The owl and the nightingale (MS Cotton)

Lines 801 through 900

an mid þon one leiþ to grunde anne after oþer a lutle stunde, [w]at þarf he recche of a mo swenge, þone þe on him is swo genge?

Þ[u] seist þat þu canst fele wike, Line 805 ac euer ich am þin unilike. Do þine craftes alle togadere, ȝet is min on horte betere. Oft þan hundes foxes driueþ, þe kat ful wel him sulue liueþ, Line 810 þeȝ he ne kunne wrench bute anne. Þe fo[x] so godne ne can nanne, þe[ȝ] he kunne so uele wrenche, þat he wenþ eche hunde atprenche. Vor he can paþes riȝte & woȝe, Line 815 an he kan hongi bi þe boȝe, an so forlost þe hund his fore, an turnþ aȝen eft to þan more. Þe uox kan crope bi þe heie, [folio 239r.1] an turne ut from his forme weie, Line 820 an eft sone kume þarto: þonne is þe hundes smel fordo: he not, þur[ȝ] þe imeinde smak, weþer he shal auorþ þe abak. Ȝif þe uox mist of al þis dwole, Line 825 at þan ende he cropþ to hole:

ac naþeles mid alle his wrenche, ne kan he hine so biþenche, þeȝ he bo ȝep an suþe snel, þat he ne lost his rede uel. Line 830 Þe cat ne kan wrench bute anne noþer bi dune ne bi uenne: bute he kan climbe suþe wel, þarmid he wereþ his greie uel. Al so ich segge bi mi solue, Line 835 betere is min on þan þine twelue." "Abid! abid!" þe ule seide, "þu gest al to mid swikelede: alle þine wordes þu bileist þat hit þincþ soþ al þat þu seist; Line 840 alle þine wordes boþ isliked, an so bisemed an biliked, þat alle þo þat hi auoþ, hi weneþ þat þu segge soþ. Abid! abid! me shal þe ȝene. Line 845 [N]u hit shal w[u]rþe wel isene þat þu hauest muchel iloȝe, wone þi lesing boþ unwroȝe. Þu seist þat þu singist mankunne, & techest hom þat hi fundieþ honne Line 850 vp to þe songe þat eure ilest: ac hit is alre w[u]nder mest, þat þu darst liȝe so opeliche. [folio 239r.2] Wenest þu hi bringe so liȝtliche to Godes riche al singin[d]e? Line 855 Nai! nai! hi shulle wel auinde

þat hi mid longe wope mote of hore sunnen bidde bote, ar hi mote euer kume þare. Ich rede þi þat men bo ȝare, Line 860 an more wepe þane singe, þat fundeþ to þan houen-kinge: vor nis no man witute sunne. Vorþi he mot, ar he wende honne, mid teres an mid wope bete, Line 865 þat him bo sur þat er was swete. Þarto ich helpe, God hit wot! Ne singe i[c]h hom no foliot: for al m[i] song is of longinge, an imend sumdel mid woninge, Line 870 þat mon bi me hine biþenche þat he gro[ni] for his unwrenche: mid mine songe ich hine pulte, þat he groni for his gulte. Ȝif þu gest herof to disputinge, Line 875 ich wepe bet þane þu singe: ȝif riȝt goþ forþ, & abak wrong, betere is mi wop þane þi song. Þeȝ sume men bo þurȝut gode, an þurȝut clene on hore mode, Line 880 ho[m] longeþ honne noþeles. Þat boþ her, [w]o is hom þes: vor þeȝ hi bon hom solue iborȝe, hi ne soþ her nowiȝt bote sorwe. Vor oþer men hi wepeþ sore, Line 885 an for hom biddeþ Cristes ore.

Ich helpe monne on eiþer halue, [folio 239v.1] mi muþ haueþ tweire kunne salue : þan gode ich fulste to longinge, vor þan hi[m] longeþ, ich him singe: Line 890 an þan sunfulle ich helpe alswo, vor ich him teche þare is wo. Ȝet ich þe ȝene in oþer wise: vor þane þu sittest on þine rise, þu draȝst men to fleses luste, Line 895 þat w[u]lleþ þine songes luste. Al þu forlost þe murȝþe of houene, for þarto neuestu none steuene : al þat þu singst is of golnesse, for nis on þe non holinesse, Line 900