The owl and the nightingale (MS Jes. Col. 29)

Lines 101 through 200

Þot oþer yer a faukun bredde: His nest nowiht wel he ne bihedde: Þarto þu stele in o day, & leydest þaron þi fule ey. Þo hit bycom þat he hayhte, Line 105 & of his eyre briddes wrauhte; Heo brouhte his briddes mete, Biheold his nest, iseyh hi ete:

He iseyh bi one halue His nest ifuled in þe vt halue. Line 110 Þe faukun wes wroþ wiþ his bridde, & lude yal and sturne chidde; "Seggeþ me hwo haueþ þis ido? Eu nas neuer icunde þerto: Hit wes idon eu a loþe custe. Line 115 Seggeþ me if ye hit wiste." Þo queþ þat on and queþ þat oþer: "Iwis hit wes vre owe broþer, Þat yeonde þat haueþ þat grete heued: Way þat he nys þarof byreued! Line 120 Werp hit vt myd þe vyrste Þet his nekke him toberste!" Þe faukun leuede his ibridde, & nom þat fule brid amydde, & warp hym of þan wilde bowe, Line 125 Þat pie and crowe hit todrowe. Þerby men seggeþ a byspel, Þeyh hit ne beo fulliche spel; Al so hit is bi þan vngode Þat is icumen of fule brode, Line 130

Line 130 & is ymeynd wiþ freo monne, Euer he cuþ þat he com þenne, [folio 230r.1] Þat he com of þan adel-eye, Þeyh he a freo neste leye. Þeyh appel trendli from þe treo, Line 135 Þar he and oþer myde grewe, Þeyh he beo þar-from bicume, He cuþ hwenene he is icume." Þeos word ayaf þe nihtegale, And after þare longe tale Line 140 Heo song so lude & so scharpe, Ryht so me grulde schille harpe. Þeos vle luste þider-ward, & heold hire eyen neþer-ward, & sat toswolle & tobolewe, Line 145 So heo hedde one frogge iswolwe: For heo wel wiste & was iwar Þat heo song hire a-bysemar. & naþeles heo yaf ondsware, "Hwy neltu fleon in-to [þe] bare, Line 150

Line 150 And schewi hweþer vnker beo Of brihter hewe, of fayrur bleo ?" "No, þu hauest scharpe clawe, Ne kepe ich noht þat þu me clawe. Þu hauest clyures swiþe stronge, Line 155 Þu twengest þar-mid so doþ a tonge. Þu þoutest, so doþ þine ilyche, Mid fayre worde me biswike. Ich nolde don þat þu me raddest, Ich wiste wel þat þu me misraddest. Line 160 Schomye þe vor þine vnrede! Vnwryen is þi swikehede ! Schild þi swike-dom from þe lyhte, And hud þat wowe among þe ryhte. Hwanne þu wilt vnriht spene, Line 165 Loke þat hit ne beo isene: [folio 230r.2] Vor swikedom haueþ schome and hete, If hit is ope and vnder-yete. Ne spedestu nouht mid þin vnwrenche, For ich am war and can blenche. Line 170 Ne helpeþ noht þat þu bo to þriste: Ich wolde vyhte bet myd liste

Þan þu mid al þine strengþe. Ich habbe, on brede & ek on lengþe, Castel god on myne ryse: Line 175 " Wel fyht þat wel flyhþ," seyþ þe wise. Ac lete [we] awey þeos cheste, For suche wordes beoþ vnwreste: And fo we on myd rihte dome, Mid fayre worde & myd some. Line 180 Þeyh we ne beon at one acorde, We mawe bet myd fayre worde, Wiþvte cheste, and bute vyhte, Playde mid soþe & mid ryhte: & may vr eyþer hwat he wile Line 185 Mid rihte segge & myd skile." Þo quaþ þe vle, "Hwo schal vs seme, Þat cunne & wille riht vs deme?" "Ich wot wel" quaþ þe nyhtegale, "Ne þarf þerof beo no tale. Line 190 Mayster Nichol of Guldeuorde, He is wis and war of worde: He is of worde swyþe glev, And him is loþ eurich vnþeu.

He wot insyht in euche songe, Line 195 Hwo singeþ wel, hwo singeþ wronge: And he con schede from þe rihte Þat wowe, þat þuster from þe lyhte." Þe vle one hwile hi bihouhte And after þan þis word upbrouhte: [folio 230v.1] Line 200