Waketh now for wages; And very vanities, Unwritten, and unknown, But as they be blown From liar to liar ; Invented by a frier For if the false intent Were known of this witch, It passeth dog and bitch, &c. &c. (MS. fol. 100, &c.') 1 Thomas Hearne obtained a sight of the original MS. which was in Mr. Le Neve's possession, and gives some account of it in the Glossary to P. Langtoft, p. 674, being highly indignant with the writer. Dr. Farmer has noticed another work of Skelton, entitled "Vox Populi Vox Dei," which is preserved in MS. in the archives of the university of Cambridge, and which, as well as the Image of Hypocrisy, had escaped the notice of Mr. Warton. Another satirist, less distinguished than Skelton as a Latin scholar, but at least equally formidable to cardinal Wolsey and the catholics, was WILLIAM ROY; of whom, I believe, nothing is known, but that Bale, who has described his poem (de Script. Brit. ed. 1548, p. 254), declares that he flourished in 1526. His work, which is now extremely rare (though twice printed), forms a small duodecimo volume, elegantly printed in black letter, without date or publisher's name. It has a prose dedication to some person of whose name the initials only are given; and a metrical prologue, consisting of a dialogue between the author and his treatise. Then follows a sort of satirical dirge, or lamentation, on the death of the Mass; and then the treatise itself, which is called "A brefe dialogue betwene two prestes' servauntes, named Watkyn and Jeffraye." It is in two parts, of which the first is, in general, a satire on the monastic orders; though even here, the cardinal and his friends are occasionally introduced. Roy's versification is tolerably easy and flowing; his language often coarse, but nervous and expressive. The bitterness of his invective will appear from the following extracts. Wat. Doth he1 then use on mules to ride? More like a god celestial Than any creature mortal, With worldly pomp incredible. 1 Cardinal Wolsey. REESE LIBRARY OF THE Before him rideth two priests strong, In their hands instead of a mace. Then followeth my lord on his mule, * * * * Then hath he servants five or six score, A marvellous great company: Of which are lords and gentlemen, A great carl he is, and a fat; Procured with angels' subsidy'; 1 Cul. Fr. Purchased at the court of Rome. An angel is a well-known coin. And, as they say, in time of rain, Beside this, to tell thee more news, Which seldom touch any ground; Wat. And who did for these shoes pay? To be eased of his visitation. The following is his description of the bishops : Wat. What? are the bishops divines? Lawyers they are of experience, Is their continual exercise. As for preaching they take no care : 1 Perfect. Fr. To follow the chace of wild deer, To play at the cards and dice Both at hazard and mum-chance. Perishing for lack of sustenance. The following passage, on the abuse of great farms, is extremely curious. After describing the numerous exactions to which even the abbeys were subject, he interrupts the recital by this natural question Wat. How have the abbeys their payment? Letting a dozen farms under one; Take all in their own hands alone. Wat. The other, in paying their rent, And would not do their duty? Jeff. They payed their duty, and more, 1 Or frankeyne. See vol. i. p. 259. 2 Advanced. |