The Tunning of Elenor Rumming

1] No early MSS. are known. The earliest printed copy seems to be in an incomplete collection of Skelton's poems printed for Thomas Lant, which has been dated 1547. The poem must have been written before 1523, for it is mentioned by Skelton in a list of his works in his poem The Garland of Laurell, printed in that year. The Tunnyngconsists of a prologue and seven passus or cantos in which are described with coarse vigour the keeper of an ale house and her customers.
I chyll. For ich wyll (Southern dialect). Back to Line

4] gyll. Wench. Back to Line

6] gryll. Harsh, bad-tempered. Back to Line

12] lere. Face. Back to Line

17] bowsy. Boozy. Back to Line

21] here. Hair. Back to Line

25] glayre. Viscidity. Back to Line

28] camously croked. Flat and turned-up; snub. (French camus). Back to Line

34] gowndy. Gummy. Back to Line

35] unsowndy. Unsound. Back to Line

40] To see what gums, fingers, and thumbs she has. Back to Line

45] huckels. Hips. Back to Line

49] Flat-footed. Back to Line

51] jet. Strut. Back to Line

52] jollyvet. Pretty young thing. Hughes' emendation of Dyce's reading, jolly fet, which has not been explained (Poems of Skelton, ed. Hughes). Back to Line

53] flocket. Cloak. Back to Line

54] rocket. Mantle. Back to Line

55] With simper the cocket. Like a simpering coquette. Back to Line

56] huke. Cape. Back to Line

68] gytes. Dresses. Back to Line

72] some of led. Mass of lead weighing about 300 pounds. Back to Line

73] Wrythen. Twisted. Back to Line

75] whym wham. Fantastic trifle. Back to Line

76] trym tram. Trim ornament. Back to Line

78] Egyptian. Gypsy. Back to Line

85] gose. Goose. Back to Line

90] baudeth. Soils. Back to Line

94] wonnynge. Dwelling. Back to Line

96] Sothray. Surrey. Back to Line

97] stede. Place. Back to Line

98] Lederhede. Leatherhead (20 miles from London). Back to Line

99] tonnysh. Shaped like a tun or cask; or possibly drunken.
gyb. Cat. Back to Line

100] syb. Related. Back to Line

102] noppy. Nappy, foaming. Back to Line

103] port sale. Public sale. Back to Line

105] To sweaters, to toilers. Back to Line

116] And sit beside it constantly. Back to Line

122] Hardely. Certainly. Back to Line

123] dagged. Be-mired. Back to Line

124] to-jagged. The to is intensive. Back to Line

131] leneth them on. Giveth them of. Back to Line

245] conny. Cony, rabbit. Back to Line

252] Lemster. Leominster. Back to Line

254] athrust. Athirst. Back to Line

258] Miry or slippery. Back to Line

266] swete. Sweat. Back to Line

269] byrle. Pour out. Back to Line

270] gest. Guest. Back to Line

271] rode of rest. Rood of rest, meaning the cross. Back to Line

280] harvest gyrdle. Girdle used at the harvest feast. Back to Line

281] scot. Fee. Back to Line

288] sowre dowe. Sour dough for raising bread. Back to Line

295] hekell. Hackle, flax-comb. Back to Line

296] rocke. Distaff. Back to Line

298] wharrowe. Part of a spindle. Back to Line

299] rybskyn. Leather apron. Back to Line

610] Neither money nor pledge. Back to Line

614] They were glad to mark their indebtedness on a beam with chalk or cut it on a tally. Back to Line

617] yll hayle. Bad luck. Back to Line

619] mytche. Much. Back to Line

620] mummynge. A disguising. Hence any boisterous revelry. Back to Line

622] gest. Story. Back to Line

624] Quod. Quoth. Back to Line

Publication Start Year

1547

RPO poem Editors

N. J. Endicott

RPO Edition

2RP.1.61; RPO 1996-2000.

Form

couplets