PARLAMENT OF FOULES. Gg. 4. 27, CAMBR. UNIV. LIBR. 65

(77)

The terslet seyde In this manere

Ful hard were it to proue by resoun

Who louyth best this gentil formele heere

For euerych hath swich replicacioun

536

That non by skillis may been brought a-doun

I can not se that Argumentis avayle

Thanne semyth it there muste be batayle

539

(78)

Al redy quod this Eglis terslet tho

Nay seris quod he If that I durste it seye
3e don me wrong/ myn tale is not I-do
For seris ne takith not a gref I preye

It may not gon as ze wolde in this weye
Oure is the voys that1 han the charg on honde
And to the Iugis dom / 3e motyn stonde

(79)

And therfore pes I seye / as to myn wit
Me wolde thynke how that the worthiest
Of knygthod2 & lengest hath vsed it
Most of estat of blod the gentilleste
Were sittyngest for hire If that he leste
And of these thre she wot hire self I trowe

543

[1t altered]

546

[3 the t altered]

550

Whiche that he be / for here3 is light to knowe [3 originally hre]

66 PARLAMENT OF FOULES. Gg. 4. 27, CAMBR. UNIV. LIBR.

(81)

As for these watyr foulis tho' be-gan [1 goos scratcht out] [leaf 489] The goos to speke & in his kakelynge

He seyde pes now tak kep euery man

Myn wit is sharp I loue no taryinge

I

And herkenyth which a resoun I shal brynge

564

seye I rede hym thow he were myn brothir But she wele loue hym let hym take a nothir

567

The tersel trewe / and gunne hire to hem calle
And preyede hire for to seyn the sothe sadde
Of this matere & axsede what she rardde
And she answerde / that pleynly hire entente
She wolde it shewe & sothly what she mente

578

581

(84)

Nay god forbede a louere shulde chaunge

The tersel seyde / & wex for shame red Thow that his lady euere more be straunge 3it lat hym serue hire til that he be ded

585

Forsothe I preyse nat the gosis red

For thow sche deyede I wolde non othir make

1

PARLAMENT OF FOULES. Gg. 4. 27, CAMBR. UNIV. LIBR. 67

(85)

Wel bordit quod the doke by myn hat
That men shul louyn alwey causeles
Who can a resoun fynde or wit in that
Daunsith he murye that is myrtheles

592

What shulde I rekke of hym that is recheles
Kek kek zit seith the doke ful wel & fayre
There been mo sterris god wot than a payre

595

(86)

Now sey cherl quod the gentil terslet
out of the donghil cam that word ful rizt
Thow canst nat seen what thyng is wel be-set
Thow farst by loue as oulys don by lyght.
The day hem blent but wel they sen be nygh
Thyn kynde is of so low a wrechednese
That what loue is thow canst nat seen ne gese

(87)

[leaf 489, back]

599

602

Tho gan the kokkow putte hym forth in pres
For foul that etith werm & seyde blythe
So I quod he may haue myn make in pes
I reche nat how longe that ze stryue
Lat eche of hem ben soleyn al here lyue
This is myn red syn they may nat a-corde
This shorte lessoun nedith nat recorde

606

609

(88)

3e have the glotoun fild I-now his paunche [1 originally han]

Go lewed be thow whil that the world may dure

616

68 PARLAMENT OF FOULES. Gg. 4. 27, CAMBR. UNIV. LIBR.

(89)

Now pes quod nature I comaunde here
For I haue herd al 30ure opynyoun
And 1 In effect 3it be we not the nere
But fynally this is myn conclusioun

[1 erasure]

620

That she hire self shal han the eleccioun

Of whom hire lest & who be wroth & blythe
Hym that she chesith / he shal hire han a swithe

(90)

623

For syn It may not here discussid be
Who louyth hire best as seyth the terslet
Thanne wele I don hire this fauour that she
Shal han2 hym on hom hire herte is set
And he hire that /his herte hath on hire knyt
Thus Iuge I nature / for I may not lye

To non estat / I haue non othir eye.

[2 han altered] 627

630

And mot ben zoure whil that myn lyf may dure

And therfore grauntyth me myn ferste bone

PARLAMENT OF FOULES. Gg. 4. 27, CAMBR. UNIV. LIBR. 69

(93)

I graunte it 30w quod she & that a-non
This formel egle spak in this degre
Almyghty queen vnto this 3er be gon

I axe respit for to a-vise me

And aftyr that to haue myn choys al fre

648

This al & sum that I wele speke & seye

Thanne wolde I that these foulis were a-weye

Eche with his make for taryinge lengere heere
And seyde hym thus as ze shul aftyr here

658

(95)

To 30w speke I зе tersletis quod nature
Beth of good herte & seruyth alle thre
A 3er ne is nat so longe to endure

And eche of 30w peignynge in his degre
For to do wel for god wot what is she

662

For 30W
this zer
what aftyr so be-falle
This entyrmes is dressid for

30W alle

665

(96)

And whan this werk al brought was to an ende

[leaf 490, back]

To euery foul nature 3af his make

By euene a-cord & on here weye they wende
But lord the blisse & Ioye that they make

For ech gan othir in his wyngis take

And with here nekkis eche gan othyr wynde

Thankynge alwey the noble queen of kynde

669

672