The Bowge Of Courte Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABAACC CBDEDDFB GHGHHDD ACACCIJ BBBBBKL DBDBBCC BCBCCCB BHBHHCC CACAABB BABAAGG MCMCCBB NHNHHAA BHBHHBB CACAABB AOAOOCC PBPBBMM QLQHLHH BBBBBIJ FB B NDNDDCH HDDDDBB CHCHHBB D HBHBBRR BCBCCBBCBFBBPP BDBDDBB B A

In Autumpne whan the sonne in vyrgyneA
By radyante hete enryped hath our corneA
Whan Luna full of mutabylyteB
As Emperes the dyademe hath worneA
Of our pole artyke smylynge halfe in scorneA
At our foly and our unstedfastnesseC
The tyme whan Mars to werre hym dyde dresC
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pole artyke Arcturus of the Corona BorealisC
I callynge to mynde the great auctoryteB
Of poetes olde whyche full craftelyD
Under as coverte termes as coude beE
Can touche a troughte and cloke it subtyllyD
Wyth fresshe utteraunce full sentencyonslyD
Dyverse in style some spared not vyce to wrytheF
Some of moralyte nobly dyde endyteB
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Wherby I rede theyr renome and theyr fameG
Maye never dye bute evermore endureH
I was sore moved to a force the sameG
But Ignoraunce full soone dyde me dyscureH
And shewed that in this arte I was not sureH
For to illumyne she sayde I was to dulleD
Avysynge me my penne awaye to pulleD
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And not to wrythe for he so wyll atteyneA
Excedynge ferther than his connynge isC
His hede maye be harde but feble is his brayneA
Yet have I knowen suche er thisC
But of reproche surely he maye not mysC
That clymmeth hyer than he may fotynge haveI
What and he slyde downe who shall hym saveJ
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Thus up and down my mynde was drawen and castB
That I ne wyste what to do was besteB
Soo sore enwered that I was at the lasteB
Enforsed to slepe and for to take some resteB
And to lye downe as soone as I me dresteB
At Harwyche Porte slumbrynge as I layeK
In myne hostes house called Powers KeyeL
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Me thoughte I sawe a shyppe goodly of sayleD
Come saylyng forth into that haven broodB
Her takelynge ryche and of hye apparayleD
She kyste an anker and there she laye at rodeB
Marchauntes her borded to see what she had lodeB
Therein they founde Royall marchaundyseC
Fraghted with plesure of what ye coude devyseC
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But than I thoughte I wolde not dwell behyndeB
Amonge all other I put myselfe in preceC
Than there coude I none aquentaunce fyndeB
There was moche noyse anone one cryed ceseC
Sharpely commaundynge eche man holde hys peceC
Maysters he sayde the shyp that ye here seeC
The Bowge of Courte it hyghte for certeynteB
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The awnner thereof is lady of estateB
Whoos name to tell is Dame Saunce PereH
Her marchaundyse is ryche and fortunateB
But who wyll have it muste paye therfore dereH
This royall chaffre that is shypped hereH
Is called favore to stonde in her good graceC
Than sholde ye see there pressynge in a paceC
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Of one and other that wolde this lady seeC
Whiche sat behynde a traves of sylke fyneA
Of golde of tessew the fynest that myghte beC
In a trone whiche fer clerer dyde shyneA
Than Phebus in his spere celestyneA
Whoos beaute honoure goodly porteB
I have to lytyll connynge to reporteB
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But of eche thynge there as I take hedeB
Among all other was wrytten in her troneA
In golde letters this worde whiche I dyde redeB
Garder le fortune que est mauelz et boneA
And as I stode redynge this verse myselfe alloneA
Her chyef gentylwoman daunger by her nameG
Gave me a taunte and sayde I was to blameG
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To he so perte to prese so proudly uppeM
She sayde she trowed that I had eten sauseC
She asked yf ever I dranke of saucys cuppeM
And I than softly answered to that clauseC
That so to saye I had gyven her no causeC
Than asked she me Syr so God the spedeB
What is thy name and I sayde it was DredeB
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What movyd the quod she hydder to comeN
Forsoth quod I to bye some of youre wareH
And with that worde on me she gave a glomeN
With browes bente and gan on me to stareH
Full daynnously and fro me she dyde fareH
Levynge me stondynge as a mased manA
To whome there came another gentylwomanA
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Desyre her name was and so she me toldeB
Sayenge to me Broder be of good chereH
Abasshe you not but hardely be boldeB
Avaunce your selfe to aproche and come nereH
What though our chaffer he never so dereH
Yet I avyse you to speke for ony dredeB
Who spareth to speke in fayth he spareth to spedeB
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Maystres quod I I have none aquentaunceC
That wyll for me be medyatoure and meneA
And this an other I have but smale substaunceC
Pece quod Desyre ye speke not worth a beneA
Yf ye have not in fayth I wyll you leneA
A precyous jewell no rycher in this londeB
Bone aventure have here now in your hondeB
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Shyfte now therwith let see as ye canA
In Bowge of Courte chevysaunce to makeO
For I dare saye that there nys erthly manA
But and he can Bone aventure takeO
There can no favour nor frendshyp hym forsakeO
Bone aventure may brynge you in suche caseC
That ye shall stonde in favoure and in graceC
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But of one thynge I werne you er I gooP
She that styreth the shyp make her your frendeB
Maystres quod I I praye you tell me why sooP
And how I maye that waye and meanes fyndeB
Forsothe quod she how ever blowe the wyndeB
Fortune gydeth and ruleth all oure shyppeM
Whome she hateth shall over the see boorde skypM
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Whome she loveth of all plesyre is rycheQ
Whyles she laugheth and hath luste for to playeL
Whome she hateth she casteth in the dycheQ
For whan she fronneth she thynketh to make a frayH
She cheryssheth him and hym she casseth awayeL
Alas quod I how myghte I have her sureH
In fayth quod she by bone aventureH
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Thus in a rowe of martchauntes a grete routeB
Suwed to Fortune that she would be theyre fryndeB
They thronge in fast and flocked her abouteB
And I with them prayed her to have in myndeB
She promysed to us all she wolde be kyndeB
Of Bowge of Court she asketh what we wold haveI
And we asked favoure and favour she us gaveJ
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Thus endeth the prologue and begynnethF
the Bowge of Courte brevely compyledB
-
-
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DREDEB
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THE sayle is up Fortune ruleth our helmeN
We wante no wynde to passe now over allD
Favoure we have toughther than ony elmeN
That wyll abyde and never frome us fallD
But under hony ofte tyme lyeth bytter gallD
For as me thoughte in our shyppe I dyde seeC
Full subtyll persones in nombre foure and threH
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The fyrste was Favell full of flateryH
Wyth fables false that well coude fayne a taleD
The seconde was Suspecte whiche that daylyD
Mysdempte eche man with face deedly and paleD
And Harvy Hafter that well coude picke a maleD
With other foure of theyr affynyteB
Dysdayne Ryotte Dyssymuler SubtylteB
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Fortune theyr frende with whome oft she dyde daunceC
They coude not faile thei thought they were so sureH
And oftentymes I wolde myselfe avaunceC
With them to make solace and pleasureH
But my dysporte they coude not well endureH
They sayde they hated for to dele with DredeB
Than Favell gan wyth fayre speche me to fedeB
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FAVELLD
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Noo thynge erthely that I wonder so soreH
As of your connynge that is so excellentB
Deynte to have with us suche one in storeH
So vertuously that hath his dayes spenteB
Fortune to you gyftes of grace hath lenteB
Loo what it is a man to have connyngeR
All erthly tresoure it is surmountyngeR
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Ye be an apte man as ony can be foundeB
To dwell with us and serve my ladyes graceC
Ye be to her yea worth a thousande poundeB
I herde her speke of you within shorte spaceC
Whan there were dyverse that sore dyde you manaceC
And though I say it I was myselfe your frendeB
For here be dyverse to you that be unkyndeB
But this one thynge ye maye be sure of meC
For by that lorde that bought dere all mankyndeB
I can not flater I muste be playne to theF
And ye nede ought man shewe to me your myndeB
For ye have me whome faythfull ye shall fyndeB
Whyles I have ought by God thou shalt not lackeP
And yf nede be a bolde worde I dare crackeP
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Nay naye be sure whyles I am on your sydeB
Ye maye not fall truste me ye maye not fayleD
Ye stonde in favoure and Fortune is your gydeB
And as she wyll so shall our grete shyppe sayleD
Thyse lewde cok wattes shall nevermore prevayleD
Ageynste you hardely therefore be not afraydeB
Farewell tyll soone but no worde that I saydeB
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DREDEB
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Than thanked I hym for his grete gentylneA

John Skelton



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