y-seyled, Lo Cresus, which that was of Lyde1" king, Mette he nat that he sat upon a tree, Which signified he sholde anhanged be?320 Lo heer Andromacha, Ectores wyf, That day that Ector sholde lese 18 his lyf, She dremed on the same night biforn, Noot I nat why, ne what mischaunce it | How that the lyf of Ector sholde be lorn, 19 eyled, 280 285 But casuelly the shippes botme rente, 325 If thilke day he wente in-to bataille; 335 Adversitee; and I seye forther-more, Madame Pertelote, so have I blis, 24 Of o thing God hath sent me large grace; 25 And to him rennen thanne his wyves alle. Thus royal, as a prince is in his halle, 11 am sorry. * accidentally. learn. 5 careless. 7 little. 8 saw. 10 for fear of. 11 importance. 13 rather. 15 records. 3 mayest thou. • Mercia. 17 Lydia. 9 nurse. 12 placed. 16 realms. 14 whether. 21 take no faith in. 18 lose. 19 lost. 20 almost. 22 never a bit. 23 cease 25 favor. * eyes. 28 meaning. 29 flew. 24 as I hope for heaven. 27 as surely as. And what thay seyn of wommen ye may 2 teaching. 1 nature. ▲ voice. 5 certainly. 7 gone. 8 rhetorician. 11 black fox. 12 lived. 15 burst. 16 herbs. nine o'clock A. M. a sad accident befell him. 10 wonder. 13 premeditated. 14 hedges. 17 the middle of the forenoon. here. 18 lie. 19 dissembler. 20 absolutely. 22 necessarily. 25 constrains. 24 sift the matter. 23 let him witness it. 26 necessarily. 27 baneful. 28 in sport. 21 foresees. 29 authors. Wommannes counseil broghte us first to wo, 451 For Phisiologus seith sikerly, As man that was affrayed in his herte. 460 This Chauntecleer, whan he gan him espye, He wolde han fled, but that the fox anon Seyde, "Gentil sire, allas! wher wol ye gon? Be ye affrayed of me that am your freend? I am nat come your counseils for tespye; He moste12 winke, so loude he wolde 490 And stonden on his tiptoon13 therwithal, fete? "16 This Chauntecleer his winges gan to bete, 17 As man that coude his tresoun nat espye, So was he ravisshed with his flaterye. Allas! ye lordes, many a fals flatour 18505 Is in your courtes, and many a losengeour, 19 That plesen yow wel more, by my feith, Than he that soothfastnesse 20 unto yow seith. Redeth Ecclesiaste of flaterye; Strecching his nekke, and heeld his eyen cloos, And gan to crowe loude for the nones; ones, 23 cryen, 1 declare. 2 sand. 5 secrets. * to spy out. have the use of. 11 take such pains. 13 tip-toes. 14 lose. #holy. 16 imitate. 17 flap. 3 herbs. 4 before. 20 truth. 7 voice. 8 pleasure. 22 wary. 23 at once. 10 eyes. 26 bore. 27 followed. 12 needed to. 29 cared. 30 delight. 24 throat. 28 avoided. 21 be. 25 seized. 31 wouldst thou. 18 flatterer. 19 deceiver. They yelleden as feendes doon 16 in helle; The dokes cryden as1" men wolde hem 570 19 quelle; 18 The gees for fere flowen over the trees; Out of the hyve cam the swarm of bees; So hidous was the noyse, a! benedicite! Certes, he Iakke Straw, and his meynee, Ne maden 20 never shoutes half so shrille, Whan that they wolden any Fleming kille, As thilke day was maad upon the fox. 577 Of bras thay broghten bemes, 21 and of box, 22 Of horn, of boon, in whiche they blewe and pouped, 23 And therwithal they shryked and they houped; 24 580 It semed as that heven sholde falle. Now, gode men, I pray yow herkneth alle! Lo, how fortune turneth sodeinly The hope and pryde eek of hir enemy! This cok, that lay upon the foxes bak, 585 In al his drede, un-to the fox he spak, And seyde, "sire, if that I were as ye, Yet sholde I seyn (as wis25 god helpe me), 'Turneth agayn, ye proude cherles alle! A verray pestilence up-on yow falle! Now am I come un-to this wodes syde, Maugree your heed, 26 the cok shal heer abyde; 590 I wol him ete in feith, and that anon.' " The fox answerde, "in feith, it shal be don," 559 Ran Colle our dogge, and Talbot, and Gerland, And Malkin, with a distaf in hir hand; 1 had I not. 2 learning. 4 lament. 7 such. 10 enclosure. 13 simple. fear. & drawn. 11 burned. 3 knowledge. • grief. seized. 12 leaped. 14 saw. 15 frightened by. 16 do. 20 did not make. 23 puffed. 17 as if. 18 kill. 21 trumpets. 24 whooped. 28 nimbly. 2 in spite of your head; in spite of all you 27 broke. 19 company. 12 box-wood. 25 surely. can do. ** high. But, sire, I dide it in no wikke1 entente; Com doun, and I shal telle yow what I Hem thoughte18 Iewes rente him noght ynough; mente. I shal seye sooth to yow, god help me so." "Nay than," quod he, "I shrewe2 us bothe two, 606 And first I shrewe my-self, bothe blood and | Whiche been the verray develes officeres bones, And ech of hem at otheres sinne lough. And right anon than comen tombesteres 19 Fetys20 and smale, and yonge fruytesteres, 21 Singers with harpes [eek, and] wafereres, 22 615 620 Lo, swich it is for to be recchelees, And necligent, and truste on flaterye. But ye that holden this tale a folye, 10 As of a fox, or of a cok and hen, Taketh the moralitee, good men. For seint Paul seith, that al that writen is, Toll our doctryne12 it is y-write, y-wis. Taketh the fruyt, and lat the chaf be stille. Now, gode god, if that it be thy wille, As seith my lord, so make us alle good men; And bringe us to his heighe blisse. Amen. To kindle and blowe the fyr of [luxurye], 155 Herodes (who so wel the stories soughte) Whan he of wyn was replet at his feste, 161 Ryght at his owene table he yaf his heste 23 To sleen the Baptist John ful giltelees. 165 Senek24 seith eek a good word doutelees; He seith, he can no difference finde Bitwix a man that is out of his minde And a man which that is dronkelewe, 25 But that woodnesse, 26 yfallen in a shrewe, 27 Persevereth lenger than doth dronken Lo, how dere, shortly for to sayn, Aboght28 was thilke cursed vileinye; Corrupt was al this world for glotonye! 175 Adam our fader, and his wyf also, Fro Paradys to labour and to wo Were driven for that vyce, it is no drede; 29 For whyl that Adam fasted, as I rede, 180 He was in Paradys; and whan that he Eet of the fruyt defended30 on the tree, Anon he was out-cast to wo and peyne. O glotonye, on thee wel oghte us pleyne!31 O, wiste a man how many maladyes Folwen of excesse and of glotonyes, He wolde been the more mesurable32 Of his diete, sittinge at his table. Allas! the shorte throte, the tendre mouth, Maketh that, Est and West, and North and South, 185 190 In erthe, in eir, in water men to-swinke33 To gete a glotoun deyntee mete and drinke! 1 wicked. $ give. careless. 2 curse. 3 make me. bad luck. 7 self-control. 10 silly thing. 12 teaching. 13 practised. 16 brothels. 16 guitars. 11 for. 18 it seemed to them. 21 fruit sellers. 4 prosper. $ prattles. 24 Seneca. 14 gambling. 17 tear in pieces. 27 wretch. 31 complain. 28 bought. 19 dancing girls. 22 confectioners. 25 a drunkard. 29 without doubt. 32 temperate. 20 graceful. 23 command. 26 madness. 30 forbidden. 33 labor hard. |