Thocht I alterit, as ȝe all askit in ane;
Ȝit sall I preif ȝow to pleiss, sen it is possible."
Line 930
Scho callit the Howlat in haist, that was so haltane:
"Thy pryde," quod the Princes, "approchis our hie
Lyke Lucifer in estaite;
And sen thow art so elate,
As the Ewangelist wrait,
Line 935
Thow sall lawe be.
LXXIII.
"The rent, and the ritchess, that thow in rang,
Was of othir mennis all, and nocht of thi awne;
Now ilk fowle his awne fedder sall agane fang,
And mak the catif of kynd, till him self knawin." [to thy self knawin.]
Line 940
As scho has demyt thai haf done, thraly in thrang.
Thar with dame Natur has to the hevin drawin,
Ascendit sone, in my sicht, with solace and sang.
And ilk fowle tuke the flicht, schortly to schawin, [and schortly.]
Held hame to thar hant, and thar herbery,
Line 945
Quhar thai war wont to remane;
All thir gudly ar gane, [gudly and gane.]
And thar levit allane
The Howlat and I.
LXXIV.
Than this Howlat hidowis of hair and of hyde,
Line 950
Put first fro poverte to pryce, and princis awne per,
Syne degradit fra grace, for his gret pryde,
Bannyt bitterly his birth bailefull in beir. [belfully.]
He welterit, he wrythit, he waryit the tyde,
That he was wrocht in this warld wofull in weir;
Line 955
He crepillit, he crengit, he carfully cryd,
He solpit, he sorowit, in sighingis seir.
