wonderous[5] kynde, Dyentely dyeted with dyuers dylycate spyce, Tyl Euphrates, that flode, dryueth me into Inde; Where men of that countrey by fortune me fynd, And send me to greate ladyes[6] of estate: Then Parot must haue an almon or a date;
[Sidenote: Topographia, quam habet hæc avicula in deliciis.]
A cage curyously caruen, with syluer pyn, 10 Properly paynted, to be my couertowre; A myrrour of glasse, that I may toote therin; These maidens ful mekely with many a diuers[7] flowre Freshly they dresse, and make swete my bowre, With, Speke, Parrot, I pray you, full curtesly they say; Parrot is a goodly byrd, a[8] prety popagey:
[Sidenote: Delectatur in factura sua, tamen res est forma fugax.]
With my becke bent, my[9] lyttyl wanton eye, My fedders freshe as is the emrawde grene, About my neck a cyrculet lyke the ryche rubye, My lyttyll leggys, my feet both fete and clene, 20 I am a mynyon to wayt vppon a[10] quene; My proper Parrot, my lyttyl prety foole; With ladyes I lerne, and go with them to scole.
[Sidenote: Psittacus a vobis aliorum nomina disco: Hoc per me didici dicere,[11] Cæsar, ave.]
Hagh, ha, ha, Parrot, ye can laugh pretyly! Parrot hath not dyned of al this[12] long day: Lyke your[13] pus cate, Parrot can mute and cry In Lattyn, in Ebrew, Araby, and Caldey;[14] In Greke tong Parrot can bothe speke and say, As Percyus, that poet, doth reporte of me, _Quis expedivit psittaco suum chaire?_ 30
[Sidenote: Docibilem se pandit in omni idiomate. Polichronitudo Basileos.]
Dowse[15] French of Parryse Parrot can lerne, Pronounsynge my purpose after my properte, With, _Perliez byen_, Parrot, _ou perlez rien_; With Douch, with Spanysh, my tong can agre; In Englysh to God Parrot can supple,[16] Cryst saue Kyng Henry[17] the viii., our royall kyng, The red rose in honour to florysh and sprynge!