The parlament of foules, by Geoffrey Chaucer. Ed., with introduction, notes, and glossary, by T. R. Lounsbury.

68 THE PARLAMENT OF FOULES.

LII.
The wakyr goos, the cokkow euere vnkynde,
The popynjay ful of delicasye,
The drake stroyere of his owene kynde, 360
The stork the wrekere of avouterye,
The hote cormeraunt of glotenye,
The rauen wys, the crowe with vois of care,
The throstel old, the frosty feldefare.
LIII.
What shulde I seyn? Of foulys euery kynde 365
That in this world hath federis and stature,
Men myghtyn in that place assembled fynde
Byfore the noble goddesse Nature:
And eueriche of hem dede his besy cure
Benygnely to chese or for to take, 370
By hire acord, his formel or his make.
LIV.
But to the poynt. Nature held on hire hond
A formele egle, of shap the gentilleste,
That euere she among hire werkis fond,
The moste benynge and the goodlieste: 375
In hire was eueri vertu at his reste
So fer forth, that Nature hire self hadde blysse
To loke on hire, and ofte hire bek to kysse.

358. [euere vnkynde] most onkynde. 364. [throstel] thurstil.
363. [with] wit 367. [assembled] assemblede.