The owl and the nightingale (MS Cotton)

Lines 1701 through 1794

ȝef ȝe abideþ mine here, ȝe schule on oþer wise singe, an acursi alle fiȝtinge : vor nis of ow non so kene, Line 1705 þat durre abide mine onsene." Þeos hule spac wel baldeliche, for þah heo nadde swo hwatliche ifare after hire here, heo walde neoþeles ȝefe answere Line 1710 þe niȝtegale mid swucche worde. For moni man mid speres orde haueþ lutle strencþe, & mid his [s]chelde, ah neoþeles in one felde, þurh belde worde an mid ilete, Line 1715 deþ his iuo for arehþe swete. Þe wranne, for heo cuþe singe, þar com in þare moreȝen[i]nge to helpe þare niȝtegale: for þah heo hadde steuene smale, Line 1720 heo hadde gode þ[ro]te & schille, an fale manne song a wille. Þe wranne was wel wis iholde, vor þeȝ heo nere ibred a-wolde, ho was itoȝen among man[k]enne, Line 1725 an hire wisdom brohte þenne: heo miȝte speke hwar heo walde, touore þe king þah heo scholde.

"Lusteþ," heo cwaþ, "lateþ me speke. Hwat! wulle ȝe þis pes tobreke, Line 1730 an do þanne [kinge] swuch schame? Ȝe[t] nis he nouþer ded ne lame. Hunke schal itide harm & schonde, ȝef ȝe doþ griþbruche on his londe. Lateþ beo, & beoþ isome, [folio 245v.2] Line 1735 an fareþ riht to o[w]er dome, an lateþ dom þis plaid tobreke, al swo hit was erur bispeke." "Ich an wel," cwað þe niȝtegale, "ah, wranne, nawt for þire tale, Line 1740 ah do for mire lahfulnesse. Ich nolde þat unrihtfulnesse me at þen ende ouerkome: ich nam ofdrad of none dome. Bihote ich habbe, soþ hit is, Line 1745 þat Maister Nichole, þat is wis, bituxen vs deme schul[l]e, an ȝe[t] ich wene þat he wule. Ah, [w]ar mihte we hine finde?" Þe wranne sat in ore linde; Line 1750

Line 1750 "Hwat! nu[s]te ȝe," cwaþ heo, "his hom? He wuneþ at Porteshom, at one tune ine Dorsete, bi þare see in ore utlete: þar he demeþ manie riȝte dom, Line 1755 an diht & writ mani wisdom, an þurh his muþe & þurh his honde hit is þe betere into Scotlonde, To seche hine is lihtlich þing; he naueþ bute one woning. Line 1760 Þat [is] bischopen muchel schame, an alle [þ]an þat of his nome habbeþ ihert, & of his dede. Hwi nulleþ hi nimen heom to rede, þat he were mid heom ilome Line 1765 for teche heom of his wisdome, an ȝiue him rente auale stude, þat he miȝte heom ilome be mide?"

"Certes," cwaþ þe hule, "þat is soð: [folio 246r.1] þeos riche men wel muche misdoð, Line 1770 þat leteþ þane gode mon, þat of so feole þinge con, an ȝiueþ rente wel misliche, an of him leteþ wel lihtliche. Wið heore cunne heo beoþ mildre, Line 1775 au ȝeueþ rente litle childre: swo heore wit hi demþ adwole, þut euer abid Maistre Nichole. Ah ute we þah to him fare, for þar is unker dom al ȝare." Line 1780 "Do we" þe niȝtegale seide: "ah [w]a schal unker speche rede, an telle touore unker deme ?" "Þarof ich schal þe wel icweme," cwaþ þe houle; "for al, ende of orde, Line 1785 telle ich con, word after worde: an ȝef þe þincþ þat ich misrempe, þu stond aȝein & do me crempe." Mid þisse worde forþ hi ferden, al bute here & bute uerde, Line 1790 to Portesham þat heo bicome. Ah hu heo spedde of heore dome, ne [c]an ich eu namore telle: her nis namore of þis spelle.