V.: THE PARLEMENT OF FOULES.
The authorities are:
F. (Fairfax 16); Gg. (Gg. 4. 27, Cambridge Univ. Library); Trin. (Trinity Coll. Camb. R. 3. 19); Cx. (Caxton’s edition); Harl. (Harleian 7333); O. (St. John’s Coll. Oxford); Ff. (Ff. 1. 6, Cambridge Univ. Library);
occasionally
Tn. (Tanner 346); D. (Digby 181);
and others. I follow
F.
mainly, corrected by
Gg. (
and others
);
and note all variations from
F.
of any consequence.
Title;
Gg.
has
—Here begynyth the p
ar
lement of Foulys; D. The p
ar
lement of Fowlis.
-
The Proem.
-
-
The
lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne,
-
Thassay
, so
the conquering,
-
The
Ioy, that alwey
yerne,
-
Al this mene I by love, that my feling
-
Astonyeth
worching
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- So sore y-wis, that whan I on him thinke,
-
Nat wot I wel wher that I
.
-
-
For al be that I knowe not love in dede,
-
Ne wot how
he quyteth folk hir hyre,
-
Yet happeth me ful
rede
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-
his miracles,
his cruel yre;
- Ther rede I wel he wol be lord and syre,
-
not seyn, his strokes been so sore,
-
But God save
a lord! I can no more.
-
-
Of usage, what for luste what for lore,
Skeat1899: 15
- On bokes rede I ofte, as I yow tolde.
-
But
that I speke al this? not yore
- Agon, hit happed me for to beholde
- Upon a boke, was write with lettres olde;
-
And ther-upon, a certeyn thing to lerne,
Skeat1899: 20
-
The longe day ful
I
and yerne.
-
-
For out of olde feldes, as men
,
- Cometh al this newe corn fro yeer to yere;
-
And out of olde bokes, in good
,
-
Cometh al this newe science that men lere.
Skeat1899: 25
-
But now to purpos
matere—
- To rede forth hit gan me so delyte,
-
That al the day
but a lyte.
-
- This book of which I make mencioun,
-
Entitled was al
,
telle,
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-
‘Tullius of
’;
-
Chapitres seven
, of hevene and helle,
-
And erthe, and soules that
dwelle,
-
whiche, as shortly as I can hit trete,
-
Of his sentence I wol you
the grete.
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-
-
First telleth hit, whan Scipioun was come
-
, how he mette Massinisse,
- That him for Ioye in armes hath y nome.
-
Than telleth
hir speche and al the blisse
-
That was
hem, til the day gan misse;
Skeat1899: 40
-
And how his auncestre,
so dere,
-
Gan
his slepe that night to him appere.
-
-
Than
that, fro a sterry place,
-
How
hath him Cartage
,
-
And warned him before of al his grace,
Skeat1899: 45
-
And seyde him, what man, lered
lewed,
- That loveth comun profit, wel y-thewed,
- He shal unto a blisful place wende,
-
ende.
-
-
Than asked he,
folk that heer be dede
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- Have lyf and dwelling in another place;
-
And
seyde, ‘ye, withoute drede,’
-
And
our present worldes lyves space
-
but a maner deth, what wey we trace,
-
And rightful folk shal
, after they dye,
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-
To heven; and shewed him the
.
-
-
Than shewed he him the litel erthe, that heer is,
-
At regard of
hevenes quantite;
-
And after shewed he him the nyne speres,
-
And after that the melodye herde he
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-
That cometh of thilke speres thryes three,
-
and melodye
- In this world heer, and cause of armonye.
-
-
,
-
And
of harde grace,
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- That he ne shulde him in the world delyte.
- Than tolde he him, in certeyn yeres space,
- That every sterre shulde come into his place
-
Ther hit was first; and al
out of minde
-
That in this worlde
don of al mankinde.
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-
-
Than prayde
Scipioun
telle him al
-
The wey to come
hevene blisse;
-
And he seyde, ‘know thy-self first
,
- And loke ay besily thou werke and wisse
-
To comun profit, and thou shalt
misse
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-
To
swiftly to that place dere,
-
That ful of blisse is
soules clere.
-
-
But brekers of the
, soth to seyne,
- And lecherous folk, after that they be dede,
-
Shul alwey whirle aboute
,
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- Til many a world be passed, out of drede,
-
hir wikked dede,
- Than shul they come unto that blisful place,
-
To which to
god
grace!’—
-
-
The day gan
, and the derke night,
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- That reveth bestes from hir besinesse,
-
me my book for lakke of light,
- And to my bedde I gan me for to dresse,
- Fulfild of thought and besy hevinesse;
-
For bothe I
thing which that I nolde,
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-
Aud eek I ne hadde
thing that I wolde.
-
- But fynally my spirit, at the laste,
- For-wery of my labour al the day,
- Took rest, that made me to slepe faste,
-
And in my slepe I mette,
I lay,
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-
How
, right in that selfe aray
- That Scipioun him saw before that tyde,
- Was comen, and stood right at my beddes syde.
-
-
The wery hunter, slepinge in his bed,
-
To wode ayein his minde goth anoon;
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- The Iuge dremeth how his plees ben sped;
-
The carter dremeth how his
goon;
- The riche, of gold; the knight fight with his foon,
-
The seke
he drinketh of the tonne;
-
The lover met he hath his lady wonne.
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-
-
Can
seyn if that the cause were
-
For I
of
beforn,
-
That
me to mete that he stood there;
-
But thus seyde he, ‘thou hast thee so wel born
-
In loking of myn olde book
,
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-
Of which Macrobie
a lyte,
-
That somdel of thy labour wolde
quyte!’—
-
-
Citherea! thou blisful lady swete,
-
That with thy
dauntest whom thee lest,
-
And madest me this sweven for to mete,
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- Be thou my help in this, for thou mayst best;
-
As wisly as I saw thee north-north-west,
- When I began my sweven for to wryte,
-
So
me might to ryme
endyte!
-
The Story.
-
-
This forseid
me hente anoon,
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- And forth with him unto a gate broghte
-
Right
a parke, walled
grene stoon;
-
And over the gate, with lettres large y-wroghte,
-
Ther
vers
, as me thoghte,
-
On eyther halfe, of ful gret difference,
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- Of which I shal yow sey the pleyn sentence.
-
-
‘Thorgh me men goon in-to that blisful place
- Of hertes hele and dedly woundes cure;
- Thorgh me men goon unto the welle of Grace,
-
Ther grene and lusty May shal ever endure;
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- This is the wey to al good aventure;
- Be glad, thou reder, and thy sorwe of-caste,
-
Al open am I; passe in, and
the faste!’
-
- ‘Thorgh me men goon,’ than spak that other syde,
-
‘Unto the mortal
of the spere,
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- Of which Disdayn and Daunger is the gyde,
-
Ther
ne leves bere.
-
This streem you ledeth
the sorwful were,
-
Ther as the fish in prison
al drye;
-
is only the remedye.’
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-
-
Thise vers of gold and blak y-writen were,
-
whiche I gan
to beholde,
-
For with that oon encresed ay my fere,
-
And with that other gan myn herte
;
-
That oon me hette, that other did me colde,
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- No wit had I, for errour, for to chese,
- To entre or flee, or me to save or lese.
-
-
Right as,
adamauntes two
-
Of even might, a pece of iren
,
-
hath no might to meve to
fro—
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- For what that on may hale, that other let—
-
Ferde I, that
me was bet,
-
To entre or leve, til
my gyde
- Me hente, and shoof in at the gates wyde,
-
-
And seyde, ‘hit stondeth writen in thy face,
Skeat1899: 155
-
Thyn errour, though thou telle it not
me;
- But dred thee nat to come in-to this place,
-
For this wryting is no-thing ment
thee,
-
Ne
noon, but he Loves servant be;
-
For thou of love hast lost thy
, I gesse,
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- As seek man hath of swete and bitternesse.
-
-
But natheles, al-though
thou be dulle,
-
that thou canst not do,
see;
- For many a man that may not stonde a pulle,
-
Yit lyketh him at the wrastling
to be,
Skeat1899: 165
-
And demeth yit
he do bet or he;
-
And if thou haddest cunning for
,
- I shal thee shewen mater of to wryte.’
-
-
that my hond in his he took anoon,
-
Of which I
caughte, and
faste;
Skeat1899: 170
-
But lord! so I was glad and wel begoon!
-
For over-al, wher
I myn eyen caste,
-
treës clad with leves that ay shal laste,
-
Eche in his kinde,
colour fresh and grene
-
As
, that
was to sene.
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-
-
The bilder ook, and eek the hardy asshe;
-
The
elm, the cofre unto careyne;
-
The
;
to whippes lasshe;
-
The sayling firr; the cipres, deth to pleyne;
-
The sheter
, the asp for shaftes pleyne;
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-
The olyve of pees, and eek the drunken vyne,
-
The victor palm, the laurer to devyne.
-
-
A garden saw I, ful of
bowes,
- Upon a river, in a grene mede,
-
Ther as
swetnesse evermore
is,
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- With floures whyte, blewe, yelowe, and rede;
- And colde welle-stremes, no-thing dede,
-
ful of smale fisshes lighte,
- With finnes rede and scales silver-brighte.
-
-
On every bough the briddes herde I singe,
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- With voys of aungel in hir armonye,
-
besyed hem hir briddes forth to bringe;
-
The litel conyes to hir pley
hye,
-
And further
aboute I gan espye
-
The dredful roo, the buk, the hert and hinde,
Skeat1899: 195
-
, and bestes smale of gentil kinde.
-
-
Of instruments
in
-
Herde I
pleye
ravisshing swetnesse,
- That god, that maker is of al and lord,
-
Ne herde never better, as I gesse;
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-
Therwith a wind, unnethe hit might
lesse,
- Made in the leves grene a noise softe
-
Acordant to the
songe on-lofte.
-
- The air of that place so attempre was
-
That never was grevaunce
hoot ne cold;
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-
Ther
eek every holsom spyce and gras,
-
Ne no man may ther wexe seek
old;
-
Yet was ther
a thousand fold
-
man can telle;
never
it nighte,
-
But ay cleer day to any mannes sighte.
Skeat1899: 210
-
- Under a tree, besyde a welle, I say
- Cupyde our lord his arwes forge and fyle;
- And at his fete his bowe al redy lay,
-
And wel his doghter tempred al the
-
The hedes in the welle, and with
Skeat1899: 215
-
She couched hem after as they
serve,
-
Som
to slee, and som to wounde and kerve.
-
-
Tho was I war of Plesaunce anon-right,
- And of Aray, and Lust, and Curtesye;
-
And of the Craft that can and hath the might
Skeat1899: 220
-
To
a wight to do folye—
-
was she, I nil not lye;
- And by him-self, under an oke, I gesse,
- Sawe I Delyt, that stood with Gentilnesse.
-
-
I
Beautee,
any atyr,
Skeat1899: 225
-
And Youthe, ful of game and Iolyte,
- Fool-hardinesse, Flatery, and Desyr,
-
Messagerye,
Mede, and other three—
-
Hir names shul noght
be told for me—
-
And upon
grete of Iasper longe
Skeat1899: 230
-
I
a temple of
stronge.
-
-
Aboute the temple
alway
-
Wommen y-nowe, of whiche somme
were
-
Faire of hem-self, and somme of hem
gay;
-
In kirtels, al disshevele, wente they there—
Skeat1899: 235
-
That was hir office alwey,
—
-
And on the temple,
whyte and faire
-
many a
paire.
-
- Before the temple-dore ful soberly
-
Dame Pees sat,
a curteyn in hir hond:
Skeat1899: 240
-
And
, wonder discretly,
- Dame Pacience sitting ther I fond
-
With face pale, upon an hille of sond;
-
And alder-next, within and
with-oute,
-
Behest and Art, and of hir folke a route.
Skeat1899: 245
-
-
Within the temple, of
hote as fyr
- I herde a swogh that gan aboute renne;
-
Which
were engendred with desyr,
- That maden every auter for to brenne
-
Of newe
; and
aspyed I thenne
Skeat1899: 250
- That al the cause of sorwes that they drye
-
of the bitter
Ialousye.
-
-
The god Priapus
I, as I wente,
- Within the temple, in soverayn place stonde,
-
In
aray as whan the asse him shente
Skeat1899: 255
-
With crye
night, and with his ceptre in honde;
- Ful besily men gunne assaye and fonde
- Upon his hede to sette, of sondry hewe,
- Garlondes ful of fresshe floures newe.
-
-
And in a
corner, in disporte,
Skeat1899: 260
-
Fond I Venus and hir porter Richesse,
- That was ful noble and hauteyn of hir porte;
- Derk was that place, but afterward lightnesse
-
I
a lyte, unnethe hit might be lesse,
-
And on a bed of golde she lay to reste,
Skeat1899: 265
- Til that the hote sonne gan to weste.
-
-
Hir gilte heres with a
threde
- Y-bounden were, untressed as she lay,
- And naked fro the breste unto the hede
-
Men might hir see; and, sothly for to say,
Skeat1899: 270
-
The remenant
to my pay
-
Right with a
of Valence,
-
Ther
thikker cloth of no defence.
-
- The place yaf a thousand savours swote,
-
And
, god of
, sat hir besyde,
Skeat1899: 275
- And Ceres next, that doth of hunger bote;
-
And, as I seide, amiddes lay
,
-
whom on knees
yonge
cryde
-
To ben hir help; but thus I
hir lye,
-
And ferther in the temple I gan espye
Skeat1899: 280
-
-
That, in dispyte of Diane the chaste,
-
Ful many a bowe y-broke heng on the wal
-
Of maydens, suche as
hir tymes waste
- In hir servyse; and peynted over al
-
many a story, of which I touche shal
Skeat1899: 285
-
A fewe, as of Calixte and Athalaunte,
-
And many a mayde, of which the name I wante;
-
-
, Candace, and Ercules,
-
Biblis, Dido,
and Piramus,
-
Tristram, Isoude, Paris, and Achilles,
Skeat1899: 290
- Eleyne, Cleopatre, and Troilus,
-
Silla, and eek the moder of Romulus—
- Alle these were peynted on that other syde,
- And al hir love, and in what plyte they dyde.
-
-
Whan I was
ayen into
place
Skeat1899: 295
-
That I of spak, that was so swote and grene,
- Forth welk I tho, my-selven to solace.
-
Tho was I war wher
ther sat a quene
- That, as of light the somer-sonne shene
-
Passeth the sterre, right so over mesure
Skeat1899: 300
- She fairer was than any creature.
-
- And in a launde, upon an hille of floures,
-
Was set this noble goddesse
;
- Of braunches were hir halles and hir boures,
-
Y-wrought after hir craft and hir mesure;
Skeat1899: 305
- Ne ther nas foul that cometh of engendrure,
-
That
ne
prest in hir presence,
-
To take hir
and yeve hir audience.
-
-
For this was on seynt Valentynes day,
-
Whan every
cometh ther to chese his make,
Skeat1899: 310
-
every kinde, that men
may;
- And that so huge a noyse gan they make,
-
That erthe and
, and tree, and every lake
- So ful was, that unnethe was ther space
-
For me to stonde, so ful was al the place.
Skeat1899: 315
-
-
And right as
, in the Pleynt of Kinde,
-
Devyseth Nature
and face,
-
In
aray men
hir ther finde.
- This noble emperesse, ful of grace,
-
Bad every foul to take
place,
Skeat1899: 320
- As they were wont alwey fro yeer to yere,
- Seynt Valentynes day, to stonden there.
-
-
That is to sey, the foules of ravyne
- Were hyest set; and than the foules smale,
-
eten as
nature wolde enclyne,
Skeat1899: 325
- As worm, or thing of whiche I telle no tale;
-
But water-foul sat lowest in the
;
- And foul that liveth by seed sat on the grene,
- And that so fele, that wonder was to sene.
-
-
Ther mighte men the
egle finde,
Skeat1899: 330
-
That with his sharpe look perceth the sonne;
-
And other egles of a lower kinde,
- Of which that clerkes wel devysen conne.
-
Ther was the tyraunt with his fethres donne
-
And greye, I mene the goshauk, that doth pyne
Skeat1899: 335
- To briddes for his outrageous ravyne.
-
-
The gentil faucon, that with his feet distreyneth
-
The kinges hond; the
sperhauk
,
-
The quayles foo; the merlion that peyneth
-
Him-self ful ofte, the larke for to seke;
Skeat1899: 340
- Ther was the douve, with hir eyen meke;
-
The Ialous swan, ayens his deth that singeth;
-
The oule eek, that of dethe the
bringeth;
-
-
The crane
geaunt, with his trompes soune;
-
The theef, the
; and eek the Iangling pye;
Skeat1899: 345
-
The scorning Iay;
foo,
;
-
The
, ful of trecherye;
-
The
, that the counseyl can
;
-
The tame
; and the coward kyte;
-
The cok, that
is of
lyte;
Skeat1899: 350
-
-
The sparow, Venus sone; the nightingale,
-
That clepeth forth the
leves newe;
-
The swalow, mordrer of the
smale
- That maken hony of floures fresshe of hewe;
-
The wedded turtel, with
herte trewe;
Skeat1899: 355
-
The pecok, with his aungels
brighte;
-
The fesaunt, scorner of the cok
nighte;
-
-
The waker goos; the cukkow ever unkinde;
-
The
, ful of delicasye;
-
The drake, stroyer of his owne kinde;
Skeat1899: 360
-
The stork,
wreker of avouterye;
-
The hote cormeraunt of glotonye;
-
;
-
The throstel olde; the frosty feldefare.
-
-
What shulde I seyn? of foules every kinde
Skeat1899: 365
- That in this worlde han fethres and stature,
-
Men
in that place assembled finde
-
Before
noble goddesse
.
-
And
of hem did his besy cure
-
to chese or for to take,
Skeat1899: 370
-
By hir acord, his formel or his make.
-
- But to the poynt—Nature held on hir honde
- A formel egle, of shap the gentileste
-
That ever she among hir werkes
,
-
The most benigne
goodlieste;
Skeat1899: 375
- In hir was every vertu at his reste,
- So ferforth, that Nature hir-self had blisse
-
To loke on hir, and ofte hir
to kisse.
-
-
Nature, the
of thalmyghty lorde,
-
That hoot, cold, hevy,
moist and
Skeat1899: 380
-
Hath knit
even noumbre of acorde,
- In esy vois began to speke and seye,
-
‘Foules, tak
of my sentence, I preye,
-
And, for your
, in furthering of your nede,
-
As faste as I may speke, I wol
spede.
Skeat1899: 385
-
-
Ye know wel
, seynt Valentynes day,
-
my statut and through my governaunce,
-
Ye come for to chese—and flee your way—
-
makes, as I prik yow with plesaunce.
-
But natheles, my rightful
Skeat1899: 390
-
May I not
, for al this world to winne,
- That he that most is worthy shal beginne.
-
-
The
egle, as that ye knowen
,
-
The foul
above yow in degree,
-
The wyse and worthy, secree, trewe as
,
Skeat1899: 395
-
The which I
, as ye may see,
- In every part as hit best lyketh me,
- Hit nedeth noght his shap yow to devyse,
- He shal first chese and speken in his gyse.
-
-
And after him, by order shul ye chese,
Skeat1899: 400
- After your kinde, everich as yow lyketh,
- And, as your hap is, shul ye winne or lese;
- But which of yow that love most entryketh,
- God sende him hir that sorest for him syketh.’
-
And therwith-al the tercel gan she calle,
Skeat1899: 405
- And seyde, ‘my sone, the choys is to thee falle.
-
- But natheles, in this condicioun
- Mot be the choys of everich that is here,
- That she agree to his eleccioun,
-
Who-so he be that shulde been hir fere;
Skeat1899: 410
-
This is our usage alwey, fro
;
- And who so may at this time have his grace,
-
In blisful tyme he
in-to this place.’
-
-
With hed enclyned and with
humble chere
-
This
tercel spak and taried nought;
Skeat1899: 415
- ‘Unto my sovereyn lady, and noght my fere,
-
I chese, and chese with wille and herte and thought,
- The formel on your hond so wel y-wrought,
- Whos I am al and ever wol hir serve,
-
Do what hir list, to do me live or sterve.
Skeat1899: 420
-
-
Beseching hir of mercy and of grace,
- As she that is my lady sovereyne;
- Or let me dye present in this place.
-
For certes, long
not live in peyne;
-
For in myn herte is corven every veyne;
Skeat1899: 425
-
Having reward
to my trouthe,
- My dere herte, have on my wo som routhe.
-
-
untrewe,
- Disobeysaunt, or wilful negligent,
-
Avauntour, or in proces love a newe,
Skeat1899: 430
- I pray to you this be my Iugement,
- That with these foules I be al to-rent,
- That ilke day that ever she me finde
- To hir untrewe, or in my gilte unkinde.
-
-
And sin that noon loveth hir so wel as I,
Skeat1899: 435
-
she never of love me behette,
- Than oghte she be myn thourgh hir mercy,
-
For other bond can I noon on hir
.
-
never, for no wo, ne shal I lette
-
To serven hir, how fer so that she wende;
Skeat1899: 440
- Sey what yow list, my tale is at an ende.’
-
- Right as the fresshe, rede rose newe
- Ayen the somer-sonne coloured is,
- Right so for shame al wexen gan the hewe
-
Of this formel,
herde al this;
Skeat1899: 445
-
answerde ‘wel,’ ne seyde amis,
- So sore abasshed was she, til that Nature
- Seyde, ‘doghter, drede yow noght, I yow assure.’
-
- Another tercel egle spak anoon
-
Of lower kinde, and seyde, ‘that
not be;
Skeat1899: 450
- I love hir bet than ye do, by seynt Iohn,
- Or atte leste I love hir as wel as ye;
- And lenger have served hir, in my degree,
- And if she shulde have loved for long loving,
-
To me allone had been the guerdoning.
Skeat1899: 455
-
- I dar eek seye, if she me finde fals,
- Unkinde, Iangler, or rebel any wyse,
- Or Ialous, do me hongen by the hals!
- And but I bere me in hir servyse
-
As wel as
my wit can me suffyse,
Skeat1899: 460
- Fro poynt to poynt, hir honour for to save,
-
Tak
my lyf, and al
good I have.’
-
-
The
tercel egle answerde tho,
-
‘Now, sirs, ye seen the litel leyser here;
-
For every foul cryeth out to been a-go
Skeat1899: 465
- Forth with his make, or with his lady dere;
-
And eek
hir-self ne wol nought here,
- For tarying here, noght half that I wolde seye;
- And but I speke, I mot for sorwe deye.
-
-
Of long servyse avaunte I me no-thing,
Skeat1899: 470
-
But as possible is me to dye to-day
- For wo, as he that hath ben languisshing
-
Thise twenty
, and wel happen may
- A man may serven bet and more to pay
-
In half a yere, al-though hit were no more,
Skeat1899: 475
-
Than som man doth that hath served
yore.
-
- I ne say not this by me, for I ne can
- Do no servyse that may my lady plese;
-
But I dar
, I am hir trewest man
-
As to my dome, and feynest wolde hir
;
Skeat1899: 480
-
At
wordes, til that deth me sese,
-
I wol ben
, whether I wake or winke,
- And trewe in al that herte may bethinke.’
-
- Of al my lyf, sin that day I was born,
-
So gentil plee in love or other thing
Skeat1899: 485
- Ne herde never no man me beforn,
-
that
leyser and cunning
-
For to
hir chere and hir speking;
- And from the morwe gan this speche laste
-
Til dounward
the sonne wonder faste.
Skeat1899: 490
-
- The noyse of foules for to ben delivered
- So loude rong, ‘have doon and let us wende!’
- That wel wende I the wode had al to-shivered.
-
‘Come of!’ they cryde, ‘allas! ye
us shende!
-
Whan shal your cursed
have an ende?
Skeat1899: 495
- How shulde a Iuge eyther party leve,
- For yee or nay, with-outen any preve?’
-
-
-
So cryden ‘kek, kek!’ ‘kukkow!’ ‘quek, quek!’ hye,
-
That thorgh myn eres the noyse wente tho.
Skeat1899: 500
-
The goos
, ‘al this nis
worth a flye!
- But I can shape hereof a remedye,
-
And
wol sey my verdit faire and swythe
-
For water-foul, who-so be wrooth or blythe.’
-
-
‘And I for worm-foul,’ seyde the fool cukkow,
Skeat1899: 505
- ‘For I wol, of myn owne auctoritè,
-
,
-
For to delivere us is gret charitè.’
- ‘Ye may abyde a whyle yet, parde!’
-
the turtel, ‘if hit be your wille
Skeat1899: 510
-
A wight may speke, him were as
be stille.
-
- I am a seed-foul, oon the unworthieste,
- That wot I wel, and litel of kunninge;
-
But
is that a wightes tonge reste
-
Than
him of such doinge
Skeat1899: 515
- Of which he neyther rede can nor singe.
-
And who-so
, ful foule himself acloyeth,
-
For office
ofte anoyeth.’
-
- Nature, which that alway had an ere
-
To murmour of the lewednes
,
Skeat1899: 520
- With facound voys seide, ‘hold your tonges there!
- And I shal sone, I hope, a counseyl finde
-
You
, and
this noyse unbinde;
-
I
, of every folk men shal oon calle
-
To seyn the verdit for you foules alle.’
Skeat1899: 525
-
- Assented were to this conclusioun
-
The briddes alle; and
of ravyne
- Han chosen first, by pleyn eleccioun,
- The tercelet of the faucon, to diffyne
-
Al hir sentence, and as him
, termyne;
Skeat1899: 530
- And to Nature him gonnen to presente,
- And she accepteth him with glad entente.
-
- The tercelet seide than in this manere:
-
‘Ful hard were hit to
hit by resoun
-
Who loveth best this gentil formel here;
Skeat1899: 535
-
For everich hath
replicacioun,
-
That
may be broght a-doun;
- I can not seen that arguments avayle;
- Than semeth hit ther moste be batayle.’
-
-
‘Al redy!’ quod these
tho.
Skeat1899: 540
- ‘Nay, sirs!’ quod he, ‘if that I dorste it seye,
- Ye doon me wrong, my tale is not y-do!
-
For sirs,
taketh noght a-gref, I preye,
-
It may noght
, as ye wolde, in this weye;
-
is the voys that han the charge in honde,
Skeat1899: 545
- And to the Iuges dome ye moten stonde;
-
- And therfor pees! I seye, as to my wit,
- Me wolde thinke how that the worthieste
-
Of knighthode, and lengest
used hit,
-
Moste of estat, of blode the gentileste,
Skeat1899: 550
-
Were
for hir, if that hir leste;
- And of these three she wot hir-self, I trowe,
-
Which that he be, for hit is
to knowe.’
-
- The water-foules han her hedes leyd
-
Togeder, and of short avysement,
Skeat1899: 555
-
Whan everich had his large
seyd,
- They seyden sothly, al by oon assent,
-
How that ‘the goos, with hir
gent,
- That so desyreth to pronounce our nede,
-
Shal telle our tale,’ and
‘god hir spede.’
Skeat1899: 560
-
- And for these water-foules tho began
- The goos to speke, and in hir cakelinge
- She seyde, ‘pees! now tak kepe every man,
-
And herkeneth which a reson I shal
;
-
My wit is sharp, I love no taryinge;
Skeat1899: 565
- I seye, I rede him, though he were my brother,
- But she wol love him, lat him love another!’
-
-
‘Lo here! a parfit reson of a goos!’
-
the sperhauk; ‘never mot she thee!
-
Lo,
hit is to have a tonge loos!
Skeat1899: 570
- Now parde, fool, yet were hit bet for thee
-
Have holde thy pees, than shewed thy nycete!
- Hit lyth not in his wit nor in his wille,
-
But sooth is seyd, “a fool can noght be stille.” ’
-
-
The
aroos of gentil foules alle,
Skeat1899: 575
-
And right anoon the
chosen hadde
-
The turtel trewe, and
hir to hem calle,
-
And preyden hir to seye the sothe sadde
- Of this matere, and asked what she radde;
-
And she answerde, that pleynly hir entente
Skeat1899: 580
- She wolde shewe, and sothly what she mente.
-
- ‘Nay, god forbede a lover shulde chaunge!’
- The turtel seyde, and wex for shame al reed;
- ‘Thogh that his lady ever-more be straunge,
-
Yet let him serve hir ever, til he be deed;
Skeat1899: 585
- For sothe, I preyse noght the gooses reed;
- For thogh she deyed, I wolde non other make,
-
I wol ben
, til
the deth me take.’
-
-
‘Wel bourded!’ quod the
, ‘by my hat!
-
That men
alwey loven, causeles,
Skeat1899: 590
- Who can a reson finde or wit in that?
-
Daunceth he
that is mirtheles?
- Who shulde recche of that is reccheles?
-
Ye, quek!’
quod the doke, ful wel and faire,
-
‘There been mo sterres, god wot, than a paire!’
Skeat1899: 595
-
- ‘Now fy, cherl!’ quod the gentil tercelet,
- ‘Out of the dunghil com that word ful right,
- Thou canst noght see which thing is wel be-set:
-
Thou farest
love as oules doon by light,
-
The day hem blent, ful wel they see by night;
Skeat1899: 600
- Thy kind is of so lowe a wrechednesse,
-
That what love is, thou canst
see ne gesse.’
-
-
Tho gan the cukkow
him forth in prees
- For foul that eteth worm, and seide blyve,
-
‘So I,’ quod he, ‘may have my make in pees,
Skeat1899: 605
-
I
not how longe that ye stryve;
- Lat ech of hem be soleyn al hir lyve,
- This is my reed, sin they may not acorde;
- This shorte lesson nedeth noght recorde.’
-
-
‘Ye! have the glotoun fild ynogh his paunche,
Skeat1899: 610
-
Than are we wel!’ seyde the
;
-
‘Thou mordrer of the
on the braunche
-
That broghte thee forth, thou
glotoun!
-
Live thou soleyn, wormes corrupcioun!
-
For no fors is of lakke of thy nature;
Skeat1899: 615
-
Go, lewed be thou, whyl the world may dure!’
-
- ‘Now pees,’ quod Nature, ‘I comaunde here;
- For I have herd al your opinioun,
- And in effect yet be we never the nere;
-
But fynally, this is my conclusioun,
Skeat1899: 620
-
That she hir-self shal
eleccioun
- Of whom hir list, who-so be wrooth or blythe,
-
Him that she
, he shal
have as swythe.
-
- For sith hit may not here discussed be
-
Who loveth hir best, as seide the tercelet,
Skeat1899: 625
-
Than wol I doon
, that she
- Shal have right him on whom hir herte is set,
- And he hir that his herte hath on hir knet.
- This Iuge I, Nature, for I may not lyë;
-
To noon estat I have non other
.
Skeat1899: 630
-
- But as for counseyl for to chese a make,
-
If
were reson, certes, than wolde
-
Counseyle yow the royal tercel take,
- As seide the tercelet ful skilfully,
-
As for the gentilest and most worthy,
Skeat1899: 635
- Which I have wroght so wel to my plesaunce;
-
to
oghte
a suffisaunce.’
-
- With dredful vois the formel hir answerde,
- ‘My rightful lady, goddesse of Nature,
-
Soth is that I am ever under your yerde,
Skeat1899: 640
-
,
-
And
be youres whyl my lyf may dure;
-
And therfor
me my firste bone,
-
And myn entente
right sone.’
-
-
‘I graunte it you,’ quod she; and right anoon
Skeat1899: 645
- This formel egle spak in this degree,
- ‘Almighty quene, unto this yeer be doon
- I aske respit for to avysen me.
- And after that to have my choys al free;
-
This al and som, that I wolde speke and seye;
Skeat1899: 650
- Ye gete no more, al-though ye do me deye.
-
-
I wol noght serven Venus ne
-
For sothe as yet, by no manere wey.’
-
‘Now sin it may non
betyde,’
-
Quod
Nature, ‘here is no more to sey;
Skeat1899: 655
- Than wolde I that these foules were a-wey
-
Ech with his make, for tarying lenger here’—
- And seyde hem thus, as ye shul after here.
-
-
‘To you speke I, ye
,’ quod Nature,
-
‘Beth of good herte and serveth,
three;
Skeat1899: 660
- A yeer is not so longe to endure,
- And ech of yow peyne him, in his degree,
- For to do wel; for, god wot, quit is she
-
Fro yow this yeer; what after so befalle,
-
This
is dressed for you alle.’
Skeat1899: 665
-
-
And whan this werk al
was to an ende,
- To every foule Nature yaf his make
- By even acorde, and on hir wey they wende.
-
! lord! the blisse
that they make!
-
For ech of hem gan other in winges take,
Skeat1899: 670
- And with hir nekkes ech gan other winde,
-
alwey the noble
of kinde.
-
- But first were chosen foules for to singe,
- As yeer by yere was alwey hir usaunce
-
To singe a roundel at hir departinge,
Skeat1899: 675
- To do Nature honour and plesaunce.
-
The note, I trowe, maked was in Fraunce;
-
The wordes wer
as ye may heer finde,
- The nexte vers, as I now have in minde.
-
-
Qui bien aime a tard oublie.
-
‘
somer, with thy sonne softe,
Skeat1899: 680
-
That hast this
over-shake,
-
awey the longe
blake!
-
Seynt Valentyn, that art ful hy on-lofte;—
-
Thus
smale
for thy sake—
-
Now welcom somer, with thy sonne softe,
Skeat1899: 685
-
That hast this wintres weders over-shake.
-
-
han they cause for to gladen ofte,
-
Sith ech of
recovered hath his make;
-
;
-
Now welcom somer, with thy sonne softe,
Skeat1899: 690
-
That hast this wintres weders over-shake,
-
And driven awey the longe nightes blake.
’
-
-
And with the
, whan hir song was do,
-
That foules
at hir flight a-way,
-
I wook, and other bokes took me to
Skeat1899: 695
- To rede upon, and yet I rede alway;
- I hope, y-wis, to rede so som day
-
That I shal
som thing for to fare
-
The bet; and thus to rede I
not spare.
Skeat1899: 699
Explicit tractatus de congregacione Volucrum die sancti Valentini.
Colophon.
So in
F; Gg.
has
—Explicit parliamentum Auium in die sancti Valentini tentum, secundum Galfridum Chaucer; Ff.
has
—Explicit Parliamentum Auium; MS. Arch. Seld. B. 24
has
—Here endis the parliament of foulis; Quod Galfride Chaucere;
the
Longleat MS.
has
—Here endith the Parlement of foules.