Poetry. John Skelton

real document, was not likely to have forged another for the purpose of misleading the learned Frenchman. On this subject I can only add, that no proof has been discovered of Skelton’s having enjoyed an annual salary from the crown in consequence of such an office.

The reader will have observed that in the first entry given above from the Cambridge Univ. Regist., Skelton is described as having been laureated not only at Oxford but also “transmarinis partibus.” That the foreign seat of learning at which he received this honour was the university of Louvaine,[39] may be inferred from the title of a poem which I subjoin entire, not only because it occurs in a volume of the greatest rarity, but because it evinces the celebrity which Skelton had attained.

      “IN CLARISSIMI SCHELTONIS LOUANIENSIS POETÆ LAUDES EPIGRAMMA.

      Quum terra omnifero lætissima risit amictu,

      Plena novo fœtu quælibet arbor erat;

      Vertice purpurei vultus incepit honores

      Extensis valvis pandere pulchra rosa;

      Et segetum tenero sub cortice grana tumescunt,

      Flavescens curvat pendula spica caput.

      Vix Cancri tropicos æstus lustravit anhelans

      Pythius, et Nemeæ vertit ad ora feræ,

      Vesper solis equos oriens dum clausit Olympo,

      Agmina stellarum surgere cuncta jubet:

      Hic primo aspiceres ut Cynthia vecta sereno

      Extulerat surgens cornua clara polo;

      Inde Hydram cernas, stravit quam clava trinodis

      Alcidæ, nitidis emicuisse comis;

Tum[40] Procyon subiit, præpes Lepus, hinc Jovis ales,

      Arctos, et Engonasus, sidus et Eridani;

      Ignivomis retinet radiis quæ stellifer orbis

      (Quid multis remorer?) sidera cuncta micant.

      Nutat Atlanteum convexum pondus, ocellis

      Dum lustro hæc ægris, vergit et oceano.

      Tum furtim alma quies repens mihi membra soporat,

      Curaque Lethæo flumine mersa jacet:

      O mihi quam placidis Icelos tulit aurea somnis

      Somnia, musiphilis non caritura fide!

      Nuncia percelebris Polyhymnia blanda salutans

      Me Clarii ut visam numina sacra citat.

      Ut sequar hanc lætus, mihi visus amœna vireta

      Et nemorum umbrosos præteriisse sinus:

      Scilicet hæc montes monstraverat inter eundum

      Et fontes Musæ quos coluere sacros;

      Castalios latices, Aganippidos atque Medusei

      Vidimus alipedis flumina rupta pede;

      Antra hinc Libethri monstrat Pimpleidos undas,

      Post vada Cephisi, Phocidos atque lacus;

      Nubifer assurgit mons Pierus atque Cithæron,

      Gryneumque nemus dehinc Heliconque sacer;

      Inde et Parnasi bifidi secreta subimus,

      Tota ubi Mnemosynes sancta propago manet.

      Turba pudica novem dulce hic cecinere sororum;

      Delius in medio plectra chelynque sonat:

      Aurifluis laudat modulis monumenta suorum

      Vatum, quos dignos censet honore poli:

      De quo certarunt Salamin, Cumæ, vel Athenæ,

      Smyrna, Chios, Colophon, primus Homerus erat;

      Laudat et Orpheum, domuit qui voce leones,

      Eurydicen Stygiis qui rapuitque rogis;

      Antiquum meminit Musæum Eumolpide natum,

      Te nec Aristophanes Euripidesque tacet;

      Vel canit illustrem genuit quem Teia tellus,

      Quemque fovit dulci Coa camena sinu;

      Deinde cothurnatum celebrem dat laude Sophoclem,

      Et quam Lesbides pavit amore Phaon;

      Æschylus, Amphion, Thespis nec honore carebant,

      Pindarus, Alcæus, quem tuleratque Paros;

      Sunt alii plures genuit quos terra Pelasga,

      Daphnæum cecinit quos meruisse decus:

      Tersa Latinorum dehinc multa poemata texit,

      Laude nec Argivis inferiora probat;

      Insignem tollit ter vatem, cui dedit Andes

      Cunas urbs, clarum Parthenopæa taphum;

      Blanda Corinna, tui Ponto religatus amore,

      Sulmoni natus Naso secundus erat;

      Inde nitore fluens lyricus genere Appulus ille

      Qui Latiis primus mordica metra tulit;

      Statius Æacidem sequitur Thebaida pingens,

      Emathio hinc scribens prælia gesta solo;

      Cui Verona parens hinc mollis scriptor amorum,

      Tu nec in obscuro, culte Tibulle, lates;

      Haud reticendus erat cui patria Bilbilis, atque

      Persius hinc mordax crimina spurca notans;

      Eximius pollet vel Seneca luce tragœdus,

      Comicus et Latii bellica præda ducis;

      Laudat et hinc alios quos sæcula prisca fovebant;

      Hos omnes longum jam meminisse foret.

Tum[41] Smintheus, paulo spirans, ait, ecce, sorores,

      Quæ clausa oceano terra Britanna nitet!

      Oxoniam claram Pataræa ut regna videtis,

      Aut Tenedos, Delos, qua mea fama viret:

      Nonne fluunt istic nitidæ ut Permessidos undæ,

      Istic et Aoniæ sunt juga visa mihi?

      Alma fovet vates nobis hæc terra ministros,

      Inter quos Schelton jure canendus adest:

      Numina nostra colit; canit hic vel carmina cedro

      Digna, Palatinis et socianda sacris;

      Grande decus nobis addunt sua scripta, linenda

      Auratis, digna ut posteritate, notis;

      Laudiflua excurrit serie sua culta poesis,

      Certatim palmam lectaque verba petunt;

      Ora lepore fluunt, sicuti dives fagus auro,

      Aut pressa Hyblæis dulcia mella favis;

      Rhetoricus sermo riguo fecundior horto,

      Pulchrior est multo puniceisque rosis,

      Unda limpidior, Parioque politior albo,

      Splendidior vitro, candidiorque nive,

      Mitior Alcinois pomis, fragrantior ipso

      Thureque Pantheo, gratior et violis;

      Vincit te, suavi Demosthene, vincit Ulyxim

      Eloquio,