The iii. chapter.
NOt only by the precept of god ben we bounden and taught to worship and help our fader and oure moder / but alsoo by example in kynde as tellithe the maister of {pro}pirties. That whanne the stork that is clepyd Ciconia. in latyn hath brought forth her briddes to flight / both the male and the female bē wox¦en fulle feble for trauayle yt they hadde in the bredyng and bryng¦ynge forthe of their briddes / and so feble that they may natt wele helpe theym self For bothe the male and the female sytte by dy¦uerse tymes on the eyren / & chaū¦ge their traueyle in bredynge of their briddes / and in fetchyng of mete and drynke for them self. & for their briddes. And therfore whanne the bryddes been woxē and may fle / they fetche mete to their fader & moder into the nest as longe tyme as they traueiled to brynge forth their byrdes / tyl they be releuyd and may traueyl to helpe them self. Also he tel∣lith yt ther is a bridde that is cle∣pyd a pellicane. Pellicanus. And ther is a greate enemyte bi∣twene the pellican and the addre The addre waiteth whanne the pellican hath briddes / & whanne she is out of the neste to gete me¦te to her & to her briddes. the ad∣der crepith vp into the neste and sleeth the briddes. Whanne the pellican cometh ayen / and fyn∣dethe her briddes slayne on this maner / she mourneth three day∣es and thre nyghtes for dethe of her briddes. The thridde day she settith her ayen ouir her briddes. & with her bylle she smytethe her selfe in the syde. and spryngithe the blode on her briddes And by the vertue of the bloode she ray∣seth them fro dethe to lyf. By the bledyng she wexith so feble yt she may nat traueyl to fede her self.
Thanne some of her briddes for loue and pitee put theym to traueyle and fede their moder / & some yeue no tale of her but on∣ly fede theym self. Whanne the moder is amendyd. and woxen stronge / tho briddes that helpyd her she loueth and cherissheth. And the other yt wolde nat helpe her / she betith and bylleth and ca¦stith them oute of her cumpany.