Lydgate's Horse, Goose, and Sheep.
[Written after A. D. 1421: see note to l. 234, p. 25.] (92 stanzas; 77 in sevens, ababbcc; and 15 in eights, abab,bcbc; with an Envoy "Don't despise your Neighbour.") From the Lansdowne MS. 699, in the British Museum, collated with the Harley MS. 2251 (leaf 277, &c.) and the Roxburghe Club reprint of the black-letter copy of the poem.
¶ Incipit Disputacio inter Equum, Aucam, & Ouem. [folio 66b]
A Disputation between a horse, a Sheepe and a Goose, for superioritie (in a later hand).
(1)
COntrouersies / plëys & discordis [pleys . .] plees and al discorde HR.]
Line 1
Atween personës / were it too or thre, [Atween . .] Betwene . . bien yit of it, Bitwene . . were R.]
Sought out the ground / bi witnessis of recordis: [witnessis . .] witnesse of Recorde H, groundes be recordes R.]
This was the costom / of antiquyte;
Iuges were sett / that hadde Auctor[i]te,
Line 5
The cas conceyved / stondynge indifferent, [cas] cause H, caas R.]
Attweene parties / to yeue A Iugëment. [Attweene] Betweene HR. A] om. R.]
Line 7
(2)
¶ Parties assemblid / of hih or lowe degre, [or] and HR.]
Line 8
Weren admittid / to shewen in senténce, [Weren . . shewen] They were . . shewe H, Weren . . shewen R.]
Ground of here quarell / the lawë made hem fre [here quarell] theyr quarels HR.]
Without excepcïoun / to come to Audience,
Bi the president / commaundid first silence,
Line 12
Fredam yove / the parties nat to spare [yove] yeven H, yeue R.]
Bi rule of right / ther grevès to declare. [rule] title HR.]
Line 14
