In the Fall of 2008, Lynchburg College’s Sixteenth Century
English Literature students worked to create a modern edition of John Skelton’s
early 16th century play, Magnifycence.
They broke the play into equal portions, rendered the text using a common set
of guidelines for regularizing and modernizing language, glossed words whose
meaning had changed, and researched footnotes.
The following section is the third from that group, and was
done by Francis Longaker ('09).
...
MAGNIFICENCE
It doth so sure now and then,
But largesse* is not meat for every man. liberality, bountifulness
FANCY
No, but for you great estates: [375]
Largesse stints great debates;
And he that I came fro to this place
Said I was meat for your grace;
And indeed, sir, I hear men talk,
By the way as I ride and walk,
Say how you exceed in nobleness,
If you had with you largesse.
MAGNIFICENCE
And say they so in very deed?
FANCY
With ye, sir, so God me speed.
MAGNIFICENCE
Yet measure is a merry mane.
FANCY
Ye, sir, a blanched almond is no bean.
Measure is meat for a merchant’s hall,
But largesse becomes a state royal.
What, should you punch at a pack of oats.
Thus is the talking of one and of other,
As men dare speak it hugger mugger*; in
concealment, secrecy
A lord a negarde*[1],
it is a shame, mean,
stingy, or parsimonious person
But largesse may amend your name.
MAGNIFICENCE
In faith, Largesse, welcome to me.
FANCY
I pray you, sir, I may so be,
And of my service you shall not miss.
MAGNIFICENCE
Together we will talk more of this:
Let us depart from hence home to my place.
FANCY
I follow even after your noble grace. [400]
His discedat Magnificence cum Fancy, et
intrat Counterfeit Countenance.
COUNTERFEIT COUNTENANCE
What, I say, hark a word.
FANCY
Do away, I say, the devils turd*! Lump or excrement
COUNTERFEIT COUNTENANCE
Ye, but how long shall I here await?
FANCY
By Goddess’s body, I come straight:
I hate this blundering that thou dost make.
COUNTEFEIT COUNTENANCE
Now to the devil I thé betake,
For in faith ye be well met.
Fancy hath caught in a fly net
This noble man Magnificence,
Of Largesse under the pretense.
They have made me here to put the stone:
But now will I, that they be gone,
In bastard rhyme, after the doggerel guise,
Tell you where of my name doth rise.
For Counterfeit Countenance known am I;
This world is full of my folly.
I set not by him a fly,
That can not counterfeit a lie,
Swear, and stare, and bide thereby,
And countenance it cleanly,
And defend it mannerly.
A knave will counterfeit now a knight,
A lurdayne*[2]
like a lord to fight, sluggard, vagabond
A minstrel like a man of might,
A tapestry like a lady bright:
Thus make I them with thrift to fight,
Thus at the last I bring him right
To Tyburne[3],
where they hang on height.
To counterfeit I can by pretty ways:
Of nights to occupy counterfeit keys,
Cleanly to counterfeit new arrays,
Counterfeit earnest by way of plays:
Thus am I occupied at all assays;
What so ever I do, all men me praise,
And meekly am I made of nowadays;
Counterfeit maters in the law of the land,
With gold and grates they grease my hand,
Instead of right that wrong may stand,
And counterfeit freedom that is bound;
I counterfeit sugar that is but found;
Counterfeit captains by me are made;
Of all lewdness I kindle the brand;
Counterfeit kindness, and think dyscayte;
Counterfeit letters by the way of sleight;
Subtly singe counterfeit weight;
Counterfeiting is a proper bait;
A count to counterfeit in a receipt;
To counterfeit well is a good conscient[6]. conscience
Counterfeit maidenhood may well be born,
But counterfeit coyness is laughing to scorn;
It is well patching of that is thorn;
Yet counterfeit chafer is but well corn;
All things are worse when it is worn.
What, would ye, wives, counterfeit
The courtly guise of the nave jet*[7]? Black center of spoked wheel
An old barn would be under set:
It is much worth that is ferret feet.
What, wanton, wanton, now well met!
What, Margery* Milk Duck, marmoset[8]! a homosexual person
It would be masked in my net;
It would be nice, though I say nay;
By Creed, it would have fresh array,
And therefore shall my husband pay;
To counterfeit she will assay
All the new guise, fresh and gay,
And be as pretty as she may,
And let it jolly as a jay:
Counterfeit perching, and blue the contrary;
Counterfeit conscience, pious pope holy;
Counterfeit sadness, with doling full madly;
Counterfeit holiness is called hypocrisy;
Counterfeit reason is not worth a fly;
Counterfeit wisdom, and works of folly;
Counterfeit countenance every man doth occupy
Counterfeit worship outward men may se;
Riches rides out, at home is poverty;
Counterfeit pleasure is born out by me;
Cull would go cleanly, and it will not be,
And Annot* would be nice, and laughs, the wehe[9]
Magpie,
a thieving bird
Your counterfeit countenance is all of nicety,
A plumed partridge all ready to fly:
A knock-off bone yard will counterfeit a clerk,
He would trot gently, but he is to stark,
At his cloaked counterfeiting dogs doth bark:;
A carter a courtier, it is a worth an warke*, A
pain, an ache
That with his whip his mares was wont to yarke[10];
A custrel* to drive the devil out of the dark, man-at-arms, or knight’s attendant
A counterfeit courtier with a knave’s mark.
To counterfeit this friars have learned me;
This nuns now and then, and it might be,
Would take in the way of counterfeit charity
The grace of God under Benedict[11];
To counterfeit their counsel they give me a fee;
Canons can not counterfeit but upon three,
Monks may not for dread that men should them se.
Hic ingrediatur Fancy properanter cum Crafty
Conveyance, cum famine multo adinvicem garrulantes: tandem, viso Counterfeit
Countenance, dicat Crafty Conveyance.
CRAFTY CONVEYANCE.
What, Counterfeit Countenance!
COUNTERFEIT COUNTENANCE
What, Crafty Countenance! [500]
FANCY
What, the duel, are you two of acquaintance?
God give you a very mischance!
CRAFTY CONVEYANCE
Yes, yes, sire, he and I have met.
COUNTERFEIT COUNTENANCE
We have been together both early and late:
But, Fancy my friend, where have you been so long?
FANCY
By God, I have been about a pretty prong;
Crafty Conveyance, I should say, and I.
CRAFTY CONVEYANCE
By God, we have made Magnificence to eat a fly.
COUNTERFEIT COUNTENANCE
How could you do that, and I was away?
FANCY
By God, man, both his pageant and then he plan.
COUNTERFEIT COUNTENANCE
Say truth?
CRAFTY CONVEYANCE.
Yes, yes, by liken, I shall thee warrant,
As long as I like, thou hast an heir parent.
FANCY
Yet have we picked out a room for thee.
COUNTERFEIT COUNTENANCE
Why, shall we dwell together all three?
CRAFTY CONVEYANCE
Why, man, it were too great a wonder,
That we three gallants should be longer asunder.
COUNTERFEIT COUNTENANCE
For Cockys hart*[12],
give me thy hand.
For God’s sake
FANCY
By the masses, for you are able to destroy a whole
land.
CRAFTY CONVEYANCE
By God, yet it must begin much of thee.
FANCY
Who that is ruled by us, it shall be long or he
thee.
COUNTERFEIT COUNTENANCE
But, I say, keep thou the old name still thou had?
CRAFTY CONVEYANCE
Why, when thou, horst, that I were so mad?
FANCY
Nay, nay, he hath changed his, and I have changed
mine.
COUNTERFEIT COUNTENANCE
Now, what is his name, and what is yours? [525]
FANCY
In faith, Largess I hight*, to beautify, adorn
And I am made a knight.
COUNTERFEIT COUNTENANCE
A rebellion against nature,
So large a man, and so small of stature!
But, sire, how counterfeited are you?
CRAFTY CONVEYANCE
Sure surveillance I named me.
COUNTERFEIT COUNTENANCE
Surveillance! Where ye survey,
Thrift has lost her coffer* key. box,
chest
FANCY
But is it not well? How do you think so?
COUNTERFEIT COUNTENANCE
Yes, sire, I give God avow;
Myself could not counterfeit it better.
But what become of the letter,
That I counterfeited you underneath a shroud?
FANCY
By the masses, oddly well allowed.
CRAFTY CONVEYANCE
By God, had not I it conveyed,
Yet Fancy had been discovered.
COUNTERFEIT COUNTENANCE
I vote, you are false young one.
FANCY
By my truth, we had been gone:
And yet, in faith, man, we lacked thé
For to speak with Liberty .
...
[1]
Also in extended use with reference to emotion. Oxford English Dictionary. http://dictionary.oed.com.
[2]
A general term of opprobrium, reproach, or abuse, implying either dullness and
incapacity, or idleness and rascality. Oxford English Dictionary. http://dictionary.oed.com.
[3]
The place of public execution for Middlesex until 1783, situated at the
junction of the present Oxford Street, Bayswater Road, and Edgware Roade. Used
allusively. Oxford English Dictionary. http://dictionary.oed.com.
[4]
The term ‘fay’ has been derived by the editor from ‘fayty’. It is possibly an inaccurate interpretation.
Oxford English Dictionary. http://dictionary.oed.com.
[5]
The term ‘bone’ here is used as a verb meaning to deprive something of its
bones or life. Oxford English Dictionary. http://dictionary.oed.com.
[6]
Interpreted by editor from original word ‘consayte’. Other interpretations may be plausible.
Oxford English Dictionary. http://dictionary.oed.com.
[7]
Editor has derived ‘nave jet’ from ‘newe iet’.
Other translations may be possible.
Oxford English Dictionary. http://dictionary.oed.com.
[8]
A small monkey, typically central and south American based. Oxford English
Dictionary. http://dictionary.oed.com.
[9]
A conventional representation of the sound uttered by horses. Oxford English
Dictionary. http://dictionary.oed.com.
[10]
A South American monkey of the genus Pithecia.
Oxford English Dictionary. http://dictionary.oed.com.
[11]
A possible reference to St. Benedict of Nursia (480-547). He created the Benedictine rule that
established life and standards for monasteries all over Europe. (Herlihy 1993,
56)
[12]
In 16th century English drama, it was forbidden to take the Lord’s
name in jest on stage.
[13] Ye is
used here as we instead of you
[14] By
using the phrase my “botes and my spores” here it means that CounterfeitCounte
has come up with the plan.
[15] The
phrase is used here to explain that they all get introduced to one another.
[16] This is
what Counterfet Counte calls Cloaked Collusion when he appears disguised in a
priestly vestment. Double Cloak" (or "Double Cope").
[17] Fancy
and the Counte stay in the house with Magnificence and use counterfeit names.
[18] Measure
keeps Liberty in captivity.
[19] The two
printed copies differ here (ef. lines 1883 and 2014) in the prefix: C, Crafty
onucey. (misprint) ; B. M., Rox., Crafty conney. (a* elsewhere) ; Dyce, Cr.
Con.
[20] Largesse is the disguised name for Fancy
established on line 526.
[21] Surueyaunce is the name that CRAFTY CONUEYAUNCE gives
himself in line 531.
[22] pystell of a postyke, according to OED means epistle
with a postyuatiendo or quassando, but the expression is still confusing here.
[23] Mary is
referred to as the Virgin Mary in Skelton’s reference.
[24] Mary is
usually referred to as the Virgin Mary, but it is confusing here as to what
Mary means.
[25]
According to Skelton hyght means your name or what you are called.
[26] Two
faced or deceiving.
