SKELTON, JOHN
THE TUNNYNG OF ELYNOUR RUMMYNG (excerpt)
-1 Tell you I chyll,
2 If that ye wyll
3 A whyle be styll,
4 Of a comely gyll
5 That dwelt on a hyll:
6 But she is not gryll,
7 For she is somwhat sage
8 And well worne in age;
9 For her vysage
10 It would aswage
11 A mannes courage.
12 Her lothely lere
13 Is nothynge clere,
14 But ugly of chere,
15 Droupy and drowsy,
16 Scurvy and lowsy;
17 Her face all bowsy,
18 Comely crynkled,
19 Woundersly wrynkled,
20 Lyke a rost pygges eare,
21 Brystled wyth here.
22 Her lewde lyppes twayne,
23 They slaver, men sayne,
24 Lyke a ropy rayne,
25 A gummy glayre:
26 She is ugly fayre;
27 Her nose somdele hoked,
28 And camously croked,
29 Never stoppynge,
30 But ever droppynge;
31 Her skynne lose and slacke,
32 Grained lyke a sacke;
33 With a croked backe.
34 Her eyen gowndy
35 Are full unsowndy,
36 For they are blered;
37 And she gray hered;
38 Jawed lyke a jetty;
39 A man would have pytty
40 To se how she is gumbed,
41 Fyngered and thumbed,
42 Gently joynted,
43 Gresed and annoynted
44 Up to the knockles;
45 The bones of her huckels
46 Lyke as they were with buckels
47 Togyther made fast:
48 Her youth is farre past:
49 Foted lyke a plane,
50 Legged lyke a crane;
51 And yet she wyll jet,
52 Lyke a jollyvet,
53 In her furred flocket,
54 And gray russet rocket,
55 With symper the cocket.
56 Her huke of Lyncole grene,
57 It had ben hers, I wene,
58 More then fourty yere;
59 And so doth it apere,
60 For the grene ...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Go to begin of the document
Go to previous page
Go to next page
Go to the end of document
