XXXVII.
Adulterium eciam aues abhorrent.
Cesarius tellis how som̛ tyme þer was in a knyghtis gartℏ a [storkis] [MS. has here a gap; the scribe could not read the Latin, "nidus erat ciconiarum maris," so left the space empty.] neste; and̛ þer was bathe þe male and þe femaƚƚ. And on̛ a tyme when̛ þe male was away, sho lede a noder fewle do avowtrie with hur; and euer when̛ he had done, sho wolde go vnto a dike at was beside þe place, & þer sho wold̛ wassℏ hur. And þis knyght had grete merveƚƚ here-of, & garte make a hedgyng our̛ þis dyke, at sho mot nott wyn̛ þerto. So on̛ a tyme when̛ sho had truspasid̛, sho come & soght þe watir to wassℏ hur in, & sho myght noght wyn̛ þerto. And in þe mene wile come hur male, and onone he purseyvid̛ þat sho had fawtid̛, and with his byƚƚ he strake a grete strake at sho lay stiƚƚ with. And becauce he was nott of myght and power to sla hur be his one, þerfor̛ he gaderd̛ samen a grete company of [storks], & with-in ane howr̛ þai come on̛ hur with a grete wudnes, & in sight of þe knyght and aƚƚ men̛ in þe cowrte, þai flow opon̛ hur & slew hur as a wricℏe. Loo! surs, how burdis hatis avowtre; þerfor̛ me thynk þat men̛ & wommen̛ sulde hate it mekuƚƚ more.