Thanks for your thinking and writing I was reading up on his life, much of which has been kept in records.

tsuwm
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borde is obs. thieves' cant for a shilling, says OED -- OTOH, it says "? a transf. use of bord, BOARD ‘shield’."

The Vulgar Tongue (1785)gives borde: A shilling. Half borde:sixpence, but it does not fit in the context,I think.

eta
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the floor would be covered (or not) with rugs, Bran
so maybe the humor is all obvious, and vulgar? think Lenny Bruce?

Although Skelton was a well esteemed scholar, tutor of the children of Henry VII and a priest he was a sharp critic,
satirical of Court life , Church corruption (Cardinal Wolsey banished him),he had a family in spite of his being a priest. He was on good foot with the vulgar. Elynour Rummynge The Ale House Wive (Ads.warning)

themilum
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Well! If you must ask, rugs cover bare boards in which the absence of indicates the hard times at hand in John Skeleton's poem.

Yes, these are only 3 couplets of 12. This one is clearly about the downhill quality of life and his words can have double meanings.Borde I think means table. Poor meals and drinks on the tables.There were tapistries on walls mostly.Floors, certainly of inns were covered with chaff, straw, sawdust.

zmjh
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Context suggests that so few covered boards means so few tables set (or prepared) for dinner. There's not much food or rides going round, but no shortage of hot air, posturing, lack of funds, and swearing.
(Yes, flagrant evidence)
I too think bordes are tables.